A fairly new friend of mine is having episodes where her stomach hurts fairly severly and she has nausea. She's been tested up and down and no physical ailments ahve been found.

That leads me to believe it's all anxiety-related for her. Have any of you ever heard of anxiety manifesting this way? What is appropriate treatment that can give her a fairly normal life back?

My daughter has anxiety issues, and it occasionally physically manifests as stomach pains. There are courses on handling anxiety that she may benefit from.

i was thinking a group therapy thing for pain management might not be off-base, either. I know her pain is real, it just doesn't seem to stem from physical sources.

She could try Yoga. Sometimes, just learning to breathe and relax helps with anxiety. And the exercise increases endorphins that make you feel good.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2013 11:55AM by wine country girl.

The symptoms can be just stomach ache and nausea, but just sometimes with a headache, and not necessarily a horrible one that people associate with migraine, which is why it's so hard to pin it down as a migraine. Sometimes there is a visual disturbance or other sensory disturbance (sensitivity to light, sound, smells). It's not common, and often takes years to rule everything else out. Abdominal migraine doesn't always involve a headache, or vomiting, but it can. Stress CAN be a trigger (as in a regular headache), but usually it's a combination of triggers. If she thinks it's migraines, she'd want to see a neurologist/headache doctor or a gastrointestinal specialist (or both) to get them to review her case.

I assume she been tested for celiac disease?

I know a fair number of people who suffer from chronic illnesses. Be careful about assuming that any illness is due to "stress". To some people, that comes across as telling them that it's all in their head or that they are weak. People who suffer from chronic illnesses don't always appreciate an armchair diagnosis, or assumptions that they can't handle stress. But figuring out what their illness is, is often a huge relief, even if the diagnosis totally sucks.

Oh, and everybody can benefit from controlling their stress. There is a huge body-mind connection in everyone I know with chronic illness. They have more symptoms when they get stressed. (and I mean both physical stress from not taking care of themselves properly, AND emotional stress).



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2013 12:07PM by imaworkinonit.

But I will mention it to her.

Actually, this poor lady has been suffering like this for 16 years, and no physical diagnosis hasd ever been made. And she used to have Screen Actor's Guild insurance, so it's not like her doctors cheaped-out on testing.

Yes, she's been tested for celiac.

And pretty much everything else.

That's why I'm saying anxiety.

I agree with imworkingonit's thoughts...but as she proceeds, please keep looking for other answers *while* treating and managing anxiety. I had a very hard to diagnose condition that was actually physically producing the chemicals that cause anxiety, and it went away when the condition was treated.

In the process of looking for answers, I actually had a doctor tell me, "there is nothing wrong with you, go see a psychologist". Well, he was WRONG, and his delay in helping me find an actual diagnosis cost me my career.

I finally figured it out on my own and went to a doctor for confirmation and testing.

I guess what I'm saying is keep looking until she's satisfied.

I'm a huge fan of probiotics. If she's taken meds or pain killers, that could mess up her stomach. She should also try a radical elimination diet to weed out offending foods. +1 to looking up abdominal migraines.

Also, someone needs to say it: tread lightly if you are giving unsolicited medical advice or ideas to someone you don't know well. It can be a friendship-breaking situation if you over step, not to mention really annoying if she really has been looking for answers for 16 years.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2013 12:29PM by moonbeam.

When you go to so many doctors, it's hard for any one of them to have the full picture and remember all the tests and symptoms. Especially in weird cases, the patient has to be persistent.

Some probiotics containing specifically b longum and b infantis have been damn near miraculous for my anxiety, plus they are good for guts, where her pain is.

I hope she finds some suggestion that helps her, both anxiety and pain are horrible. :(

I'll suggest that, too.

I recently received relief from 18 years of chronic low back pain by going to an experienced physical therapist. From her website: "In the 26 years she has practiced she has had extensive post graduate training in orthopedic conditions, specializing in manual therapy interventions from Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Manual Medicine, Jones Institute for Strain and Counter Strain, Connecticut School of Integrative Manual Therapy." She said many people find relief from back problems when she performs visceral relief therapy. Indeed that day was a turning point in the pain relief.

Back pain is not your friend's problem, but I thought it worth a few words to share the miracle cure I (hope) I have from physical therapy. No Dr. ever found a specific cause for my back pain, either. Good luck!

Recommended by rfm, may be useful.

Yes, stress and anxiety can cause stomach issues. BUT, there are also a ton of other things that could be going on. It is hard to say. Many adults have dairy/lactose intolerance, and find that cutting out dairy (milk, cheese, butter) helps. Others take anti-anxiety medication....I personally strongly recommend going to a psychiatrist to monitor the medication. There are all sorts of things that could be going on. I wouldn't downplay one's health.

