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Gastritis symptoms for 8 weeks, now weight loss and severe anxiety!

Posted , 33 users are following.

vicki85531
vicki85531

My very long story!... 8 weeks ago on my way home from work out of town I grabbed a bucket of hot chips, some dim sims and a coffee from the local petrol station (bad dietary choice I know!). About 5 hours later I got a severe belly ache (like no other before) followed by diarrhoea that was pretty much constant for an hour. I had severe nausea also but didn't vomit. I slept fairly well that night but did have to sleep sitting up with pillows behind me because of the nausea. The next morning my whole abdomen was that tender I could hardly move so I seen my GP and he suspected viral gastro bug or food poisoning and suggested I use buscopan for the pain and cramping. The buscopan will improve my discomfort. I feel like I never recovered and have seen my GP on a weekly basis for the past 8 weeks and just couldn't get an answer. After 4 weeks of dealing with it I had a CT scan with contrast, lower and upper abdomen ultra sound, blood tests, stool test and all came back clear. In the first 4 weeks I mentally dealt with it ok as I truely thought I had something viral and it would improved. After 5 weeks, I wasn't improving and started to feel very anxious and stressed about what was going on with me and I just want answers! My current anxiety level is pretty high and I can't get the bad thoughts out of my head. 1.5 weeks ago I had a break down in my GPs room and demanded an endocpopy and colonoscopy because I have had enough. last week I seen a gastro specialist and had my endoscopy and colonscopy which showed a normal colonoscopy and gastritis in my stomach. I have lost 4 kilos over the past 4 weeks ( I have made dietary changes but can't seem to eat enough to put any weight back on or even maintain in), I have severe reflux and indegestion and have had a couple of nights where I have had severe heart burn that makes me feel like I'm having a heart attack. My anxiety is very severe and my bowel movements are now constipation to diarrhoea. For the first 6 weeks I had diarrhoea only and daily. I get a full and sometimes sharp pain just under my rib cage, mostly on the left but also central and right sided. I have muscle weakness and today feel like I have had cramps in my calfs! My stools are a pale yellow colour and I have had my liver and pancreas function checked and they are ok. My GP started me on Rantadine 2 weeks ago which helps and my specialist started me on somac 3 days ago. I stopped taking the somac today because I was getting headaches and found my anxiety symptoms worsened. I will see my GP this week to organise an alternative. 

Is it normal to have pale yellow stools, severe anxiety, severe reflux and discomfort with gastritis? Is it possible the somac changed the colour of my stools?

2 likes, 53 replies

53 Replies

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  • sam18386
    sam18386 vicki85531

    Posted

    You're doing the right thing keep going back to the doctor.  This sounds like i. B.s sparked by whatever you ate.  The food poisoning probably set it off.  Monitor everything you are eating.  Keep a food diary,  use Buscot and try charcoal for the diarrhoea.  I hope you get this sorted. 

    • lorraine70550
      lorraine70550 vicki85531

      Posted

      Try Biscopan take 2 four times a day you can get them from your doctor or you can buy them. I found heat helped. Hope you get sorted soon.
  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 vicki85531

    Posted

    Stick to bland foods and avoid anything fatty, rich or spicy.  Gastritis will heal but it will take time and will leave you with a sensitive stomach.  Was h pylori ruled out? Sometimes this bacteria can lead to gastritis.  

    Weight loss could be caused by the frequent diarrhoea and anxiety.  It is also possible that you have IBS as well since you have change of bowel habit, shifting stomach pain and anxiety.  Your doctor may be considering IBS as well since you were given Buscopan which is for IBS. Sometimes you can get post infectious IBS after a stomach bug or food poisoning which is possible in your case since you got symptoms after your takeaway food.

    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 pippa58442

      Posted

      Thanks for your advice. I have altered my diet significantly to be very bland and am avoiding everything fatty, rich, spicy. I have had to cut tomatoes, onion and garlic out also. I tried my first piece of chocolate in weeks yesterday and it set my reflux off almost straight away! I can have some sweets but not chocolate. I too believe my weight loss may be anxiety/worry because my worry levels are at their peak at the moment. I definitely can't eat as much as I used to before this all happened and some days the reflux is that bad I can only eat a very small amount for the whole day and other days it is better and I can eat more. I do find that even on a good day when I eat a good amount, I still can't maintain my weight. It will all take time I guess. 

