Marie A.
New Member
Can visceral pain be MBS? (Apologies for the length)
I’m relatively new to the world of TMS/MBS and I’m trying to figure out whether my symptoms fall into this category.
First things first: This is about gastrointestinal symptoms – reflux, gastritis, and chronic (visceral) pain.
Summer 2023 – the beginning of it all (I think):
Two years ago, I was in my mid-twenties, incredibly stressed, finishing my master’s thesis, applying for PhD programs abroad (I’m from Germany but always dreamed of studying in the UK), excited about my future while putting massive pressure on myself. My partner and I were planning to move to London, which was both exciting and overwhelming. A few months before the move, I started having panic attacks, which became more frequent. I was overworked, exhausted, and had a history of anxiety from age 16–19, though I had been mentally stable and largely anxiety-free throughout most of my twenties. Around the same time, I had a GI infection, and afterwards I began experiencing recurring digestive issues.
Fall 2023 – London:
My GI issues and anxiety worsened. I was constantly nauseous (I’ll spare you the rest of the GI details). I started reading about post-infectious IBS and thought: great, this is it. I was under extreme pressure due to my PhD applications, waking up in a panic every day and having multiple panic attacks, which increasingly became focused on my health and digestive symptoms. I was so stressed and yet desperate for this time to be “perfect.”
Winter 2023/24:
My fear became overwhelming – I could hardly leave the house without my partner. The GI issues worsened. I became convinced I had something serious. (Yes, I went to A&E twice. I was discharged both times with an anxiety diagnosis.) Then, on one especially bad day, I suddenly developed a globus sensation – that feeling of tightness or a lump in the throat. It felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was terrified. I spent countless nights on Reddit and PubMed. I read it could be caused by reflux or anxiety. At first it came and went, then became daily and constant. I thought my life was over. I also developed chronic urticaria, which further convinced me I was seriously ill.
Spring 2024 – Back in Germany:
I started seeing doctors. Eventually, I noticed clear reflux symptoms – but I wasn’t sure how much was real and how much was anxiety. A GI prescribed omeprazole (PPI). Reluctantly, I started taking it – and surprisingly, the globus improved significantly. Not completely gone, but better. My panic attacks disappeared completely, but depression set in. Then, after two nearly symptom-free weeks, we visited relatives in London. I felt anxious (family from my father’s side, with whom I have a difficult relationship), and during dinner, I suddenly had a tickling in my throat and a coughing fit. I thought I was having an anaphylactic reaction and panicked. After a few minutes, it passed. The next day, the itching returned – less like an attack, but steady throughout the day. It lasted a week, then vanished.
Spring/Summer/Fall 2024 – Berlin:
We moved back to Germany for medical treatment. I had an endoscopy: mild chronic gastritis (Type C), otherwise unremarkable. The GI told me to taper off the PPIs. At the time, my symptoms had improved by about 70–80%. I tapered. Around my partner’s birthday (again some emotional pressure), the itching came back – this time it lasted nearly two weeks, then disappeared again. But after quitting the PPIs completely, I had severe acid rebound, lasting 3 months – globus, chest pain, burning, etc. An ENT diagnosed LPR (silent reflux) and I resumed PPIs and the reflux diet.
Winter 2024:
Two weeks of esomeprazole 40 mg helped again – symptoms reduced ~80%, globus gone. But then I caught a cold and took ibuprofen + antibiotics → symptoms returned, stronger than ever. The first symptom this time was the inner itching – now in the chest, not just the throat. It was aggressive and terrifying. Then it faded and the others (pain, tightness, reflux) came back. I was devastated.
Spring 2025:
After four awful weeks, suddenly I had two nearly symptom-free weeks again. I relaxed my strict reflux diet. The symptoms returned. After 10 days, the strange itching joined again. This time, it blended with the others – the symptoms merged, shifted, intertwined.
