Stomach Pain?

[R2R]

For about 4 years now Ive had consistent pain in my stomach. Its kind of feels like someone is constantly squeezing my stomach. There has literally not been a second in the last 4 years that I wasnt consciously aware of the pain.
After the first few months of it I was worried so I saw my doctor. He diagnosed it as Gastroenteritis. I took some nexium for about a month until I realized it wasnt doing anything. I didnt even bother going back to him.
About 2 years ago I somehow got the idea that it could be anxiety. I did a little research and felt it matched up pretty well. Even then I didnt really do anything about it.
Early this summer my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I knew he wasnt going to make it. It was like salt in my wounds because my mother died from cancer when I was 7. From diagnosis to time of death it was 2 months. I sat next to his bed as he took his last breath and the blood poured out of his mouth.
I finaly decided to see someone so I went to a therapist. This anxiety/pain has put a permanent buffer on my life. I cant concentrate, im not motivated, im constantly physically/mentally drained, and I just generally dont feel like myself.
Anyways, my question is does anyone else have pain like this in their stomach? what did you do about it? how long did it last?

[mamascrazy1985]

i dont have stomach pains but i am truely sorry for your unfortunate events

[wantofeelbetter]

hello sorry to hear for your loss.
my newest symptom is constant stomach pains. the range from subtle to sharp. and are in all spots. i have a dr's app. on tuesday for it, but im sure these kind of things has to do with anxiety.

hang in there.

[northstar]

hi R2R, just wondering do you have any other symptoms of anxiety other than the stomach pain? i know that the stresses you have been through can cause all kinds of funny reactions in our bodies, but if you are only getting stomach pains and are having no other symptoms of anxiety or depression then it just sounds a bit odd to be diagnosed with it.

for me it sounds like you might need to visit a nutritionist, the problem could be down to an allergy or something in your diet that's disagreeing with you. of course therapy is always valuable, especially if you're suffered through these terrible losses of both your parents. but i think it's also worth checking out your digestive system if you're having trouble with it :)

ask your doctor for a refferal or look for a nutritionist yourself, i wouldn't just leave the problem alone because the doc was wrong the first time around and if there are any medical problems you'll need to get it seen to as soon as possible so you can feel better again :)

[R2R]

hi R2R, just wondering do you have any other symptoms of anxiety other than the stomach pain? i know that the stresses you have been through can cause all kinds of funny reactions in our bodies, but if you are only getting stomach pains and are having no other symptoms of anxiety or depression then it just sounds a bit odd to be diagnosed with it.

for me it sounds like you might need to visit a nutritionist, the problem could be down to an allergy or something in your diet that's disagreeing with you. of course therapy is always valuable, especially if you're suffered through these terrible losses of both your parents. but i think it's also worth checking out your digestive system if you're having trouble with it :)

ask your doctor for a refferal or look for a nutritionist yourself, i wouldn't just leave the problem alone because the doc was wrong the first time around and if there are any medical problems you'll need to get it seen to as soon as possible so you can feel better again :)

For symptoms I have trouble sleeping/staying asleep, muscle tension, tiring easily, cronic constipation, and difficulty concentrating. All of these came about around the same time as my stomach pain started. Im pretty convinced(as is my therapist) that its anxiety. I would just really like my stomach pain to go away.

[northstar]

certainly anxiety and the digestive system are related, when we're anxious it can be very difficult to eat and digest properly and people have all kinds of problems. lots of people loose their appetite and find it hard to eat anything at all.

on the other hand diet and anxiety are very closely related and often we do not realise that the way we eat has a powerful effect on our body and mental health. i discovered this the hard way myself and solved my anxiety problems through a combination of therapy as well as diet and lifestyle change, the diet stuff was key. it's amazing really how much of an effect this part of our lives has on how we feel!

i still think with all those kinds of symptoms like the not sleeping properly, stomach pain, lethargy, difficulty concentration and constipation that it would still be wise to talk to someone who can advise you on your diet. to me it makes sense that if you're having trouble with your digestive system that you speak to an expert about it who can possibly help you to figure stuff out or at least to rule out any problems.

i don't mean at all to say that you're going down the wrong route with therapy, it's a wonderful tool for anxiety and i know that from my own experiences :) but i just think it's worth considering for someone with your kind of symptoms.

you might want to take a look at this other post, it explains a little about how diet and anxiety are related, you might find it interesting :) http://www.anxietyforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4087

[snakeeyes148]

I was a bad case of stomach pain in my childhood days. I don't know what doctors treated me with as i was too young to understand all that when I it all happened.
Sorry for your loss.

[Barcadia101]

Some others may refer the same thing as "butterflies in belly". Digestion and anxiety are directly linked and when you are anxious, your digestion doesn't work normally.

[R2R]

Thanks Northstar. I read your thread and it was great. I bought a B vitamin comlex today and im going to talk to my doctor soon about seeing a nutritionist.