IBS? Gas and Burping

M

maheen_maq15

New Member
Hello everyone! I have recently discovered what TMS is and the mind-body connection. I still have a lot of research to do and find what works for me but I wanted to share my story to see if someone can confirm that what I am experiencing is TMS! I have now been struggling with digestive issues for close to eight months. My main symptoms to be excessive gas every single time I eat. It has gotten a bit better but when it was at its worst even a bite of food was causing me a lot of gas. This gas just sits inside of me until I forcibly burp. I have to constantly massage my stomach to get rid of the gas bubbles and burp them out. For background, this started in the summer of 2024 in June. The reason I believe this is TMS is because I had an extremely stressful time in the beginning months of 2024. I suddenly had to transfer colleges, had to figure out how to break my lease since I was living in an apartment, and just a bunch of other stuff. I would say I was chronically stressed for at least 3-4 months. I lost mu appetite because of it, I would not be able to sleep, would most of the times wake up anxious, and looking back at the time there was a sudden change in my bowels while I was going through it. They were much looser and a very weird color. Overall, I was extremely stressed. Right after everything was settled, mid/late June, I had a bad episode of having gas trapped in my chest and ever since that day I have not gotten better. I have also experienced some gut issues in the past like constipation but now reflecting on it, that also started after a very stressful period of my life with family problems and college applications. For a long time, I believed there was something physically wrong with me since I had a bad stomach infection in the summer of 2021 and believed that somehow my gut issues were tied in with that but again looking back I was completely fine after my stomach infection, no triggers, no problems, and was eating everything! So far I have done an endoscopy, stool tests, MRI and CT scan of my abdomen, and a Gastric emptying test. Not celiac and no allergies. I also started working with a gut health dietician in beginning of November and she put me on a protocol. I eat pretty clean, high protein, low dairy, and no gluten. I also avoid processed and refined sugar foods. I also went on some supplements to assist in brining my gut back into balance, healing leaky gut, and am now on a parasite cleanse. It has gotten easier to manage but the gas is still there. I definitely think this is TMS because I remember one weekend, a couple months into when these issues started, I was so fed up and depressed that I told myself I don't care whatever happens happens I am gonna go meet up with my friends and enjoy. I swear, my symptoms intensity went down a crazy amount. I was still experiencing gas after eating but it was soooo minor and easy to relieve. I really just need someone who has a lot of knowledge in TMS and perceived danger pain to confirm or give advice on if this is or could potentially be TMS! Thank you all ;)
 
Hello @maheen_maq15 and welcome.

You can either consult with a mindbody-focused MD* or simply go to our Success Stories subforum to find stories of recovery that speak to you. The majority of us are self-diagnosed by reading Dr Sarno and recovery stories on this forum.

You may have already done that, based on another post you made today, although I have to advise you that trying to find someone with your exact symptoms and then asking them what they did is not going to help you. It is a distraction designed by your TMS brain mechanism to fool you into thinking you're taking constructive action. However, it is ultimately not what you need to do.

I strongly advise that you take success stories at face value. Really read (and re-read) what they are saying, and do not contact the people who wrote them. When people write their stories they are telling us what worked for them, and part of that journey is figuring it out for themselves. Because here's what you will learn as you stick around: What worked for them might not work for you, because similar physical symptoms have nothing to do with the unique emotional stress and distress of your individual mindset, which was formed from your unique childhood experiences and young adult influences.

All that being said, you seem to present as a classic TMSer. That is not a diagnosis, because I'm not a medical professional, I am a 73-year old retired CPA who discovered Dr Sarno in 2011 at age 60 and experienced a significant recovery of my quality of life. Even though I'm almost 14 years older now, and even though I've suffered the grief of increasing personal losses as I get older, and even though I'm looking at a distressfully dysfunctional world that might not turn around in what remains of my lifetime, I'm still without doubt many times better off and still more active than I was back in 2011, and that's thanks to doing this work and continuing to do the work when life gets stressful - as it inevitably does.

The best thing you could really do for yourself right now is go to our main website at TMSwiki.org, click on the Structured Educational Program on the side menu, and, starting with a careful review of "Week Zero", just begin doing the work. Apart from time, you have nothing to lose at this point. It's free, and there's not even any kind of registration required.

What is required is a serious commitment, sticking with it when your brain tries to convince you to quit, and a willingness to be emotionally vulnerable and totally honest with yourself. That's "all"! LOL.

Yes, it can in fact be a lot. But based on your initial reaction to this knowledge, I think you've got a good start. Keep us posted and enjoy the journey!

*you can find a directory of professional TMS/PPD/Mindbody practitioners at ppdassociation.org. Many of the MDs will provide a TMS diagnosis remotely when provided with recent test results.
 
Hey I'm currently experiencing something similar. In June of 2024 I started going down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos about colon cancer and ever since then have had IBS and gas issues as well. It's not my first time reading or hearing about cancer symptoms and developing them shortly after but it is my first time with Digestive issues that are anxiety/TMS related. It started slowly but has ramped up the last few months. Similar symptoms. Gas that feels trapped. I have to force burps or farts. I usually get uncomfortable symptoms right after eating. Bowel movement changes as well. I've had to muster up some bravery and not run back to the doctor like every other symptom before even though there's a small chance that it could be colon cancer. However, I've had some success in the last few days with treating this like a TMS issue.
 
Hi. i am also new to this forum and have very similiar symptoms to yours since June 2024. In my case, the excsesive gas in the stomach is causing nausea as well which gets better when I burp. I have already been to a GI various times and we ruled out any treatable cause so that i was diagnosed with functional dyspepsia. I am more and more convinced that this is ll related to mental stress as I had a serious knee injury which resulted in not being able to continue my favorite sports which really gave me so much joy in life (after recovering from a serious disease). i have already read the book by Dr. Sarno and started the online program here yesterday. I am also thinking about to purchase the curable app. I would prefer an in-person program to make everything more specific to my case but as I am living in Europe it is hard to find a therapist. How is it going on your side? I hope you are already a bit better
 
Hi @berlinale ! I am sorry you are also dealing with these issues. I am also convinced our symptoms are mental and nothing structural. I was working with a nutritionist before finding out what TMS is and I tried the diets, supplements, etc. and I haven't found full relief from it. Which further convinces me, I need to get out of fight or flight. I haven't started any program yet since I am still doing research and learning how to get my brain to relax and get out of this. However, I recommend watching Dan Buglio, Pain Free You, on YouTube . He makes many great points in his videos! I hope we all feel better soon and can return to our normal lives!
 
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