Amitriptyline – March 2025:
I had read about visceral hypersensitivity, how chronic stress or inflammation can sensitize gut nerves and cause exaggerated pain signals. It’s common in IBS and functional dyspepsia. I learned low-dose amitriptyline can help by retraining the brain’s response. I was scared of meds, but desperate. At 20 mg, ALL symptoms vanished – except the itching.
Now – the inner itch:
Initially I hoped it would just take longer. But instead, it became the main symptom, more and more persistent. At first every few days, then daily, now from morning to night. Sometimes milder, sometimes stronger, but always there. What is it like? An inner, deep burning, tingling, itching feeling in my chest and throat. It moves around – left, right, middle, throat, or sternum. Sometimes it feels like a deep inner wound that itches. Sometimes tickling, sometimes pressure, rarely it affects my voice. Sometimes I get “attacks” – 1–5 minutes of unbearable intensity. It always disappears during sleep.
I started pregabalin – 300 mg. After a month, I’d say it has reduced the itching by ~50%, but it’s still distressing. Also: lorazepam helps acutely, almost always.
⸻
A Mind-Body Syndrome?
I’ve listened to every podcast, read every post on Reddit, and studied Dr. Schubiner’s work (I studied psychology and clinical psych). I recognize myself in the MBS concept – but I still have doubts. What if this itching is maintained by peripheral input and not just central processing? Papers on visceral hypersensitivity say that even nerves in the esophagus can become sensitized and send abnormal signals. So how can I know if it’s my brain or my peripheral nerves? The fact that amitriptyline helped all other symptoms suggests those were central – but the itch remains. Is this proof it’s peripheral? Yesterday I saw a pain specialist for the first time. He told me: “Visceral pain can’t be modulated by the brain. It’s not well understood.” That threw me into another spiral of doubt.
So. That was long – I know. But I wanted to be precise because I feel like I don’t fit any category. I know my psyche plays a role. But I still don’t know if this is TMS, MBS, visceral hypersensitivity, or something else entirely. Has anyone here experienced something similar – especially involving visceral symptoms? Every reply, every suggestion or association would mean the world to me.
All the best,
Marie
PS: English is not my native language, so please excuse any mistakes!
I’m relatively new to the world of TMS/MBS and I’m trying to figure out whether my symptoms fall into this category.
First things first: This is about gastrointestinal symptoms – reflux, gastritis, and chronic (visceral) pain.
Summer 2023 – the beginning of it all (I think):
Two years ago, I was in my mid-twenties, incredibly stressed, finishing my master’s thesis, applying for PhD programs abroad (I’m from Germany but always dreamed of studying in the UK), excited about my future while putting massive pressure on myself. My partner and I were planning to move to London, which was both exciting and overwhelming. A few months before the move, I started having panic attacks, which became more frequent. I was overworked, exhausted, and had a history of anxiety from age 16–19, though I had been mentally stable and largely anxiety-free throughout most of my twenties. Around the same time, I had a GI infection, and afterwards I began experiencing recurring digestive issues.
Fall 2023 – London:
My GI issues and anxiety worsened. I was constantly nauseous (I’ll spare you the rest of the GI details). I started reading about post-infectious IBS and thought: great, this is it. I was under extreme pressure due to my PhD applications, waking up in a panic every day and having multiple panic attacks, which increasingly became focused on my health and digestive symptoms. I was so stressed and yet desperate for this time to be “perfect.”
Winter 2023/24:
My fear became overwhelming – I could hardly leave the house without my partner. The GI issues worsened. I became convinced I had something serious. (Yes, I went to A&E twice. I was discharged both times with an anxiety diagnosis.) Then, on one especially bad day, I suddenly developed a globus sensation – that feeling of tightness or a lump in the throat. It felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was terrified. I spent countless nights on Reddit and PubMed. I read it could be caused by reflux or anxiety. At first it came and went, then became daily and constant. I thought my life was over. I also developed chronic urticaria, which further convinced me I was seriously ill.
