Yes absolutely 100% agree & you explained it really well.

I think there are 2 aspects - firstly there's the localised tightness/spasms/knotted feeling which could be mistakenly interpreted as either physical or emotional sensation.

Secondly my Gastro explained that when the stomach is painful then the diaphragm (breathing) muscle above it doesn't want to press down properly so this causes shallow breathing & then rapid heartbeat, coldness/tingling/shaking in limbs - even chattering teeth or dizziness - all symptoms of hyperventilation which is very similar in so many ways to a full-blown anxiety attack.

Hi Smilelike... Yes this is exactly it. During my early stages of gastritis back in February, the anxiety was so intense I could not sleep - I would awake every 20 mins or so with my heart pounding. Since then, it has lessened and i can sleep reasonably OK at night, but during the day still encounter bouts of tremendous anxiety that can last many hours (like you're waiting for the dentist or something!). Before gastritis, I never had this so I do not believe it is real anxiety, just the physical medical condition. As an aside, I have read that PPIs (especially in high dose) can cause this feeling too so not sure if that has had an impact.....

I had the EXACT same nighttime episodes in my early undiagnosed stages of gastritis. Very frightening at the time. In fact I ended up in A&E once because thought it was a heart attack or something.

Even now on very rare occasions I get the daytime bouts like you, but I am 100% sure it is my stomach having a funny turn & not 'real' anxiety. I do actually think all the muscles in that area somehow get themselves all tensed up & spasming then spiral into the hyperventilation/anxiety-like symptoms. I do find if I can unknot the muscular tension in my abdomen then it eases the symptoms considerably - so a heating pad, hot bath, lie down & listen to music can all help.

Make sure you're not harboring a lot of trapped gas in your stomach/duodenum or under your diaphragm because this makes the 'fake anxiety' symptoms feel a million times worse.

Smilelike thanks for the information which would explain the tingling sensation in my left arm and feeling like my teeth are about start chattering. Did your doctor give you any remedies?

I have debilitating anxiety when my stress levels are high(currently moving out of the u.s. and back into Europe after 5 years which is quite stressful).I also have GERD and Sjogren's syndrome and a serious anemia at the moment.Plus the gastritis on top of it.All these make me loose weight rather quickly and are definitely not helping with the anxiety.I haven't really found a natural way out yet.Still working on it.

Once my gastritis was more under control with acid suppression medication then the severe hyperventilation episodes vanished. I guess the reduction in inflammation meant my diaphragm could function more normally.

As someone with many autoimmune diseases including Gastritis I honestly believe that anyone with chronic disease has a built in anxiety symptom. It may come as a result of the disease, but I still think it is a major symptom as well as a result.