When you are anxious, some of the hormones and chemicals released by your body enter your digestive tract, where they interfere with digestion. They have a negative effect on your gut flora (microorganisms that live in the digestive tract and aid digestion) and decrease antibody production.
When you have it, you may feel: Cramping, churning, tightness, or knots in the stomach. “Butterflies” in the stomach feeling. Shivering, shaking, or twitching of muscles.
Many over-the-counter medications can help you deal with vomiting or one or more of the side effects of a nervous stomach, like nausea, diarrhea, or acidity, including Alka-Seltzer, Emetrol, Mylanta, Pepto-Bismal, Similac, or Tums. To know which medication is most appropriate for your symptom, talk to your doctor.
Absolutely. Stress and anxiety are common causes of stomach pain and other GI symptoms.
Stress and anxiety can make you feel like you have knots in your belly. Some people feel nauseated and even vomit. If this happens all the time, you can develop digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or sores in your stomach lining called ulcers.
What causes stomach or abdominal tightness? Common causes include gas, overeating, indigestion, IBS, and pregnancy. Fluid retention can lead to bloating in people with PMS or ascites, which occurs with liver disease and other chronic health issues.
As your body recovers from the active stress response, this feeling should subside and your stomach should return to its normal self. Keep in mind that it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. But this is normal and shouldn't be a cause for concern.
Try putting a heating pad or hot towel on your abdomen. The heat can help relax the muscles and relieve cramping. Taking a hot shower or bath with Epsom salts may also help. If the stomach pain is persistent, try sticking to the basics with the “BRAT” diet – that is, bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
Stress can cause a range of gastrointestinal problems including cramping, bloating, inflammation, and a loss of appetite.
Less serious causes of abdominal pain include constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, lactose intolerance, food poisoning, and a stomach virus. Other, more serious, causes include appendicitis, an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a bowel blockage, cancer, and gastroesophageal reflux.
Food allergies, intolerances, and associated autoimmune conditions (like celiac disease) can cause a churning sensation in the stomach or intestinal tract as a direct result of eating foods the body can't tolerate. Many food intolerances, like lactose intolerance, cause symptoms like: nausea. diarrhea.
Common gastrointestinal symptoms due to stress are heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and associated lower abdominal pain. These symptoms and the alterations in intestinal function that cause them are becoming understood.
You May Have 'Gut Stress' If you're experiencing bloating, pain or constipation, chances are you're feeling stress — either as a cause, a result, or both.
Meditation along with deep breathing techniques may lower inflammation, a marker of stress in the body. In turn, this may relieve an overstressed digestive system.
Many studies show that stressful life events are associated with the onset of symptoms, or worsening of symptoms, in several digestive conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and peptic ulcer disease.
For many people, it can also cause physical symptoms. If you tend to get diarrhea around stressful or anxiety-producing situations and events, you're not alone. It's fairly common to experience stomach troubles with anxiety.
Chamomile tea
A nice cup of chamomile tea can help ease the pain of an upset stomach by acting as an anti-inflammatory. These anti-inflammatory properties help your stomach muscles relax, which can reduce the pain of cramping and spasms.
Start on the right side of your stomach down by the bone of your pelvis. Rub in a circular motion lightly up to the right side till you reach your rib bones. Move straight across to the left side. Work your way down to the left to the hip bone and back up to the belly button for 2-3 minutes.
The autonomic nervous system produces your fight-or-flight response, which is designed to help you defend yourself or run away from danger. When you are under stress or anxious, this system kicks into action, and physical symptoms can appear — headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, shakiness, or stomach pain.