Noisy Abdomen

Its realy affecting my life now, especially in school, in fact mostly just in school. I hav become v anxious and nervous now as a result, and its jus a vicious circle as im constantly worried that my stomach and bum (!) is gona make a noise which gets me more and more nervous, which obviously makes it happen more. These noises only occur when im anxious, and so as a result jus makes me more anxious. At our school, we hav to go to chapel every mornin for half an hour, for other people with this problem, u can probably imagine its absolute hell. Were ment to go but now I hav to sneak off b4 every goes in and hide in the loo, giving me half an hour on my own to panic about the lessons ahead. I used to be ok in lessons and it was jus in a quiet room I wud b nervous, but now I get so nervous all the time in lessons. I always ask to go to the loo or the school nurse jus so I can get out. I kno its mostly anxiety im dealing with now, but its realy making my life hell. Its so weird tho, sometimes il be in a lesson n I wud calm down, and start thinking, what the hell was to be worried about in the first place?? And then the worrying wil come back etc.
Anyway, I was in a lessons this morning, and jus got so nervous that I started to feel realy faint, and my vision actually went, and got really blurry u kno wen u feel faint, n I jus wanted to throw up, or run out of the room. Its a horrible, horrible situation to be in n to other ppl I must sound like a complete prat.
If anyone can help or suggest anything it wud b so so gd, I wud realy apreciate it
x

If it is getting worse then get some help with it as it will get even worse until you seek treatment with your Dr.
Good luck!

Hi to all again
the only thing I can suggest is buscopan altho lately my stomach has been playing up again

i agree with brett that sitting at the back of a class does make me feel better

brett I also kinda get wat you mean. I have refused to go the cinema 4 times now with my friends and I think they think I dont wanna be with them anymore :(
also with xmas coming up, I have will have to go to mass and I feel like cryin wen I think about it

x

Ye me too I always hav to sit at the back of my class! Makes me feel much more comfortable. I had a recent exam, and got realy worked up and worried about it the day b4 cos of my stomach.. And my mum knows so she rang my tutor, who arranged for me to sit right at the side of the hall, in my own row lol. But I felt so much more relaxed knowing I wasnt sitting in the middle of ppl. My friends always get confused tho wen I get worked up bout having to sit at the back of the classroom!
I think its mostly an anxiety disorder for me as I only get this noise problem wen im feeling anxious about it, so im seeing the councelor at my school tomoro and a couple of times next week to help me deal with this anxiety, and I may start seeing a hypnotherapist. But I hav to say I do feel a lot more relaxed wen I hav had some pepto bismol, but if ur going to use it pls dnt take it all the time!
X

I thought I was the only person who avoided quiet places which has lead me to live a life almost exclusively online. I have been suffering with this problem for many years until I found a book on amazon.Com called the specific carbohydrate diet. It is a diet for people with bowel problems. The diet helps me a lot with my problem when I have the discipline to stick to it.

Hi everyone,
just wanted to share something. I had a bad bout of this stomach noise problem some time ago and spent some embarrassing time.

I am however almost completely fine now.

I was on a lookout that what things causes the stomach noises and related problems, well here are my findings. Now this may sound a bit strange but I found out that drinking tap water/ or mineral water with lots of minerals in it/ or juices and fizzy drinks cause this problem for me.

The solution for me is to drink only mineral water and that too one with very few quantities of minerals in it e.G. Nestlé's mineral water quite suits me or there's evian also.

Water often escapes attention becuz you are often looking at only the things that you eat but for my case, mineral water really helped.



As for eating, I avoid cheese, milk products and all kinds of nuts, have had slight troubles with these things too.



I can only hope that my suggestion helps someone. I can imagine that life with such a problem can be a hard life, so some of you might as well try this one thing cuz it worked for me and I hope works for more of you as well

regards.

