r/functionaldyspepsia

hi everyone. I have had gastritis-like symptoms for 2 months now, and they have been quite strong, but now they are very slowly starting to improve after I stopped my PPIs.

I did an endoscopy and the histology showed I had gastritis type c.
I don’t know what caused it, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol in my life, no NSAIDs for 2 years, never smoked, I had a healthy diet, played sports and I don’t drink coffee.

One symptom that I just can’t wrap my head around, and it’s making me think this issue might be caused by something else rather than gastritis, and is keeping my gastritis worse, is that I can never sleep on my stomach or my belly, or even on my right or left sides, I can only sleep on my back. I also can not put any weight or pressure on my abdomen, especially after eating or drinking water, and I feel pain on my lower left side when bending down; otherwise when doing all that, I would feel a very uncomfortable and irritated stomach from the inside, with a weird liquid feeling in it, which stays like this for hours after that and is extremely annoying. I also feel fully quicker than usual and with some foods rather than others. I also find sitting in some positions uncomfortable to my mid left abdominal side.

Is this maybe functional dyspepsia, or are these regular gastritis symptoms? I live in Germany and it’s very hard to get appointments if any at all, they are all months apart. So that’s why I’m asking to see if anyone here also has these symptoms, maybe so that I can self-diagnose. I really can’t rely on doctors nowadays at all. I appreciate you guys!

After a viral infection with flu symptoms, my stomach started to burn more and more. To the point where I have strong burning from my stomach to under my ribs and I’m afraid of eating anything anymore. I got stabbing pains in my back and chest, I first thought is duodenitis.
I did an ecoendoscopy and absolutely nothing is wrong with my stomach, duodenum, but the pains are huge, extreme. I never experienced anything like it.
Did anyone had something similar? I feel like I’m dying and I just can’t prove it. Please help, I’m desperate

I had my first appointment with a psychiatrist two weeks ago and he prescribed me a med that according to the internet is an antipsychotic commonly used for autistic children with behavioral problems. I’m very confused. I described to him my symptoms, talked about my life rn (that I am graduating soon with a CS degree which I regret, don’t know what I’m doing with my life, lots of stress from uni and being the only support for a family member with Parkinson’s, how I’ve been irritated lately). Now while I do get frustrated and irritated easily, I’m not by any means an aggressive person (one of the words he used). I don’t yell at anybody, I don’t hurt anyone or self harm, I don’t hit things or walls or whatever, I’m not having fights with anybody. For context, the day of the appointment I had to wait over 2 hours. Obviously I wasn’t very happy when I first came in. Idk if it had anything to do with that. Is this supposed to really help my stomach? Should I get a second opinion?

I ate 2/3 of a small bowl. And that was enough to make me nauseous at 5/10 and feel like I have the flu for the rest of the day.

Why? Because for several months now I've been battling suspected gastroparesis. My stomach can empty, but the food is stuck. Literally stuck. I'm full and nauseous.

And on top of that, I have PEM. And eating a meal is a marathon for me, where I use limited energy just for eating. So I'm exhausted before I even have a chance to digest it.

And no, it's not constipation. I don't have a problem with bowel movements. The problem is in my stomach. The food isn't moving, so I feel nauseous and cold.

The worst part is that from the outside I look normal. So people say, "But you ate, what's wrong with you?"

That's it. I ate it. And now I'm lying under a blanket because my body has used up all its energy for the day.

If you know someone with a chronic illness, don't ask, "Have you had a bowel movement?" Ask, "How are you feeling?" Because for us, two sips of soup and keeping it down is a marathon.

I've completed a marathon today. I'm going to rest.

What about you? What's it like for you? Share your thoughts in the comments – what constitutes a "marathon" for you on a typical day?

#MECFS #Gastroparesis #PEM #Spoonie

Let me start from the very beginning I went through a very stressful period from 2019-2023, so in late 2022 I started to develop upper left abdominal pain which felt like a dull ache almost the same sensation of having a bruise I also had some loose bowels and some black stools along with some constipation, then in July 2023 I started to get this tight feeling in my throat which felt like I was being strangled! quite literally like having someone’s hand round my throat 24/7, my GP sent me for a endoscopy which showed some moderate non erosive gastritis (h pylori)(negative) and a very small sliding hiatus herina which was labelled clinically insignificant by the consultant, I also had a MRI scan of my abdomen and a MRI of my small bowel as well as a CT colonoscopy to check my large bowel, all these tests came out Normal. I was put on lansoprazole 30mg to take everyday for a few months to try combat the gastritis. my symptoms to this day are tight throat 24/7 which can fluctuate daily in terms of the severity of it and I burp all the time….i wake up = burp I drink water = burp, I even move positions that’ll also = a burp….I’m really confused and need some guidance, I have tried some gaviscon advance UK version and that doesn’t stop the burping if im having an episode, and lansoprazole also doesn’t seem to have any positive impact on these symptoms, my GI consultant has basically given up and doesn’t know what to do for me, is this really all stress / anxiety induced? or is this something that hasn’t been identified yet? it’s been a long old journey and I’m still no better off, I quit smoking in January 2024 thinking that would help me whilst the black stools stopped nothing else had gotten better for me, please feel free to comment your thoughts / comments about your own experience, all the best.

