Longtime bloating/"tightness" isse

[jollyjolly]

Hello all!

I have had a weird tightness in my upper/middle left quadrant for about 9 years...that used to only flare up during PMS and stress...yet in the last 1 1/2 months, it has become full-blown, literally.  Upper/mid left side bloating, tightness, shortness of breath, yawning, heartburn, sloshing...and it's chronic now, regardless of what I eat or drink...24/7.  It's worse when I am standing...I am just now learning how to deal with the anxiety attacks I get from it.  

It is a physical thing, for sure, not just in my head...I know I need to see a Dr.  When it's at it's worst, I feel a lump, that moves around...anywhere from the upper left (under ribcage), to left mid section...extreme left of naval.   To me, it feels like chronic trapped gas...but it has become debilitating.

Any input is much appreciated.  (I've had positive EKG, echo, holter monitor, blood, diabetes, etc.)  Was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder last week...yet I KNOW this is something else.

Thanks!

[bj31]

Finally!  Someone with the same symptoms as I have dealt with for the last 5 years at least!  I thought no one else was dealing with this.  All the doctors I have been to for this can not find anything wrong.  All my tests though have shown up normal.  Frustrating.  Then they got me thinking it was psychological which I know is not the case because no matter what state I am in or what aspect my life is in, makes no difference.  The acid meds they have put me on has helped the heart burn and the tightness in my chest, but not the bloating and the pain on the left side of my belly button and down to the groin area.  I had an upper gi endoscopy which showed some inflammation in the esophages which may be benefical for you to look into.  Good luck

[Tay24]

I have this same problem I'm pretty sure. For almost 3 years :(. Extremely frustrating when I think about going to the doctor because he said it's in my head. I am very anxious and stressed but it's real I know it. I get real bad bloating but it's not consistent with certain foods. Sometimes just water will cause it real bad. And my breathing is real bad sometimes. I totally feel like it is pressure up against the diaphram and walking my dog helps alot of the time but it's not like I can do that all day. Laying down or sitting really helps most of the time. I am so damn frustrated and scared sometimes I can't take it. I really hope that your problem goes away cause I understand your pain. I'll pray for ya and I'm determined that we'll kick this. Just try and focus on one possible cause at a time or it will drive you crazy.

[Jennymay22]

Hi... i think that i may be going through the same problem..... i have been browsing the web for a while and found this....... i had my first and only child 18 months ago since then, i have been experiencing really bad bloating, i feel as if therer are gas pockets pushing on my windpipe, and all through my chest..... it gets really hard for me to breathe at times, and i feel like i cant catch a full breathe, i try to make myself yawn to feel like i get a deep breathe.  I was also diag. with sever anxiety/panic attack disorder.... i have had a few test ran like; EKG, h'palord, and a blood cardiac test.  but never any further than that..... the doc refered everything else to IBS, which was said to be brought on by the anxiety... and I KNOW SOMETHING else is going on.....  it is the bloating and shortness of breathe that causes and brings on my anxiety attacks.... i think the whole IBS and anxiety causing me to feel this miserable is just a cop-out, some docs just wanna get paid to tell you its something simple so they dont have run tests.... and i feel sometimes they think it is all in my head when I KNOW its not..... i have accepted that i do have severe anxiety. but i know something is wrong, and im tired of going to the doc for them to tell me "its just ibs and anxiety......  let me know if you two find out anything........

[keywest]

I've had the same symptoms...When I was researching them, I found a great article on Yahoo. "Vagus Nerve Imbalance/Hiatal Hernia Syndrome". It describes these symptoms exactly! It's such a logical article and it seems to apply to so many of us with these perplexing symptoms that get written off as "anxiety".
Hope you get some insight.

keywest

[jollyjolly]

Thank you all so much for your input!  Sorry it took me so long to respond.  I spend endless hours trying to self diagnose myself via the internet.  (not the best thing to do, I know)  Sounds like you all know exactly how I feel.  I, like many of you, have anxiety...and can accept it...it's the chronic bloating/breathlessness that is so debilitating.  (sometimes I can't even stand to do simple housework...I have to sit down until the attack subsides...SCARY!!!)

Again, thank you all so much.
Holly

[jollyjolly]

By they way, do any of you have attacks at times while standing, and have to sit down immediately before they get worse.  (I get the whole list of typical anxiety symptoms when I have these attacks...yet the first symptom is ALWAYS related to my stomach...in addition, I get the uncontrollable shaking, sweaty palms, feeling crazy, feel hot when even when it's cold, etc.)
I feel like my family doesn't realize how bad I feel...they try to be supportive, but I often wonder if they think I'm making it up, or making it sound worse than it really is.  Do any of you feel this way?  Thanks again.