I kept my journal through the gap and it helped enormously

Two things that helped me, neither of them clever: small amounts more often, and drinking a lot more than felt necessary.

What the opening post described happened to me too, in a slightly different order.

I would take that to a clinician rather than to us, and I would do it this week. Not because it is definitely serious — because it is the sort of thing that is much easier to rule out than to worry about.

I have been in this circle a year and this question comes round every few months. It is not a silly question. It is the question.

the reply above said something I want to sit with for a second.

Please do not read the comments under news articles about this. I lost a fortnight to that.

What helped was lowering my own expectations of the week rather than trying to hold the week together.

the reply above said something I want to sit with for a second.

No advice, just recognition. That sounds exhausting and I am sorry you are in it.

Reading the reply above, I recognised more of that than I expected to.

My pharmacist was more use than anyone. Ten minutes at the counter, no appointment, no charge.

Different experience here, for balance. Mine did not improve and in the end I stopped, and that was the right call for me. Both outcomes exist.

The phrase that unlocked my appointment was asking what specifically she wanted me to watch for. It moved us from reassurance to a plan in about thirty seconds.

I am about four months behind you and I have been dreading exactly this, so thank you for writing it down before I got there.

the reply above — yes, and the bit that took me longest to accept was the next part.

Yes to the burping. It is real, it is unbeautiful, and it does settle.

Mine lasted about seven weeks and then lifted over a few days. I cannot tell you why. I can tell you it lifted.

For what it is worth, the trial data on this is thinner than the confidence of the internet would suggest. Worth knowing when you read the posts.