STOMACH NOISES CAUSING ANXIETY

Hi I'm a 24 year old male with this problem. I have the whole package so to say after reading all of your posts. It first started when I was in middle school when I was nervous about class and had to have bowel movements at awkward times. But I learned to beat that because its not hard finding a restroom when you're in a school and once i've gone once i'm fine for the rest of the day. Unfortunately it evolved during high school and I began to have the growling noises from my stomach churning due to the anxiety and nervousness of being in a classroom and thats when I developed my fear of "silence". As many of you stated when you're in a silent setting such as a classroom or meeting for work it feels like hell on earth for lack of better terms. The thought of your body emitting noises during a silent moment in a room full of coworkers or fellow students is quite honestly one of the worst feelings i've ever experienced and continue to experience. It has definetely ruined my life because I've dropped out of a few colleges and left jobs that require those "silent" moments. Due to this anxiety issue I tried to pursue blue collar careers where you're working with your hands outside but have come to find these fields aren't for me because I just don't want to have to do manual labor for the rest of my life, which leads me back to having to deal with this anxiety again and going back to college for nursing which in this tough economy is the only thing hiring right now. I'm having so much trouble right now because my mom is ill and getting older and pressing me to find a career but she doesnt know of my problem. It gives you a feeling of hopelessness when you can't solve the problem of having a career because all your roads are blocked over something so trivial yet so huge and complicated. After taking a couple years to escape this problem i've let it spiral out of control, now not only is it just the stomach noises but as others said i get popping noises from the intestinal tract and near the rectum which sound even worst than the usual stomach growl because of the similar sound of passing gas. I've seen it progressed to the point where I can't even stand in a quiet store too long without thinking about my body emitting some type of noise to embarass me. Basically I'm destroyed on multiple fronts, if im nervous about going somewhere or meeting someone I'd have a bowel movement attack, if i have to sit in a quiet place for too long I'd have a stomach noise attack. I've concluded it all stems from anxiety and that anxiety is just amplified by the fear of my body embarassing me along with the other fears of taking a test, being called on in class, or making a public presentation and lastly speaking in front of a group of people. I've come up with a few solutions but those have side effects if you will. I successfully completed one semester of school with no body noises but it was at the cost of food basically. Six days of the week i only ate 4 pieces of bread in the morning and nothing else the whole day and left one day which was saturday to eat a decent meal with meat. I lost alot of weight and didnt think it was too healthy but im thinking that the only way to get my degree is to do this drastic diet or get on anxiety pills for which i have no insurance for. My plan is to try to get xanax pills prescribed by a counselor and if it doesnt work out try to make a career out of truck driving since none of this will be an issue with that career. If anyone is reading this and would like to talk about it or shares a similar problem maybe we can brainstorm ways to beat it together...my contact info is as follows. Thank you for reading this.

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Man oh man I can't believe its been a year already. Hey everyone I posted my story on here around this time last year. Mine is on the 3rd page, the one that looks like a book lol. Well I figured I would come back on here with an update. I'm finally done with high school from here on out what I do with my life is my decision because dropping out of high school was not an option with my parents. As my senior year came and went I was actually had a great year. The first week was rough, I had to drop a class (art to PE). I took my economics and American government class online at the school me and a bunch of my friends. Math class was very fun. Not your typical math class, tests were done on the computer and never had a quiet class. English was very quiet, but I had nothing but friends in that class so no problem. I actually missed that year, defiantly my best year in high school. Well now since being done with high school and graduated early I had 7 1/2 months off, I didn't get a job I just relaxed everyday, hang with friends on the weekends...just chilled. This past year has been the best year in a while even though my stomach causes me problems. I had a wedding to go to which meant being in a quiet church with 250 people, thank god I made it through with no problem. The only thing that has been a drag is my friends like going to the movies so every time I have to make an excuse because I'm to worried about being in a pack theater and it being quiet. It happen to me on my birthday, my stomach started growling during the movie at one point I left, but I did come back. Deciding about going to college was tough, so I came to the decision that I'm going. I start tomorrow, but what is awesome about it is I'm only going part time 9 credit hours so I'm taking all 3 of my classes online. I'm taking all my basic courses online then transferring to an online college. I'm planning on getting a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. The University of Phoenix supposedly has a good reputation recently. Plus it's an accredited college. So I can have a good financial future without never stepping foot in another classroom. For anyone who has the problem like the rest of us we all have the same advice, just tough it out and do what you have to do.

