Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Can Ms Cause Stomach Pain

What To Do When You Have Stomach Problems From Anxiety

How to Know if Stomach Pain is Serious

While the best way for you to stop your stomach problems is to cure your anxiety, there are some strategies that you can try to implement that may reduce some of the symptoms. These include:

  • Breathing Exercises There are relaxation exercises that focus on the idea of breathing more efficiently. When your stomach problems are caused by hyperventilation or air swallowing, slow and controlled breathing can be not only calming but also reduce the likelihood of further air swallowing symptoms.
  • Healthier Diet Even though anxiety is going to create some stomach problems no matter what you eat, the reality is that foods that are hard to digest are always going to put some strain and stress on your stomach. When combined with anxiety, theyll be more likely to get much worse. Healthier eating can be a much more effective way to ensure that you arent suffering from as many stomach problems.
  • Exercise Exercise can temporarily create more stomach problems because exercise increases stomach acid. But eventually, exercise should help you control your anxiety better, and possibly improve your hormonal balance. Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health, providing far more benefits than simply muscle mass and a healthy heart.

What Causes Abdominal Pain

Possible causes of abdominal pain in children include:

  • Lactose intolerance
  • Irritable bowel syndrome

More serious conditions that may cause abdominal pain include appendicitis, When the team examines your child, diagnostic testing might be required to determine or rule out certain conditions. Your providers can identify the cause of your childs issues and treat them effectively.

Can Ms Cause Acid Reflux

Second, only about one-third of the MS patients with dysphagia complained of esophageal symptoms such as heartburn or odynophagia. Lastly, reflux symptoms or a diagnosis of GERD, the most common cause of esophageal dysphagia, were reported by MS patients at rates similar to those seen in the general population .

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Is Gerd Stomach Pain Serious

In general, you dont want to ignore GERD because, over time, the acidic backflow from your stomach toward your throat can damage the lining of your esophagus. This can lead to serious conditions like Barrets esophagus, which increases your risk of esophageal cancer.

So, even if the stomach pain from GERD doesnt bother you too much, its best to talk with a doctor about possible GERD treatment options to prevent long-term complications.

Just as you might treat your GERD-related stomach pain by embracing certain lifestyle habits, those same strategies may help you prevent GERD and the painful symptoms that can accompany it.

Lets look at these prevention strategies in more detail.

What About Other Ms

What are the Symptoms of Stomach Ulcer? [Infographic]

Take heart: If you live with MS, and have symptoms like heartburn, bloating, or reflux, this doesnt necessarily mean you have gastroparesis. It might just be the random discomfort of a rich meal eaten late.

Its when you have ongoing problems with these symptoms, and they disrupt your sleep at night, that you are encouraged to talk to your doctor.

One very real concern with nightly acid reflux is the possibility you have untreated sleep apnea.3 Sleep apnea is fairly common among people with MS due to potential miscues from the brain to the respiratory system during sleep.

Also Check: What To Give Kids For Stomach Ache

Managing Bowel Problems With Ms

It is important that you prioritise your emotional wellbeing when you have MS, as losing motivation or feeling low can cause constipation. If you feel upset, embarrassed or stressed by MS bowel problems this can also exacerbate the problem. The mind-body connection is powerful.

Managing bowel problems with MS is key in taking back control over your body and not letting it stop you from enjoying life to the fullest.

Its not easy to approach a professional about bowel issues, but your doctor, neurologist or continence advisor will be able to help. If you combine this advice with positive lifestyle changes with the OMS 7-Step Recovery Program you will be improving other MS symptoms as well.

Searching My Symptoms Online

As usual, I got online and typed my symptoms into the search box. Two things kept popping up time and again. According to the internet, its either Irritable Bowel Syndrome or cancer. Hmm. The internet does have its limitations. As a differential diagnostics expert it makes a lovely patchwork quiltand a poor substitute for a good old-fashioned doctor visit.

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Does Ms Cause Excessive Gas

Many people with multiple sclerosis struggle with intestinal issues. There is evidence of the link between gut health and MS. Bloating is a common result of these issues. Its super annoying and always happens at the worst time, such as when youre out and about or wearing something fitted to an event.

Why Does Pain Occur In Ms And What Are The Common Types

Gastritis (Stomach Inflammation) Signs & Symptoms, Complications (& Why They Occur)

Steady and achy types of pain in MS may be a result of muscles become fatigued and stretched when they are used to compensate for muscles that have been weakened by MS. People with MS may also experience more stabbing type pain which results from faulty nerve signals emanating from the nerves due to MS lesions in the brain and spinal cord.

The most common pain syndromes experienced by people with MS include:

  • continuous burning pain in the extremities
  • painful tonic spasms

Experts usually describe pain caused by MS as musculoskeletal, paroxysmal or chronic neurogenic.

Musculoskeletal pain can be due to muscular weakness, spasticity and imbalance. It is most often seen in the hips, legs and arms and particularly when muscles, tendons and ligaments remain immobile for some time. Back pain may occur due to improper seating or incorrect posture while walking. Contractures associated with weakness and spasticity can be painful. Muscular spasms or cramps can be severe and discomfiting. Leg spasms, for example, often occur during sleep.

