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What the hell is going on with my digestive system?

2 replies

Oikoi · 18/09/2025 18:44

Bear with me, apologies if this is long.

I've had IBS for years that flares up every now and then.

Im now late 40's and in the last few years my digestive system has gone a bit weird. I'm quite sure it's probably down to peri menopause but I'm also a bit worried it's something else.

In the last 6 months I've started to get a weird feeling under my left rib and in the centre of my ribs, it feels a little like when you're pregnant and the baby's moving around in there. This is usually accompanied with wind - which I have lots of nowadays. I've been to the doctors many times about this and they don't seem concerned and have just put it down to ibs. It's usually worse when sitting and can be on an empty stomach or full stomach.

I also have extreme urgency to go to the toilet in a morning. For the first couple of hours I'm back and forth to the toilet, I have terrible anxiety in a morning and I know this is probably why it seems worse in a morning. I don't need an alarm clock to wake me my bowels do.

I've just had to take a weeks worth of antibiotics for H.Pylori infection. The first three days I had an awful upset stomach then it settled. Since stopping them my upset stomach is back, the movement under my left rib is worse than ever and I've got crippling anxiety.

I had to take three days off work last week because of this and I've had to have two days this week too. My commute to work is 30 mins and I'm now already stressing about getting to work tomorrow.

My GP has said to take Lansoprazole for a week then go back if it doesn't settle down. Then he'll start from scratch and send me for abdominal ultrasound.
I don't think it will settle down and I just feel lost as to what's wrong with me.

OP posts:
Barbann122 · 18/09/2025 23:13

There’s a good chance that your anxiety is heightening the sensations in your ribs, and your upset stomach, and then the symptoms are increasing your anxiety so you’re locked in a spiral. I don’t know how you fix it but maybe ask for a FIT test so you can rule out anything sinister and then start to look at the causes of your anxiety and work on that, which will help calm your symptoms. Good luck.

Oikoi · 19/09/2025 07:30

I have had a FIT test and that was clear.

Its mornings that are the worst - I've woken this morning soaked in sweat and feeling really anxious.

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