Hello, am 35/F. Two months ago I took antibiotics and got gut issues at the ER they gave me IVs of PPIs. That made it worse. I developed insane belching attacks only at night from midnight to 4 am (up to three times) that last 30 min. High BP up to 165, high heart rate too. Sometimes with a burning feeling like acid reflux maybe I have developed gastritis.

From before I can not tolerate fermented dairy (kefir, yoghurt).

I can tolerate Lactic- free probiotics.

My gut ferments (it moves inside) and have to go to the bathroom to (loose stool, diarrhoea). AM so sleep deprived and exhausted.

I cut out dairy, gluten, no processed foods, I eat small meals. I have an appetite and I can eat! But avoiding now all of it.

Doctors are clueless they just want to prescribe an antidepressant. Ridiculous! I was completely ok before.

Please any advice, similar issues?

Ich habe JEDEN einzelnen Tag so heftige Übelkeit und das Gefühl jeden moment Erbrechen zu müssen und das fast dauerhaft. Die Übelkeit sitzt auch oft nicht nur im Magen sondern auch oben im Hals. Ich ertrage das langsam nicht mehr. Ich habe kein Leben mehr, ich versuche einfach nur jeden Tag irgendwie zu überstehen.

Ich leide natürlich nicht nur unter Übelkeit aber es ist einfach mein schlimmstes Symptom! Ich habe schon sovieles ausprobiert .. ob Hausmittel, Ernährung und Medikamente nichts mag helfen. Ich kann nicht mehr. 😔

Geht’s jemandem genauso? Habt ihr vielleicht Tipps oder Tricks? Ich musste mich kurz ausheulen, tut mir leid!

Thanks to everyone in this forum. You’ve all helped me through some of the darkest and hardest days of my life. I truly appreciate the kindness, advice, reassurance, and people who took the time to reply when things felt really scary and isolating.

Wishing healing, good health, peace of mind, and happier days ahead for every single one of you. And most importantly… the ability to eat whatever you want without fear or symptoms again :P

Hi everyone. I really desperate at this point and wanted to see if anyone has been through something similar.

I’m a female in my mid-20s and was diagnosed with functional dyspepsia and visceral hypersensitivity about 3.5 years ago after getting COVID for the first time. About a week after COVID, I suddenly started having GI symptoms — cramping, burning, sharp stomach pain, etc. Before all of this I was a college athlete, healthy, active, and could eat basically anything without an issue. Since then my life has completely changed. My main symptom now is this constant burning/gnawing feeling in my stomach that sometimes radiates into my chest, nausea, feeling full after a few bites, lots of pressure/ hard to get a full breath in sometimes. Eating has become really difficult and lost over 20 pounds because of it. I feel sick almost all the time and honestly feel like I’m barely surviving at this point.

Here’s some things I’ve had done over the years: 3 endoscopies, gastric emptying scans, HIDA scan, CTs, MRI, SIBO testing, testing for MALS/SMAS, Bravo pH study, etc. Everything keeps coming back “normal.” I don’t think the gnawing / burning sensation is acid related as acid-suppressing meds and PPI don’t seem to help.

I’ve worked with a dietitian, GI specialists, a neurogastroenterologist, GI psychiatrist, therapists, and have tried things like CBT, acupuncture, and currently GI hypnotherapy.

Medication-wise I’ve tried:

Levsin
Nortriptyline (twice — helped briefly then stopped)
Gabapentin
Lyrica
Cymbalta
Buspirone
Mirtazapine (currently at 30 mg. I thought this would be my saving grace to get an appetite back. But no improvement and actually lose weight on it)
I take IBgard and FDgard daily, digestive enzymes as needed.

I’ve lost the last few years of my life to this illness and I genuinely don’t know what else to do. I’ve thought about maybe trying amitriptyline since it’s one of the few things left I haven’t tried. I’m open to any suggestions or recommendations.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

I don’t really know where to start with this, but I’m hoping someone here might relate or have some insight because I feel like I’ve been dealing with a long, ongoing GI problem that just keeps getting worse over time.
Before COVID, I was functioning normally. I was working in a high stress healthcare job, gyms closed during the pandemic, and I basically lost my usual ways of coping. That’s when things started to change.

