Can stress really have such an impact on the digestive system?

[Suchafrabjousday]

I know the answers is most probably yes but I find myself in such a difficult position that I’m slowly going crazy trying to find the solution to all my current woes.

I’ve got quite a lot going on and this is most probably having a negative impact on my body but I genuinely no longer know what to do.

I’ve had IBS for 26 years, it arrived without warning one day following a very stressful few years and it has never left me. It has waxed and waned over the years but I’ve always had a very sensitive digestive system since that day in 1998.

Once I hit the age of 45 however, the turbo button seemed to go full throttle and my digestive system from stomach to bum hole (sorry 🙈) has given me grief on an almost daily basis.

Despite endless gastro tests (endoscopies, colonoscopies, stool tests, scans etc) all ok, except for a positive test for small intestinal bacteria overgrowth which does not surprise me due to the very restricted low fodmap diet I’ve eaten for years in the hope of getting better, I’ve ended up buggering up my micro biome.

I was also diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis a few months ago but my gynaecologist says it won’t be causing the gut issues?!

So, as I say, these last 6 years have been just dreadful. Mornings are awful and unpredictable. My guts gurgle all the time, I pass super soft stool (sometimes diarrhoea which can be anytime and unpredictable), acid indigestion and pain, excessive burping, daily nausea, bloating in the evenings with gas and pain. I can even be woken by the excessive gurgling.

I have tried literally every everything recommended for IBS and nothing helps long term. I live the healthiest life of anyone I know yet feel like crap every day.

BUT I won’t lie, I am an extremely anxious person and my stress levels have been sky high these last 6 years. I don’t know why I can’t handle stress but I just can’t, maybe it all goes to my digestive system? Over these last 6 years I’ve had the following stressful situations to deal with (could these all be the instigators to my gut issues?),

ds had 5 years of school anxiety and refused to go to school most mornings. This was so stressful

My MIL passed away from bowel cancer

My beloved dog had to be pts due to cancer (he was my shadow, my best mate and 2 years on I’m still missing him)

My own dear mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 6 years ago. I help care for her and it’s honestly a journey to hell, it’s never ending and my mum is turning into a toddler child, it breaks my heart every day. And last month she was also diagnosed with breast cancer ffs!

My gastro seems to think my stress is causing my gut issues but from
my point of view it’s the gut symptoms (fear of soiling myself etc or worrying it’s something serious) which is driving the anxiety. It is a vicious cycle I can’t seem to break no matter who much yoga or meditation etc I do!

How can I find a way to calm
my anxiety and gut issues? I’ve literally become scared to leave the house at times. I just can’t find a solution.

what is your daily diet like?
whats your movement and exercise like?

Absolutely it can.

My go to for more or less everything is Dr Chatterjee, he explains very well how the body deals with stress and how it can affect us. He also has good ways of curing yourself.

He has a website, good podcasts and books. Try this one

Yes it definitely can, I had therapy for my anxiety and found my stomach issues also massively improved. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, pilates and CBT are all useful in lowering stress levels.

I also find eating an unhealthy diet better than a healthy one, lots of stodgy foods, no whole grains etc. Too much fibre causes cramps and diarrhoea so I limit it.

I thought I'd written a post and forgotten about it, OP! I'm the same....IBS diagnosed years ago and whilst it's always "there", it's nothing like what I'm experiencing just now. However, the stress and anxiety I'm living with at the mo have also never been as bad. GP thinks all linked as tests clear.

I should say I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression about 10 years ago but it's out of control at the mo.

Sending solidarity (of poop) and hope you feel better soon.

Yes it can. I feel so incredibly sorry for you. Short term and long term. Have you tried yoga, Pilates, swimming, brisk walk-in, jogging etc? I’m sure you probably have. Any kind of movement helps as it raises endorphin levels which counteract some of the hormones released when you are stressed out.

Ps my mum suffered for years until she discovered she was intolerant of egg age 40. It was a horrible life for her until she figured it out, and she got no support from GP. I wouldn’t rule out an undiagnosed food intolerance either.

adrenaline diverts blood from the gut, and so if you are full of adrenaline every day, wouldn't that mean your guts don't have a strong reliable blood supply?

Have they treated the SIBO? Because if not, you need to press for them to do so.

