Frequent intestinal discomfort, gas, bowel urges, stomach an

These posts make me so sad, especially Hannah's.  Dear girl, you need to write everything down and give this to your mother.  That way you can explain without trying to talk it through with her face-to-face.  I have these problems too but not to the degree some of the posters do.  I, however, am 62 years old.  My doctor found that I have a non-specific inflammatory bowel disease (not Chrohn's but something akin to that).  Hannah, you really need to let your mother know because it is incredibly serious if you've even thought of suicide.  I am praying for you that you will have the courage to let your mother know what is happening with you.  I am sure her heart is breaking.  There is nothing to be embarrassed about when talking with your mother--a mother has seen and done it all with her child.  I have found that eating red meat (beef or pork) will really give me problems the next morning.  Some people suggested keeping a food diary.  I think that's a great idea, but just remember that you can only do like one food at a time to see how your body reacts.  I believe one problem, as suggested by other posters, is the anxiety that comes with this.  The worse it gets, the more anxious we become, and the more anxious we become, the worse it gets.  Please talk with your mother, dear Hannah, and I'll keep you in my prayers.

I'm not sure if this has been suggested but please try 'Degas' or any similar product containing Simethicone which you can pick up without prescription from a pharmacy.

I have had a gassy, rumbly and noisy tummy with acid reflux for 6+ months now (36yo male)...I am testing to see if the gas is actually causing the acid reflux by taking Simethicone after meals and before bed.

Simethicone is an oral anti-foaming agent used to reduce bloating, discomfort and pain caused by excess gas in the stomach or intestinal tract. It is a mixture of polydimethylsiloxane and hydrated silica gel.

Forgot to mention, that stress and anxiety will also increase digestive problems, so do your best to minimise these.

I am trying relaxation techniques where you tense individual parts your body, then release them, along with long deep breathing.

I realise that this isn't easy though when you are feeling so awful...unfortunately the mind is sometimes very difficult to silence, but with practise and time, you will overcome it!

nononooo Hannah, I'm a girl and i understand completely. i was taking a math test, and i had so much freaking gas. and i was like, "well, terrific" that was freshman year in high school. then in sophomore year i was completely bogged with work. i slept at 3 am for goodness sakes! so like, then i had this pumpkin pie you know? totally got gassy from it. so gassy that it lasted for three days. i think it was food poisoning, but who knows. but all my classes were lectures. lectures. in a quiet room. i couldn't believe this was happening to me, i felt so guilty and lonely and sad and disgusted at myself and kept asking, "Why me?" And the doctors won't help with anything. I have researched and researched but no one has ever said their doctor healed them. But I have dealt with this for a year. And i also had suicide thought, but these thoughts were from stress, embarassment and saddness that I was so upset with my bodily functions more than my grades. And this was huge. Grades were my life. So ever since november I talked with my mentor. She completely understood. And i'm so sorry that you feel like you don't have someone like that. But okay, i have these advices that will definitely help you. But you need to keep in mind that your body likes a schedule. It likes to be on time and know what is going to happen-- it's normal, it wants what is best/healthy for you.


1. Activia. The twelve day thing. Not for me. I had to eat for like... 3 weeks. Then I started becoming regular. I have bowel movements every morning. Sometimes twice, but that's fine and normal.

2. If you don't want yogurt, you can go to a near by organic store that has these pills that help with digestion and make you regular. I'm not sure what they are called, but my mentor used them because everything she was eating was making her gassy. They are pills that are the ingredients in yogurt ( these are the stuff that help with digestion).

3. Milk before night. I tried this for about a week, and it is a gaurentee that i go to the restroom straight in the morning. It usually takes me ten minutes, and then i'm like, okay! pit stop.

4. Coffee. A lot of people drink this in the morning in order to poop. People do this. It's not just me. It's not just you. NO ONE LIKES TO BE GASSY. ;) Hannah, i'm like going on 17 and i'm so glad i'm now understanding that sh*t like this happens. I felt so gross, but everyone poops. Like that shirt on threadless. Some people go 3X a day or every three days.

5. Schedule. Schedule. Schedule. I wake up at 6:30 and go to the bathroom after drinking a cup of water to kick my digestive system into action. with water everything starts moving in your bowels. But, if you're beginning, like me (it hasn't been a year yet) i eat before i go to the restroom. Something heavy is going into my intestines so there's a push. I do this every morning. I had SAT classes and needless to say, if there was a sound because someone was holding gas, IT WASN'T ME. yay.