With that said, I've learned over the years that many loved ones REFUSE to get medical treatment or to fully implement recommended care. It is not something I can control. I find that it's best for me to be supportive and clear about my expectations and observations (i
e
you've cancelled 3 gatherings bc you had a headache, is something more going on?). Unlike what I was taught growing up, I intend to live and let live, and realize how little control I have, particularly over other's choices.

brought up.

I think chronic illness of any kind can PRODUCE anxiety, which can produces more illness, and then more anxiety.

Not knowing what's wrong=anxiety.
Missing work or school and getting behind or in trouble for it=anxiety.
Financial strain from missed income and compounding medical expenses=anxiety.
People thinking you are lazy or faking sick because they haven't figured it out=anxiety
Not ever knowing if you will be able to do the things you want to do in your life = powerlessness = anxiety.

helamonster Wrote:
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> What is appropriate
> treatment that can give her a fairly normal life
> back?


I have OCD which is an anxiety disorder. It's lovely! ;-) And though I've had my own private episodes of sheer hell, on the plus side, I've learned a lot about how to deal with anxiety through much therapy, conferences, reading, communicating with other people who have anxiety disorders, etc.

IMO, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been a life-saver. Actually I would say it has added to my life substantially enough that I'm glad that I was so effed-up by OCD years ago that I got therapy and learned about mindfulness and MBSR. I think I benefited a lot from all that awfulness; it taught me mindfulness skills that not only got my OCD under control but those skills translated into other areas of life.

Anyways, though I say I have OCD, I consider it under control. Mindfulness and MBSR gave me my life back and more. I highly recommend it for anyone but especially for people with anxiety problems.

I also use mindfulness to reduce anxiety.

I learned that by persisting with meditation practice, I trained my body to relax whenever I focus my attention on my breath going in and out of my nostrils.

Only a true anxiety sufferer knows how having tools like that makes you drop your fear of a panic attack, which is part of the cycle.

Meditation is being taught now in prisons to help inmates deal with anger issues. It has been successful and the program is being spread throughout California. The leaders speak here and there, bringing inmates to describe how the mindfulness techniques kept them from taking offense, looking for drama, etc.

Like the posters above have suggested, you keep doing your own diagnostic investigations WHILE you develop psychological tools that work for you.

Music, swimming, walking, having a pet, even hobbies help anxiety. I have been crocheting while watching tv or listening to tapes and it has helped me enormously, helping me to feel productive while resting my back.

You are a unique person and only you know how you feel and know what helps. Keep up your investigations and don't get discouraged. Never give up and you WILL find a way to eliminate or at least manage your anxiety. Thousands if not millions have found paths to peace and who knows what technique, what exercise, what hobby will be the key to peace for you!

Best

Anagrammy

While your friend is looking for her answers--and she should keep looking, and never give up--she needs to treat her symptoms. Pain-killers are not the answer, and could be the problem. I wouldn't be surprised that after 16 years, she has tried them all.

Please. Anxiety in itself does not cause pain. There is something else going on. However, I know from experience that pain and illness can cause anxiety. I have celiac disease, and once I was diagnosed, and given the solution, my anxiety went away. Sometimes tests for celiac are not accurate, because the patient, suspecting she has celiac, has stopped eating gluten. Ask your friend if anyone in her family has celiac disease. Then, have her go on the elimination diet, and add wheat. My daughter gets the same bad reaction from corn. Allergy to dairy causes stomach pains, too.

When I was a little girl, I would get severe stomach aches every night, at about the same time. My parents said it was all in my head, and that I did it to get attention, etc. I call this the "Old wives' diagnosis. I was a nervous, anxious child, because my older brother (by 6 years, an enormous, violent, bi-polar person) was abusing and torturing me. My TBM parents were in denial that anything was wrong with my brother, and they told me to be quiet and "take it" or "stay away from your brother." I have PTSD as an adult. My brother would steal the food off my plate, and pester me at mealtime. Often, I got the blame, and was sent to bed without any dinner. That seemed to be my mother's favorite punishment, next to having my father whip us.

