Gastritis, PPIs, PMS, Panic Attacks!

Digestive health
1

Hey everyone, this post might be a bit rambly but I'm hoping someone might be able to help as I feel like i'm falling apart!

About 8 years ago I was diagnosed with gastritis after an endoscopy. Symptoms had been constant nausea, sore stomach (felt like an open sore inside), dry heaving, acid reflux and what I now know were occasional panic attacks. Tried a combination of different medications which didn't work and then the pharmacist suggested a PPI. Went on 30mg of Lanzaprazole x1 daily and for the last 8 years, other than rare occasions, no problems. 

I broke my wrist in June and since then all my gastritis symptoms have come back full force even with taking lansoprazole. I don't drink or smoke and my diet is really very good. The panic attacks seem to be linked to my stomach, and I don't mean I start to panic because I feel unwell, it's like (sorry for TMI here) i'll suddenly start feeling a bit nauseous and might need the loo (a normal bowel movement) and the panic attack feeling will start. Once i've been to the toilet, everything settles. It's like my body gets flooded in chemical reactions. Went to the Doctor who of course doesn't look into anything and just blanket prescribed be a full whack dose of Propranolol for a panic disorder even though I told her I was convinced these attacks were a side effect and linked to my gastritis or hormones or even vitamin deficiency. She wasn't having any of it.

Worth noting when I went back and said I wasn't happy taking the Propranolol, she then made a comment on how I shouldn't be on the Lanzaprazole long term.... i've been on them 8 years (i'm 34 now) so it's a bit late to worry about that now!

I've had blood tests previously which showed I was low on some vitamins (iron, calcium, folic acid) which I now know are a side effect of the PPI medication. What i'm wondering is, if that healing my broken wrist, when I was so deficient in vitamins, has wiped my body out and it's now struggling to get back on track?

I went to a nutritional therapist who suggested probiotics and a GI digestive enzyme but they gave me indigestion! I'm laughing but COME ON!!! 

My symptoms also seem to be worse in the week before and during my period. Again, this only happened after I broke my wrist. I'm lucky if I have one week where I feel like a normal functioning human at the moment.

I have a private appointment with an endocrinologist next week because i'm trying to figure out if my hormones are triggering this or if it's just that the lansoprazole isn't working?

It's affecting my life so badly and I don't know where the I'ml i'm supposed to start working out what's going on. The doctor is utterly useless!

Has anyone else experienced this or has any thoughts on it? 

2

I have taken antacid medication since I was at school which progressively got worse over the years. In the years prior to my op I suggested to my doctor and the surgeon that I could tell the onset of bad acid reflux by getting a sharp ache in  my shoulder. I was always mmet with no comment or a brush off. But it appears that some nerves in the digestive system are directly connected to the shoulder. Post op I have awful symptoms because a nerve was cut further down my stomach to where I was operated on and food will not pass where prior to the op there was never a problem. Now I have "poisoning" sensatitions and symptoms whhich are at their worst when I need to go to the toilet. It appears our digestion can effect every part of our system including vision,nausia,headaches,heart rate,breathing and energy levels.

3

Hi Colin,

I'm so sorry you've been going through it. The idea of feeling well seems to be a bit of a luxury at the moment doesn't it!

Have you ever had your antacid use questioned? I was told I needed to be on it for life but i've had no review of this in 8 years and now there's clearly a huge push to get everyone off of them, which of course, also makes you feel rubbish!

It's SO frustrating when you know something is off or you are genuinely experiencing something and the doctor gives you the brush off. I like to think i'm a level headed person and know when something doesn't feel right with my body or if there's a pattern to what i'm experiencing but the GPs don't seem to take too well to this "self diagnosis".  

I hope that you get everything sorted and start feeling better, ironically I think we should all trust out gut instincts! Even those of us who's gut is a bit ropey! haha 

4

I am sort of lucky I think because allthough my symptoms post op are utterly dreadful I have recently learned that the op itself was successful and the blockage further down is very reparable with an op. 

I have never had my antacid use questioned or heard of a push to reduce the amount of folk taking them.

Maybe the aim is to operate more?

5

Hi,

I have gastritis and I've been having panic attacks too. I sense that they're linked because the peak of a panic attack often comes at the same time a wave of reflux comes up.

I'm 32 and I've been drinking heavily on the weekend for the past 2 years. I know that panic attacks are linked to alcohol as well, which makes sense when you feel horrible and vulnerable with a hangover. The gastritis on top of that makes me think it's a package deal.

I have so far ignored the doctors recommendations to cut down drinking, but I'm becoming increasingly concerned about it, knowing that untreated gastritis can lead to more serious conditions.

So this is my first weekend without alcohol. And I'm hoping that over the next couple of weeks all the symptoms will stop.

That's my experience with gastritis/panic attacks.

Cheers

Mark