COVID seemed to be the trigger

My first COVID infection hit me pretty hard with fatigue and weird GI symptoms. My stomach just felt off in a way I had never experienced before, and I developed reflux that I didn’t really struggle with before. I tried supplements like iron and mastic gum but nothing really fixed it.
The second infection was much worse. I had a high fever, lost my sense of smell completely, and everything smelled like chemicals or ammonia. The fatigue was extreme and the reflux and regurgitation came back much worse than before.
After that, I honestly never felt like my system went back to normal.

Things started escalating

I tried a high dose vitamin IV through a naturopath and had a bad reaction during it. My heart rate suddenly spiked, I felt very nauseous, and I ended up vomiting. I went to the ER afterward and they said everything looked normal.
I was then told I had gastritis and was started on pantoprazole. I went on a very strict bland diet thinking I would recover quickly, but instead things slowly started getting worse.
I began noticing things like:
Food sitting in my stomach for hours
Severe bloating even with small meals
Not tolerating proteins well
Constant constipation
Losing weight without trying
I went to the ER multiple times but kept being told my tests were normal.

Eventually I got some answers

After a long GI referral process:
Endoscopy showed mild chronic gastritis, mild esophagitis, and a small hiatal hernia
But my symptoms felt way worse than what they were calling “mild.”
Later on I kept having fat intolerance and right upper abdominal pain. A HIDA scan showed gallstones and low gallbladder function. I eventually developed pancreatitis and needed emergency surgery.
Even after surgery:
Fat intolerance is still there, just less severe
Constipation never really went away
I still get pain in the same area sometimes
Symptoms kept coming back even after treatments like rifaximin for suspected SIBO

Where I am now

After a recent GI infection, everything flared up again.
Now my main issues are:
Trouble swallowing (dysphagia)
Regurgitating food and sometimes even saliva
Feeling like things come back up when I walk or move
Ongoing bloating and constipation
Recent scope findings showed:
Grade 1 esophagitis
Cameron lesions
A 5 cm hiatal hernia
I’m currently on omeprazole. It helps the acid but it does not help the regurgitation at all.
I have a swallowing study coming up but honestly this symptom scares me the most because it feels different. It doesn’t feel like normal reflux anymore. It feels more like things are just not staying down properly.

What I’m struggling with most

The regurgitation is constant and unpredictable. Even small things like swallowing saliva or walking can trigger it. It’s starting to affect my daily life and it’s honestly pretty scary.
It also feels like every time I have a flare, my baseline just gets worse instead of better.

If anyone has experienced anything similar, especially with hiatal hernia and swallowing or regurgitation issues, I would really appreciate hearing what helped or what your experience was like.
Just trying to make sense of all of this and figure out what to do next.

Sudden loss of appetite over a few days after a large meal, followed by persistent early satiety and mild post-meal nausea. No vomiting recently. Significant anxiety about serious illness leading to sleep disturbance and constant worry. Currently trying multiple GI medications (prokinetics/antiemetic/acid reducer) with limited improvement so far. Mild weight loss likely secondary to reduced intake rather than inability to eat. Hydration is adequate with normal urine output. Symptoms are fluctuating, with slight improvement on some days but overall ongoing reduced food intake and fear-driven worsening of symptoms.

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for insight on a recent change in my digestive symptoms.

Current issue (last 2–3 days):

Marked loss of appetite

Early satiety (feeling full very quickly)

Noticeably reduced food intake

Mild nausea after eating

Before this:

Only post-meal nausea was present

Appetite was otherwise mostly normal

I have already consulted a doctor and am on medications including prokinetics and acid-reducing/anti-nausea drugs (such as metoclopramide, itopride, ondansetron, and pantoprazole).

At this point, symptoms are still affecting my ability to eat normally, especially after meals.

I would like to ask:

What conditions can cause a sudden shift from isolated post-meal nausea to early satiety and appetite loss?

Has anyone experienced a similar short-term progression?

What further evaluation is typically considered in such cases?

Any insights or similar experiences would be helpful.

Has anyone used buspirone for their symptoms and has it helped at all? Docs have agreed to let me try it off label but they want me completely off lorazepam first...which ive been taking 2-3x weekly for over 2 years. Out of the 10 or so medications Ive tried for nausea pain fullness etc its the only thing that breaks me out of a bad flare.

Anyway any insights would be appreciated! I have severe FD and GP, 4 years of worsening symptoms and im tube fed with literally zero quality of life.

Thanks!

I have been fighting functional dyspepsia for almost four years. I have abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Recently it has become hard to take a deep breath. Has anyone else had this as a symptom of FD? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Hi all! I’m in my 6th year of FD. Up until last year, it was out of control. I weighed in the low 90’s (lbs), and I couldn’t go anywhere, do anything, or eat normally. My FD mainly takes the form of chronic nausea and vomiting.