The stomach aches were caused by acid, which can feel like a knife going through the front of your stomach, clear to the spine. No ulcers, no heartburn, no reflux. I was too skinny. When I left that hell of a house and went to BYU, I loved living in a dorm, away from my brother. I also discovered Rolaids and Tums. Treating the symptoms, plus getting enough sleep (Sleep-deprivation was one of my brother's tortures. He worked the night shift, and slept while I was at school. Early morning seminary didn't help, either, and going without breakfast. Take the anti-acids under a doctor's supervision. If the doctor prescribes them (such as Pepsid AC), they are cheaper than over-the-counter. I had a recent episode of stomach pains, and the doctor said I needed to take more than the recommended amount to get results, and after two weeks, he took me off of them.

The reason I'm describing this, is this is how "anxiety" works to make a stomach condition (such as acidity) worse. Then, the stomach pains make the anxiety worse, and it is a vicious cycle. This is true of IBS and IC, also. I had IBS when I was under too much stress from my divorce and performance anxiety, while playing the piano and organ. IBS is tricky, and all I could do was treat the symptoms. Later, I discovered that Kaopectate has gluten in it, and the "cure" was actually making me sicker.

You really need to be careful with self-treating and self-diagnosis, and with diagnosing your friends, too!

Since your friends doctors have ruled out many of the most feared diseases, maybe she can relax now. The self-treatments for anxiety are actually good for you. Yoga breathing really works! It is simple, time-tested, and best of all, doesn't involve drugs. Mild, doctor-approved exercise helped me the most. Since your friend is older, she needs to make sure she is getting enough sleep. Maybe she has a sleep disorder, which can cause all kinds of problems. Does your friend eat right? Does she take vitamins? Probiotics are good for you, and are definitely worth a try.

Your friend needs to take charge of her own health (and not you.) If the elimination diet doesn't show any food allergies, she should go to an allergist for the tests. She should write down what she eats every day for a while, and when she has pain, and maybe things will add up. Carbonated drinks, condensed orange juice, tea and coke will put me on the floor in pain, within minutes. I can tolerate fresh orange juice, and coffee just fine. Your friend needs to find out her own foods to avoid. She can do that today.

You are a good friend to try to help. Don't let people criticize you for your good intentions.

You really need to be careful yourself about making sweeping statements like "anxiety in itself doesn't cause pain".

Bzzt. Wrong.

You did have some useful advice, too bad you dismissed some possibilities out of hand, like was done to you in the past.

Yes, panic/anxiety can manifest in physical symptoms. I have occasional panic attacks. I have found that a baked potato will kick up my seratonin levels and help get me out of one. And, of course, everything else that everyone else has mentioned above.

If she's getting sick immediately after eating the smallest amounts of foods containing ANY oils or fat, she may have gallstones.

Anxiety symptoms can be as you described with nausea and vomiting along with your heart racing and breathing faster. I took a low dose of Lexapro for a couple of months until I learned how to deal with my anxiety more effectively. I wouldn't want to take medicine long term but it did keep me calm and allowed me to recognize how the medicine made me feel under stress vs. how I was reacting without it. Now I remind myself to stay calm and breathe. If that doesn't help, I get physically active for an external outlet.

Have her try a gluten free diet. It has worked wonders for my daughter who, even in childhood, had stomach pains that were closely related to her anxiety levels. Since she has gone gluten free, her anxiety has lessened immensely and she doesn't have constant stomach and digestive problems. She tested negative for celiac disease.

Abigail Wrote:
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> Have her try a gluten free diet. It has worked
> wonders for my daughter who, even in childhood,
> had stomach pains that were closely related to her
> anxiety levels. Since she has gone gluten free,
> her anxiety has lessened immensely and she doesn't
> have constant stomach and digestive problems. She
> tested negative for celiac disease.

This is very close to my thinking, because when I cut out wheat (totally!) from my diet (including the wheat products in processed foods) my anxiety level went down immensely over the next couple of months. (My theory is that by-products of the wheat I had eaten over my entire life were clearing out of my body.)

In combination with this, I would strongly suggest a half-gallon of DISTILLED water daily, taken in multiple eight- or nine-swallow quantities. (Just make the distilled water jug the water comes in your PERSONAL water container and drink out of it; no need to pour the water into a glass, etc.) If you buy the distilled water by the case (four half-gallons, for the 365 house label I get at Whole Foods) you can get a case discount, at least from some retailers.

At the first sign of anxiety, go drink the eight or nine swallows of distilled water. This is Step Number One.

Secondly: Get L-Theanine (a supplement made from green tea), in 200 mg pills, from GNC or your local health food store. Take one or two of these (depends on the level of anxiety you feel) two or three times a day (including just before bed, if anxiety strikes during "sleep" time--because it often disrupts a person's "natural" sleep cycle).

