Gastritis Support Group
Gastritis is a medical term for inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It means that white blood cells move into the wall of the stomach as a response to some type of injury. Gastritis has many underlying causes, from infection with the bacterium H. pylori, bile reflux, or excessive consumption of alcohol or certain foods or drugs like aspirin.
Last week I had an endoscopy and they found bile reflux was the cause of my gastritis. Im at my wits end as I have been getting really bad gastritis since I had my gallbladder out at the end of 2009. I have flare ups most days which are agony. Has anyone else got this type of gastritis? Have I a chance of healing? Im scared. If bile is continuously getting into my stomach then how have I a chance to get rid of this gastritis? I am trying a bit more with my diet and coating my stomach with Slippery elm. I really want to be pain free, I don,t see the gastro again until November. Thanks
The Mayo Clinic has excellent info on bile reflux. As far as I can tell, there's 2 methods to help it. One is to take medicine to reduce the amount of bile you produce and the second method is to re-route the bile away from the pyloric valve. The bile can't flow back into the stomach if it's not allowed NEAR the pyloric valve.
I haven't tried either treatment. though! I don't know why I have that disease. I haven't had gallbladder surgery and I don't drink any alcohol- those can be some of the causes.
Some day I will pursue the treatments...some day when I'm not working 6 days a week and have lots of free time LOL!
I swear by Slippery Elm. It coats the stomach and the pain subsides. I order it by the pound from MountainRoseHerbs. I tried taking a PPI + Carafate for 3 years but they did nothing so I went to herbal remedies.
Here's what causes me pain: Soda pop, alcohol, anything with vitamin C added to it ( juices and vitamin pills included), tea, most coffees, spicy food, peppermint, Nsaids, citrus anything, yogurt, chlorinated city water.
I have recently been diagnosed with bile reflux gastritis though I haven't had my gallbladder removed and the pain is unbearable so I know what you're feeling. I am also at breaking point, I've had no advice from my doctors for either diet of pain. The only food I can eat is Pitta bread and salad. Water seems to make it worse especially after eating.
The only advice I can give you is using a hot water bottle. Hold it (wrapped in a blanket so you don't burn yourself) against you stomach or the area of the pain. It eases it massively though it only masks it. However I have found it useful for the nights as I find it hard to sleep with the pain.
I really hope your pain starts to improve soon. If I receive any advice form my doctors I'll be sure to pass it on :) Get well, Rachel xx
It's pineapple!! Fresh pineapple works excellent but I have found 2 canned kinds that also work- Walmart's Great Value brand and Libby's brands of chunk pineapple. Both say," 100% pineapple juice" on the label. Avoid the companies that have citric acid or ascorbic acid/vitamin C in them! Those caused me pain.
If I eat pineapple every day, my pain is 0/10!! I have never found anything since 2009 that worked this well! The PPI's did not, H2 blockers did not, Carafate did not and Slippery Elm would ease my pain but only for a couple hours. Pineapple works for 24 hours after I eat it!
It took me a bout 6 pineapples to figure out how to tell when it is ripe. You smell the bottom of the fruit and the color will turn golden on the bottom when it is ripe.
I don't know WHY this works but it does!
Lori