Upset stomach help?

Is there any possibility that you are pregnant?

Heck no. I’m 17. I think it’s due to the stress of studying and eating too much spicy food. But this pain has gone on for weeks already so I need to find a relief. Any other suggestions?

I am the type of person that if I’m stressed my appetite vanishes. When I try to force myself to eat I will actually gag. So I would try to eliminate as many stressors as possible and when you do eat try not to make it greasy or spicy foods. It will just upset your stomach more than it already is. Hope you start feeling better!!

That makes sense. But it’s easier said than done. I can’t do anything about the stress since exams are coming up. I’ve already stopped eating spicy food for awhile. Still feeling queasy even as I’m typing this. Is there anything I can do now to lessen the pain? Like, should I be eating some kind of fruit or something?

You could try the BRAT diet: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast (dry). Those foods are known to be easy on the stomach. Also, saltine crackers work well, too. In the meantime, have you tried any antacids (Rolaids, Tums)?

Make sure you do eat, though. Have you talked this over with a doctor?

Well I have chronic upset stomach and Pepto has made definitely made some money of me the past couple of years. My mom swears by alka-seltzer though. Do try to eat even if its a bland diet as @augustlan has suggested. My junior year of high school I had a lot of issues that caused stress. I didn’t eat hardly anything for about 5 days and I passed out in school Embarrassing and not fun all around So try and eat a little something and hopefully once exams have come and gone you can return to eating normally.

As a sufferer of chronic nausea (originally believed to be physical, later attributed to nerves), there are a few tricks I have picked up to ease the torment:

1. Drink ginger tea. It’s a little bit spicy and not what you’d expect from a tea, but it’s worked for me 100% of the time. It’s ok to add a little bit of sugar if you get the unsweetened type.
2. Lying down on your left side can ease stomach troubles.
3. There is an accupressure spot below the wrist that can ease stomach issues. Turn your palm up and push down (with a finger or pencil eraser) at the center of your wrist, approximately three finger-widths below the line where your wrist begins. There are stretchy bands you can buy called “Sea-bands” that will press the spot for you, leaving your hands free (I’ve purchased generic versions of these bands at Rite-Aid and CVS).

These are all temporary solutions. Health issues are no joke and you should take it very seriously. Get checked out by a doctor; get an endoscopy of your stomach if you have to. If the causes are psychological, you should consider reading up or learning about effective ways of dealing with stress. Going to a doctor or therapist will provide you with a permanent solution, which is always better than a temporary one.

It could be a psychosomatic reaction related to stress and uneasiness. A gastroscopy would probably reveal your stomach is not in serious trouble. If you want to know for sure you have to talk to a doctor. Short term you could try Tagamet (cimetidine). A small generic drug is very cheap. But talk to a doctor too. Longer self medication of Tagamet is not a good idea.

I second the BRAT diet. Mashed potatoes and oatmeal are also good. Eat in small quantities, with more frequency.

If it’s been going on for several weeks, you should talk to your doctor. You may be prone to stomach ulcers and will need stronger medication for it than over-the-counter.

The ginger tea recommendation reminded me: Drink flat ginger ale. Ginger helps stomach upset, but carbonation does not.

If your stress has been chronic, it is also possible you have gotten an ulcer. They are treatable now.

While it may be stress, and all the suggestions above are good (especially @drdoombot),‘s it would be good to start by ruling out anything serious through a doctor visit. Just knowing it is only stress will ease your mind.

Peppermint has always worked for me. They say it should be real peppermint, but even the starlight mints or mint gum works for me.

Your guess that this may be related to stress is probably right on. It’s surprising how much stress or anxiety can contribute to feelings of physical pain and discomfort.

Consider making some drastic changes to your daily life to reduce the amount of stress you feel. Seriously! Also, if you don’t already get regular exercise, add that to your routine. Just remember that everything in your body is connected, and you’ve got to address the source of your problem.

In the meantime, if you feel nauseated, try Emetrol. It’s a gentle OTC liquid medicine that really helps to relieve nausea.

If this keeps up or if you start to feel that something is really wrong, see a doctor.

Good luck! I hope you start to feel better, soon.