The gut is now thought of as the second brain, the evidence to the mind gut connection is now so strong.

Do you use probiotics?

Yes!

My digestion is really sensitive to stress and I end up with diarrhea that can come on really quickly and quite painfully.
I very, very rarely had diarrhea as a child or teen. But it was like I hit 30 and my intestines just went "nope". I went from a rock-solid "could eat anything" digestion, to someone who has to be careful around very rich foods.

It was most definitely can. For me, it's probably the worst trigger.

One other aspect for me is alcohol. Do your drink often? I have found that alcohol has a horrible effect on my digestive system and cutting it out has improved my symptoms a lot.

I'm sorry you're going through this op.

It sucks.

I too have the sane issues which seem to have worsened with peri and now menopause

Although I'm having acupuncture and it seems to be helping. He's also a herbalist and put me on
Jai Wei Xiao Yao.

Not sure which has worked the most, but I'm feeling better, less gut issues, sleeping better.

It's private though as GPs in my area are not any use with this. I've had it many years. Their pills didn't work. Just kept big pharma rich.

So if you can afford to go private it's £45 -£60 for acupuncture and £15 for the tablets prescribed at the save time or £10 more if you have a herbalist appointment at another time.

I'm in Scotland so my guys prob not any use to you but there will be other acupuncturists in your area who use herbal medicine too.

I was skeptical. But I'm a believer of many years now. I don't want big pharma, who want to keep me on pills for years paid for by the nhs at exorbitant cost to them,I want fixed so I don't need pills going forward!

Oh yes.
From my experience.
When you're on tenterhooks or highly emotionally agitated I use the bathroom a lot. I think some people just have a stronger link between emotions and their insides so to speak.

As a PP asked, what's your typical daily diet and exercise?

Avoid alcohol.
Take a probiotic daily.
consider antidepressants - the gut is the second brain.

Like a PP mentioned, I've suddenly realised that I'm intolerant to egg in my 50s. I've had a sensitive stomach for years and whilst not actually liking eggs enough to eat on their own, I didn't realise that egg is in so much food. I know now when I've eaten it as my gut goes haywire and takes ages to settle back again. I also avoid dairy and that helps too. I take a daily probiotic and swear by Buscopan (have packets of them everywhere!).

OP stupid q, have you tried Omaprazole to calm it all down? Ask your GP for some.

I have had ibs for years and then it suddenly got worse during Covid lockdowns. Gp advised ibs being worsened by anxiety but mine actually ended up being caused by gallstones.

Heaped tablespoon of psyllium husks added to my porridge or cereal worked wonders for me, plus ayurvedic remedy called kutajghan vati

I follow the low fodmap diet.
Breakfast is usually overnight oats with plant based milk, lunch is a salmon salad, dinner would be turkey, rice and carrots and green beans. I don’t consume any dairy or gluten due to my issues. I only drink water. I follow the low fodmap diet religiously and basically eat the same meals often, not great for the microbiome but so many foods upset me.
I do yoga every evening, have an exercise bike and walk the dog for an hour every day. I have a low bmi and have a healthier lifestyle than anyone I know yet still struggle every day.
It does my head in!

TonTonMacoute I do follow him and listen to his podcasts. Been following him for years since his BBC show, he’s great.

Girliefriendlikespuppies I do find the healthier I eat the worse I feel but I’m sure that’s because my microbiome is crap and all the good guys are outweighed by the baddies atm.

EddieVeddersfoxymop I am so sorry you are struggling too atm, it really drags you down doesn’t it? I hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us soon.

SpringKitten I do try an keep as active as possible. Strange re:the egg thing as I’m experiencing similar. Eggs were a staple in my diet until around 3 years ago and suddenly I just could not tolerate them anymore, they make me feel dreadful.

KikiShaLeeBopDeBopBop I’m really struggling with the SIBO. The gastro gave me Rifaximin but they did nothing to help. She then said that she doesn’t really go in for the whole SIBO ‘thing’ and that most of the breath tests are very unreliable. I’m finding probiotics atm make things worse and that seems to be quite a common finding on the FB support groups I’m on. Apparently you need to kill off the bad guys before introducing the good ones back. Not sure how to do that as I don’t have the funds for any more rifaximin (£200 for a private prescription) and the herbal antimicrobials are expensive too.

zingally just horrible isn’t it?

