STOMACH NOISES CAUSING ANXIETY

Maybe I can help some people here a little bit...

I just read some stories here...

...and I have to say that I am amazed and shocked, that no one actually says that the solution should not be trying to stop the noises (the right food/diet/etc) or avoid quiet places, but just to live with it and don't care what other people think! As long as you care so much what other people think, the noises won't stop, no matter what you eat. This is a question of self-confidence.

And the solution should definetley NOT be to look for a job where it is not qiuet...I mean that's crazy! Because that means that other people's opinions about you define your entire life (and the opinions of the others are probably not even bad, even if your stomach would make noises for hours!!)

I'm sorry to speek here so frankly (and I'm sorry my English isn't so well, since I'm from Germany), but it seems to me that this is the only important point - to learn to give a sh*t what other people think... (especially work collegues/people you don't know/etc.). And good friends will still like you, even if your stomach makes noises!

 

Since I was suffering from the same problem since I am a teenager (I'm 25 now), I know what I'm talking about. I would't say that the fear about the noises has gone completely but it is slowly getting better, since I realized that it's an issue of self-confidence. Of course you can't just turn on self-confidence like a switch, it is rather a long process, but it is probably worth it :) I sometimes think, that when I'm an old woman, I don't want to say, that this problem ruined so much of my life and that I couldn't live how I wanted to.

 

I'm really looking forward to answers and opinions! And I hope that this might help some of you a little bit!?

 

It is not a question of self confidence.. And to be frank, I don't think that is any sort of help to us. All of us are suffering from a problem that ISN'T normal! The majority of the world does not live with this problem. I know that I, myself, didn't for 15 years of my life. It is a matter of how our bodies are taking in food and digesting it. It has nothing to do with a lack of self confidence. I am very confident, as are most of the people in this forum. You just cannot have your stomach growling, bubbling, and popping during classes or work. You cannot concentrate and either can other people in the room. I've had so many people tell me how loud my stomach is and that I should really do something about it. I also have symptoms following it. For all of you that actually want to SOLVE this problem, I am going to a doctor in Iowa next weekend and I will keep you updated on what she is recommending. We will get this figured out. :)

@ Sonjamarie: I know what you mean and I totally understand that it is probably also (and in a lot of cases only) a physical problem and I did not want to play the problem down.

But since since topic is called "STOMACH NOISES CAUSING ANXIETY", I just wanted to say, that I think in a lot of cases, anxiety leads to stomach problems. And if you are scared that your stomach could make noises, this might in turn have effects on your stomach. Of course in a lot of cases it is definetley a physical problem and you need to change your diet or go to the doctor (especially when you suffer from other problems like diarrhea or stomach pain, too).

But I really think that in a lot of cases (which are mentioned here), the problem is that a loud stomach is supposed to be something embarrasing in our society and this causes a vicious circle. Anxiety will worsen the stomach noises.

A lot of people here say that it is embarrasing when he or she has stomach noises and I think this is the important point. Like calvinandhobbes I think that in a lot of cases (of course not all!) it might be related to social anxiety, which is the fundamental problem.

But don't get me wrong, I really don't want to speak for everybody and of course a loud stomach ca be also related to a physical problem! Do you now understand what I meant?

 

 

 

And one more thing: Imagine you would live in a society where stomach noises would not at all be embarrasing (and maybe they aren't so embarrasing in our society either), you would probably first of all don't care if anyone hears your stomach and secondly you wouldn't be anxious about it, which in turn would calm your stomach down.

For a lot of people a noisy stomach isn't so embarrasing and they just don't care so much about it. A real no-go would be passing gases or to burp. I mean people make other noises, too, which could influence their concentration, like coughing, sneezing (sounds you can't really control either) or blowing one's noise...

 

I totally agree with Guest25.

I'm suffering from this problem too, and, as far as the stomach noises are concerned, I know that they are worse when I start thinking about it and worrying about it. Everybody makes stomach noises, but as they don't think about it, it is not often heard by other people.

I've been seeing a counselor who's a specialist of psychosomatic diseases, and what she told me was that I react in a very "primitive" way: every stressful event or every fear is expressed by my stomach making noises, or doing other things (other digestive problems). But my brain isn't "primitive", so it is ashamed of these sounds. What we need to realize is that our lives won't end if somebody hears us, and we've got to believe deep inside that these noises won't happen. And it works! It takes time but I've seen a lot of progress in my body. Keep courage! 

sorry, if I confused my names- Guest25 and Guest26 is both me :)

 

"What we need to realize is that our lives won't end if somebody hears us" -> yes, that's a nice saying :)