Spring 2024 – Back in Germany:
I started seeing doctors. Eventually, I noticed clear reflux symptoms – but I wasn’t sure how much was real and how much was anxiety. A GI prescribed omeprazole (PPI). Reluctantly, I started taking it – and surprisingly, the globus improved significantly. Not completely gone, but better. My panic attacks disappeared completely, but depression set in. Then, after two nearly symptom-free weeks, we visited relatives in London. I felt anxious (family from my father’s side, with whom I have a difficult relationship), and during dinner, I suddenly had a tickling in my throat and a coughing fit. I thought I was having an anaphylactic reaction and panicked. After a few minutes, it passed. The next day, the itching returned – less like an attack, but steady throughout the day. It lasted a week, then vanished.
Spring/Summer/Fall 2024 – Berlin:
We moved back to Germany for medical treatment. I had an endoscopy: mild chronic gastritis (Type C), otherwise unremarkable. The GI told me to taper off the PPIs. At the time, my symptoms had improved by about 70–80%. I tapered. Around my partner’s birthday (again some emotional pressure), the itching came back – this time it lasted nearly two weeks, then disappeared again. But after quitting the PPIs completely, I had severe acid rebound, lasting 3 months – globus, chest pain, burning, etc. An ENT diagnosed LPR (silent reflux) and I resumed PPIs and the reflux diet.
Winter 2024:
Two weeks of esomeprazole 40 mg helped again – symptoms reduced ~80%, globus gone. But then I caught a cold and took ibuprofen + antibiotics → symptoms returned, stronger than ever. The first symptom this time was the inner itching – now in the chest, not just the throat. It was aggressive and terrifying. Then it faded and the others (pain, tightness, reflux) came back. I was devastated.
Spring 2025:
After four awful weeks, suddenly I had two nearly symptom-free weeks again. I relaxed my strict reflux diet. The symptoms returned. After 10 days, the strange itching joined again. This time, it blended with the others – the symptoms merged, shifted, intertwined.
Amitriptyline – March 2025:
I had read about visceral hypersensitivity, how chronic stress or inflammation can sensitize gut nerves and cause exaggerated pain signals. It’s common in IBS and functional dyspepsia. I learned low-dose amitriptyline can help by retraining the brain’s response. I was scared of meds, but desperate. At 20 mg, ALL symptoms vanished – except the itching.
Now – the inner itch:
Initially I hoped it would just take longer. But instead, it became the main symptom, more and more persistent. At first every few days, then daily, now from morning to night. Sometimes milder, sometimes stronger, but always there. What is it like? An inner, deep burning, tingling, itching feeling in my chest and throat. It moves around – left, right, middle, throat, or sternum. Sometimes it feels like a deep inner wound that itches. Sometimes tickling, sometimes pressure, rarely it affects my voice. Sometimes I get “attacks” – 1–5 minutes of unbearable intensity. It always disappears during sleep.
I started pregabalin – 300 mg. After a month, I’d say it has reduced the itching by ~50%, but it’s still distressing. Also: lorazepam helps acutely, almost always.
⸻
A Mind-Body Syndrome?
I’ve listened to every podcast, read every post on Reddit, and studied Dr. Schubiner’s work (I studied psychology and clinical psych). I recognize myself in the MBS concept – but I still have doubts. What if this itching is maintained by peripheral input and not just central processing? Papers on visceral hypersensitivity say that even nerves in the esophagus can become sensitized and send abnormal signals. So how can I know if it’s my brain or my peripheral nerves? The fact that amitriptyline helped all other symptoms suggests those were central – but the itch remains. Is this proof it’s peripheral? Yesterday I saw a pain specialist for the first time. He told me: “Visceral pain can’t be modulated by the brain. It’s not well understood.” That threw me into another spiral of doubt.
So. That was long – I know. But I wanted to be precise because I feel like I don’t fit any category. I know my psyche plays a role. But I still don’t know if this is TMS, MBS, visceral hypersensitivity, or something else entirely. Has anyone here experienced something similar – especially involving visceral symptoms? Every reply, every suggestion or association would mean the world to me.
All the best,
Marie
PS: English is not my native language, so please excuse any mistakes!
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