Dear Hannah, please don't be so down. don't feel so paranoid that a sound will come. trust me, i know it's embarassing. you know people in your classes. and they know you. you're not the only one. you aren't! jeezus, my friends don't poop for a week. crazy. but if you do have gas, don't panic. I realized that i have gas from eating too much fruit. I am also unable to eat selective dairy products (weird) but i have these pills so i don't get gassy/etc.. I LOVE YOU. MEET WITH YOUR FRIENDS. TELL THEM YOUR STORY. I TOLD MY FRIENDS > realized they really don't care and turn out more comfortable with you. my friend and i laugh at it. so funny. her heart warming text that remains in my heart is, "BWAHAHA what is friendship without bowels!!!"

we're still friends.

Past posts suggest that it is also anxiaty related. although not caused by it, anxiaty seems to effect it. I too have these (well some) of the same problems as are being mentioned. I'm 18 I just graduated military school and right after I noticed I had lower stomach pains, gas, and a hard time going or would have the urge to go. at first I assumed it was result of my recently develped lactos intollerance so I eventualy ( like now to this day) cut dairy. But every thing still occurs every once in a while. what I have notice though that if I drink soda or eat acidic food or drink symptoms will all ways occur. Also I do have a history of anxiety problems including panic attacks. But with this being my point my symptoms happen less when I don't worry or i am not stressed about things.


On a side note, I don't have health insurance yet (long story) and since me symptoms just recently started to come I haven't been to the doctor yet and won't be able to for about a month (let's hope I'm wrong) but I did get these colon health supplements that I think might help. Your colon can sometimes loose important bacteria and can cause your digestive track to go nuts. Sooooo if the the pain is caused by gas and the gas is caused by bacteria (or lack there of) then maybe it will help right?

Remember don't let this get to you mentaly. I think the mental aspect of what ever this is plays a big part in how sever it can get. I've been around my family and they say nothing about any noises nor do my friends so I take comfort in knowing that as far as I know I'm the only one that can hear them.

SOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hey everybody! Like everyone here, I've been plagued by stomach noises - growling, gurgles, and even worse, those noises that sound like they're coming right near your butt. However, after researching this problem a lot online, and with a little luck, I have found something that works 100% of the time for me, and I hope it will for you too.

I currently go to a university, and those silent classrooms are the WORST. So finally I decided to try different foods and find out which one never causes noises. What I've found? Omelettes! Eat a 3-egg omelette (w/ or w/out cheese) 1-hour before going into a quiet situation, AND along with that, take 1 tablespoon of Cold-Pressed Olive Oil along with the omelette, and 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil right before going into the quiet situation. It also helps if you go #2 an hour or so before quiet time. If you do all of this, at least for me, it has worked wonders. Someone please try this and let everyone know if it worked for you or not. And the best part? Omelettes are good for you, and taking 1 tablespoon of olive oil every day is really good for you!

 

One last thing... I also recently started taking a once a day, generic brand, triple pro-biotic that i found at Walgreens, just to make sure I have the right bacteria in my stomach. Not too expensive either. Good luck everyone!

This problem is too ruining my life. I tried to let it not control me but its hard when you have to sit in a quiet classroom and have your body make these embaressing noises. I am 19 and have had this problem since I was a freashmen in highschool. I have now just started college and am seriously considering dropping out for the fear of embaresment. I have tried things to make the loud noises stop but I have yet to find a cure. I am currently taking a probiotic but I havnt seen a change yet. I do believe that in my case this problem is feed off of my anxiety and anticipation of it happening. I hope someone finds a cure because I had big plans for myself but now I just have thoughts of suicide because I feel that is the only way out.

I found this thread by typing in my 12 year old son's symptoms - one of them is "my butt is growling and it makes me feel like I need to go to the bathroom but I can't".  He has been miserable for months, and is begging me to home school him. I can't believe these posts, they are almost identical to what my son has been trying to explain.

I haven't read all posts, so not sure if Fructose Malabsortion has been considered.  My son had a normal colonoscopy yesterday, and the doctor suggested FM as the culprit.  Has anyone tried to cut fructose out of diet with success and lessened symptoms?

I hope that you and my son can find some relief. Thank you SO MUCH for all the information...

Sorry misspelled Fructose Malabsorption

I, too, have had the exact same symptoms, and mine began when I started taking minocycline. Lower left quadrant pain, difficulty with bowel movements, strange gurgling/popping noises, etc. I always feel like I have to go to the bathroom, and I am terrified of being somewhere without facilities. I have developed severe anxiety because of this problem, and occasionally have panic attacks or feel like i'm going to pass out because I feel like I have no control over it. The blood tests and stool samples that the doctors have taken all came up negative. I do believe that this condition is linked to the minocycline, at least for me personally, especially because I am very prone to infection, and so frequently have to take antibiotics. I plan on asking my doctor about the possible long-term effects of minocycline. I took it in 2007-2008, and in 2009 it was listed as an AERS drug, which basically means that it could have potentially harmful side effects.

