For about 2 weeks, I've had discomfort between my sternum and belly button-gnawing/burning, irritated feeling, came out of the blue, all of a sudden. I cut out juice, wine, fatty foods, processed foods, stuck to bland diet and took Prilosec for 2 weeks along with antacids. A few days ago, I suddenly seemed better. But I keep thinking about it and why I had this discomfort (gastritis?) and now I am anxious about it and the last couple of days, I have what I can only descibe as a "nervous" stomach. Jittery stomach, anxious, mild nausea. I'm not sure if it's a continuation of what I had before or if I am just anxious. My doc says see if it persists another 3/4 weeks then she'll check my gallbladder. I guess I am nervous it is something ominous (like stomach cancer and the like). I am 49 year old woman, generally very healthy and exercise regularly, am normal weight although I am wondering if I overdid it during quarantine when I probably drank and ate more than usual and I just irritated my stomach and it needs time to heal? I wake up feeling ok but then throughout the day, I feel more nauseated and then I get anxious about it. It is hard to tell if my mind is conjuring up these symptoms or if they are actually something.
it could be gastritis, most likely acute or an ulcer or even an infection or virus. remove processed foods and anything irritating for awhile. you could ask for an h pylori test ( breath test is best) and go from there. i doubt it is anxiety. also, you could try an ant acid in the mean time like pepcid or tums. feel better!
Hi - not sure if this will help, but a lot of the symptoms you describe I have suffered with and I have a diagnosis of mild chronic gastritis and hiatus hernia. It came out of the blue for me too about 18 months ago (although that was following a lot term use of anti-inflammatories for a shoulder injury). When the gastritis flares I suffer with discomfort under my left rib cage through to my back and a lot of IBS type symptoms. The worst of it is the burning pain in my stomach, so I can totally sympathise with you on that. I like yourself am very healthy and exercise regularly and have made significant changes to my diet since the diagnosis - no alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods etc. I was very concerned too that I had something serious just given the level of pain and discomfort and the fact I’m in my early 50’s. In the last 18 months I have had two ultrasounds and two endoscopies and they have shown nothing other than the gastritis and the hernia. I know that anxiety and stress really sets my stomach off so I really try to keep a lid on that as far as possible! Hope that’s of some use - maybe worth checking with your GP if you can have a scan and endoscopy to put your mind and rest and hopefully get some answers. Good luck with it.
Our symptoms sound similiar as mine started with eating greasy, fried takeout (I don’t eat it) and then it improved but over the weekend, I ate spicy, Indian curry and the pain, burning, pressure and nausea started again. My doctor put me on PPIs two days ago so we shall see if it works for gastritis. I am trying to eat small meals through the day so my stomach is not empty. I have a history of GERD and IBS.
One thing to think about is your age. I am 51 and you are most likely post-menopausal. Changes in hormones like estrogen will effect your esophagus as it it loosens it and causes more acid reflux. Not a very scientific explanation but you can google it. I have because my acid reflux has been ongoing since my mid-40s. Sometimes painful, but sometimes just a pressure below the breasts. My mother-in-law, who is a retired nurse, said she had horrible acid reflux in her late 40s/50s too. I have a wedge pillow that I sleep with, eat early so you are not going to bed on a full stomach, and relax. I work out everyday. I stretch a lot and do yoga. I too have health anxiety so I get the worrying.
My doctor said if it isn’t cleared up she will order an ultrasound. I had the same pain two years ago and had a chest x-ray, bloodwork and an ultrasound which showed nothing. Just had bloodwork a month ago and it was fine.