Welcome to the Club. There have been times when the time between BMs have been measured in weeks for me. Further, I can remember the problem as far back as the seventh grade of elementary school! I also remember that area of my body as being where I stored a lot of emotional energy - anger or rage in particular. A constant tensing of the muscles that continues to this day. Also a feeling that if I get angry enough that if that barrier ever collapses, somebody is going to be in deep ****.

I don't know what that tells me, but some possibilities include H. pylori as the culprit. Another is inflammation and its chemical entourage (can cause depression as well), hypervigilance resulting from exposure to bacterial toxins in utero keeping the tension level up there is yet another, and so on.

The one that intrigues me today is the possible role of the vagus nerve which wanders aimlessly around the viscera and plays a big role in such things. I have noticed that when I reach that "cliff hanging" stage when the meds just don't want to cooperate, that I can do a few situps as well as tightening certain strategicly embarrassing muscles and bump things to "on". Possible compression of the nerve can't be ruled out.