Anxiety, Stomach Noises and Quiet Rooms

eliza_d

Hi everyone,

Several years ago I was in a meeting at work - nothing unusual there - but I was hungry, and my stomach started rumbling. It rumbled a lot, and I left the meeting feeling very embarassed. Since then I have had problems sitting in meetings - I get anxious and worry about my stomach rumbling, and this anxiety seems to trigger more rumbling. I started to avoid meetings where possible, or stuff my face before going into one. Gradually though, this problem has gotten worse, and I now find it difficult to sit in any quiet room without my stomach rumbling. Today I walked out of an exam before finishing the paper because of the stress Sad

Sounds really silly doesn't it? I don't know what to do about it as I really feel it's starting to take over my life. Has anyone experienced this and can offer some practical solutions? I was thinking of trying St Johns Wort or hypnotherapy.....

I'm feeling very down about it at the moment, and am seriously considering handing my notice in at work.

Eliza D

Chilling__Echo · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:46 am Post subject:

i cannot believe you posted this!! this is what plagued me in middle school and my early high school and i've never heard of anyone else being afraid of this!!! it's like a little sign being shot over our heads "look at me!" thanks to our stomachs. and the more i worried the worse it got... thanks grublina that helps! but i used to carry around candy everywhere and gum just in case. i was obsessed... truely

but eventually i just tried to relax, focus on what's around you and try and forget about it. i know it's not easy, it took me about 4 years to conquer it and you can too. the key is to RELAX Very Happy

good luck and it was so good to see your post, you made my night, unfortunately you have to suffer with this thought Crying or Very sad

but like i say, try chewing alot of gum! good luck

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Angie_05 · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:00 am Post subject:

I have the same problem during schooltime. Sometimes it is genuine hunger, but other times I get a random grumbling for no reason at all. It was the worst when I was extremely anxious over a certain situation, but I won't mention that here as it is extremely personal. When my stomach grumbles in class, I try to just giggle about it and I find that others do the same. I've also heard other classmates' stomachs and that helped me to relax as well. Good luck with the situation!

ricky · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:01 pm Post subject:

i suffer from the same thing! and doing my A levels at the minute and every exam im always worring about my stomach rumbling. Its always ok after the exam tho. eating alot b4 exam helps alot but my main anxiety is being worring of being sick in front of people, coz when im in big groups i feel sick all the time. so eating alot makes me feel alot worse so its kinda hrd to find a happy medium of eatin jus enough so i dont worry bout my stomach rumbling! LIfe is soo complicated!

SuicidalChick · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:38 pm Post subject:

I get the stomach rumble alot,especially when im anxious, so it must be some sort of anxiety symptom. It can get embarassing at times

crazyfairyx · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 12:15 am Post subject:

Omg, I really really thought I was alone in this one! My tummy always rumbles when I feel nervous or when it's quiet, even when I'm not even a little bit hungry! I hate it, makes me feel soo self conscious.

I hate it when it happens while I'm cuddling up to my boyfriend, although it happens less now cos it doesn't bother him at all, his tummy rumbles quite a bit too Razz

He just teases me and says stuff like 'heard that, u hungry or something' and then tickles me Razz

It's horrible when I'm in the library at college trying to chat to mates quietly and I can feel my tummy wanting to rumble.

Naomi x

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everythingsfanta · Newbie User Joined: Jul 28, 2008 Posts: 1

And here I was thinking I was alone!

It all started a few years ago when I was in class and my stomach rumbled really loudly, causing laughter not only from my classmates, but my teacher too. Very traumatic. From that day forward I've had a phobia of my stomach rumbling and have to stuff my face before I go anywhere that might be quiet or worse, silent.

I'm at university now and it's worse than ever. Lectures, tutorials...all have to be scheduled with a gap in between so I can go and get something to eat, and I have to work out how long whatever I eat will last me. I go through bulk boxes of cereal bars like nothing else and I now have to sit at the end of a row so that, if my stomach should rumble, I can escape.

It's awful. People laugh but it rules my world. I have to have food with me at all times and I freak out when I'm scheduled for a class for 2 hours because I don't know if I can eat enough beforehand to last.

I know that it's all about relaxing, but there's always a niggling fear that it's going to happen, especially around exam time. I don't think I ever eat as much as I do before exams, which just leaves me feeling sick and bloated.

Aaaah!

char206 · Newbie User Joined: Jul 29, 2008 Posts: 1

I CANNOT believe i am not alone in having this bizarre phobia!i randomly decided to type it into google and up this came!
I have had this phobia for about 10 years ever since my stomach rumbled loudly in class and wouldn`t stop and it was so embarrassing,i was mortified!It has held me back in life ever since.
Whenever i have to go somewhere that might be quiet i have to eat beforehand or i know i will be panicking.Waiting rooms and meetings are the worst for me and i haven`t been to the cinema for over 4 years since my stomach rumbled really loudly and my boyfriend at the time laughed at me.I am excused from all meetings at work and have any training i need on a 1 to 1 basis but i`m afraid to move on to a new job as i may lose these luxuries or have to explain myself (although they think its a claustrophobia thing not a stomach rumbling thing,that would be too embarrassing!).Once apon a time i even worried about my stomach rumbling loudly at night if i had my boyfriend round to stay!!!
I haven`t managed to find a way of coping with this (except stuffing myself to the point of being un-comfortable) and i`m now having sessions with a psycologist because it`s got to a point where it`s affecting me very badly and making me feel depressed overall.
please feel free to email me on this subject as i`d be very happy to hear from others affected like me! Smile

Sheils · Newbie User Joined: Aug 07, 2008 Posts: 1

This also affected me for a good few years!

The only place it really bothered me was at work in meetings. I remember not being able to sleep the night before through worry.

Then in one meeting when it happened I decided to make a joke of it saying "Sorry but I'm hungry!!" and laughed.

I found that everyone laughed along with me until it became a bit of a standing joke when everyone would wait to see if and when it happened at each meeting we had.

It certainly eased the tension and now I don't even think about it!!!

I just concentrate on trying to deal with all my other anxieties Crying or Very sad

Have not posted on here before but I am a regular reader - this place really does help you to realise you are not alone. Smile

Walk · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:56 am Post subject:

Yeah I don't like it either. For me, the solution was kinda simple though...

I just sit straight and it minimizes the grumbling sounds. It happens when I slouch.