I have the sameee thing and I feel like it's ruining my life!! I agree that it's mostly psychological, because my stomach seems to only make the noises when i'm around people in a quiet situation. It actually does makes noises when i'm alone sometimes too, but definitely not as much as when i'm anxious or nervous. I first noticed the noises when I was in 10th grade.. They would happen mostly in school when the classroom was silient or when I would go on dates with guys... Ugh and i'm 20 now, the noises are still going strong, and it just makes me so insecure... I can't even handle having a boyfriend because I can't do anything like cuddle or sleep over or watch a movie without constant annoying noises from my tummy... :cry: i'm so glad other people can relate because I thought I was the only one with this terrible problem... I'm gonna try to get a doctor appointment soon because I can't take this anymore... I just want to be able to live a normal life and be able to have a relationship!!!.. I hope this can get fixed :(

I totally feel you courtney. I have a girlfriend, but we fight all the time, and 90% of the time it's because of my stomach. She always gets mad that we don't go to the movies, or to church, or family gatherings etc. And it's not limited to my girlfriend, i've basically turned my back on friends, good friends. They always ask me to do things and I always turn them down, unless it's somewhere loud. It really does suck.

Wel my mock gcse exam started today, and as all of u guys wit this problem wud kno, I was absolutely petrified and shitting (scuse me) myself this morning! I realy wanted to jus be able to go into the exam hall n get thru it and try n get over my anxiety problem and use it as practice almost. But no, I cudnt bear to do it n got myself in a bit state, made a big fuss n spoke to my teacher agen who already knew bout it. She managed to get me into separate rooms on my own to do the exams which was great, but tomoro she wont be able to do that and il hav to sit in with everybody else! Im v v scared.. Also, one of my teachers husbands has actualy got this problem, and this teacher asked the head of biology at my school, who said he's heard of it and ther is a name for it! Sadly its a v complicated word which my teacher cudnt remember lol but im going to tlk to him myself and find out what it is! I dnt kno if any of u kno the specific name given to it but il post it on wen I find out.
Anyway im seein a hynotherapist tomoro, and they help with two main things: giving up smoking and irritable bowel syndrome. I kno we probably dnt hav irritable bowel syndrome but thats what our problem is associated wit right? All the bowel, stomach, intestinal area of our body and wind etc. So im gona see how that goes.
But if any of u hav exams, I find these things help with the noises and they quite embarassing some of them lol:
i wear like 3 pairs of cycling shorts, the ones with the padding round the bum lol, and one of my pairs has slight padding round the stomach area and they all pull up quite high to cover it, which actually stifle some of the noise!
I tuck flannels inside the shorts so they are tight around my tummy and to try and pad that area up so that not a lot of sound can get out. N I jus generaly wear lots of layers and a thick black coat which I feel realy protected in and it kinda helps!
Neway I wil probably be back on to write more later on this week feel free to message me back bout nething cos I kno it feels crap to feel alone with this! X

Rachie, hope everything went well during your exams. I know exactly what you are going through. Even for a person who is older than me I still have to worry about which sounds other people may hear. I will soon be applying for jobs and working which also makes me very concerned about having to sit in meetings, classes, etc. Sometimes when I am in close, quiet situations with people my hands get so cold and sweaty from the anxiety that I feel. I also tried the trick with clothing, even sitting all through class with a thick winter coat on. Good for you telling the teacher about this problem. I never had the courage to do that which ended up causing me a lot of difficulties throughout my college years and even now.

I was looking for answers to the same problems, which led me here to this forum. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I am not the only one who suffers from this problem. This problem is just about taking over my life. I'm 27 years old and I started having this problem about 2 years ago. I used to party/drink alot, then I met my current girlfriend and I cut down on most of the drinking. Thats when it started. At work, in a quiet room during meetings. The same meetings that I always tried so hard to extend so I wouldn't have to work, I was now missing them or in a hurry to get back out to work so that I wouldnt have to be in a situation where people would hear my stomach and the loud noises coming from it. I later got a new job at sbc, during my 10 week training, I was confined to a small room with of about 7 people and had to constantly ask if I could turn on the fan next to me to mask the sounds my stomach made throughout the day. I quit after the training course, for other reasons. Shortly thereafter I applied for a job with usps ( united states postal service). I was petrified of taking any exams that they asked me to. I became extremely nervous before I took the exam, it was quite possibly the worst feeling ever. Just not wanting to be in a situation where I would embarass myself with my rediculous stomach noises. Needless to say I got the job. I always excelled in testing, but with my new problem, it often distracted me and made it more difficult for me to concentrate. I dreaded my training classes at the post office. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 6-8 hours a day, it was literally torcher for me. I eventually missed one day because of "my stomach problem". One important day. I had to make this test day up about 3 months later and when that day came, I was so terrified that I missed it again. They were upset with me and sent me to a different shift, graveyard shift. I ended up quitting a really great job that I loved. I sit here now unemployed at 27, dying to go back to college but at the same time, worried about the embarassment I will face in hour long classes. As I type this, my stomach churns away. I have a tought time even going to a movie theater, going to my girlfriends place to watch movies with her and her family, or going with her to church. I am sometimes afraid to even apply for a job. Part of me says "who cares what other people think". The other part of me remembers the reaction I got the last time my stomach went crazy in a quiet public place. Some people looked at me like I was passing gas, some laughed. Its horrible. Ive tried over the counter ibs meds, pepto bismol (extra strength actually helps, but who wants to carry a bottle of pepto in their pocket to work during training for the post office? I do!!), i've tried rolaids, anti diarrheal like immodium ad, nothing really works on a consistent basis. I am currently on a 21 day digestive health program I purchased at a local gnc store. I hope that a colon cleanse or something similar will cure this . People beg me to go back to school because I have so much potential. I have disappointed my father, and I often feel depressed and generally, like a loser. I know my girlfriend is trying to be understanding but she sometimes asks me "why cant you just come with me to church?" and I reply "you know how I feel about "my problem"!!" and we sometimes get into an argument about it. Its wierd to think that something like this can take over your life, but it does, and apparently I am not the only one. So what can we do?? :(

