Stress induced? indigestion or ulcer?

Digestive health
1

Hi,

I've been experiencing weird stomach issues in the past two weeks. In the past month, I have been preparing for a very difficult and crucial exam at school, so it's a stressful time these days. Plus I should say I am medicated for a generalized anxiety disorder and though the antidepressants help, I am still a very anxious person. Just to be clear.

So, two weeks ago I had gut problems for around a week - loose stool, not a diarrhea but just an uncomfortable feeling. Thankfully, after a week it subsided. However, only a few days later, after I went back to drinking coffee, I started feeling an uncomfortable feeling in my upper stomach, indigestion-like. It's already happened to me once around a year ago and lasted for weeks. I'm not burping and don't feel any heartburn, but my stomach is really gassy - it makes loud liquid-like sounds when I move it around. I stayed away from coffee in the past few days, thinking it would get better, but it didn't. Sometimes it feels more uncomfortable after I've eaten, but mostly it doesn't hurt. Occassionally it makes me a bit nauseous, but just a little bit. I also haven't been moving at all in the past week (usually I exercise a few times a week and walk a  lot), just have been sitting by my computer studying.

So... I guess I am trying to figure out if this sounds more like an ulcer, or just a simple stress-induced indigestion? If there is such a thing? My exam is in a few days and then I can start exercising again and the stress will be lower. Should I wait to see if the symptoms subside? Thank you.

 

2

You should always include exercise to maintain that healthy balance. Walk for a couple of miles after studying and see if that relieves your stress and anxiety. Try to eliminate anything greasy from your diet at least until things calm down a bit.

3

Your stomach maybe irritated or inflammed. Stop using any caffien or any artificial drinks or products. Start consuming yogurt with every meal and eat healthy and green. Increase your intake of water.

4

You should wait until the exam is over to see if the symptoms subside. But also try not to worry over it because anxiety will keep it there. Hopefully it is just a stress issue.

5

Stress can cause indigestion; my chronic heartburn started after exam stress and in rhe last few years progressed to IBS.  I would see your doctor since you have had symptoms for two weeks. When my stomach pain started along with nausea, bowel habit change and back pain, I went to my doctor after two weeks of constant symptoms.  Three and a half months later I was diagnosed with IBS.

6

The upper part of your abdomen is home to a number of important and necessary organs. These include:

stomach

spleen

pancreas

kidneys

adrenal gland

part of your colon

liver

gallbladder

part of the small intestine known as the duodenum

Typically, upper abdominal pain is caused by something relatively minor, such as a pulled muscle, and will go away on its own in a few days. But there are some other underlying conditions that could lead to discomfort in the area.

Visit your doctor if the pain in your upper abdomen persists. Your doctor can assess and diagnose your symptoms.

You should seek emergency medical attention if you have any of the following:

severe pain or pressure

fever

nausea or vomiting that won’t go away

unexpected weight loss

yellowing of the skin (jaundice)

abdominal sweating

severe tenderness when you touch your abdomen

bloody stools

Have someone take you to the emergency room or urgent care right away if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms. They may be signs of a condition that needs immediate treatment.

Gallstones are solid deposits of bile and other digestive fluid that form in your gallbladder, a four-inch, pear-shaped organ that’s located right below your liver. They’re one of the most common causes of pain on the right side of your upper abdomen.

Gallstones may not always lead to symptoms. But if gallstones block the duct, they may cause you to feel upper abdominal pain and:

pain in your right shoulder

nausea or vomiting

back pain between your shoulder blades

sudden and intense pain in the middle of your abdomen, underneath your breastbone

Pain caused by gallstones may last from several minutes to a few hours. Your doctor may prescribe you medication to dissolve gallstones, but that treatment process may take months or years to work. Your doctor may also recommend surgery to remove your gallbladder, which isn’t needed to live and won’t affect your ability to digest food if taken out.