Hello Everyone,

I'm 47 y/o and have been dealing with this for at least 30 years or so. I managed to get through college and seemed to be doing fine working for the family business. Once the business sold ( thanks alot Dad)  I found myself working in the corporate world. Good god! It seems like we need training everyday or a special meeting for everything.. I've been on almost every anxiety anti depression pill they have and still have the same gurgling stomach everytime I get into a quiet room. Finally I just had enough and went to HR and just told them that I have Chrohn's disease and my stomach makes so much noise & it's so embarrasing that it causes me to have a panic attack.  Now when I have a training session, I flat out tell everyone in the room that i'm just going to stand in the back of the room or I bring a small battery powered fan to create a little noise. I've even brought a pillow to work and just cover my stomach with it. I also make myself extremely valuable at work. I have a positive attitude and perfect attendance, I think this helps the company want to accomodate you if you contribute on a daily basis.  I would love to have a job where I can just stay outside all day, but unfortantely I haven't found a job that pays what i'm making now, & still those jobs want to offer some kind of training. It's weird all my co-workers just love going to meetings and training, I'd rather jab nails in my eyes than have to attend.  So I feel so bad for all of you. This really isn't fun. Hang in there you'll all get through this somehow. I can't wait till retirement comes (14 more years UGhhh!!!)  My other thought is how come noboby makes a stomach muffling garment or something!!! Come on  it can't be that difficult.(I)

@ Stomachfromhell: I just read your story. I have a question: why do you don't like meetings? Because your stomach annoys yourself or because you think it annoys the others around you?

Do you think your problem would be better if you wouldn't believe that a loud stomach is something embarrassing?

And @ Stomachfromhell: Did you read what I wrote before (Guest25/Guest26)?? That the solution is first of all probably to accept that your stomach makes noises and to learn to not care about it? And especially try to learn to ignore what other people think? (and maybe they wouldn't even judge you at all, if you have  a loud stomach!)

I suffer from loud stomach growling and those rumbling and popping noises. The doctor diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome after several lab tests showed no signs of parasites, bacterial infection or lactose intolerance/wheat intolerance.

 

What is more amazing is that the doctor said there is no cure for IBS. I wonder why.

 

From my observation, the rumbling and popping noises are excess gas and stomach acids that build up in the stomach than in the rectum. The gas is supposed to be at the rectum to notify the brain that wind has to be passed, but since the digestive system is irritated, the gas probably is being built up in the wrong areas, hence the gas making farting and popping noises where it shouldn't be.

 

I am not a licensed MD. But if the doctor is reluctant to talk about IBS, then it is up to the patient to see what is the real deal with IBS. I would not be surprised if doctors are being told not to find a cure for IBS because in this economic climate, the less people going to school and going for high position office jobs, the less competition.I think genetically modified foods and artificial sweeteners can affect the digestive system in the long term. I tend to avoid those food products because both of those foods increase my IBS to the extent that my stomach whistles, howls and makes grunt noises.

The stomach isn't supposed to be constantly growling all the time. It is not normal.

I did read your post and I totally agree with you. But I must just be hyper sensitive. I'm sure I have a form of Social
Anxiety Disorder. I don't have any issues if my stomach growls around my wife or kids or the rest of the family, so I really don't know why it upsets me so much at work or school or a waiting room etc. I will definately look back at my life and realized how weak I was to let such a stupid situation dictate my life. I have become the king of avoidance.!

I am going through the same thing! To answer your question: i did NOT have any anxiety before this problem started happening. It's so nice to see that I'm not the ONLY one going through this and experiencing this terrible problem. It is completely ruining my life!

Have you tried anything else to help you? I tried peto bismal, but that doesn't work. I try remaining calm, but that only makes my anxiety worst.

I am working on a lot right now! I have basically lost everything. I have just decided to switch to an online school for the remaining months of my senior year, so I won't be able to have pictures in my graduation gown or recieve a diploma from my high school. I have gone into a depression. NO doctors have heard of this before and I am going to show them these forums. Right now, I am eating only warm foods to help digestion and that is about all the help I have been given. My x-rays showed chunks of air and bowel trapped inside my intestines and that is what would show up in yours too. In normal bodies, there is nothing but the organs and bones seen in the x-rays. So I am working hard to find someone that has seen this before and knows how to help. My stomach is growling like crazy right now and I am hopeless. Let me know if you go to anyone or come up with anything that helps!!

I have had the same problem it's so embarrassing it all started in high school it began to growl loud and I try to not eat but it makes it worse for me and if I eat it is even more worse it's leading me to so much stress with the constant thought on my stomach and how I can't do or eat the same things like I used to :(

Hi, I am 16 and being in school all day, I have exactly the same problem. I get nervous because I think I hear my stomach, which makes me even more nervous, which makes it worse! I cant focus on my work I am so conscience of it... It's is always worse in quiet situations because I become more aware of it.

Recently, I have absolutely dreaded going into school because of it - I've got myself into a right mess! I get the feeling that it is after I eat, like digestion or something but I've tried not eating before class but then I get the problem of my stomach runbling with hunger!

I'm really running out of things to do and I feel stupid that I have such a strange anxiety so it's good to hear that other have experienced similar things. :)