Thats the thing.. Its kinda different for everyone. Sometimes it happens to ppl more, and others less, and different things can spur the noises on, for me its anxiety which im getting help for. I cudnt bear going into school and skiving classes in the loos and feeling so so alone so I had to go to my school nurse, and then before my exams I told my teacher. A couple of other teachers kno now and they realy helped me with my exams, so I think u shud realy spk to ppl about it, whether it be ppl u work with or friends or family. I finally got thru my exam week, I managed to sit through a couple of exams all the way thru and was fine cos I asked if I cud sit at the back. My teachers wer so supportive and said if it got bad I cud jus get up and leave whenever I felt and finish my paper in the school health centre. I felt so much more relaxed knowing that I wasnt trapped in that room, and I cud leave at any point, but I was determined not to choose the easy option and jus get out if I got the tiniest bit scared. My stomach did make a couple of noises, and the thing is, no one noticed! One of my friends was sittin next to me n he looked over n jus smiled at me nicely n got on with his exam. If u feel paranoid in an exam that ppl r realy noticing u, they're really not! They'l be worrying about their own exam, and concentrating on that and probably wont even notice the noises! It always feels beta for me if I jus think to myself, so wat if my tummy makes a noise? If I act like I dnt give a damn, and act normal, then no ones got anything to laugh at u for! Jus laugh with them, shrug it off as if its completely normal and they wont giv a damn!
I saw a hypnotherapist the other day, and it did wonders im telling u. I actually went under hypnosis, altho I was completely conscious and it wasn't like she was controlling me its different to proper hynotising. Anyway the next day I sat thru my spanish exam, 2 hours long, and yes I was v nervous at the start, and kept looking at the clock. But then jus said to myself that I shud try to last another five minutes then I can go. So I got thru that five minutes and did 7/11 breathing excercises to calm myself down (breath in for seven seconds, breath out for 11 seconds). And I jus kept sayin to myself, ok, jus get thru this next question and c how I am. Then after I while I jus calmed down completely! And relaxed so much! It felt so gd and reminded of wat I was like wen I didnt hav this problem.

I have had this same problem for about a year now. I'm 20 and a college student. I too find that this is caused by anxiety. I've never been diagnosed with someone who has anxiety, but I know I have it along with a mild case of ocd.


I find the times that my intestines act up the most is when i'm in public situations like a classroom or restaurant. I also have trouble with my intestines when I am worried about something in the future such as finals or new classes. I start a new semester today, so as you can imagine my intestines have been making noises for about a week now.


I haven't been able to find anyway to make it go away. I went to a few doctors last spring and they thought I was fighting some sort of virus since it seemed to be getting better. Well, it came back and i'm almost certain that it's anxiety related.


The sensation I feel is sort of like air rushing through my intestines. I usually feel it in my lower abdomen or just above my buttocks/lower back area. The sounds are sort of like a cross between a fart and a stomach growling, but mostly like a fart. I usually try to hide it by coughing or clearing my throat when it happens since the noises tend to not be too loud. I would have to be in a quiet setting, such as a classroom during exam time for someone to here me.