Medication update:

Pepto chewable tablets
Dramamine - only in tough moments.
Gas-X Thin Strips
Gas-X Ultra Strength pills
Acid controller
Diet - about a few days before being in a quiet situation, cut out dairy, gassy foods, greasy foods, soda, and acid foods. Days before whatever you have to do, drink plenty of water, eat toast, crackers, saltines etc. The day of your quiet situation make sure you go to the bathroom much as you need to, take 1 gas-x strip after using the bathroom. Before leaving the house take 1 gas-x strip, 2 pepto tablets, 1 acid controller, 1 Dramamine, and a gas-x pill. When arriving to your destination take 1 more gas-x strip and 2 more pepto tablets. Bring a few strips in with you just in case. This is what I do before any quiet situation and I made it through 90 days of school, 1 wedding, class day, high school graduation and countless family get togethers without 1 problem. Not taking these meds then there may be some stomach growling.

So glad to have you coming back and giving us a big update on how you're doing. Not many people do so thank you for coming back and letting us know how you're doing. It sounds like you're doing a lot better. Where doe the gas X strips come from? I haven't heard of them.

Hi, I have this too - amazing so many people suffer from it. Could anyone tell me if you can buy Gas-X products in the UK - or are they only available in the US?
Thanks

Listen here everyone. IBS ruined my life as a teenager. Taking a test and your stomach would growl so bad. I quit my second year of college and I hated it. Four years ago my doctor put my on Cymbalta and Nexium. I am a new person. I travel and I am not afraid of going any place now. My daughter got the same thing in ninth grade and now she is on the same med. Believe me, this works. Good luck to all.

I've got the same exact problem as the very first entry!!!!!
I'm new to university and I just hate sitting in class where is everything so QUIET!!!! :-( As I realized, it's not just me who has this problem. Few classmates has growling stomach too. But mine - it just can't stop! :-( I try to do anything to make the growl more silent but I'm tired of it and I can't focus on the class... I want to learn new things there and not worry about my stomach!! >;)

The worst thing about the situation is that I know I have to sit there for the whole time - almost two hours. (I really can't leave, not only for a few minutes) I'm very depressed because when the lessons end my growl stops! :-( I can't explain it. It may be really a psychic problem.. but I don't know what to do... in our country it's not so common to go to a therapist or so and he gives you a few meds and you're happy again. I could go to see someone like that but it'll be my last option after everything I try.

so... I wanted to ask you what can I buy anywhere (pharmacy or so) and what could help me. I have to go to school on Monday again so please help me... I don't want to spend even one day with this awful problem.

Hi i posted earlier, i start college in less that two weeks and fear the noises. I'm planning on biting the bullet and seeing a doctor to get on those anti anxiety pills, ive waited for months and now the anxiety is building up cuz of the fear of quiet classrooms.

Here's another one joining the "club" so to speak.
I'm 41 and have been suffering this dreadful "condition" for the last 16 years, and YES, it destroys your whole life.

My situation is (i'm quite sure) stress, anxiety, whatever. I was very keen on getting some new skills, going on a course, but to be honest, I couldn't think of anything worse, as I know my stomach would ruin it for me.

Perhaps we can all get together and do some kind of self help thing, because the docs don't seem to be able to help.

If anyone has any ideas and a cure for this, I think they could end up very rich!!!!

