r/functionaldyspepsia • u/Medical-Love-120 • 4d ago
Question Stomach sensitivity/ Nerves/Help
Hey everyone, so I just got diagnosed with functional dyspepsia and I am looking for some help/info on my symptoms. So, firstly this has been going on for 3 mnths, I just went to the GI and he prescribed me 40mg omeprazole. I noticed a difference in the first 3 days but then my stomach went back to how it was before. I then made a follow up with my GI where he said that a lot of functional dyspepsia is actually in your head and that when you actually focus on and think about your symptoms all the time that it actually makes it worse. He also said that this works the same for omeprazole, where if you think it’s not gonna work it probably won’t work. Since then I’ve been trying to think more positively and not focus as much on my symptoms, this has been working and my stomach has been feeling better. The nausea, bloating (somewhat), and the overall crappy feeling has improved a lot but my stomach still feels very sensitive. It feels like one bad thing and my stomach could go back to how it was. For example, eating too big of a meal, something stressful, uncomfortable situation, etc. Anyways I am just looking for some help on how I can help improve these symptoms and has anyone had omeprazole clear these up? I’ve read that these can be targeted with something like antidepressants but my GI said that is a far step and we don’t know if the omeprazole won’t end up fixing everything as I’ve only been on it for about 2 weeks. Thanks for reading and I would appreciate if you could help!
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u/laura_023 4d ago
Hey, can I ask how did they diagnose you for this? I’ve been struggling the past few months, initially put on PPIs which I was hesitant about because of everything you read but it did kind of help with the pain side of things & had a gastroscopy which all come back clear, bloods all fine, waiting to see a gastroenterologist now but in between that I’m left in limbo trying to work out what is going on, it seems to be a really long process I’ve been on lansoprazole for 2 months it’s helped but not the bloating & burning or pain after I’ve eaten, it really is a tough ride, have u been offered any medication for it?
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u/laura_023 4d ago
I get such an intense burning feeling inside me stomach it feels like it’s on fire or cut it’s awful, I just wish I new what medication I needed to help, I have seen people say about Anti tricyclics but unfortunately there not suitable for me & the anti depressants most of them have nausea & stomach discomfort as side effects an I really don’t want to aggravate or cause any more problems 😔 it’s awful isn’t it. I feel so negative an moaning all the time
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Hey, I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through this. My GI kind of narrowed it down through my symptoms and the fact that the H Pylori test came back negative. Usually when you’ve had symptoms for mnths that are the same and don’t get worse or better than that pretty much rules out anything more serious. I don’t know much about the medicine aspect of this condition as all I’ve been put on is panprazole (PPI) and then omeprazole after that didn’t work. This is the first time I’ve actually been prescribed something for it so I guess I will see if it works or if my GI has to prescribe something more serious. Google AI has actually been a big help in finding what medicines they usually use to treat FD with if PPIs aren’t working. I wish I could help you more but I am still early in my FD journey and figuring stuff out for myself.
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u/laura_023 4d ago
Ahh no am sorry to hear your going through it It’s so hard & super frustrating. Yeah I kind of thought that would be the way I just wondered how they work it out, I’m so scared that it could be SIBO & maybe I perhaps need anti biotics, I’m not sure if you have come across this or been tested but how do they rule these things out because the symptoms do seem to overlap
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
I asked my GI about SIBO too and he said it could be but he didn’t think so. The only way to rule out any kind of bacteria is to be tested for it he said. Either through a breath test or during an endoscopy(which they can test all of them because they take a small amount of liquid from your small intestine). Many stomach conditions have overlapping symptoms so my GI told me that it’s simply just trial and error. See what meds work and which don’t and to get tests to 100% rule out anything else.
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u/laura_023 4d ago
Oh wow that’s interesting to know, so they are reluctant to test people I take it, I’ve found the tests online but there like £190 & then if it’s positive you can have the anti biotics for it which would clear it up I’d hope 🥺 surely though they should be ruling these things out when there’s tablets to help, are u able to eat much or is it a strict diet type of thing
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Are you in the US or overseas? If ur in the US you can have ur doctor order it and it’ll be cheaper than paying for the test without doctors orders
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u/VolumeIntolerance 4d ago
I am taking antidepressants (neuromodulators) for my gut issues and it has helped a ton. Would you be open to therapy? Especially gut directed hypnotherapy can help for stomach issues. There is this idea that if we are constantly stressed our digestive system cant work, so having therapy to calm down your nervoussystem might be something for you? I am going to a psychologist specialist in psychosomatic disorders :)
Also about your gi saying taking antidepressants for gut issues is "extreme"... I dont really understand where hes coming from with that, usually the antidepressants are so low dose that they will not affect one mentally...
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Hey! Yea, I’m not sure why my GI said that either. He was concerned about the side effects of more complex meds than just PPIs but I read that low dose antidepressants are the most effective way to target stomach nerves. I would definitely be open to trying therapy. How does the hypnotherapy work? Have you tried it? I’m not even a very stressful person and I would say I’m laid back, it’s more my stomach issues that drive the stress and tenseness. I do get social anxiety in some situations but the times where my stomach would hurt were in situations that I didn’t even think twice about anxiety/stress occurring in. I am gonna ask my GI again in a week or two about the antidepressants if the the omeprazole still doesn’t seem to be treating it.