Urination will increase. This is GOOD. You need to get the toxics which have pooled in your body throughout your life OUT. Water won't take everything toxic out, but it will be effective for a great percentage of the "stuff" you definitely DO NOT WANT hanging around in your body.

Cut out soft drinks entirely. Cut out anything with corn or corn syrup in it. Both things increase your body's anxiety reflexes whether you are actually "anxious" or not.

Deep breathing helps (especially if you do a minute, to four or five minutes, of it several times a day). Just breathe in VERY slowly, hold your breath for a couple of seconds, and breathe out VERY slowly and to the point where you totally exhaust the air in your lungs. Pause a couple of seconds, and repeat.

Yawning helps. Open your mouth wide and Y-A-A-A-W-N. Do it several times a day, especially when anxiety appears to be imminent. This is one of the top brain "exercises" recommended for everyone, and over time it can foster amazing improvements in a multiplicity of brain functions (including the "production" of anxiety, which is directed by the brain).

Masturbation to orgasm helps too. If you can (and at work, you can always go to the restroom), an orgasm from masturbation can sometimes work like a miracle drug to make anxiety disappear.

I hope this helps.

There are some really great responses here.

I'm a Celiac and have been gluten free for 2 years. A lot of people test negative on the Celiac blood test but still have what is called Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance. If these people eat gluten they have symptoms just as bad as, or even worse than some Celiacs. Just because she tested negative on the Celiac blood test doesn't mean she couldn't have gluten problems. The only way to tell for sure is for her to eliminate all gluten from her diet for a few weeks. If the anxiety gets better, than gluten is likely her problem. If she doesn't feel better, she can rule out the gluten.

Also, a lot of people with gluten problems also have dairy issues from Casein, the protein that is found in milk products. Dairy has a nasty history of causing stomach issues. She might want to try eating dairy free.

Most people think of Celiac and gluten intolerance as affecting the intestines mostly, but the damage caused to the immune system by the gluten has also been linked to anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. There's a great message board on this site: www.celiac.com. You might want to tell her to check it out.

The woman in question is a recovering alcoholic with almost 5 years of sobriety under her belt.

I sometimes wonder if her years of hard drinking might not have done her innards some serious damage.

Then again, she drank to "self medicate", too. So, there are definitely "head" issues here, too, and not just body issues.

Lots of people who have problems with anxiety self-medicate. Alcohol is very 'effective' - on the surface, short-term - but obviously can cause additional problems, alcoholism being one, obviously. Relying on alcohol also doesn't allow a person to develop the more 'at the core' methods for managing anxiety.

It could be that your friend hasn't found what works for her in managing her anxiety and without the alcohol to 'help her nerves' she's still highly anxious. Anxiety is a huge factor in many ailments but particularly gastrointestinal problems.

The lady in this interview sounds similar to your friend. She tested neg on celiac. Finally, after years of trying so many things and doing an elimination diet, a specific nutritional program and Yoga have helped her recover and go from size 2X to size 8/10. Your friend might be interested. I hope she finds relief soon, no matter the path she has to take.
http://www.purposefulnutrition.com/?p=270

I agree that yoga can be extremely therapeutic as long as there is no serious underlying medical issues going on. I always recommend naturpathic physicians rather than "regular docs". Perhaps you can find an affordable intuitive healer to speak with who can ascertain what is at the root. Also, this sounds odd to some perhaps but the Hari Krishnas offer free yoga and even free community reiki training, reiki can be another wonderful route to healing. Dont forget prayer! ( non morg prayer of course. I was always amazed at how they didn't understand prayer for healing.)

My anxiety attacks often include nausea and stomach aches. Medication is what works best for me. I wasn't diagnosed until the age of 39. Been on meds ever since.

My husband complained about stomach aches for years and had all sorts of testing done. Nothing was ever physically found. He has severe anxiety and was put on anti anxiety meds and has done so much better.

The stomach is the first part of the body to react due to anxiety, no question about that.

Having said that, I do have a friend whose daughter has been going through similar issues. Because of her anxiety levels, it's very easy to put it all down to that anxiety.

But after a bazillion tests and many trips to the ER, they finally managed to diagnose her with something I forget the name of. But part of her intestine has motility problems, where it just doesn't move the food along as it should.

Some things are more difficult to diagnose than others.

If she goes to a specialist where she can learn some relaxation techniques and it doesn't improve, then they need to keep looking.

I have anxiety and I can't say that it effects my stomach, but it may.

But my boyfriend--hell, I can tell when he has talked to his ex as he all of a sudden has a stomachache or a back ache. Never fails. When he is worried about work, he has horrible stomachaches. He has never had it worked up.