To the above poster 'random'. I would begin by trying to control your anxiety (I am not sure if minocycline is also part of the problem though). This will lessen the panic attacks, and in time, the stomach problems. I have been through this, and it will take a lot of hard work for several months to achieve this, but once you have, everything will 'fall back into place'. It is a long hard road and a constant battle against the 'anxiety demons', so you will need as much support as possible around you, especially family and friends. It is really difficult for someone else to understand what you are going through because although you may appear to be fine, internally you are a complete wreck! So, you need support from people who don't necessarily know or understand what you are going through, but just to be there when you do. It might simply be saying 'it's happening...again' which will let the person know that you need some comfort in whatever form you need. This may be talking, or even a hug! I know it's hard, but you will need to distract yourself from the physical stomach symptoms you experience and constantly remind yourself that you are perfectly fine. When a panic attack comes on you just have to ride it out, because once that response kicks in and the hormones that cause it are released, you can't stop it. Breathe deeply through it and constantly remind yourself that there is nothing wrong, it's 'just' a panic attack. The worst of it will be over in about 5 mins, but up to 30 minutes to get back to normal. Get out and go for a walk, run, bike ride, or any form of exercise that you can include in your daily life. Don't expect this to disappear overnight, you need to put in a lot of effort to control your thoughts. Good luck, and I am happy to provide further suggestions if you like. Cheers

This is my first time ever posting about this, I have searched alot but never said anything in a forum. I am just like everyone in here..I am a 21 year old male, throughout my entire life I have been very underweight. I am 5'9" 120..from what I remember from when I was younger it started when I was about 7 or 8. I remember my first panic attack, I was at my cousins house, I drank alot of soda and it was about 11pm, I all of a sudden felt like I was going to die. I remember the exact feeling. My face got hot and tingly, I started thinking about my parents and how badly I needed them. At the time my mother worked nights, well she picked me up and we went to the emergency room and I was fine, I even remember the song on the car ride there(Vitamin C - Friends Forever) At the time, I was very skinny..I originally went to the doctors to gain weight. Then they did a few tests and told me I needed "surgery". So I went under anesthesia, for both colonoscopy and endoscopy  and they found polyps in my stomach and removed a small piece of skin blocking a small amount of my intestines(doctor said I was born with it) they did a biopsy and said it was fine. I was 8 at the time, then I was scheduled to have the same thing done(colonoscopy/endoscopy) when I was 11. I remember this exactly because it was September 11th 2001, I did not go to school that day nor was I allowed to eat, I was scheduled to go to new york city but it was rescheduled for November. Well November came faster than I liked but the tests were the same, polyps and they said I would need to get them checked throughout my life.

 

That brings us to more recent times. Everything was..well getting better. It wasnt normal, but was good enough for me I guess. Last august my father was involved in a horrible motorcycle accident and had list left leg amputated. Times got very rough and I almost lost my father twice due to blood loss. I can say he is much better now and has a prosthetic and is in good spirits. That seemed to turn my life a little. This added not needed stress to my life. I dont mean to sound selfish especially considering my father lost his leg, his life is much worse then mine is..but I cant take stress well.

 

I, like most others, was prescribed topical acne medicine when I was 17-18 but never figured that into the reasoning for my stomach problems. Soooo I learned to live with being skinny and having diarrhea most of the time..I was drastically underweight compared to all my friends, and everyone my age. I went to a dietitian, didnt help much because I was stubborn. I love junk food, I have since I was young. I am being completely honest, I tend to eat alot of junk food(i.e. candy, sugar, caffeine, chocolate) Well I never took it into much consideration. Well about 6-7 months ago, I had a huge bowl of cereal and the next morning I had stomach pains that were unbearable. My mother suggested lactose intolerance. So I stopped drinking milk and started using lactaid pills with just about every meal.