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 vicki85531

      Posted

      Try milk for your hearburn and antacids.  Now that you have a diagnosis of gastritis, this should help to relieve your anxiety.  Try not to think about your weight, just accept the weight you are and this will also help you to relax.  My symptoms got a lot better when I was diagnosed with IBS and my health anxiety completely disappeared. 
    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 pippa58442

      Posted

      Thanks Pippa, I feel since my diagnosis and for the past couple of weeks my reflux has improved so I do believe my anxiety did aggravate it as it was much worse when I was more anxious. I am able a small amount of chocolate again without too much trouble, but I keep it to a minimum because it still upsets it a bit. I find on a really bad day I would occasionally feel burning in my throat, nose and eye lids. I am glad I haven't felt this for a while now. Can I ask if you experience something similar and/if you feel the below is an IBS symptom: I have a fairly good appetite and eat normal for a few days and during this time my bowel movements are more normal but not like they used to be and I maybe go one day in the 3 where I don't have a movement. On the last day I start to get belly aches, when I pass wind they are foul smelling and very warm and I start to get a burning sensation in my bottom. The following morning I will do a bowel movement which is more diarrhoea like and sometimes just the one but other times like this morning It was 2 and the second one was much more runny. After the second bowel movement this morning, I felt good with no belly ache and felt as though I was cleaned out and could eat again. The burning sensation is also now gone. Does this seem like IBS? I am so worried it is something more serious, but my doctor keeps telling me it is IBS and I have had sooo many tests done that have come back clear.

       

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 vicki85531

      Posted

      All your bowel habit changes are typical of IBS and very normal. When all your tests come back negative, IBS can be diagnosed. IBS is a functional condiition which does not show on scans because nothing is wrong with the structture of your bowel. iBS is problem in the way your colon works.. Trust your doctor and your diagnosis. Worry will aggravate your symptoms and cause more frequent and painful flare ups. Diagnosis acceptance is key to getting your symotoms under control. 

      Sometimes when I can't pass a bowel movement I get a burning sensation too. My bowel habits are stable at the moment because I am in remission. But in the summer I had stress and my bowel jumped from constipation to diarrhoea.

    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 pippa58442

      Posted

      Thanks ever so much for your reply and reassurance. I had a really good day today and then make the big mistake of having pizza for tea as we were at a friends house and now I am laying in bed paying for it big time!!! between my IBS, gastritis and reflux, I am in anit of a way but am doing my best to not worry and not let it effect my daily life but gosh, it's easier said then done. I feel I just need to accept my diagnosises even though my anxiety head tells me there's something more serious wrong and i know ill feel better about it and cope with it all a lot better I just don't know how too. 

    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 pippa58442

      Posted

      Thanks for all your advice Pippa58442. I am going to un freeze my gym membership for light cardio and today I distracted my self as I had a very busy day and had a great day. My bowel movements were still present unfortunately, but otherwise was a much better day then what I have been having. 
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 vicki85531

      Posted

      Try fruit for constipation and Imodium or codeine for diarrhoea. Amusements keep my bowel happy too.
    • saira94799
      saira94799 vicki85531

      Posted

      Hi Vicki,

      I know it has been more than a year now. I am going through the same exact thing that you went through. I would like to know how you feel today and how were you able to recover. I have been constipated for a while now and my endoscopy showed healing gastritis. I have this intestinal discomfort but my pain is getting better. I would like to hear from you.

      ANXIOUSLY WAITING 😦

    • vicki85531
      vicki85531 saira94799

      Posted

      Hi Saira,

      im sorry to hear your going through a hard time. I am still experiencing some mild symptoms but I can now eat most things without trouble. 6 months ago i had a follow-up endoscopy that revealed my gastritis had healed and I have learnt to cope and manage my mild symptoms. I no longer take PPIs but i do have some gaviscon most nights before I go to bed.

      Hope this helps you

    • sam18386
      sam18386 saira94799

      Posted

      Hi Saira, can i butt in and ask about gastritis, what is it?

    • saira94799
      saira94799 sam18386

      Posted

      Hi Sam,

      I think it is when the lining of your stomach is irritated.

    • saira94799
      saira94799 vicki85531

      Posted

      That is such a positive news. I am happy for you. I also read that aloe vera juice are the best for your healing process. So my endoscopy showed old dried blood which the doctor said is healing gastritis. When you rechecked it, was your stomach clear? Sorry to ask such an in depth question.

    • sam18386
      sam18386 saira94799

      Posted

      sometimes, always painful forever taking antacids, part of my daily liquid intake!

    • saira94799
      saira94799 sam18386

      Posted

      Okay guys. I just found my answer. I did a certain test and got to know that I have metal toxicity such as - Copper, lead, arsenic and mercury. If anyone has abdominal pains (burning, pricks and needles), constipation and gastritis - I would suggest to get this test done. If your stomach and intestines are filled with such metals, you will face constipation, diarrhoea , bone or muscle pain. You can also have back to back infections and vitamin deficiencies. SO GET YOURSELF CHECKED. I don't believe in taking medications such as P2P or other antacids. They are really bad if they are taken for more than 2 weeks. Even my doctor told me to stop them right away. You will feel much better once these metals are out of your body.

    • chancelor06754
      chancelor06754 saira94799

      Posted

      what did u take to get rid of the medal in your stomach ... do u know what caused it

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