Noisy Abdomen

I've noticed that I get my anxiety issues, which like we've mentioned are an emotional aspect of this problem, when i'm in classroom settings. I'm fine when i'm in my studio classes becuase we're standing and being active, and while i've done fine so far this semester (ha, one week), I get incredible anxiety before and during those classroom classes - I think i'd feel so much better with an antianxiety thing like some of you (andrew) have mentioned...
Has anyone, whose in college, gone to their unviersity health centers for this problem?
And also, to hb, don't drop out of university because of this, it's much more important! Try and deal with it like some have mentioned.. Sit next to doors... Talk to your teacherse about it ( I had to do that once and I was able to take my exam outside the classroom ), and while we all know how you feel... We're all trying to solve it as well. Maybe you can take some online courses? I've done that when I can...

Yeah, I tried almost everything. I went to a walk-in clinic and it was literally useless. All she (doctor) told me was that I didn't have ibs and that there wasn't anything really wrong with me. It's just that I have to keep a low-fibre diet, and she said high-fibre is what's causing the noise. What kind of doctor is that? Seriously...We've accomplished way more online than a professional! Sheesh...Like..I mean, no tests & no checkups & no blood tests & nothing and she gives me her conclusion/verdict....What the hell? I mean, atleast do some freakin' tests or look for something....Oh well I guess I got a bit angry, sorry folks.



Anyhow, here's what worked for me when I was in high school (i'm saying it worked for me in high school because high school was for the most part uniform in scheduling and such, and that's why if I ate the right stuff at the right time i'd be fine...Now university is a mess in terms of timetable and such):

-eat cookies in the morning...Yeah it sounds bad and unhealthy but hey, if you want to get rid of those noises then eat'em (chocolate chip ones)

-yeah I sit near the back exit in my lectures but they seem to not help. It seems like when I do have the assurance I can exit it seems to make noise when i"m all calmed and such. It's funny how anxiety is supposed to cause it, but it's like the reverse for me...Sometimes that is.


-and I still think this abdominal noise crap is 50/50 in terms of physical and mental contributional effect. It really is both. I mean like...You could eat the best non-upseting food for your stomach and it would still make sound in a public for example, but yet you can eat the most-upseting food at home alone and it wouldn't make a tweep....Pretty weird

-anyhow, a friend of my mom said this problem is triggered by depression and stress. I"m not sure on the validity of that, but it seems like it is true. When you're happy, it doesn't seem to make noise. That is why I eat cookies with chocolate chip in the morning...Chocolate contains some thingy where it makes you happy, and I guess it works 80% of the time.

I hope this helps guys...Keep up the good work. We just outta find a freakin' solution to this retarded life-controlling problem some way...There's gotta be a way....

Hi everyone;

i'm new to this forum and wanted to offer some possible advice. I too have suffered from a noisey stomach for years and it's kept me from doing so many things. I think I have found something that may help, at least it helps me. I started to take about 4-5 charcoal tablets that are available at any local pharmarcy approximately 1 hour before I go into a quiet environment and it's help alot. Also, try taking a beano before you eat or drink too. The charcoal absorbs the gas bubbles that are responsible for the strange noises you hear as they pass through the colon. Let me know if this works.

I was wondering if anyone else experiences pressure or stiffness in their stomach. I never used to have this sensation but it seems to go hand in hand with the noises and now I almost always have an slight uncomfortable feeling of pressure in my stomach.... But not all the time.
Sometimes I feel the pressure just under my rib cage on the left hand side.... Other times it seems to be lower down and in my intestines. It could be stomach acid causing gas to get trapped or it could be my intestines cramping I think. I have noticed that when this cramping is at it's worst that I sometimes get flu like symptoms along with it... Sweating at night and headaches... But they usually goes away after a couple of days.

Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone else also has these symptoms.

By the way, I have found that taking soluble fiber twice a day mixed in with a juice drink really helps a lot with the noises.

I get the same cramping and stiffness, matt. A lot of times its pretty sharp too. I don't get headaches too often, but I get naseous a bit at times but only for a small amount of time.

Some people have mentioned fiber does not help them... I'm curious why certain things are helping some people that have the opposite effect on others.

Update. Its been 4 weeks since i've taken bentyl (an anti-spasmodic), atenolol (used to control the sympathetic nervous system which includes the intestines and the heart) and omeperazole which temporarily stops acid production in the stomach.

Well, the only thing that I found out after four weeks was that atenolol is effective in calming me down (even though I am taking a small dosage), but that is about it. The anti-spasmodic is worthless no matter how many pills I take, and the connection between excess stomach acid and abdominal noises doesn't match up (at least in my case).

So.... I guess i'm back to square one. I think i'm going to try the dissolvable fiber thing.


I'll update you guys as I go along, and thanks for posting.

Sorry to hear that bentyl hasn't worked for you. I take a combination of bentyl + valium 5mg and it's been pretty much 100% effective. Bentyl seems to un-cramp my abdomen and the valium helps to take my mind of a situation that would normally cause me to think obsessively about the noises and hence make them happen. The only problem is that it doesn't cure the problem, it merely addresses the symptoms.

Another interesting thing I noticed just yesterday was that over the last 5 days or so i've experienced that feeling of cramping and pressure more so than ever. It's been pretty much 24 hours a day. Anyway, bentyl completely relieved that cramping... I was surprised how effective it was at doing that whereas in the past i've only noticed that it stops the noises.