It's nice to know i'm not the only one out there with this problem. :)

Heylo! Im so glad im not the only person with this!My frends are gettin realy sik of me cancelling things with them like goin to see their dance shows and not stayin at their houses cos my stomach doesnt settle at nite.I have also left school because it all got too much for me to handle.I always tried to make my stomach flatter by slouching in my chair because my stomach feels better if I lie down sometimes.I work in a shop that has quite loud surroundings but we have a meeting every week with all the staff and I dread it cos its so quiet.Iv tried peppermint capsules before and they worked for a while so I stopped using them then it came back and it feels worse than ever and it wont go away.Im so frustrated its takin over my life and I feel like I wont get anywhere in life now because of my stomach.I just turned down a job that could have kicked started my career but there was weeks of training for it.So im stuk where I am.I just hope it goes away

Ok, ive been doin some research, and I actualy reckon i/some of us cud possibly hav a form of ibs (irritable bowel syndrome). Ive actualy getting diarrhoea on and off for a few weeks and wen reading up about ibs, it says stuff bout diarrhoea/constipation, flatulence, muscle spasms, and ibs can also be related to anxiety! Sounds like me..
Im gettin a food intolerance test tomoro to see if certain foods are affecting me, as they can test for ibs and give advice on diet and stuff and wat I shud be eating to help it. Im actualy kinda hoping its ibs cos so far no one knows wat the hell is wrong and this is a very common thing which can be treated.

Just like everyone else said, I don't feel so alone anymore. But I think but am not for sure that my problems had to do with an eating disorder. But I remember having this a little before just not as bad as it is now. Lately its only been happening at home. And it makes me feel better to read that others hate sitting in quiet rooms or taking final exams because I feel the same way. Even though I feel better, I want all of us to get rid of this because I know how annoying it is and the embarrassment that it causes. It's so weird how u can't even control when the noises happen like u can with gas, they just go brrr when u dont even expect it. And I do the stomach tightening thing to and it does make it worse. I read that whole 7/11 breaths thing and I tried it today and it did help! Oh yeah, do not try zelnorm, it gives u diarrhea for the first day then it makes u stop the noises, but when u continue for a week, the noises get worse. I dunno I just dont think it is worth taking the time to see the effects it has. But yes anxiety does play a big part. I think if I didnt have school I would never have these problems. I'm always so worried about other people hearing the noises that I get so stressed out about it and my best friend is really sick of me complaining about it but I cant help it.

Does anyone else get hungry really fast too? Not just o I feel hungry, but have the pains and growling only a couple hours after you've eaten? I dunno cuz I just seem to be hungry all the time like that and I cant concentrate on lessons or anything, I really hate it.

Anyway ;)

I got a food intolerance test last night, where a woman tests for over 200 food types, as my mum thort that I was allergic or hav an intolerance to food which is causing these problems. It dusnt involve taking blood samples or anything, a blunt metal probe is pressed onto acupuncture points. Turns out I hav an intolerance to yeast, and the first question the woman asked me when I told her about my symptoms was had I been taking antibiotics recently or when it started to happen. And come to think of it I had an operation at the beginning of my school year (september), and I had to take very strong antiobiotics afterwards. And about a week or two after I took the antibiotics was when the noises started! So apparently the yeast is still in my stomach, and I hav been put on an extrememly strict diet for 4 months: no yeast, dairy, or sugar. I also take supplements of good bacteria for the stomach and hav to start taking supplements to keep my energy up as im cutting out so much food that gives me energy. Please none of u start this diet if u dnt kno wats wrong im jus telling u cos some of u may want to get a test urselves. The woman said ppl hav problems for years and years and dnt bother getting a test wen it can be solved really easily. She reckons as I havnt had the problem that long it can go away just as quickly.

I am really surprised to find out the ppl having some problem like me. It's really verrrrrrrry embarrasing especially in the class. I am esl student in new york city.

I have tried most of the tips & tricks but it wasn't worked for me. It's really ruining my life and I skipped so manys classes due to stomach noises. It even get worse when I get nervous, especially when teacher asked me to say something in english in my class. I really don't know what to do now.......I hope someone come up with really good solution for that.

If someone has solutions, pls feel free to email me.
Gam_niaz@ yahoo.Com