There’s a strong connection between stress, anxiety, and stomach symptoms. Anxiety can cause stomachaches and pain, bloating, and overall digestive discomfort.
Stomach pain from anxiety may feel different for each person, and you can have different symptoms from one instance to another. Anxiety-related stomach symptoms may feel like:
- Stomach aches or cramps
- A churning sensation
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Change in appetite
Here’s why you may feel anxiety in your stomach: Research suggests a connection between the brain and gut, which includes your stomach and intestines. Inside your gut are many nerves that are connected to your brain, and your brain and gut communicate with each other through these nerve pathways.
Your stomach and intestines are linked to your brain through two main nerve pathways:
- Through your vagus nerve, the longest nerve in your autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic, involuntary functions such as digestion
- Through your enteric nervous system, a part of your autonomic nervous system that’s in your gut and can influence your mood
What this means is that when you have a strong feeling of anxiety, panic, or stress, you may experience strong sensations in your stomach and intestines.
If your stomach pain is from anxiety, you’ll likely experience other signs and symptoms of anxiety. These may include:
- A sense of dread, fear, or unease
- Sweating
- Fast heartbeat
- Restlessness
- Racing thoughts you can’t control
- Avoidance of activities that trigger anxiety
Other causes and conditions can also lead to stomach pain, however. Stomach pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms could also be due to:
- Gas
- Constipation
- Stomach viruses or food poisoning
- Food intolerances
- Appendicitis
- Gallstones or kidney stones
- Heartburn
- Muscle cramps
- Period cramps
If your stomach pain doesn’t go away within a few hours or becomes more severe, it’s a good idea to connect with a healthcare provider to determine its cause—anxiety or otherwise.
There are things you can do to help manage your reaction to stress, which may help reduce your stomach symptoms.
Therapy
Therapy can help you learn to manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to anxiety, stress, and panic. Several types of therapy can help with anxiety.
The most widely researched and well-known treatment for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In CBT, you learn to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings and to use helpful coping strategies more effectively.
Mindfulness, Breathing, and Relaxation Techniques
Mindfulness—a focus or awareness of the present moment without judgement—is an effective way to help manage anxiety and decrease symptoms like stomach pain related to anxiety.
There are many ways to be mindful, and you don’t have to do it perfectly. You can sit still and focus on your breaths, an object in front of you, or a meaningful word or phrase.
You can also pair mindfulness with other breathing and relaxation techniques. These may include deep breathing techniques like box breathing or belly breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation, where you slowly scan your body, relaxing each part as you focus attention from your head to toes.
Medications
Some people benefit from prescription medications for anxiety. These may include antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or other anti-anxiety medications.
Diet and Exercise
Physical activity is a great way to manage stress. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, also known as feel-good hormones. Research suggests that yoga and Tai Chi may be effective exercises for reducing anxiety. But any exercise you enjoy may help.
Certain foods may make stomach pain worse for you. These may include spicy foods, greasy foods, or foods you have an intolerance to. Likewise, caffeinated beverages like coffee can increase anxiety for some people.
Meeting with a dietitian or other healthcare provider can help you understand which foods may make your anxiety and stomach pain worse.
Natural Remedies
Natural remedies may be helpful for stomach pain or anxiety. Some to consider include chamomile tea, lavender oil, passionflower, and melatonin.
Natural remedies typically haven’t been as widely studied as other prevention techniques. Most aren’t regulated by health agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), either. Always talk to your doctor about a natural remedy before trying it.
Because of the strong connection between your brain and your gut, anxiety can cause stomach pain and other digestive symptoms. Anxiety-related stomach pain may feel like cramping, churning, heartburn, fullness, or nausea. Treatment is available.
