Aa
Help for chronic stomach problem.
Bit of a long story here-sorry.
for the past year and a half, I've had a variety of stomach issues. I'm at my wits end because nothing seems to work and my doctor gave up on me.
It started about a year and a half ago. I began to get heartburn frequently, with some nausea, especially at night. I took over the counter stuff but that became ineffective. I did allergy blood tests and a test for h. Pylori at a general practitioner. When those came up negative, I was sent to a gastroenterologist. By this time, my symptoms had gotten worse; one week I could hardly eat without feeling pain, burning, cramps, and nausea. However, at this point, my symptoms would still come and go. My gastroenterologist did an upper gi endoscopy which only showed mild gastritis. I was put on pantoprazole for a couple months. This slightly helped with the heartburn, but produced full blown nausea everyday.
It's important to mention at this point that I have pretty bad anxiety and also have emetophobia. The thought of vomiting sends me into a full blown panic attack. I'm able to control it so I do not vomit, just have severe nausea for long periods of time.
Anyway, while I was taking the pantoprazole I felt constantly nauseous. I was unable to eat without feeling sick, resulting in a 30 pound weight loss during a 2 month period. As of now I have lost even more weight; I'm about 113, down from 157.
During this time I also began to experience extreme constipation, sometimes making it so I was unable to have a bowel movement for over a week. When I was finally able to, I would experience bleeding as well. I went back to the gastroenterologist and was ordered to take a blood test, abdominal ultrasound, colonoscopy, and barium contrast ct scan. The blood test and ultrasound came up negative. The ct scan showed nothing but enlarged ovaries, which my gynecologist dismissed as nothing. The colonoscopy revealed some inflammation and some hemorrhoids. The doctor said at this point that there was nothing wrong with me, and that I should just attempt to bring more fiber into my diet.
At this point in time, the only conclusive thing that is wrong with me is some IBS. I primarily suffer from constipation and cramps, with it sometimes switching to me having bouts of diarrhea. I have almost constant nausea, am unable to eat much, and am exhausted all the time. I get full very quickly with a very small amount of food, and still feel full hours later (sometimes up to 8 hours later). I'm unable to eat certain foods without it causing me intense pain and heartburn. Basically the pain feels like a hot burning throughout my stomach, with aching and cramping all over. I can burp hours later and still feel the burning and taste from food I ate before. I know some of my symptoms are aggravated by stress and anxiety, with there being an almost immediate connection.
I had begun to chew gum to help with the heartburn and nausea, but it has decreased it's effectiveness to the point where sometimes I chew through a couple packs a day. I've also tried ginger tea, ginger pills, otc heartburn relief, probiotics, digestive aid enzymes, benefiber, motion sickness pills, anti nausea pills such as Dramamine and Pepto bismol chewables, and sea bands. I've also taken to sucking on cough drops to relieve some of the burning nausea from my throat.
I don't know what to do at this point. I've limited my diet already and have tried almost every over the counter medication available. My doctor gave up on me, dismissing my symptoms as a result of stress. I don't understand if it's possible to experience this many problems because of it though. I was abused as a child and have struggled with with anxiety and depression for about 5 years, if that helps.
I'm wondering if anyone has experienced something similar, and if so, what do I do? I'm hesitant to go back to the doctor only to have more negative testing results and be told that it's all in my head. This is affecting every part of my life right now and it's taking a toll on me. If you have any suggestions, please help.
for the past year and a half, I've had a variety of stomach issues. I'm at my wits end because nothing seems to work and my doctor gave up on me.
It started about a year and a half ago. I began to get heartburn frequently, with some nausea, especially at night. I took over the counter stuff but that became ineffective. I did allergy blood tests and a test for h. Pylori at a general practitioner. When those came up negative, I was sent to a gastroenterologist. By this time, my symptoms had gotten worse; one week I could hardly eat without feeling pain, burning, cramps, and nausea. However, at this point, my symptoms would still come and go. My gastroenterologist did an upper gi endoscopy which only showed mild gastritis. I was put on pantoprazole for a couple months. This slightly helped with the heartburn, but produced full blown nausea everyday.
It's important to mention at this point that I have pretty bad anxiety and also have emetophobia. The thought of vomiting sends me into a full blown panic attack. I'm able to control it so I do not vomit, just have severe nausea for long periods of time.
Anyway, while I was taking the pantoprazole I felt constantly nauseous. I was unable to eat without feeling sick, resulting in a 30 pound weight loss during a 2 month period. As of now I have lost even more weight; I'm about 113, down from 157.
