Stomach Issues & TMS

Having run the gamut of what must be pretty much every single physical anxiety/TMS type symptom over the last 7 years it appears that finally it has decided to play some fun and games with my stomach.

I am aware that stress and anxiety can have an adverse effect on the stomach but could this also be a manifestation of TMS. Basically I had been suffering from chronic daily headaches and feeling spaced out and dizzy for the best part of a year solid...this seemed to finally resolve itself around September last year but as this was tapering off I started to experience some issues with bowel changes and a constant gurgling noisy stomach.

I have seen my GP a few times regarding this and he thinks it could be silent reflux, IBS, mild gastritis or anxiety related and basically just prescribed Lansoprozole (PPI) but doesn't see it as anything to worry about. I went to Eurodisney in November and felt really bad with it on our return and was actually physically sick...this was 12 weeks ago and whilst still feeling nausea at times I have not been physically sick since.

My symptoms are basically a pretty much constantly noisy, grumbling stomach, what feel like hunger pangs (warm stomach feeling) even after eating, fleeting episodes of nausea that come out of nowhere and can last for 20 seconds or an hour and a some mixed bowel movements and what feels like bloating/fullness. My appetite is fine and I haven't had any weight loss, it also does not effect my sleep but once I wake it the morning within a few minutes normally my stomach starts off with the gurgling, rumbling and growling.

It is frustrating as it is that usual thing on one thing going only to be replaced by another (apart from my back pain which is a constant). I think the thing that is concerning is that this seems to have gone on for while but then again the previous episode with the headaches was going on for over a year and departed as quickly as it started.

I'm sure that a lot of the problem is that I have now become fixated on my stomach and also fearful and frustrated by it which of course isn't helping matters. So, I'm just wondering if this stomach/IBS type thing is a common part of TMS and if anyone else has had a similar experience. Cheers all.

 

Oh yes. ..it is a common symptom of TMS. I can sure relate to your story. I have symptoms that move around on a regular basis similar to yours. TMS is so sneaky creating new Symptoms to press the pedal of the fear and worry personality trait.

I have had identical stomach symptoms. I try to journal daily. My phone reminds me at 7:30 each evening to journal. It may be for 5 minutes or 20.

Huckleberry...journal and believe.

 

Thanks for the reply Stella.

Yeah, I know this is all 1o1 stuff and its damn frustrating to get sucked in. I have symptom shifted like crazy over the last few years and I suppose it was only a matter of time before a digestive issue popped up...funny as that is usually one of the earlier symptoms. I've mentioned this before but my longstanding back pain generates enough fear and frustration so I've no idea why TMS needs to chuck me all these other symptoms on top to run alongside it.

 

I love your response. Thanks for making my laugh so early in the morning. What you say is so true.

 

Lol, fun and games eh.

 

Oh yes, TMS and stomach/colon issues go hand in hand. Like you, Huckleberry, I've had TMS run the gamut. My subC is nothing if not creative!
Keep on keeping on. I sometimes feel that's the most difficult thing I do on a daily basis.
Blessings on your journey.

 

Thanks Gigi.

I think that thing that is pulling my strings with this to a certain extent is that although I get the noisy grumbling stomach, inconsistent bowel movements, bloating, need to burp and the false hot hunger type sensation I never actually get any pain as such and this has really be going on since the back end of last Summer. It just seems that everything I've read (silly thing to do I know) indicates that pain is one of the defining symptoms of IBS.

 

Hi, Huckleberry. It is not surprising to me that Lollapalooza (or whatever that doctor prescribed for you) does not help. He even admitted that your stomach symptoms could be anxiety-related. It sure sounds like that to me. I remember my mother when she was in her 80s telling me that her good days were when she could burp and when her bowel movements were dark and heavy. I never thought either was important until I reached my 80s. Now I now they are important, and that relaxation helps in both. Keep believing in TMS and your symptoms will go away.

 

Cheers Walt. Yeah, the PPI that the GP prescribed is for excess stomach acid the theory being that stress/anxiety causes more acid to be made.

Had a really crappy day with this today. Stomach has been rumbling and growling all day and belly has felt really bloated and uncomfortable but not painful. I feel like I need a good burp but nothing wants to come up at all really. Just concerned how long this has been going on for as my understanding of IBS was a waxing and waning flare type thing whereas for me this has been pretty constant for months now. anyone else with a similar experience?

 

Sorry to whine and moan again guys but still having a torrid time with this.

I had to return to the GP today and instead of seeing my usual doctor I had to see a different one. Safe to say he wasn't quite as accommodating with my health anxiety and he didn't really say much to put mind at rest. He indicated that bearing in mind the issues had been going on for a for a few months it was important that I now had an endoscopy and started the ball rolling by referring me. Whereas my usual doctor has been quite laid back by my symptoms this guy seemed far more concerned and stressed more than once as to how important it was that I responded to the letter I get from the GI unit when they receive the referral.

To be honest I left the GP today with even more anxiety and of course what feels a little like a 'nocebo' from the GP...he didn't tell me anything bad and I half expected the referral for a scope but his manner didn't really reassure me.