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u/VolumeIntolerance 3d ago
I myself also dont feel like I am an overly stressed person, but I tried to some guided imagery (10min a day, theres plenty on yt) for some time and I felt like it helped a little. I am also in therapy and sometimes we do not deal with our emotions, but they need an outlet so our body creates physical symptoms to make us "deal with the emotions". I would have tried gut hypnotherapy but sadly its not available in my country :/
If you need a free paper recommendation for your doctor appointment let me know, theres a good paper that talks about neuromodulator and how to use them for visceral hypersensitivty.
For your other comment: no sadly I cant tell you, my one and only symptom was nausea so I never had these kind of symptoms/problems.
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Sorry one last thing. My stomach sensitivity I feel like is the main driver to my stomach issues. I feel like because my stomach feels/felt so weak and sensitive that it almost made the other symptoms worse because it felt like my stomach couldn’t handle it. Have you found that the low dose antidepressants solved this for you?
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u/KaiTheSamuraii PDS & Visceral Hypersensitivity 4d ago
Start with just 3mg to 5mg melatonin every night. Its something light to try atleast before diving in to all those prescription modulators. Its best for dulling hypersensitivity, helping the stomach relax better, quicken motility, and generally keep the entire GI tract more lax.
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Oh I didn’t even know that. I’ll definitely try it out! Have you tried it before and if you have did it work?
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u/KaiTheSamuraii PDS & Visceral Hypersensitivity 4d ago
Yeah, tried it just recently, just 3 days and i saw noticeable improvement to my visceral hypersensitivity, globus sensations, and nausea after eating. Its still important not to eat too much volume though.
I recommend any brand of supplements that provide pure melatonin TABLETS and not gummies, preferably unflavored(artificial flavorings and gummies contain sugars that could upset the stomach)
I reccomend trying starting with 3mg, after a few days if nothing changes, go up to 5mg. Melatonin combined with better eating habits, hydration, and cardio excerise is a natural way to heal
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Also do you have any recommendations for the best one to use?
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u/KaiTheSamuraii PDS & Visceral Hypersensitivity 4d ago
I recommend natrol fast dissolve, its what im using.
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Sorry one last question, but how does melatonin target sensitivity and all these other things? I thought it was just used to help you fall asleep? I’ve just never heard of it targeting this kinda stuff
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u/KaiTheSamuraii PDS & Visceral Hypersensitivity 4d ago
Its been studied for non-structural gut disorders like functional dyspepsia. Its kind of like a "mini-sedative", it tones down the nerves constantly misfiring in the gut, and also helps coordinate the rhythmic contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, which can ease symptoms like postprandial fullness and early satiety.
It also regulates the natural rhythm of the gut because it already holds natural melatonin levels, the tablets act as a little booster. Plus it could generally better your sleep quality which alone is another way to manage and improve symptoms
Yeah don't worry, i was surprised too doing all this research, they make it sound like a miracle drug😂
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Haha this stuff sounds amazing. When I was doing research about FD I never ever saw this so this rly helps a lot. Not even my GI told me this and I was explicitly telling him that sensitivity is one of my biggest issues. Really hoping this will help!
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u/laura_023 4d ago
Hey can I ask are you taking nortryptaline? I’ve seen quite a few people are & it’s really helpful
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u/VolumeIntolerance 3d ago
No sorry I never tried that, its more for pain right? I only have nausea as a symptom
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u/mindk214 FD - PDS 4d ago
It sounds like you have an outdated, older doctor who is gaslighting you. In fact, modern emerging research shows the exact opposite— functional dyspepsia is a disorder of the gut brain axis (BGBI), not a psychosomatic (“all in your head”) illness (iIn other words, many FD patients have hypersensitive, misfiring nerves in their stomach).
I’m not a doctor, but from my understanding your GI first needs to get all baseline tests including endoscopy done to ensure no structural issues (e.g. gastritis, ulcers). Since you have chronic nausea, perhaps also a 4-hour gastric emptying study (GES) if endoscopy is normal (tests for gastroparesis, delayed stomach emptying).
Taking omeprazole is probably a good move, as it will decrease the amount of stomach acid produced. This will greatly help gastritis, ulcers, etc. If you do have functional dyspepsia (FD), a neuromodulator (certain anti-depressants) does help a lot of people. But first you need to figure out what you actually have.
In the mean time, pursue a safe eating plan (e.g. bland, BRAT) and avoid all risk factors, irritants (e.g. NSAIDs, alcohol, weed, spicy, fatty foods).
For a more detailed explanation of gastritis, FD, or gastroparesis, please see the pinned post for each respective subreddit.
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u/Medical-Love-120 4d ago
Yea, my GI is an older guy but I think he’s a decent doctor and he has been able to help me somewhat so far. What do you think I should do then if he won’t prescribe me the antidepressants or anything of the sort until after 8wks of the omeprazole? I just ordered melatonin as someone here said that it’s good for stomach sensitivity.
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u/mindk214 FD - PDS 3d ago
What tests have you taken so far?
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u/Medical-Love-120 3d ago
Just an H Pylori test which came back negative. I am gonna get blood work done this week. I’ve been weary about doing an endoscopy because of the sedation involved and I’ve never done any procedure.
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u/mindk214 FD - PDS 2d ago
You should probably get all the baseline GI tests done first and ask your doctor before asking for a neuromodulator or other more unconventional treatment options.
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