Bloated distensted

Did your doctor suggest any treatment for the fatty liver disease?  Sounds like you have found your diagnosis.

He suggested diet and exercise but that hasn't helped.

It's a nuisance that's becoming frustrating. One day ok next all the symptoms, my symptoms can last for weeks at a time

Go back to your doctor and say that diet and exercise hasn’t helped. However, it is also possible, you need to give diet and exercise more time to work.  The time it will take will vary for everyone.  It may be that anxiety is aggravating your symptoms.  Try distraction techniques such as concentrating on your hobbies and exercise to take your mind of your symptoms.

I think the distraction techniques are what I need. I have tried it but when your extremely bloated and suffering with pain and fatigue it can be hard to switch my thoughts away from it. My GP has referred me to a therapy to help with switching my thoughts but like everything there is a long waiting list that I am on. I am at a point now where I do not know what is real symptoms I am suffering and what is in my head.

I found when I was enjoying myself, I would immediately forget about my stomach and I would feel better without trying too hard.  I have tried to start laughing more to lower my stress levels and it works for me.   I find going to doctors very stressful and often the medications they give me upset my stomach, so I tried learning to relax without medical help.

I hate going Drs. I panic before my appointment and then worry after my appointment. Did you ever get to a point where you do not know what is real pain and what is in your mind?

No, when my symptoms began, I was convinced straight away that I had real pain because it was also sore to touch.  The pain and constipation started very suddenly; something I had never had before.  My first bout lasted a couple of weeks and then it cleared up so I put it down to women’s troubles or a bug.   When the pain came back, it stayed for three and a half months and didn’t clear up again until I finally got an IBS diagnosis.  

The last doctor I went to, recognised straight away that stress was my trigger before I did.  I am so often anxious that I was unaware that I had been more anxious than usual.  So I didn’t mention my six months of stress to any of my previous doctors.  Feeling calm is not my default state of mind.  I was more hooked onto the fact that I had something unresolvable and didn’t once consider it could be something simple.  I didn’t think stress alone could cause such commotion in the body.

Although, I am terrified of going to doctors, I knew I had to go within two weeks of the second bout of pain, because my symptoms were constant and I was frightened that I had something serious and it was better to get it identified early rather than late.

Strangely enough, the more I went to doctors, the least reassured I became and the more I resorted to google because no one could help and all my tests were inconclusive.  However, google didn’t help either and increased my panic.

Yes it sounds like a carbon copy of myself. I was suffering really heavy palpitations, my heart felt like it was bouncing all over my chest. I was like this every day for 6 weeks. Finally I built up the courage to see my Dr. He listened to my heart for a good 5 minutes and said. Your heart, your heart valves etc are fine. Then he asked me if I had been stressed, which I had, about my health. He said it is stress related. The same day and to present day I have not had palpitations since. Yet I was convinced something was wrong with my heart. This is why Im puzzled at times of what is real pain and what is in my head, if that makes sense.

If you physically feel the pain, I would call this real pain.  Pain is your body’s early warning system that something is not right.  Pain is never imagined; there is always a cause.  Either this will be related to an organ not functioning properly because of disease or a physical cause like a food allergy or stress.   Palpitations were most likely being caused by stress about your abdominal bloating and pain which is also real because you can physically see the bloating and feel the pain.

Stress can cause physical symptoms like palpitations and abdominal pain because it puts additional strain on your organs.  The nerves in your stomach are very sensitive and stress and anxiety can disturb them.  The brain gut axis is very strong.

I don't know if stomach ache is in my mind or real. If I hurt myself then yes the pain is real, Stomach ache every day, is it real or in my head.

Something to work on with relaxion techniques.

Stressing about whether your pain is real or in your head will make your pain worse because you are concentrating on it all the time.  If you feel physical pain, it is real!  It is your body’s early warning system that something is not right.  Keeping busy with hobbies,and light exercise such as walking. Taking painkillers or antispasmodics will help you. Try a food diary to see if any foods are causing the pain.  

I had three and a half months of constant abdominal pain, nausea and change of bowel habit. I knew the pain was real because one day I was fine and the next  morning I woke with raging stomach pain.  When I wasn’t focusing on my pain, my pain reduced or went away.  I went to my doctor eight times and saw someone different on every occasion.  I was eventually diagnosed with IBS after negative tests.

Keep going back to your doctor and try not to focus on your pain.  Once you are diagnosed with something, this will tell you for sure that your pain is real and it will settle your doubts.

Hi Pippa, I visited my doctor on numerous occasions. Blood test after blood test, urine test, stool sample test, 2 x ultrasound scans. Doctor diagnosed me with. NAFLD, functional dyspepsia, IBS and sub-conscious anxiety.

The doctor says there is nothing seriously wrong with me and a lot of my symptoms are caused by me over thinking my pain etc.

I do try to stay focused and switch my thoughts, however this can prove difficult when the pain feels very real.

Since you have a diagnosis, this should reassure you.  Try antispasmodics and painkillers for your IBS and try a food diary to see if any foods are upsetting your stomach.  If you find any food triggers, avoid those foods.  Avoid fatty foods and avoid alcohol since you have a fatty liver.  If you are getting heartburn or indigestion, avoid rich and spicy foods and try mlk and antacids.

All these things should help your pain.  When you have less pain, this will help you relax.