 

That helped but not for long, it was getting worse. So my mom and I went to a gastroenterologist. I told him my symptoms and he suggested some sort of IBD(ciliac, crohns, IBS, some sort of colitis) He put me on creon thinking my pancreas wasnt working correctly, that did not help. He then said maybe I need a colonoscopy/endoscopy. We did both, everything came back normal, ZERO POLYPS, he took samples..again everything normal. So I then had a lower GI exam, where I had to drink barium(sp?). They told me it would take 4-6 hours for it to go through my system, well it took about an hour and a half. But everything looked normal, yet again..with one exception being the doctor said I have a SLIGHT CASE of crohns..we are getting somewhere I thought. So I had multiple blood tests and all samples were sent to Prometheus, a lab in california. Got the results back, yes I have a SLIGHT CASE of crohns. He prescribed me with asacol(1 pills, 3 times per day) and told me to come back in 1 month. Well during that month, MY LIFE GOT COMPLETELY MESSED UP. It started well, my stomach was getting better but 2 weeks in I started getting stomach pains. Diarrhea went from bad to worse, it was gross..stringy, smelly, I always felt the need to go. So I went back to the doctor, he said he would change my dosage(3 pills, 2 times per day) and add a steroid called entocort(3 pills every morning). So I listened and started taking the medicine, again..it got worse. I started feeling sick to my stomach if I wasnt home with the comfort of having my toilet in range. I would get terrible panic attacks for the first time since I was younger. My stomach would hurt so badly whenever I got in a car, or was ANYWHERE that wasnt my home. I liked the fact I knew where my toilet was. The reason I didnt like going anywhere was because I felt constant pressure in my rectum, like I had to go to the bathroom, most of the time it was gas but occasionally it was..well poop. I also had pain and pressure in my stomach and it honestly didnt matter what I ate. This all started happening in april of this year, I lost my entire summer due to this. I stayed in my house and did nothing every day. I played xbox and kept to myself. Didnt hangout with anyone except a few friends.

 

This isnt me though..last summer I did everything! I went to 10 concerts(including warped tour, mac miller, KISS, eric church, brad paisley, the offspring) I was a very active kid, not anymore..this is killing me, not literally but in every other aspect. I graduated high school with a 3.1 and opted to go to a county college to save money. Well my first 2 semesters I had a 3.5 and was on deans list. I havent been back to school since, I cant bare to be anywhere for more than a few hours. Last month was my birthday and I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted 49er/Jets tickets. Sports have always been my way of life and I have loved to 49ers since birth. Well I was too scared to go because the need for a bathroom. My mom surprised me anyway and bought me the tickets. I took immodium AD(as I do everytime I go out) and sucked it up and went. There were 2 occasions, while in traffic, where I felt the need to get out of the car and run to the woods and go to the bathroom but I held it in. I hate myself every single day for going to the gastroenterologist in the first place. I keep thinking, and saying to myself "man, I wish I was back to the way I was the day before going" I wasnt fine, but better then I am now. I could go and do something without the need to go to the bathroom or fear that I was go in my pants. :/

I am sorry to hear of your difficulties, which are quite different to mine.

However, I can suggest a few options.

Are you able to speak to friends or family about all the stresses and health problems in your life, because talking helps a LOT?

You may even consider a psychologist, but I found being open and truthful to those around you about what you are going through to be the best 'medicine'!

Talking to your parents will let them in on what you are constantly dealing with, and even if they can't do anything for you, at least they can just simply be there for you in times of need and comfort. Also, if they know what is going in, then If your mood or normal activities change, then they will know you are not feeling well and know what support to give you.

I often wonder if the medication (proton pump inhibitor) for acid reflux I was put on actually exacerbated it, because I barely noticed symptoms of it before being on it.

So, I spoke to a friend who is studying naturopathy and they suggested having half teaspoon of Slippery Elm made up in warm water 3 times a day, as well as 1 to 2 cups of Licorice Root tea (not the processed lolly stuff, the actual root!) every day.

I can't comment on their effectiveness for me just yet as it has only been 1 week, but they are available in your health food shop, and they can't hurt!

Both are excellent for gut health, and licorice root has a diverse range of health benefits. Maybe give these a go, but remember that it may take time, so try them for at least one month.

I do not suggest stopping the medications what you are currently taking though!

I'm 16 as well in my junior year of high school. This problem has been going on for me since the 8th grade:

 

In 8th grade, I'm not sure when it happened, but I constantly felt gassy. The desks were arranged into rows and so I was surrounded. In the morning I'd usually have like diarrea or something it was pretty bad so I went to the bathroom every morning but it didn't help either all year long. I wasn't sure if I was actually leaking any nasty fumes or if it was all in my head. One day though I honestly believed that I was passing gas, because one person smelled something and he was nearby me, then the whole class was trying to figure it who it was but in the end we all laughed about it and never knew who it was. The next day we were watching a movie in class and I just know that it happened again and one or two people were sure that it was me, because I asked to go to the bathroom already before (note I went to the bathroom practically all year long after lunch was over, the teacher I think understood my problems a lil bit, it didn't help though) and so they noticed me squirming in my seat. I don't think it was food either at the time, because for a while I stopped eating my sandwiches and just threw them in the trash. It wasn't as intense as it is today, but it was enough for me to flee my home state, a place I've lived at for 10 years, basically since kindergarten. I told my parents a bunch of stuff, like I hated it here, when I didn't, and my dad got an assignment to Europe. I thought this whole thing was from anxiety from my school causing it. On the plane I was a little shifty, but I didn't notice because those people behind me might figure it was my brother passing gas and plus I would never see them again. I felt free and this whole thing was actually gone or I pretended it was.