I don't remember when my problem started. The beginning of High School this year started off fine. But one day the noises came to me. I don't know why or how. Since that day, (sometime back in January) I've dreaded going to certain classes. The only classes it seems to make noises in is my 2nd period where it is usually quiet and my last period where we usually watch movies. For last week or 2, I've been able to get through the day without having people hear me. It's so embarrassing to have people hear what your stomach does and then give you that cold stare. Im 16, and have tests tomorrow which make me sit in a class for 3 hours. There are no bathroom breaks or anything. Just pure quietness. Hopefully my stomach will feel better and not embarrass me as it has done before. What I find odd however is that when I'm alone, in the comfort of my own home, or with friends, my stomach feels fine. Or even if I take a walk in the hallways of school. The noises get so bad, i get scared and even become actually sick to go to the classes. I've missed many days of school because of this problem. Im really hoping that my stomach goes back to the way it used to be. Finally I have found people who share the same problem. :$

Hey i have exactly the same problem as everyone here. I had my first panic attack in a mock gcse when my stomach started making noises and as my stomach became more noisey, my panic became worse. I was sweating, shaking, my heart started beating really fast and i felt so sick, it was horrible! The next day i had to leave the exam barely 5 mins into it because i was worried that the same thing would happen again and when i panic about it happening, it sets my stomach off.
Anyway my dad is a doctor but wont give me any pills because he says i need to conquer it myself as most of it is in my head and my thoughts start the vicious cycle.
During my real gcse's i had to be isolated for the longer ones and i took rescue remidy - i was still very panicy but not as bad as i would have been in a room full of people!
Anyway i know what everyone is going through and this affects me in every aspect of my life - even eating round at my boyfriends house with his parents, im also scared as im going to a new college in september and i dont want everyone to think im a freak!

Hi i can't believe that all of you have the same thing as me, i thought i was the only person in the world that had this problem, i'd look around and think - why aren't their stomaches growling so bad!!

Im 15 and im starting my last year at secondary school in a weeks time, and my whole holidays i've just been panicing about my fiction lessons, my exams. (including my 10 hour art exam!!!) and coursework write ups.. all because they are silent situations

My tummy started making noises about a year ago, it was my first fiction lesson of the year and my belly was growling so much and it never had done it before. it was so embarrasing, and i was squeezing my arm over my stomach to try and muffle the noises butit just made it worse, in the end i asked the teacher if i could sit outside and read - when i told my friends why i was sat out there, they just laughed at me! i felt to pathetic.

Now its spirraled out of control, im so anxious of my stomach making a noise that i have a sort of phobia of silence, i feel so silly but i can't help it, every day im thinking about situations where theres going to be minimal amounts of noise and im freaking out - like i have mini panic attacks. I tried telling my mum but she doesnt understand how much its affecting me, and im embarrased to talk to my boyfriend about it.

Everytime i know i have to be in silence , i get really nervous and sweaty and i can't concentrate, all im thinking about is my stomach and when its going to make a noise.

I have exams coming up , and im not worried about revising or failing, im just worrying endlessly about my tummy growling! and i can't walk out of an exam like i can a fiction lesson.

I don't know what to do, no one else in my year seems to have this problem, every fiction lesson im panicing, and everyone else is just enjoying the 'relaxing lesson to do nothing' while to me its a living hell!!!

How to fix your loud gurgling stomach or fart noises:

I've been dealing with this problem for years, and I've finally figured it out. No meat or dairy 2 days before you need to have a quiet stomach. No grease. These are the hardest foods to digest. Also, lots of folks with stomach noise have lactose intolerance. Actually, I went vegan because of this, and not only did my stomach noise mostly go away (it comes back sometimes when I have the flu), my cholesterol and blood sugar went way down and so did my weight. Be a little careful with soy, as that bugs some people. The bright side, you'll try new wonderful foods (go to Asian or Mediterranean), save the environment and reduce animal suffering.

A menu for a quiet stomach day:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal with walnuts and brown sugar (make your own! 1 minute in the micro). No milk on it, of course.

Break: One apple and some almonds or sunflower seeds.

Lunch: Peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat (honey has some antibacterial properties that might kill some unfriendly bacteria in your stomach).

Break: Clif bar or a couple of non-dairy cookies.

Dinner: If you have to eat at work, eat a veggie wrap without cheese, whole wheat, not white, or a salad with oil and vinegar dressing, nuts, tortilla chips.

Other tips:

Chew your food, for God's sake!

If you feel gassy, go to the restroom and pass it.