During this time I also began to experience extreme constipation, sometimes making it so I was unable to have a bowel movement for over a week. When I was finally able to, I would experience bleeding as well. I went back to the gastroenterologist and was ordered to take a blood test, abdominal ultrasound, colonoscopy, and barium contrast ct scan. The blood test and ultrasound came up negative. The ct scan showed nothing but enlarged ovaries, which my gynecologist dismissed as nothing. The colonoscopy revealed some inflammation and some hemorrhoids. The doctor said at this point that there was nothing wrong with me, and that I should just attempt to bring more fiber into my diet.
At this point in time, the only conclusive thing that is wrong with me is some IBS. I primarily suffer from constipation and cramps, with it sometimes switching to me having bouts of diarrhea. I have almost constant nausea, am unable to eat much, and am exhausted all the time. I get full very quickly with a very small amount of food, and still feel full hours later (sometimes up to 8 hours later). I'm unable to eat certain foods without it causing me intense pain and heartburn. Basically the pain feels like a hot burning throughout my stomach, with aching and cramping all over. I can burp hours later and still feel the burning and taste from food I ate before. I know some of my symptoms are aggravated by stress and anxiety, with there being an almost immediate connection.
I had begun to chew gum to help with the heartburn and nausea, but it has decreased it's effectiveness to the point where sometimes I chew through a couple packs a day. I've also tried ginger tea, ginger pills, otc heartburn relief, probiotics, digestive aid enzymes, benefiber, motion sickness pills, anti nausea pills such as Dramamine and Pepto bismol chewables, and sea bands. I've also taken to sucking on cough drops to relieve some of the burning nausea from my throat.
I don't know what to do at this point. I've limited my diet already and have tried almost every over the counter medication available. My doctor gave up on me, dismissing my symptoms as a result of stress. I don't understand if it's possible to experience this many problems because of it though. I was abused as a child and have struggled with with anxiety and depression for about 5 years, if that helps.
I'm wondering if anyone has experienced something similar, and if so, what do I do? I'm hesitant to go back to the doctor only to have more negative testing results and be told that it's all in my head. This is affecting every part of my life right now and it's taking a toll on me. If you have any suggestions, please help.
Best Answer
Thanks for the advice. One of the things they tested for was gallstones or issues with the gallbladder and other organs in an ultrasound. Those were also negative. I will try to go the holistic route or at least visit a different doctor. Thank you for your help :)
Are you in therapy and or on any kinds of meds for your anxiety? If you're not in therapy I would highly recommend it.
Many of us here that have anxiety also have severe stomach issues. It's seems to be a common thing when you do have anxiety.
You've had testing done but you did'nt mention your gall bladder. Has your Dr done any tests to make sure it's functioning properly?
I drink aloe vera juice when I'm having stomach problems, which is alot, and it really helps with the nausea. It should also help with the constipation. Try to buy it at an organic food store because I've found that to be the best kind.
Many of us here that have anxiety also have severe stomach issues. It's seems to be a common thing when you do have anxiety.
You've had testing done but you did'nt mention your gall bladder. Has your Dr done any tests to make sure it's functioning properly?
I drink aloe vera juice when I'm having stomach problems, which is alot, and it really helps with the nausea. It should also help with the constipation. Try to buy it at an organic food store because I've found that to be the best kind.
Even if you have anxiety you still have digestive problems -- just because you have anxiety doesn't mean nothing can be done for you. For digestive problems I'd see a naturopath or holistic nutritionist. This is not an area doctors are very good at, and the medications they use tend to make the problem stay around rather than rid you of it. This could be many things, but it sounds like you tried to solve it yourself and maybe some professional guidance along the same lines would work better. Good luck.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
I was going to ask about the gallbladder too. Sounds very much like gb issues, IMO.
I would maybe seek a second opinion from another GI specialist to rule out GB issues (or anything else...possibly pancreas problems also), and take Paxiled's advice to see if you can take a different approach with your GI symptoms.
I'm usually a more mainstream medicine person, but I DO think when it comes to chronic GI problems, the docs really struggle to manage the conditions, and the meds out there (like prilosec, protonix, etc) really should only be used on a very limited, short term basis. People end up on those meds long term and sometimes end up causing more problems than they started with. Some people do genuinely have conditions that warrant those meds long term...but most people are taking them inappropriately. I think trying a holistic nutritionist and a naturopath wouldn't hurt. I also think a second opinion is a good idea.
It goes without saying that you need to do whatever you need to to address the anxiety as well...therapy, relaxation...whatever methods work for you to keep it managed. The two issues will most definitely feed off one another (pun not intended, but appropriate!)
Sure hope you feel better soon!