Do any of you have experience in dealing with waking up at night with air/gas buildup in the lower stomach.

[bagabum]

The symptoms I have had 4 times now is waking up at around 2am with extreme pain in the lower stomach that feels like a stack of bricks on your stomach, or your stomach liner is being stretched. It is a dull painful ache. Getting up walking around helps but the problem is it takes around 6 hours to go away. I cannot lay back down until it lightens up. Mentioned to the doctor the first time I experienced it because I thought I was having a heart attack, no, it was an air bubble attach. Shes said to purchase Pepcid and don't eat late. Pepcid does not help at all. I have disciplined myself to not eat late, etc.
Do any of you have some special remedies that you have tried that will relieve or shorten the symptoms. I'm desperate for a little relief once I wake up with it. The last two attacks were within 2 months of each other. Looking forward to hearing from you guys because I know as boon dockers, etc, you all don't run into the doctor for every little sniffle and have to be a little more self-reliant. Closure-Well the pain woke me up at 230am and tapered off enough to lay back down at around 930 am this morning, slept to 4pm with just sore a stomach from the dry heaves that it causes, Thanks in advance guys/gals.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I'm surely not a doctor but I believe I've had the same thing happen. For me, it is triggered when I eat something fatty or sweet or both, then hit the sack. It does not feel the same as regular GERD or heartburn, is really does feel like a heart-attack or something equally painful in the mid section. Probably stomach cramps? Not sure.

Milkshakes, ice cream...now and then a candy bar, etc...I believe I am somewhat lactose intolerant. If you are consuming any kind of milk product and then having those problems, then you might be lactose intolerant also.

Here is some info about this. It may or may not be what's going on, and I should mention, trying to diagnose a medical condition or disease is not possible on a forum about RVs and vanlife but just be aware that it might be serious or...it might not.


https://www.livestrong.com/article/330975-stomach-pain-after-eating-ice-cream/

 

[bullfrog]

I sleep on my right side mostly. When I get gas pains at night I roll onto my left side and it seems to help after a while. It sounds serious if it is keeping you up I would go to the doctor with a written log of how severe and when the problems occurred, what you eat and when and ask for possible solutions.

 

[G0ldengirl68]

The best things I've found for things to do with gut, is to get it to be PH Balanced. I also eat what I believe to be a miracle-diet for me which is a ketogenic diet. It's basically low-carb, high-fats, good proteins, no processed foods, grains or sugars. Sounds awful to many, but it's done wonders for me. All kinds of info on Youtube, or just google the ketogenic diet. Do be very aware of foods in grocery stores that say they are keto friendly , most I've seen are a joke.

 

[maki2]

Keep club soda on hand. Get some anti gas enzyme pill. Also get some Lactaid type enzyme pills. All of the above are found at Walmart I er in store brands or from Dollar General. Experiment one at a time and see what works. Recently the enzyme pills for lactose worked. Fortunately just a few days is all it took clear up that episode. You do not have to be full on lactose intolerant to go through an occasional episode where your body gets out of sorts for your enzyme production to be abnormally low now and again. A lot of people have ups and downs without being at the extreme end of intolerances to digesting certain foods.

 

[RVTravel]

i call 'em farts.

 

[txmnjim]

The symptoms I have had 4 times now is waking up at around 2am with extreme pain in the lower stomach that feels like a stack of bricks on your stomach, or your stomach liner is being stretched. It is a dull painful ache. Getting up walking around helps but the problem is it takes around 6 hours to go away. I cannot lay back down until it lightens up. Mentioned to the doctor the first time I experienced it because I thought I was having a heart attack, no, it was an air bubble attach. Shes said to purchase Pepcid and don't eat late. Pepcid does not help at all. I have disciplined myself to not eat late, etc.

just wanted to say pepcid doesnt give immediate relief as you are supposed to take them daily for acid control. try several Tums but yes best thing is not to eat late or real large meals.
i have been on omnaprazole for years due to hiatal hernia. good luck!

 

[maki2]

The pills or chewables such as Gas X do work right away as does club soda, or the mix with water and drink it fizzy solutions such as Alka seltzer, baking soda and baking powder. They all help release or break up the gas. I can get those pains now and again myself so am speaking from years of experience on how to get immediate relief.

Prevention works ...most of the time.. but immediate relief is needed for an essential backup plan.

 

[bagabum]

Thank you so much, I will definitely keep those on hand.

 

[wanderin.pat]

Thank you so much, I will definitely keep those on hand.

What RVTravel said... try to make yourself fart... I get gas buildup in my lower abdomen... lay on my back, try to do crunches, usually a half-way decent fart makes the pain go away. Worth a try... wish you the best.

Also, this may not apply, but be mindful of how late in the evening you eat, and what you eat. That has at times given me acid reflux type symptoms.

 

[travelaround]

I would use a teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of water. I find this to be a fast acting way to relieve pain when I have digestive problems. It also settles my stomach if I feel queasy, like maybe if I ate bad food, that kind of thing.