On bad gassy days (you may still have one or two), drink lots of water, chop up a clove of garlic and eat it (don't chew, swallow like little pills).

Meditate five minutes a day.

Try not to think about your stomach.

Nots: sodas and coffee.

It works. I promise.

Why are our stomachs messed up? We eat what should probably belong in a trash can. Some can handle it, but they usually end up obese and with other horrible problems besides stomach noise. Look at it this way - your noisy stomach will spur you to have a longer healthier happier life. My new diet has made my hair shiny, my skin better, and my fingernails stronger (probably from the avocados and nuts that I eat instead of meat). I have less chance of getting cancer. Give it a try! I can sit through long meetings now, and guess what, I work in a library without too much embarrassment. You can too!

I cannot believe it took me so long to search for other people with this problem. I have been dealing with this for 7 years. It started in high school where my stomach would growl just during one history class and then would be fine the rest of the day. Then I started to think about what it would be like if it growled in other situations like church, or meetings, or other classes. And it started to do just that. I could not get through church but my parents would make me go and would feel so anxious in any quiet situation. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into a class room and wished that I could just sit there and listen or wondered why I was the one who had to have this problem. It just doesn't seem fair.
I was fine for 2 years after I graduated high school but the problem started again in college and got worst. I find myself not being able to sit in certain classrooms because I think my stomach will growl. I get to class 45 min early on the first days of school so I can get a seat near the door so I can leave if it starts to growl. I also know where all the bathrooms are on campus and would rather be late to class than not to try to go before- I found that that will stop most of the growling. At the beginning of the school year I started drinking liquor before class just to calm my nerves about the silent room. This will ruin your life if you let it. I don't know if i will be able to have a job when I graduate, have a wedding ceremony, I don't even want to have kids because what if I pass on this psychological problem.
These post have convinced me to go see a therapist because if someone can prescribe something that fixes the problem, I would do anything for it. This is in your mind. I have created new routines like where I sit, going to the right bathroom, and having a problem to put all my concentration on before class and it has gotten me through it, you can trick your mind. My success story this year is I got through a whole semester- 3 hour class and on the last day ate food during it, and I will graduate soon. Don't let this problem keep you from the rest of your life, I have tried controlling it myself and I am going to get medication, try to change my diet, and exercise to see if that helps. Thank you all for the help and I hope you are successful in in getting back the life you deserve.

Guys, try taking a teaspoon of olive oil with your breakfast (after or before) and it should get rid of the embarrassing stomach growls.. I tried it and working great! Hope it helps :-)

Hey Gang. Believe me, I KNOW your pain. I have managed to get my stomach noises to stop during the day for a couple weeks now, but some one still looks at me or makes some comment every time there is a noise in the room...or a weird smell that they blame on me even though I never ever farted. So yea, it has pretty much ruined my life for the time being. My stomach has made horribly embarrassing noises since about the end of high school, and has gotten worse since then. They got really bad a couple weeks ago when I decided to buy a coffee pot and drank 1-2 cups per day for about a week. The noises were magnified by about 100 after that, so I stopped drinking coffee and about a week and a half later, they had quieted down. But, that horrifying experience has made me want to stop them all together, or at least control them, and this is what has worked for me. My suggestion to everyone if you have not tried this is to pay meticulous attention to your diet. For breakfast, I eat a baked apple with cinnamon (nothing else) about 3 hours before I have to be somewhere. The rest of the day, I carry saltine crackers with me and eat a couple if I start to feel my stomach turn at all, not any more than a few at a time. I also drink plenty of water. Then I come home and eat a dinner of mostly vegetables, which causes my stomach to make a few sounds, but it's ok because I'm home. I have noticed that candy/sugar causes problems, and also meat. I'm a vegetarian now, but my problems were much worse when I still ate meat. I've read that ginger root is supposed to be helpful as well, but I haven't tried that yet. Also consider the possibility that you might be lactose intolerant, as that can happen later in life. If none of this helps, I've seen digestion aid products, but I'm not sure if those work. In general, I just try to remember that I can't control what people think about me, so I shouldn't let them affect me, but easier said than done, right? Good luck.