Whilst I have been carrying on with journaling and meditation over the last couple of weeks I'm also my own worse enemy as I'm Googling a lot and spending far more time on the internet researching and the like...whilst I find many cases of people having these symptoms due to anxiety or mild gastritis I'm also aware it can go the other way. I'm trying to look at it in a logical and in all likelihood way in that this just seems to be the latest way that my anxiety (and/or TMS) has presented itself I still have an awful lot of fear and uncertainty.

I went for a hike yesterday and felt incredibly bloated and at one point had to stop to try and force myself to burp but nothing was shifting...this couple with my stomach that just won't stop gurgling and grumbling is driving me mad. I haven't had so much of the hunger pains or mild acidy feelings recently but feeling like there is a lump of concrete constantly in my stomach isn't much fun.

Anyway, I suppose I'm just venting. It is the usual thing where one symptom and obsession disappears only for another seemingly more menacing to pop up and pull your strings. Grrr.

 

Apologies for bumping my pity party threads lately.

Woke up feeling shitty this morning with the grumbling rumbling and bloating starting as soon as I opened my eyes. About midday, after trying to meditate and journal I felt so wired I plundered my emergency stash of Diazepam (Valium) and took a 10mg dose. I have to say I don't know if it made a physical difference to my symptoms or if it was just a case of feeling pretty chilled but I do seem to have noticed a lessening of the discomfort today. Obviously, I am well aware that this isn't a realistic or particularly healthy way to go forward with this but I just felt I needed to get the anxiety under control somewhat.

I know just because the diazepam may have lessened my symptoms doesn't guarantee that my symptoms are mind/body generated but I do think it did enable to get my mind off the constant monitoring of my stomach which I'm sure has only been making matters worse.

Anyway thanks for reading and apologies for being so downbeat and whiney at them moment...hoping things improve soon.

 

Hi,

Talk about ironic, I google stomach/back pain rumbling/TMS and came across this post. Yes, googling tends to increase my pain Dramatically as I start to worry that I have every imaginable awful scary disease out there. Your symptoms sound very similar to mine, and yes I too have been thru every imaginable test out there. My Dr stated "Well, you have had what we call the Million Dollar work up and everything comes back as "unremarkable" I am not sure what else we can do for you...." The only thing that has ever shown up was a mild disc herniation in my thoracic area, but it was right at the point where my back pain originates T-8/T-9. I was very close to getting a micro discectomy but I just don't think that will solve the issue.

I have purchased and read Dr. Sarno's book however I haven't started journaling yet. I know that is a big part of the program. My issues all started about 7 years ago when I was hit with the perfect storm of issues. and stress. The company I worked for was going out of business (Capital markets firm) we had just bought a new house, our first child was starting college and I was told I had elevated liver enzymes due to my gallbladder. I didn't fit the normal profile of Female, Fat and forty. I am a fit male who just turned 40. I also was not a heavy drinker, which they said would have had a different enzyme that would have been elevated. Flash forward, I had my gall bladder out and my ALT remained elevated. They couldn't pin point the reasoning so I actually had a liver biopsy, which once again came back normal.

I furiously searched every website out there trying to determine what could possibly cause this. I think this was the first big mistake as I now can see that my current back pain started to mimic some of the scarier ones out there, which was chronic pancreatitis. This pain showed up after 6 months when i got the results of my liver biopsy showing it was normal yet my enzymes remained elevated. I had also started a new job with a not so friendly high pressure organization (Which I am still employed with) All the tests I had done upper/lower/MRI's Cat-scans/ultrasounds/MRCP (one of which was very invasive where they scope thru your lower intestinal track to look at your pancreas) all came back normal, yet I still get upper left back pain after eating. I have had shots, scopes, even a device that staples to you ear which somehow was supposed to quiet down my sympathetic nervous system. Nothing worked which made the pain worse.

I am still struggling with the pain, and when I first read Dr. Sarno's book I decided to give it a try and just "Ignore the pain" and return to my life before I started this awful journey. At first it seemed to work, I stopped with all of my self imposed dietary restrictions like milk, coffee, chocolate, alcohol (Still haven't gone back to that one yet) but in moderation. However my Sub-conscience is a clever asshole and I believe he is starting to creep doubt back into my mind, which is where I am right now. It sounds like you are as well. Even though I have never seen a single shred of evidence stating I have anything scary, somewhere deep inside my tissue terrorist is insisting that it I do.

Anyway, sorry for the long post but I do want you to know that I feel that allot of this is truly due to anxiety and TMS seems like a plausible explanation however I do need to further convincing, which I am sure will come with more education. Hope you are feeling better.