Fr7fr6 tbh I’ve only drunk around 15 alcoholic drinks in my entire 51 years and each time I would get awful diarrhoea (hence the reason I stay away from alcohol lol).

Elieza peri is definitely making things much worse, it’s the fuel on the fire scenario. Sadly, I have had to reduce my working hours because of my symptoms and caring for my mum so have little money for private treatment atm. Good to here it’s working for you, hope it gives you some long term relief.

ouch321 my wiring there has definitely gone into overdrive these last few years, I’ve gotten to a point now where I literally only have to think about pooping and it brings on the desire to go!

Touty not touched alcohol in years, I only drink water. Probiotics, atm, seem to exacerbate the SIBO. I’m seriously considering taking an anti d, haven’t had much luck with SSRI’s as them seem to make the diarrhoea worse, would love to find a more one. TCA’s apparently help but they carry a dementia risk, according to the Alzheimer’s society which concerns me a little but I’m desperate to feel better so need to weigh up the pros and cons there.

LizzieBennett73 strange about the egg thing, I stopped eating them a few years back as I suddenly became intolerant to them also. I haven’t touched dairy in 20 years, that’s my greatest nemesis regarding my digestion.

EggcornAcorn I have tried various PPI’s in the past, they help the upper issues a little but give me awful diarrhoea.

buttercup877 I did wonder if my upper issues could be related to gallbladder problems but us scans pick up nothing.

PeterGabrielsunderpants this has been suggested to me a few times as well as Fybogel but I’ve been so concerned it would cause me more diarrhoea especially as when I Google it all comes up as treatments for constipation, can it seriously help with loose stool?

My bowel issues are very much linked to stress. But I show little evidence of stress on the outside, to the naked eye, my gut deals with it all think.

I get fewer problems the worse I eat. Sadly, because I love healthy food.

I got a drug similar to Buscopan, mebeverine I think, from an online pharmacy and that really works. You can take up to three a day, but I usually find one is fine. I take them when I'm going out. I've not noticed any side effects.

I've never liked eggs, so I avoid them. Though I eat things with them in. I guess it might be worth me being tested for an intolerance, I've often wondered if my dislike of them was driven by my body needing to reject them.

Sad as it is though, your list of stresses are general life events we all face. Obviously if a lot happen in a short time it's worse. I had an extremely hard time in 2020 and in case I hadn't realized how difficult it was my bowel made sure to (constantly) let me know!

Hi OP,

I'm sorry that you're having such bad digestive issues and that there is such a negative impact.

Might it be worth you doing a food intolerance test? (Not allergy, which is IgE related, it looks at a different immune response (IgG) in the blood).

I only mention this because my eldest had terrible issues with his skin (went for patch tests and saw dermatologists who said it was environmental) and it only improved after he did an intolerance test and then cut out / substituted the things that flagged up as him being intolerant to. The results were dramatic and have lasted. I did a test at the same time just for my own interest and hardly flagged anything (lucky me)

So could it be that you are actually intolerant to the particular plant based milk you're using for example. That said, as you already restrict your diet it might not flag everything.

Also, with the fibre thing I think there are differences with the effects of soluble and insoluble fibre and their effect on bulking and / or speeding passage. But I can't remember which does what, but might help explain why psyllium husks helped a PP.

I‘m the same as you. I look as though I’m coping well with stress but internalise it all and I think it must go straight to my digestive system.

If I had my way I’d live on bowls of salad, nuts, seeds, hummus, seeded bread etc but all that lovely foods wrecks me, it’s so annoying isn’t it?

I do take Mebeverine regularly, it helps with the gurgling and churning but not much else sadly.

Thats the thing with life stresses. I think, individually, I could probably deal with them ok but it’s all come in one big pile!

I did the York test when I was younger. I have thought about trying it again especially as my dh gets a discount via work so that makes it a bit more affordable. I know those tests are controversial but I also know they have helped a lot of people.
I do often wonder if there is something upsetting me, I keep a good diary but can’t quite pinpoint what it may be, maybe the test may help?

Yes, psyllium husk does help with loose motions. Maybe try it for one or two days? It might well work for you. Good luck x