 

[AuntieTwink]

The symptoms I have had 4 times now is waking up at around 2am with extreme pain in the lower stomach that feels like a stack of bricks on your stomach, or your stomach liner is being stretched. It is a dull painful ache. Getting up walking around helps but the problem is it takes around 6 hours to go away. I cannot lay back down until it lightens up. Mentioned to the doctor the first time I experienced it because I thought I was having a heart attack, no, it was an air bubble attach. Shes said to purchase Pepcid and don't eat late. Pepcid does not help at all. I have disciplined myself to not eat late, etc.
Do any of you have some special remedies that you have tried that will relieve or shorten the symptoms. I'm desperate for a little relief once I wake up with it. The last two attacks were within 2 months of each other. Looking forward to hearing from you guys because I know as boon dockers, etc, you all don't run into the doctor for every little sniffle and have to be a little more self-reliant. Closure-Well the pain woke me up at 230am and tapered off enough to lay back down at around 930 am this morning, slept to 4pm with just sore a stomach from the dry heaves that it causes, Thanks in advance guys/gals.

I can help. “Lower stomach”. is a bit too broad of an area. Is it on the left or right. How far below your ribs?

 

[bagabum]

I would use a teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of water. I find this to be a fast acting way to relieve pain when I have digestive problems. It also settles my stomach if I feel queasy, like maybe if I ate bad food, that kind of thing.

Will definitely keep that on hand. That is easy enough. Thanks

 

[MotorVation]

Gas-Ex or any brand of generic simethicone. I use the Equate brand from Wally World and by far prefer the softgels. Antacids are not effective for gas

 

[user 22017]

Closure-Well the pain woke me up at 230am and tapered off enough to lay back down at around 930 am this morning, slept to 4pm with just sore a stomach from the dry heaves that it causes, Thanks in advance guys/gals.

Sorry about your pain. I'd try to visit your doctor or a clinic. Maybe get a referral to a specialist.

If passing gas helps with the pain, I was told (by a nurse) how to easily pass gas. I was in the hospital following a C-section. I guess they instruct everyone who has major surgery how to pass gas.

Lay on your left side with a couple pillows between your knees. Worked for me... Immediately. I still do it when needed. Good luck.

 

[LargeMarge]

The symptoms...elf-reliant...

.
Semi-retired Physical Therapist here, decades of specializing in nutrition.
.
Hx:
I grew-up on a farm with lots of bending, lifting, twisting/turning, climbing, sprinting after piglets and puppies.
Those days, we ate tons of vegetables with a palm-size portion of animal protein at each meal... including breakfast.
.
These days, I workkamp a small organic teaching farm near the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon.
After experimenting with a broad variety of cultural diets -- Hindoo, Polynesian, Latin, beef only -- I settled back into a meal of tons of vegetables with a palm-size portion of animal protein.
.
I eliminated root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots.
For my gut, their sugars manufacture a truly astonishing amount of anti-social emissions, an automatic enforcement of Doctor Fauci's six-feet-apart mandate.
.
.
For you...
I wonder if your repose is slowing the transition of food through your gut, slowing it enough to increase the normal fermentation beyond a comfortable level.
.
I wonder if a diet change could make a difference.
I wonder if eliminating fermentable foods -- grains, soy, corn, sugars -- might reduce the natural tendency to ferment, with the attendant gurgling and pressure.
.
I think experimenting is essential... for physical health, and spiritual health as well.
.
!!! Caution !!!
Any reduction in stomach acid could increase the undigested food moving through your gut.
.
I strongly recommend investigating the relationship between anti-acid drugs and the loss of bone density.
I wonder how many cases of osteopathic disorders -- hip breaking? -- are the result of poor digestion and Tums®.
.
An aside:
As we age, our stomach naturally reduces the amount and quality of stomach acid.
This results in an increasing diminishing of absorbing nutrients from food.
.
Coupled with the worsening quality of foods -- and the consumption of non-foods such as GMO -- we are in a downward spiral.
Tragically, this accelerates with each passing year, starting at about age 30 or so.
By 50, the vast majority of people are malnourished, in spite of the amount of food we consume.
By 70 -- my age -- eating quality foods becomes 'a matter of life and death'.
.
Supplements are essential.
I realize a handful of synthetic pills a few times a day is no substitute for quality foods, but sometimes, that is all we have.
.
.
If I was suffering from your symptoms, I would experiment with an elimination diet.
* I think I would fast for a week, consuming only clean water and weak bone-broth.
* I think I would look into a carnivore diet, probably only beef and possibly sardines.
.
Another point is the beginning of digestion -- chewing and softening your food with your saliva.
For example, as an experiment, I counted my number of chews before I feel comfortable swallowing a spoonful of stew.
Fifty-five.
I chomp and spin and swirl while chomping my food fifty-five times before swallowing.
.
At the other end of the spectrum...
At a cooking class, I watched one woman take a bite, chew once, then swallow.
She seemed more intent on clearing her plate than enjoying the food.
.
Could you try a meditation?
I wonder if you could see how it feels to 'become one' with your food?
.
.
Again, I must emphasize, any acid reducer -- Prilosec?, Peptid AC? -- will inevitably leave your body in a worse state of malnutrition.
Unfortunately, medical schools place very little importance on nutrition.
.
Health is our individual responsibility.
.
.
An aside:
In your area, see if your NaturalGrocers and Seventh Day Adventist folks offer cooking and nutrition classes.

