Nervous Stomach

[rymac]

I have a lot of stress and anxiety in my life at the moment. I don't know the exact triggers but I get a nervous feeling or what you might call "butterflies" in my stomach. Besides medication I am looking for something else that might help. I have done all kinds of deep breathing and even a little yoga and it is not working. I am wondering if there is some kind of food that might help. Looking for some suggestions or support.

[Guest tearose]

If you have a nervous stomach from stress, can you address the stress first. You can put a band aid on a problem but it won't really heal unless you deal with it completely.

How is your digestion? Is the stress increasing your stomach acid? Maybe you can soothe your stomach by changing your diet.

Try small easy to digest snacks instead of a meal.

Avoid any acid producing foods.

Soup, soft foods and anything that appeals to you is a good start.

hope you feel better soon

[potsgirl]

I can totally relate. I do take meds for anxiety, but also try to exercise as much as I can, moderate exercise like walking helps. Also, meditation is very good for anxiety, and yoga if you're up for it. I also see a psychologist that specializes in chronic medical issues and pain. You've got to take help wherever you can find it!

Also, as Tearose suggests, working on getting the stress out of your life helps a lot, too. We were going to put our house on the market today, but I'm just too sick to deal with it right now, so we've moved it back a couple of months, and I may move in with my mom for awhile so I don't have to leave the house whenever someone wants to come over.

Good luck, and hope you're feeling better soon.

Jana

[dianne.fraser]

Bluesman

I'm sorry to hear that your life is so stressful right now. I also had stomach problems that weren't treatable using stress management - my problem was with an allergy.

Apart from allergies, there seem to be common gastic problems experienced by people with disautonomia, including delayed gastric emptying. This might be something you could discuss with your doctor.

Also, I understand that some people from the Forum have found digestive enzymes helpful.

Good luck - please let us know how you go.

With best wishes

Dianne

[rymac]

Thanks for the input and support. There is not much I can do about the stress. My life is in a transition phase between school and work. The stress is only going to increase from this point on. I have no family around and maybe one friend for support. I do have some gastric problems but nothing that has giving me a definitive diagnosis. I am under weight and have a limited diet. I did some online research on nervous stomach and ginger and pepppermint was recommended. The ginger didn't do anything and I found some mints with real peppermint oil. They may have helped a little. I am going to try some water with baking soda. That has helped before for other stomach problems but I have never tried it for this. I will let you know if I find a natural remedy because the only way the medication works is if I take enough to make me sleepy.

[Noreen]

I also have a great deal of situational stress. I don't know if it is the cognitive issues, pain, or what but I am not able to mediate on my own as I used to. I find

helpful.

[ramakentesh]

In POTs this is usually mediated by excessive epinephrine and you cant 'breath it away.' Valerian and skullcap on the other hand can help amazingly.

[rymac]

Deep breathing never seems to have any effect on me when I am feeling anxious. I do take small doses of beta blocker and sometimes that helps. If I take too much I just get really tired. I will have to look into the valerian and skullcap.

[ramakentesh]

My doctor recommended kava and it made me much worse - i was on high alert for 12 hours... paradoxical effect.

[issie]

My doctor recommended kava and it made me much worse - i was on high alert for 12 hours... paradoxical effect.

Kava has been said to be horrible for those with the hyperadrenal type of POTS. Of course, we do seem to paradox react to things. It's so frustrating.

[issie]

Thanks for the input and support. There is not much I can do about the stress. My life is in a transition phase between school and work. The stress is only going to increase from this point on. I have no family around and maybe one friend for support. I do have some gastric problems but nothing that has giving me a definitive diagnosis. I am under weight and have a limited diet. I did some online research on nervous stomach and ginger and pepppermint was recommended. The ginger didn't do anything and I found some mints with real peppermint oil. They may have helped a little. I am going to try some water with baking soda. That has helped before for other stomach problems but I have never tried it for this. I will let you know if I find a natural remedy because the only way the medication works is if I take enough to make me sleepy.

Ginger helps with nausea, not so much with a nervous stomach. Ginger can burn too, it is a warming herb. If you are already too warm, it will make you allot worse. For some people, peppermint will cause heart burn. You need to make sure your gut ecology is good. Use probiotics. There is one other herb (but I hesitate to suggest it ---- because what's good for one, isn't for another) but, Lemon Balm is very soothing for me. (I have to get the tinture, because the pills are too strong.) Also, there are homeopathy products that help with anxiety and stress. (Belladonna --is phenobarbital -- in homeopathy form is very mild but may help. There are many homeopathy possibilities. You must know the nature of the person before you know which one for them to use.)

Do you know if you are alkaline or acidic? Baking soda neutrilizes acid. Alot of times, instead of needing to decrease acid, we need more acid. Research is finding out that for those with acid reflux and heartburn, they don't have enough stomach acid to properly digest their foods and it is causing more issues with all the Tagament and Pepcid. Instead possibly apple cider vinegar or HCI and pepsin. At the very least enzymes with your food.

Then if all else fails, you probably need a script for either a muscle relaxer or a mild sedative, to help your stomach to relax and release. It's possibly a food allergy too. If you have a limited diet, it makes me wonder if that is already the case. If you are eating the same thing every day ==day in and day out === you could have developed an allergy to what you've been eating. There is a food rotation diet that helps you to figure out food allergies and try to eliminate them. You are supposed to rotate your foods every 4 days, and not eat any of that particular food for 4 days. You can have all you want on that one day, but not eat it again for 4 days. You may find that you have developed a sensitivity to the foods you are eating.

I have a friend with Crohns and he found coconut oil and colostrum to be sooooo healing and soothing for him. He has managed to get off his steroids and uses these two things and also glutithione.

[rymac]

thanks