IBS and Gastritis for months?

By brian

1 min read

Hi. I am curious if others have had similar experiences as mine. I have always felt I had IBS, though never diagnosed. Just a very reactive system - my normal was to race to the toilet after my morning coffee. Often my stool was loose. And some sensitivity to spicy food and shellfish. About two months ago I felt an acute burn below my sternum in my upper abdomen. The following few days, a lot of gas and indigestion developed - noisy stomach rumbling after every meal, as well as looser stools. My upper abdomen felt tender, and I lost some appetite from the discomfort.

No results from tests

I went in to my doctor and got full bloodwork and a CT scan of my abdomen. Thankfully, everything is normal and the CT showed my organs all looked great - pancreas, stomach, colon, kidneys, etc. I then saw a GI doctor who reviewed the CT scan confirmed it all looked great, and treated me for erosive gastritis. He prescribed me PPIs for a month, and I changed my diet substantially - no alcohol, no red meat, very little dairy. But my symptoms continued. My stools were still loose, and the noisy stomach continued after ever my meals, and upper abdomen still a bit tender. I also developed some heartburn, back pain, and a hoarse voice. And the scary part was losing 10 pounds through it all. Needless to say, the past few months I’ve had incredible amount of stress due to the worrying - rarely will I sleep at night more than a few hours.

Correlation between gastritis and IBS?

Though my doctors are not too concerned, I’m scheduled for a endoscopy and colonoscopy to confirm what is going on. I tested negative for H.Pylori, so the supposed gastritis is not from that. It could be stress-related.

Does anything like this sound familiar? I am hoping my dr is right - I just have gastritis which is causing an IBS flare up, but it’s been 2 months and it feels worrisome. I have read about a strong correlation between gastritis and IBS.

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mr-bun Member
Hey. Yeah, I had similar last year. I’ve had IBS-like symptoms for a good 20+ years, never been referred by docs for tests or scans, so don’t have an official diagnosis. I’ve also had intermittent indigestion for the past 5 years - my research says IBS and dyspepsia overlap a lot. After some intense stress last February, I started getting acid pain behind my sternum. It went on and on, with the pain radiating to my ribs and back. Docs suspected some kind of gastritis and put me on a PPI, which got rid of the burning acid pain, but I was still getting other pains. They were all over my digestive system. Possibly gas pain, and/or an over-sensitised stomach and bowel, caused by all the stress. Who knows! The docs were never concerned as I didn’t have any red flags, but at times the pain was unreal. It all eventually settled down, but it took a good 8 months I’d say. Looking back, putting it all in context, joining the dots, I’d say it started as gastritis caused by an overproduction of acid due to the stress, which then morphed into gas pain (aerophagia seems to fit). Since it all settled down my usual IBS symptoms have been more pronounced... a week or two of the post-meal rumbles you’ve been getting, and watery poos... followed by a week or two of constipation... then alternating between the two like this cyclically. It’s slowly starting to settle now, but it’s been one hell of a year. At my lowest, I’d lost about 2 stone, purely from all the worry, but have put it back on now. I’m convinced it was all brought on by stress, then the stress caused by the symptoms kept it going. Stress and worry aren’t easy to control, but a combination of therapy and drugs got me through it all. So that would be my advice... seek treatment for the mental side of things and see if that improves things. It’s crazy what the mind can do to your body. Either way, hope you get some relief soon...
1. brian Member
 Thank you Mr Bun. As an update, my colonoscopy and endoscopy all came back normal. Not even signs of gastritis. In the 4 days since ruling out anything sinister, my stress has dropped greatly. I sleep through the night and my symptoms are not nearly as bad. My GI doc says a combination of IBS and dyspepsia. All this just came on so suddenly for me - after a salty meal actually - and I’m just not used to it. I never would imagine that IBS could cause such heartburn and upper abdominal pain! Or that stress could really play this much of a role! But your story makes me feel like I am not alone. 8 months is a long time. I hope I can get ahold of my symptoms soon.
explodingguts Member
Lower your expectations of MDs. If their tests don't yield the result they anticipate they are unlikely to investigate further specialist or no. Easier for them to say it's all in your head. And that may not be wrong. When we're in very stressful circs for prolonged pd with no ability to control them beyond radical change - divorce, quitting the job, etc. - our minds/bodies have a way of asserting control. Nothing like diarrhea to get your attention. While I still take an Immodium to start the day and occasionally the 2-then-1 solution to a now infrequent explosion, I found getting a place of my own returning on weekends has given me respite from an often challenging marriage. That, as it turns out, was, in fact, the cause of my stress. I had thought we were past it but mind/body connect said otherwise. Now that I know I am much more careful in our interactions. This is after decades together. Take a very critical look at what's stressing you. Assume nothing. 
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 I'm sorry that your marriage has been stressful, but it is so key that you discovered this and can now manage the issue. You are so right, stress and the mind, body connection is so real. I hope things resolve soon and symptoms subside. Hugs, Elizabeth (team member)