Has anyone experienced gastric issues as a result of their anxiety

@wittsend Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! It seems that anxiety, stress, and gastric issues go together, doesn't it? Have your doctors been able to point out any resolutions to you?

For me, when going through high levels of anxiety, I tend to eat foods that are not really healthy for me, kind of like emotional eating. My digestive track reacts to all this. Sometimes a tummy ache, a feeling of discomfort, or indigestion. sometimes diarrhea. It has taken me a lot of thinking it through and figuring this out. So, even though there are still times I will go the emotional eating route, making an effort to remember that it might not be the best solution, I might cut way back on that food, or substitute it with a healthier activity. Crafting, or journaling, keeping my hands bust to not reach for food.
Ginger

@wittsend It took me a long time to figure out that many of the symptoms I experienced that were related to my digestive system were due to anxiety. Like @gingerw I may eat foods that aren't healthy for me. Anxiety and depression for me results in a decrease in appetite and when I do eat I crave sweet foods. I recall periods of time when I was a university student over 50 years ago that during times of high stress such as exams or presentations I would get "stomach aches" and have to run to the bathroom where I would have diarrhea. I still get those symptoms and while sometimes I think that the stomach ache and diarrhea comes out of nowhere it is in fact related to stress level and anxiety. I've learned this - "Just because I think it does not make it true". My thoughts can be irrational or just "off". It works better for me to turn my attention to what is right in front of me and listen to my body.

Time and experience has worked for me. So has cognitive-behavioral mental health therapy. What have you tried?

I used to take Klonapin for anxiety. I was mostly just fine. I wake at nite with anxiety with no reason. Dr. Said no more. I have had ulcers from acid and found I also have hiatal hernia. I developed pain indigestion and chills. Dr gave me 2 kinds of medicine and a diet of bland. I'm not so good at bland. I had another doctor saying take gallbladder out. Thinking that's helpful. NO! Stomach doctor said big mistake. I bought a bed to elevate my head as suggested. I still wake up constantly. If the bed helps, probably does, great. It does have bouts of no issues, but comes back. I am grateful there are drugs to help, but I am miserable. Sucrafate tab. Pantoprazole sod Dr is the other meds.

Ulcers how fun ( sarcasm). I had gastric bypass and they fixed my hiatal hernia then. I thought years of having GERD was over. Nope it’s worse than ever. I haven’t found anything that helps when it gets really bad I already take 40mg of nexium a day for it. I was eating tums gummies like candy with no help. I have horrible IBS when I am stressed out to the point I can’t eat and can only tolerate very little when I do eat. Rice and chicken was one meal I could eat. My GI did a colonoscopy to check for blockages and polyps none were found. Haven’t had an EGD yet bc he thinks all my stomach pain, heartburn, gas, bloating, constepation and diarrhea are from my anxiety. I take 6 meds for my anxiety already some prescribed and some holistic. I’m so over all this pain and issues popping up.

I get the normal upset stomach and bad nausea but I will also get these pains in my abdomen from my sternum to my belly button it feels like someone is stabbing me and twisting and it burns. I would have extreme gas and bloating unable to eat more than a few bites all day. Some days I could only tolerate rice. My hair has gotten thinner than thin very poor hair health no matter what I do. Same with nails

I’m going to be mindful of my food choices when I am stressed to see if that helps was on the IBS diet for a few months but still had issues. I found out by reintroducing dairy that I am lactose intolerant.

I don’t know if my anxiety causes my sporadic constipation or not. I eat right and avoid things that could aggravate my digestive system. To be on the safe side, I avoid fried foods, fatty foods, spicy food, sweets, eating late, chocolate and overeating. My mom has severe indigestion, reflux, burning, previous ulcers, etc and her diet is terrible. I don’t understand it.

@wittsend Anxiety and upset stomach/bowel issues are very commonly linked. Sometimes there are actual medical reasons for the tummy troubles, but often there are not. When we get stressed/anxious, it causes a release of stress hormones like cortisol and others in the brain, the limbic system goes on high alert (fight/flight/freeze responses) which releases other chemicals and alters our body's functioning. For example, if in flight or fight mode, the brain tells the body to stop unnecessary functions such as digestion/GI functions, so that all the blood in the body is sent to large muscle groups in the arms and legs for running and fighting (like a petit mom lifting a car off of a toddler or running for your life and finding yourself running faster and longer than you thought possible). This causes a disruption in the GI system causing either constipation or diarrhea.

As another commentor said, it is important to remember to not believe everything you think and feel. Sometimes our brains/minds/bodies send misdirects/erroneous thoughts or outright lies in our minds. Learning the ability to pivot away from the anxiety or stress producing thoughts and toward something that is helpful, meaningful, etc, can kind of reset the brain and the mind. There is quick exercise to help learn this available on YouTube called "Leaves on a Stream", there are several versions, start with the shortest one and work your way up to longer and longer versions as a form of mindfulness and learning to pivot toward meaning and truth. If you're willing to try therapy again, you might look for a therapist who is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); do some research on this method, Steven C. Hayes, Phd is the cocreator of ACT and has videos available, watch is TED talk, it's very informative. This alone may be helpful. I wish you health and healing, holistically. Best wishes.

That makes sense. I know what I have to do.

@wittsend You mentioned you had gastric bypass. Let's not forget that there could be long term effects of that. Those might not have appeared right after surgery, but could develop over time, and add to all this.

Something to think about, you know...
Ginger