 

Huckleberry- I can relate. I had low back pain for 20 years, was then was cured by reading Dr Sarn'os book but unfortunately " it" then moved to my elbow, shoulder, feet and hip. It all went away eventually but shortly after the disappearance I now wonder where did it all go? Well I think it decided to go to my gastrointestinal area. Seemed to be reflux but was too scared to have the endoscopy. Finally decided after 3 years to do one and they came up with nothing so now they call it non-ulcer dyspepsia. That's the term I guess when they give you when they don't know what's wrong with you. I recently had a test and was confirmed to have SIBO. But barely positive. I'm not sure I think it's a valid diagnosis. No one was too concerned about the test until they ran out of ideas for me now most doctors are going down that path. But I am apprehensive going down that route because many people have a hard time getting cured. I have been thinking that it's most likely TMS and I think I'm getting closer to believing it.

 

Hi and thanks for the reply.

The back pain I experience is located at the bottom of my spine and branches into my leg left...if I'm honest it is more niggly than a pain and only flares up occasionally. I do actually have a neuroma on my spine (benign nerve tumour) and this may or may not be responsible for the pain...I have had the back issue for about 6 years and the neuroma was seen on MRI about 3 years ago...it is scanned yearly and hasn't grown in that period and in all likelihood it has always been there.

My stomach issues have been going for about 10 months and seemed to directly replace a year long period of daily headaches and feeling dizzy/spaced out. I recently had upper and lower scopes and they came back clear so who knows whats going on really. All fun and games eh.

edit...oh yes, I've also been dealing with chronic plantar fasciitis for about a year as well...I'm a poster child me.

 

I too have been dizzy. It seem to start up when my gastro symptoms began. I wonder what Dr Sarno would say about your benign tumor? A lot of these things never get bigger. I've had a good size cyst on my ovary that disappeared after 13 years of yearly scans. Who knows how long it was there. I have to say all the searching on the internet just led to fear and fear just makes things worst. However, it was the searching that lead me to the book "The Great Pain Deception". I love that book. The author Steve Ozanich has such a great sense of humor that comes out in his writing. I think I have 20 sticky notes coming out of the pages. I'm hanging in there and trying to commit myself to the structured program or something similar but I get so distracted. I wish I could tell you that I am healed and what worked but I am still on that journey. I hope you get some relief soon.

 

Well I have been aware of TMS for about 8 years. I was dealing with crippling health anxiety before the back issue started.

I wasted a huge amount of time getting fixated on the worry of where the pain was coming from...was it structural or was it the neuroma? Basically I no longer worry about this and just apply the TMS principles and find this makes a big difference. I do notice SO many discrepancies with the back pain and it makes little sense.

Regarding the dizziness and daily headaches I woke up one morning and basically this went on for about a year...it was literally every day. It was like the traditional derealisation/depersonalisation where i just felt like I was living in a haze and floating along...this suddenly stopped totally out of the blue and was directly replaced with the IBS type symptoms and stomach gurgling and burning.

TBH, I was convinced that the upper scope would show gastritis or an ulcer but it was clear so it appears to be the usual functional dyspepsia thing as for the bowels they are still gurgling and stuff but nothing untoward was discovered. What was interesting recently was that we went on holiday on a cruise and for the first couple of days everything was the same but on the third day I felt totally fine, no rumbling or grumbling, no faux stomach pains, stool movements perfectly fine etc etc...all during this time I was eating exactly what I wanted and drinking alcohol which I rarely do at home. This went on the reminder of the holiday and I was excellent for about 8 days...I got home and within 48 hours the gurgling started back up and normal service resumed.

I've read TGPD which is great. TBH, I've read basically every book about TMS ever written but I came to the point where I just felt I had to commit and crack on rather than just research constantly...that is basically the point I'm at now.

 

Valium is sometimes very helpful to calm you down. Especially when you haven't taken one in a long while. So it was probably a well needed relief for you. I'm off Valium now, but it did help on a very bad day.

 

Glad you got a reprieve on your cruise, Huckleberry, even if it was a short one. TMS is an insidious bastard, isn't it?

 

This is such a helpful thread for me. And thank you Huckleberry for sharing about your stomach issues. I've trodden a similar path, my stomach stuff started immediately (almost to the week) that my back pain started improving. I've had the endoscopy (clear) and other tests as well. I missed out on the migraine stage (fingers crossed) but everything else I can so relate to and I'm also just trying to - literally - rebuild my life using the TMS guidelines and ignoring the symptoms as much as possible. It really helps to know I'm not alone.

 

I have finally had an endoscopy and I have " level II esophagitis," with most of the nasty symptoms you describe. It was getting so awful that my stomach made these horrendous noises while I sat with clients, woke up at night with heartburn, and I couldn't swallow and so forth.
I see it as a TMS, equivalent. I too was not aware of my GERD till my back pain was utterly gone.. It's fascinating. Ignoring the symptoms was NOT helpful, and I don't recommend doing so. HAVING A PSYCHOLOGICAL ORIGIN DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NOTHING PHYSICALLY WRONG- sorry for shouting. I belief the GERD will resolve if I follow certain dietary restrictions.
I have learned to speak with all my doctors about TMS . I seem to have a really solid team affiliated with Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. Westb, please don't ignore the symptoms, but definitely use your psychological self to heal from it, along with appropriate medical guidance.