Freshman Year: Everything was going great kind of. On the school bus, my stomach still felt like it had to pass gas, but they were small urges. Sometime though it just got worse. I went to see a counselor at school, and all we did were breathing exercises and imagining happy thoughts. I didn't tell her that it was gas problems,  I just told her I was really anxious and paranoid that people were talking about me, they probably weren't, but if they smelled anything I'd assume that maybe they were talking about who could've done it. I'll never know. After she gave me her phone number in the classroom with students, I just got really MAD, I didn't want anybody to know I was seeing her. People just stared at me and so I said she gave it to the wrong kid. Later I go to a doctor clinic counselor and I think it helps. But the problem comes back toward the end of summer. I got in a fight with all of my guy friends  and that's when I started to feel all tight and bubbly inside (not the good kind).

Sophomore Year: I see another counselor (the best one there was, but he's dead now) and he actually prescribed me with I think paxel. It's something to reduce anxiety. Although after taking it for a while, I think I was in denial. I just said I was fixed in my head, but I really wasn't, but then again I was unsure and still am. I got off the medicine, because it just wasn't working out. I did soccer and I think that helped somewhat, but I still had those moments where I still passed gas. Like for one instance my stomach makes these really weird noises, I'm not even sure it's my stomach, but it sounded like I was passing gas, when  I wasn't and 2 kids just were completely grossed out and they knew it was me.

JuniorYear: I still don't know what to do. I'm thinking that it could be like a Glutin allergy, or maybe I'm lactose intolerant ( i doubt that one). I know it's not anxiety that only happens when I try to prevent the gas from coming out. This year the gas occurs during 1st period, 2nd period, & 4th period. It's really bad during 4th, because I had lunch, but I don't understand  1st and 2nd. For 1st and 2nd it comes in small waves and in 1st period I sit in a big chair and have my back pack behind me, so I don't think there's much of a smell. 2nd I get it bad sometimes, but Idk if anyone notices that much, cuz in band we play and so they wouldn't be able to complain about it much also the door is open to the outside so it's hard to smell anything. In that class I don't get it as much. In 4th period a friend sits behind me, but I still have gas and I DO NOT want her to smell anything. For my next set of classes for the next day I get gas during 5th period but I sit in the back so no one necessarily notices. 6th there's no one sitting behind me and I only have small waves of these gas leaks or whatever so it's not too much. 7th it's pretty tense. Diagonally I worry that the person sitting there could smell something. 8th period, the same kid who heard that noise Sophomore year coming from me sits diagonally from me and I swear I accidently leaked and I'm pretty sure he smelled it, but he was unsure as to who it was. 

I've tried everything. I go to the bathroom all the time, but I can't relieve myself for some reason. It's like I'm constipated, but when I go back to class I still feel all tight inside and gassy. It's not loud or anything, but I'm worried about the smell. Also if that doesn't happen then my stomach makes noises that sound like it :( Homecoming was  somewhat of a disaster as well. I kind of could control it, but then again I was moving from place to place to avoid suspicion. When I walk to classes I feel like I'm leaking so I speed through the halls. People ask why I go so fast, so I tell them it's because I can't stand being slow. There are times when we went to parties or restaurants and I was totally unrelaxed. This doesn't happen as often, but freshmen year it was all the time, sophomore there was kind of a pattern, but now it's totally random. I'm just tired of living like this. I don't want to feel tight inside. I don't want to have to constantly rearrange myself to prevent any smells from well being smelled. I feel disgusted with myself. I never want to have a boyfriend or hang out with any new people because of it. Don't even start with the movies. There are times when I went to the theater and it was just awful. This year I really want to be able to relax and do whatever without constantly worrying and I'm still really quiet, because I don't know when the "problem" will occur and some days that's all I think about.So when I found this site you have no idea how happy I was, because I honestly thought I started some incurable illness that only I had. I honestly don't want to tell my doctor or my parents, because it's too embarrassing. I probably will though if I can't find anything online.

do you still have this problem?