Paroxysmal pains are seen in between five and ten per cent of people with MS. The most characteristic is the facial pain of trigeminal neuralgia, which usually responds to anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine.

Neurogenic pain is the most common and distressing of the pain syndromes in MS. This pain is described as constant, boring, burning or tingling intensely. It often occurs in the legs.

Read Also: How To Debloat Your Stomach

Pediatric Gastroenterologists Located In Gulfport Ms & Ocean Springs Ms

The board-certified team at Kids and Tummies in Gulfport, Mississippi, provides expert care for your childs abdominal pain. They are skilled in diagnosing your childs condition and have the expertise to provide successful treatment. To schedule an appointment, call the friendly practice today or book your appointment online.

Causes Of Constipation With Ms

There are two factors involved with having normal, healthy bowel movements. Firstly, the stool must continuously move through the intestines. Secondly, there must be enough water in the stool to ease the passage of the stool. If one or both of these factors is impaired, constipation can occur.

MS can cause constipation by directly impairing intestinal motility . Lifestyle factors can contribute by reducing the amount of water needed to keep stools soft. Certain medications can also impair normal bowel function, leading to constipation.

Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Fat Cells In Stomach

My Experience With The Blood Test

I personally had this test done years before my diagnosis. My whole body, every joint, hurt to the point that I was in tears at work one day. They sent me to the emergency room, where I was diagnosed with arthritis. I was then sent to a rheumatologist, only to be told I did not have arthritis. She asked if she could do a blood test to help diagnose the source of my pain.

Sure enough, I did not have arthritis, but my body was highly intolerant to wheat and corn. She said wheat and corn were toxic to me. Cutting out those foods stopped my pain almost immediately. I started eating nothing but fresh fruits and veggies prepared in a number of ways, and all the pain I had went away. No more bloating or discomfort.

Describing The Ms Hug

Whats Causing Your Abdominal Pain? [Infographic]

People describe their MS hug in different ways. For some its uncomfortable, for others its painful. If you need to describe your MS hug, use whatever words make sense to you.

For example, is it a tingling? Some people say their ribs are painful to touch, or their skin feels like its been stung by nettles.

It can feel like its making it harder to breathe as if theres a rubber band around the chest, or a corset done up tight. People sometimes call it banding or girdling.

Some people prefer to call it the MS squeeze because its certainly not a friendly hug.

Also Check: How Do You Get Cramps In Your Stomach

Vumerity May Cause Serious Side Effects Including:

  • allergic reaction . Stop taking VUMERITY and get emergency medical help right away if you get any of these symptoms

  • PML a rare brain infection that usually leads to death or severe disability over a period of weeks or months. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of these symptoms of PML:

  • weakness on one side of the body that gets worse

  • clumsiness in your arms or legs

  • vision problems

  • changes in thinking and memory

  • herpes zoster infections , including central nervous system infections

  • other serious infections

  • Your healthcare provider should do a blood test to check your white blood cell count before you start treatment with VUMERITY and while you are on therapy. You should have blood tests after 6 months of treatment and every 6 to 12 months after that

  • liver problems. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your liver function before you start taking VUMERITY and during treatment if needed. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of these symptoms of a liver problem during treatment

  • severe tiredness

  • pain on the right side of your stomach

  • have dark or brown urine

  • yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eyes

  • When Ms Is Not The Cause

    Its important to note that a lot of people experience low back pain, regardless of whether or not they have MS. This is why its essential to undergo a proper diagnosis for your low back pain and not just assume its from your disease.

    Examples of common causes of low back pain in the general population include:

    • Sciatica or other lower spine nerve root compression
    • Nonspecific musculoskeletal sprain/strain from trauma or injury

    Much less common, but more serious causes of lower back pain include:

    • Cancer that has spread to the spine

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    Which Ms Medications Cause Constipation

    Constipation is a side effect of many of the drugs that people with MS take to control their symptoms, including:

    • Antidepressants: Tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil , Norpramin , Sinequan , and Tofranil are known to cause constipation.
    • Painkillers: These include medications containing morphine or codeine as well as prescription pain-relievers like Ultram .
    • Anticholinergics: These include medications like Detrol used to treat MS-related bladder dysfunction.

    What Are Some Bowel Management Points To Remember If I Have Multiple Sclerosis

    Abdominal Pain, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.
    • The goal is a comfortable bowel movement either every day, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days. For regular bowel movements you need fluid , fiber and activity.
    • One-third of a cup of Fiber One®, All-Bran® or 100% Bran Buds® gives you half the fiber you need for the day.
    • Greasy foods, spicy foods, or food intolerances may cause loose stool and may result in involuntary bowel movements.

    Plan of action

    • Eat regularly for regular bowel habits. Plan for a bowel movement each day about ½ hour after eating or drinking something warm . Sit on the toilet about 10 minutes, and try to have a BM. You may want to gently rock back and forth on the toilet. If nothing happens, leave the bathroom and try again later.
    • Use a suppository to help stimulate bowel activity. Occasionally, it might help to take milk of magnesia or citrate of magnesia to stimulate bowel activity.
    • It may take two to three months to establish a regular bowel regimen.

    Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/28/2019.

    References

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    What It Feels Like

    The MS hug is a tight, uncomfortable, sometimes painful sensation that wraps around your body like you are being squeezed.

    Some people report no pain. Instead, they feel pressure around their waist, torso, or neck. Others experience a band of tingling or burning in the same area. Sharp, stabbing pain or dull, widespread aching can also be symptoms of an MS hug.

    You may experience the following sensations during an MS hug:

    • crawling sensations under the skin
    • hot or cold burning
    • pins and needles

    As with other symptoms, the MS hug is unpredictable, and each person experiences it differently. Some people also experience these symptoms and feelings of tightness in their hands, feet, and head.

    Be sure to report any new pain symptoms to your doctor.

    You can also experience symptoms similar to an MS hug with these other inflammatory conditions:

    • transverse myelitis
    • costochondritis

    Symptoms can last from a few seconds to hours at a time. Some rarer cases of MS hug last for several days.

    Links Between Ms And Gastroparesis

    Research published in 2018 in Frontiers in Immunology looked at the relationship between latitude, vitamin D deficiency, melatonin levels and the digestive system as a way to better understand how MS develops.2

    They found that deficiencies in melatonin and vitamin D can impact the ability of the intestines to absorb calcium. This leads to the potential for developing gastroparesis because the digestive system needs adequate amounts of calcium in order for the smooth muscles of the intestine to contract properly.

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    Could Multiple Sclerosis Begin In The Gut

    MS researchers are focusing on the content of the guts microbiome as a possible contributor to the bodys autoimmune attack on its nervous system

    Multiple sclerosis is an electrical disorder, or rather one of impaired myelin, a fatty, insulating substance that better allows electric current to bolt down our neurons and release the neurotransmitters that help run our bodies and brains. Researchers have speculated for some time that the myelin degradation seen in MS is due, at least in part, to autoimmune activity against the nervous system. Recent work presented at the MS Boston 2014 Meeting suggests that this aberrant immune response begins in the gut.

    Eighty percent of the human immune system resides in the gastrointestinal tract. Alongside it are the trillions of symbiotic bacteria, fungi and other single-celled organisms that make up our guts microbiomes. Normally everyone wins: The microorganisms benefit from a home and a steady food supply we enjoy the essential assistance they provide in various metabolic and digestive functions. Our microbiomes also help calibrate our immune systems, so our bodies recognize which co-inhabitants should be there and which should not. Yet mounting evidence suggests that when our resident biota are out of balance, they contribute to numerous diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, autism and, it appears, MS by inciting rogue immune activity that can spread throughout the body and brain.

    What Is The Connection Between Gut Health And Autoimmune Disease

    Female Abdominal Pain [Infographic]

    Our health and our gut microbiome are tightly linked. What isnt well understood is what happens first.

    Does the microbiome change, setting us up for disease? Or does a change in health create a shift in your microbiome? Researchers are still exploring these big questions.

    The rates of autoimmune disease and allergies have gone up in recent years. One theory to explain this is the hygiene hypothesis .

    Many of us live in clean environments with little exposure to pathogens. However, with less infectious disease, we see more cases of allergies and autoimmune disease. The theory is that this rise is caused by major changes in the gut microbiome due to reduced exposure.

    When any of the colonies in your gut microbiome are out of balance, its known as dysbiosis. Dysbiosis can cause a variety of digestive symptoms. Its associated with the development of many autoimmune diseases.

    Normally, the bacteria in our digestive tract do not enter the rest of our body. There is a strong barrier wall of cells around the digestive tract. This prevents bacteria in the digestive tract from leaking into the bloodstream.

    Dysbiosis in the digestive tract can cause gaps in these barrier walls. Bacteria that normally stay in the digestive tract can get out, causing

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    Treatment Of Pain In Ms

    Exercise and physical therapy may help to decrease spasticity and soreness of muscles. Regular stretching exercises can help flexorspasms. Relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation, meditation and deep breathing can contribute to the management of chronic pain.

    Other techniques which may relieve pain include massage, ultrasound, chiropractic treatments, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, transcutaneous nerve stimulation , moist heat and ice.

    Pain from damage to the nerves in the central nervous system in MS is normally not relieved by the usual analgesics . Drugs that treat seizures and antidepressants are often effective in these cases. Treatment for spasms can include baclofen, tizanidine and ibuprofen.

    What Is Abdominal Pain Like In Children

    Your child can suffer from various symptoms related to abdominal pain, including:

    When your child feels discomfort around the belly button area, you usually dont need to worry. It may just be a tummy ache caused by indigestion. Ways to help them feel better include asking your child to lie down for a while, finding out if they need to have a bowel movement, or distracting them with a game or a book. Typically, the pain goes away.

    If your childs symptoms appear more serious, bring them in to see the team at Kids and Tummies for an evaluation. Concerning symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, or severe pain that doesnt go away.

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