I'm going to my doctor again tomorrow to let him know that i've had this cramp feeling and to see if there are any more tests he can do. Not optimistic, i've been down this path so many times.... But I can't get away from feeling that there is something mechanically wrong with my digestive system. It's definitely not all psychological.

I've recently discovered that 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds added to a bowl of oatmeal has stabalized my stomach almost to normal. It's best to eat it in the morning. Try it out and tell me if it works for you too.
Best of all, it allows me to have my morning coffee without any rumblings.

Cheers

Yeh,

I know how you all feel!! Got exams coming up and everything! Dont know how im gonna do it but i'll try. Like most of ye, it only happens when I think about the the sudden wave of heads that turn when my poor stomach makes one of those noises and then I get all tense and nervous and it happens!

I know the main problem is nerves and that when I get nervous the noises actually start, so loud sometimes that I go as red as the trainers im wearing!! And then I go to myself, "right, do not think about your stomach" but like other people before me have said, "thats better said than done!" and its true!

The other problem is based around your diet. I talked to my mum, who has a degree in healthy foods and certain diets and has cured many of my sisters dietary problems. She explained that some people could have allergies to certain foods and for me, I should cut out anything that contains dairy, or contains a lot of protein and sugar. The reason for the dairy is because when I was young I had a temporary allergy to dairy. So ive started cutting out the dairy and voila! I would recommend that everybody else suffering the same problem as me would try first to cut out dairy and see the results. If nothing has changed, try other simple diets that will not affect your weight or blood sugar level, like going low with the fibre! You never know! Also keep a diary, like everyone else has recommended!

So, there you are!! Mental and physical advice! Hopefully it helps! I really truly do! I know the suffering you are going through and hopefully, one day, there will be no more fears of the quiet!!

Eat well and take care!

Xxx :d

Ok guys, you're all finding out great stuff, im happy for those who find things tht work. Ive used this forum for over a year now, n over this past year I have researched a lot about this problem. Massive amounts n iv seen professional people about it. Throughout these ten pages of posts, I have been advising many things, which will help. Just look through some previous posts, from me (rachie), for example iv mentioned flaxseed oil ages ago, n stuff like tht.
The thing keeping me going is my mebeverine tablets, get urselves to a doctor, and get a prescription, say how much this is getting you down. On top of tht all these natural remedies realy help and diet, cut down on yeast and sugar!! (if u can I know its very hard I can hardly do it).
Heat is a bit helper. Through my exams I wore heat pads on my stomach (u stick them to ur underwear) and it calms ur stomach down! Relaxing the muscles etc.. These specific heat pads wer for period pains, but they now do them specificaly for ibs.
Psychologically.. Little tip is deep breathing to calm u down, u need to practice this even wen ur not in one of those "situations". It helps. Breath in for quick 7 seconds.. Out for quick 11 seconds (not full seconds lol thts too long but this breathing exercise is called the 7/11) at least always make sure breath out is longer thn breath in.
Remember to read my previous posts!!

After looking in multiple forums, i've seen some connections between this problem that we have been having and celiac disease. In the previous posts, people have mentioned that after going on a gluten-free diet, they felt better. Did anybody suggest this to their doctor as being a possibility? Also, has anyone already tried the gluten-free diet and have it now work for them?

P.S. Thanks for posting everyone, even though most of what I found out doesn't work most of the time, I feel that through trial and error of what you guys/gals post I will eventually find something that I can stick with.

I went to the doctor again about this last week and he prescribed a third medication for me.... An acid reducer called protonix. Now i'm on 3 medications that I take on an as needed basis. The doctor explained to me that they don't really know why people have this problem. It's an emotional reaction in the digestive system and he said that I can only keep trying medications and that it's possible that at some point my system will return to normal.

I've also decided to cut out alcohol completely for a while and coffee also. They are definitely triggers for me. It also seems like any kind of sauces in food tends to cause problems for me.

Thanks for the tip about flax seeds... I'll get some this weekend.

I've been taking "tums smoothies" right before any meal, and they seem to work pretty well. My stomach has been pretty stable throughout the entire day for the past 2 weeks in which I have been taking them. I've also kept my colon empty by having frequent bowel movements (2 a day or so). The only problem now is that I still get anxious/nervous in class because of my past noises. I'm going to go to my doctor this week and get some anti-anxiety medicine. Hopefully that'll be the last straw that'll help me completely control this problem!

Matt, probably the reason why sauces are a trigger in your case is because they might contain vinegar. I have seen vinegar as an ingredient in more foods than you would think. Vinegar does not work with the candida diet.

I have found that even small amounts of stuff such as ketchup can be a trigger for me, as well. I have to look at the ingredients to say why. It either had vinegar in it, had some sugar, or some corn syrup.


A couple of months ago, I posted a site which had a list of all the foods that are okay to eat and stuff thats not okay. It was very easy to look things up, was in tabular form and was very organized. I went back and tried to look at it a while ago, and the site has been completely redesigned.


Alcohol, and coffee are also things that need to be strictly avoided.


I know its hard to keep up the diet, and I hope I am not being a bad example, but I too have broken the diet several times. For example I ate cake on new years eve, drank hot chocolate several times, etc... And every time I break the diet I can see a difference. Constipation, bloating, exhaustion, can't have a sound sleep at night, stomach noises, feel stressed out, etc...



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