 

[LargeMarge]

i call 'em farts.

.
I get the impression something or somebody is causing our colleague to not allow intestinal gas to pass, hence the uncomfortable pressure.
.
Speaking of uncomfortable...
Are you familiar with EFT, the tapping of Emotional Freedom Technique?
"Even though I have this pressure and it keeps me awake and I feel frustrated and anxious..."
.
.
Speaking of pressure...
For me, I always look at the potential for a non-physical cause for the symptoms I feel.
If I was in your situation:
* who is pressuring me?
* why am I under pressure?
* how does that pressure benefit me?
and the biggie...
* who would benefit from me having that pressure?
.
Clean the cause, and the symptoms just might disappear.

 

[LargeMarge]

re -- hiatal hernia, aka blown cardiac sphincter
.
That injury has a cause.
Normally, the body would heal... unless repeating the cause keeps the injury fresh.
.
For my body after one episode of acid reflux (and one was enough!)...
I avoid 'triggers' such as uncooked onion, black pepper, ginger, and torso-compressing exercise such as sit-ups.
Coughing and sneezing are also among my triggers.
.
The Fix...
Any chiropractor or Physical Therapist can adjust the cardiac sphincter.
The shift is quick and easy.
.
Note:
Another person must do the adjustment.
You cannot adjust yours because the act of adjusting would hold the injury in-place.
.
Naturally, to reduce the potential for re-injury, the cause should probably be avoided.
.
Can you imagine instant relief from acid reflux.
Can you imagine healing your esophagus, no more ulcers.
.
.
An aside:
My da loved a couple slices of sourdough, slathered in butter, blackened with a quarter-inch of pepper, and containing a thick slice of white onion.
He also kept a case of Maalox behind the seat in his truck.
Cripes.

 

[LargeMarge]

... baking soda...

.
Could the cause be weak stomach acid?
.
Some folks get relief with a couple drops of coconut vinegar in a couple ounces of warm clean water.
Sip slowly, allowing the taste-buds to signal the in-coming.
And some folks get relief simply by the flavor, letting the body do its job without swallowing.
(Always follow with a swishing rinse of clean water to protect the teeth.)
.
By increasing the stomach acidity, the cardiac sphincter is automatically encouraged to close... and close tighter.
.
In the case of weak stomach acid -- and the resultant lack of notification to the nerve group controlling the cardiac sphincter -- would baking soda temporarily worsen the stomach acidity?
.
.
The term 'holistic' can refer to looking at the body as a whole, looking at the interaction of the connected parts.

 

[jacqueg]

The symptoms I have had 4 times now is waking up at around 2am with extreme pain in the lower stomach that feels like a stack of bricks on your stomach, or your stomach liner is being stretched. It is a dull painful ache. Getting up walking around helps but the problem is it takes around 6 hours to go away. I cannot lay back down until it lightens up. Mentioned to the doctor the first time I experienced it because I thought I was having a heart attack, no, it was an air bubble attach. Shes said to purchase Pepcid and don't eat late. Pepcid does not help at all. I have disciplined myself to not eat late, etc.
Do any of you have some special remedies that you have tried that will relieve or shorten the symptoms. I'm desperate for a little relief once I wake up with it. The last two attacks were within 2 months of each other. Looking forward to hearing from you guys because I know as boon dockers, etc, you all don't run into the doctor for every little sniffle and have to be a little more self-reliant. Closure-Well the pain woke me up at 230am and tapered off enough to lay back down at around 930 am this morning, slept to 4pm with just sore a stomach from the dry heaves that it causes, Thanks in advance guys/gals.

I used to have very similar symptoms, and actually wound up spending the night in an emergency room being monitored for a heart attack. Eventual diagnosis was a very severe gas attack. As others have mentioned, you could be reacting to something in your diet, and it could also be low stomach acid. Just because you've always eaten X, it doesn't mean you can still eat X. Your food really can turn on you. But you're going to have to do some experimenting, and be warned - it is a moving target.

The most common food sensitivities are to wheat and milk. Start by eliminating those. If either/both of them are triggering you, you will feel relief within a couple weeks. For me, I have self-diagnosed as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and I eventually got better by following a Low FODMAP diet. For several years, I avoided wheat and most milk products, among other triggers. Whatever was going on, it has finally mostly resolved, and I can now eat real bread and ice cream again. Although I am still careful, and I especially avoid eating later in the evening. And I also pay a lot more attention to getting enough fiber.

Although medications like Pepcid or Prilosec can afford immediate relief, you should not take them indefinitely. Too many doctors will put you these meds and just tell you to keep taking them. You actually don't want to reduce your stomach acid over the long term. Instead, you need to figure out what is causing the problem and fix it, and most likely it is something you are eating.

When it was really bad, I found that sleeping in a Zero-Gravity type chair worked wonders.