I got prescribed Mirtazapine mid last year, and it’s honestly been life changing. I can actually live life. However, my weight keeps going up, to the point where I am becoming overweight. It hasn’t yet plateaued after 9ish months. I exercise 5 times a week (cardio and heavy lifting). I track my food and eat within a caloric maintenance for my height and desired weight (1800 calories), but it seems like my body is holding onto to every calorie it can get due to 1) mirtazapine increasing fat storage mechanisms and 2) having been in such an intense caloric deficit for so many years.

Has anyone had any experiences with alternative medicine to mirt? Something daily, rather than as-needed. Zofran doesn’t really do much for me, and it makes me super constipated.

Anyone get a feeling like your colon is swelling up? I sometimes feel a sensation like my colon is swelling up in my upper left quadrant. Im not sure if its that or just trapped gas. It doesn’t hurt but does feel uncomfortable sometimes.

My 17 year old daughter has been diagnosed with FD and Eosinophilic Enteritis officially for about 4 years now. Chronic constipation was added to her diagnosis last fall. However, she has had stomach pain and frequent vomiting for closer to 8 years. A burning pain is her main complaint and what stops her from doing everyday activities. It's always worse in the mornings. She is on a lot of medicine for it, and it's getting to the point where she doesn't know what is helping and what isn't.

In early February, she was put on 10mg of Amitriptylin, which really seemed to help the buring pain. Then, about 3 weeks ago, they upped that dose to 20mg. Last week, I noticed behavior changes, including severe depression, irritability, and insomnia. She was taken off Amitriptylin completely on Thursday and prescribed 10mg of Nortriptyline instead, which she's afraid to take. There are already improvements in her mental health since removing the 20mg of Amitriptylin. Below is a list of what she takes for her stomach pain. I was wondering if someone else has tried anything different that worked for them.

50 mg hydroxyzine , 3x a day

20 mg Lexapro 1x a day

10 mg Montlukast 1x a day

10 mg Loratadine (Claritin) 1x a day

10 mg Buspirone 1x a day

Ginger pill

40 mg Esomeprozle, 2x a day

300mg Gabapentin, 3x a day

72mcg Lizness 1x a day

We have also tried but have stopped:

Budesonide

Cromolyn 4x

Dicyclomine

Omeprazole

Promethazine

Sulcrafate

Peppermint pill

Buspirone Hydrochloride

It's like one big circle. Anxiety and depression doesn't help the FD but the FD doesn't help the anxiety and depression. She has missed so much school this semester and will not be able to continue with the National Honor Society because she will end this semester with her first ever F. She also feels hopeless like her pain will never get better. I keep encouraging her to continue with her everyday activities so she has a distraction but she refuses. She is active as she's on the marching bands color guard team.

Anyway, sorry for the length of this post. I was hoping for advice from anyone else going through something similar. Thank you so much!

Edited to add: I definitely should have included tests shes had in my post. She's had 2 Upper scopes, a gastric emptying study, she did a barium swallow, stool sample tests, and lab work.

The result of the 2nd scope is what made them diagnose her with eosinophilic enteritis because they took a biopsy of her intestines
All other tests have been normal.

I smoke medical marijuana for some of my symptoms and it helps better than anything else I have tried! I’m at point that I can’t eat or drink anything by mouth. I have a GJ tube that feeds in my small intestines. I don’t see many posts on the subject but I was curious if anyone else finds it helpful? Then at night I smoke a little more and then I’m calm and could care less about my symptoms! I have other chronic health conditions as well. But when I smoke my nausea is gone!

I took multiple doses of paracetamol (around six tablets daily for three days) in September 2025 due to a persistent fever. When the fever didn't improve, I took one tablet of ibuprofen per day for three days, after which the fever resolved.

Since then, my stomach has not been the same (for about seven months now). My main symptoms include:

Needing to eat every 3-4 hours or I feel faint and low on energy

Excessive gas buildup that feels trapped in the esophagus, causing EXTREME 10/10 suffocating sensation in my oesophagus to the point that I can't talk, walk or even listen to someone speaking. I often need to burp a million times to kind of get a relief.

I also get these episodes when I am casually speaking to someone or having a meal with someone. I think the air might be going into through my mouth and further worsens it.

I also think the gas might be pressing on my vagus nerve as during these episodes, I get extremely anxious and self concerned. My breathing even gets manual sometimes so im kinda suffocating.

Please help or suggest any way to manage or cure these symptoms as I have been suffering in silence for the past 8 months now. It has really affected the quality of my life to the point where I don't even go out or have meals or drinks with my collegaues or friends. If anyone has gone through this, please share your experiences and any solutions which helped you out. Really appreciate any advice I could get! Thank you.

Note I have been on PPIs lanzoprazole 15mg but it hasnt much at all. I am still getting this issues despite being on it for a month now.