It sounds like what you are going through is a symptom of anxiety. Stomach problems are common in people who have panic. Managing stress levels and anxiety in general should help. Keep working on the program. The auxillay session on Relaxation techniques may help.
All the members offer great suggestions too. Keep us posted on how you are doing with this!
I have had a nervous stomach for as long as I can remember and here's what I found worked for me if you are still looking for remedies to try.
Eno I find works well a lot of the time. Tums, not as well but still seem to help a bit.
Candied ginger, it tastes pretty strong but it seems to help. I think it worked best when I nibbled on it slowly throughout the day.
and when my reflux and overall nervous stomach got really bad I tried this mixture that i read about, it is ayervedic I think. It tastes really sour but it also seemed to help. It is 1 part finely chopped fresh ginger, 1 part salt and 2 (or a bit more to taste) of lemon juice. I would do about a tsp of the first 2 and 2 tsp of lemon juice and nibble on it slowly (the ginger absorbs the lemon juice). I don't know why it helped or if it was a placebo effect even, but it was very acidic and seemed to calm the knot feeling in my stomach. you could try it when your stomach is not feeling bad just to see if the taste is palatable to you. if it makes you feel more upset, don't use it of course. in general i find salty things help my stomach and i've never figured out why but they do.
i've tried mint leaves too. They work but not as well as the ginger for me.
Hi Brittany: I had terrible acid reflux when I was going through the bad times with panic attacks. My stomach was very nervous too. My doctor wrote me a prescription for something, sorry, I've forgotten the name but I can say it did work. I took it for about 2-3 months. Another suggestion is to eat 4-5 smaller meals a day instead of the usual 3. Go easy on the coffee or anything which irritates the stomach - you probably know what food bothers you the most. At that time, I couldn't eat raw veggies or nuts and stopped coffee too. The first two wks. I stuck to scrambled eggs, soup and bread and very mushy veggies. No acidic juices, orange, tomato, etc. for awhile either. It got better! Pepto Bismol worked well too and the doc. said to go ahead and take it about 1/2 hr. before eating. There are other over-the-counter stomach antacids you could try before eating. Zantac was another one which worked for me, about an hr. before eating. Again, not to use for long periods of time. Best to see a doctor if after a couple of wks. it doesn't calm down.
These are just suggestions for you. It's what worked for me but of course, we are all different. I can't remember if you wrote that you've seen your dr. or not. Pls. do if your symptoms continue as there is medication out there which is very helpful if that is what you are dealing with. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
You know you could be suffering from reflux and there is medication for it. Even if it is not if taking something for it makes you think it will help it is worth it. Say just some Enos, or if you do not have kidney stones some tums. (the non aluminum ones preferably) If it helps and is not a physical problem you will eventually just forget to take them. Also, do not rule out the calcium in tums as a calming agent. I am presuming you have seen a doctor and there is no other reason for this to be happening. I know hospitals where they pass out coloured tums as a placebo and it works.
The other day I was having stomach cramps after a meal and began to get freaked out. Ultimately, that lead to a very nasty panic attack.
However, I've learnt how to figure out what causes these issues. One issue I have right now is what I suppose you could call a "nervous stomach". I eat, and then my stomach feels tense, crampy (including the diaphragm area), and I become very aware of the general area. Ultimately, I do all I can to pretend it's not an issue, but my anxiety catches up with me, and makes me freak out, or have another attack. Does anyone know how to relieve this tension? It actually results in me constantly bringing up bits of liquid/food into my mouth after a meal, and is becoming quite impeding.
Other than that, I'm doing well for once, no issues with my chest and I'm certainly not going crazy! :)
