Dull but gnawing stomach ache nearly every night since losing weight?

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I've lost nearly 2 stone since around November last year. It was unintentional weight loss - I went through a stressful time and lost my appetite. I was (and still am) overweight. I've started eating back to my old normal, but have only gained around 4lbs back. I'm still under a lot of stress, but this time I've gone the other way and have been comfort eating.

Every evening I get a stomach ache. It's the kind of stomach ache I only remember having as a child; it's like a gnawing dull stomach ache. It doesn't seem related to anything specific I eat, or time of eating. It's not an upset stomach, all my BMs are normal. I'm not constipated or bloated. It just hurts. It's in my upper abdomen in the middle. About 4-5 inches above my belly button.

Does anyone have any ideas? I don't know if it's related but since the stomach aches have started I've also had really intense cravings for salt and vinegar crisps and pineapple, so very acidic foods. I'm not pregnant.

I would see the GP for 2 stone of unintentional weight loss and an odd stomach ache.

I would have this investigated. Make an appointment with your GP. The weight loss is quite alarming when combined with the pain. It could be simply stress, which can completely bugger your digestive system. But there are other more worrying things that could cause these symptoms and I think you should get them ruled out.

The weight loss does make sense based on my food intake though in that I was barely eating because of stress/grief. I would eat one meal a day and sometimes not even that.

May sound obvious but if you are having cravings for really acidic foods, are you eating them?

What if you don’t eat them and just eat normally? Just thinking about salt and vinegar crisps and pineapple gives me reflux!

Ah I'm feeling really anxious now.

I looked back at when I had written my weight down and after a stressful period of grief I lost 2 stone in around 3 months. I remember back then I would sometimes go an entire day without eating. When I did eat it would be just one meal a day, and I'd barely finish it. I've looked back over the past few years and my weight does seem to fluctuate every year by around a stone.

In January I put on 4lbs, so total weight loss was 1st 8lbs. Then I had another stressful period in February when I lost my job, I think initially I had no appetite but since around March I've been eating a lot and comfort eating. I'm still the exact same weight I was in January.

Is that still worrying and classed as unintentional weight loss? It does reflect my eating patterns; I thought unintentional weight loss was more when you lost weight despite eating normally? Although the fact I've not gained weight since January despite comfort eating is kind of strange.

My periods have also been really irregular. They were always constantly 32 days apart, but I've now skipped one period, and the other two periods have arrived a week early. I'm in my late 20s so not perimenopausal.

Like I said I've been under a lot of stress. I lost a loved one followed by being made redundant.

I was initially but have stopped now as it was hurting my mouth!

Gosh certainly get some GP advice.

otherwise, I have stomach ulcers. I have duodenal ones but peptic ones are common too. Things that are likely to set me off are marmite, vinegar, buttercream, lemon, anything citrus basically, anything like pickled onions, so maybe the pain you are describing could be similar?

certainly get a check done - mine are controlled by esomzeprazole.

Are you sure it's not hunger? Maybe try eating something sensible but not necessarily all the acidic things.

I think it would do no harm, and would be wise self care, to see your GP and tell them you've had a very difficult time, significant weight loss and disrupted periods so you'd like to be checked out. Don't let them fob you off with 'it's just stress'. It may well be but you deserve to be checked out in case it's something needing medication.

Are you back in work now? What do you have in your life to lift your mood and enthuse you? You may need some more of that.

It could be an ulcer, they often appear during stress so it could be a combination of things.

I had this and investigations showed nothing untoward. It was put down to indigestion and omeprazole seemed to settle it but it persisted for over a year! I still get it occasionally but nothing seems to trigger it or settle it.
I did notice that avocado and fatty food would trigger it and it could have been put down to not having a gall bladder.

Sounds like gallstones to me.

Gall bladder problems can be triggered by weight loss, and the pain sounds possibly like that, but definitely go and get it checked out.

Reflux?

I was thinking something gallbladder.

Gallstones or reflux come to mind, but could be an ulcer. The weight loss per se is not alarming given it has an explanation, that being that you lost your appetite for obvious reasons

Gallstones occurs to me too. Unfortunately a common side effect of weight loss, particularly in women in their 30s-50s. Try a low fat diet for a few days and see if it eases, but absolutely get checked out.

I had something very similar starting in early January but without the weight loss as I was still eating normally. I had pain in the same place and it was worse late afternoon/evening after a meal.

I had been very stressed for the last six months, grieving my mum, complex life, Christmas and a totally shit diet just did it. The day it started I remember that I’d had a stress meltdown that morning and the pain started in the afternoon.

my gp was lovely and said I had gastritis and prescribed omeprazole, which worked well, I had a month of work and tried to reduce my stress.

it went on for about a month and I’m ok now.

BUT please get checked out especially with the weight loss, I was convinced I had something sinister going on, and the gp was fully prepared to send me for further tests if I still had it after a month.

Gall stones can be triggered with weight loss so that’s a possibility

The gnawing pain sounds very much like reflux and if so it can be massively eased by meds and dietary changes, so please see your GP asap for some help. 💐

why on earth have you not seen a doctor???

Gall bladder issues can occur after weight loss particularly if it’s rapid
it may also be an ulcer
Make a GP appointment

It could be acid reflux.

The correct person to discuss it with is your GP, but in the meantime chatgpt is a very useful tool. Give it as much info as possible and it can be surprisingly helpful.

Er, are you hungry??

Gastritis. Aggravated by and probably caused by stress, and irritated by the salty vinegary processed foods you crave.

Weight loss can sometimes induce gallstones.

I did go to the GP about it last year. They said it was gastritis and gave me a month's supply of lansoprazole. I have some left so might take one this morning.

It's quite a mild stomach ache; I used to get a similar pain when I was a child and the doctor said it was a stomach 'migraine'.

I am just really rundown. I wake up every morning with stress hives on my neck and chest.