You to need to really omit those foods that are causing your reflux--it's the only way you are going to get better. Don't be surprised if you find that you will have to eliminate more then just coffee and chocolate. If you need a caffeine/chocolate fix then you may need to find another source that wont be so damaging to your system.

Thanks Sowle I don't know what though. It gets on your nerves this pain. How long have you had stomach problems? Surely they get better eventually? I looked on the Mayo site and they said you have to have low fat foods so its worth a try. I just want to eat everything when Im out but I can't. What do you eat? Have you tried Slippery elm or anything like that?

I can handle a small sweet now and then--maybe a cookie or something like that. But I always follow it with a large tablespoonful of cottage cheese or plain yogurt. I read years ago that the cottage cheese or yogurt will help digest the sugar in any sweet. Usually I have pretty good luck doing that, but again, it's a very small amount of a sweet.

Also, when I'm out and about, I bring water along, and usually have a plain hamburger, or maybe some turkey on Italian bread if I'm at a Subway or someplace like that.

Thanks sunlovinmom I find that sometimes I can eat a chicken sandwich in Mcdonalds but as its flaring up I will have to watch the fat. I do eat plain biscuits I could eat cake not so long ago but now its flaring up I need to be careful. Ive bought some bottled water as someone else suggested it. I will have to keep trying.

I totally agree with Sowie. If you want to heal or feel better you really do need to stop eating junk and sweets... is it REALLY worth the pain? How badly do you want to feel better? I drink Lipton decaf tea. My "snack/treat" is smooth peanut butter. When I go out I usually get a baked potato and either a piece of grilled chicken or fish. Slippery Elm works like a charm for me - I've had a 3 totally pain free days now and I feel AMAZING at last. It's not easy, but I'm very strict as I'm determined to heal. Good luck!

For those who can handle sweets somewhat, I have had fair luck making my own banana or pumpkin bread or custard or pudding, using only half the amount of sugar. If you think it needs more flavor, and more importantly, if you can handle it, you could always add a dash of honey when you eat it.

Poorlygirl,

Bile Reflux is from a valve problem. It isn't something that we can control:( All we can do is avoid the stuff that makes the gastritis spots hurt worse.

Have you tried low acid coffees and using a ton of powder cream? Maybe try swallowing a teaspoon of slippery elm made into a paste before drinking coffee each time. Slippery Elm can coat your stomach for an hour I believe. That would protect it from the acidity of the coffee.

My gastritis got much worse this week too. I haven't had a bowel movement all week. it's wreaking havoc on my stomach. I know it makes bile reflux worse. I assume constipation creates pressure in the abdomen which makes the pyloric valve warp worse and more bile flows back into our stomachs. I'm gonna up my slippery elm and see if I can get it calmed down today.

my gastritis specialist said its ok to drink 16oz of black tea a day instead of coffee ...i stopped coffee long time ago cause it gave me heartburn same with chocolate i only had it once a while a little piece but that was way before i got gastritis ....u could try white chocolate in small amounts, if i really want some cake, i bake sugar free yellow cake, other than that for sweets homemade rice pudding or custard with a reduced amount of sugar ....and as for fast food i dont touch it right now at all but i found a Subway is not bad u just got to watch what u put on your sandwich ... i will see a nutritionist tomorrow for my stomach and cholesterol maybe i get some new info on whatelse to try .....

i switched to decaf coffee & tea also now have caffine free coke had a cup of nescafe this aft at sister in laws & within 10 mins began to feel sick & stomach started to ache asfor food ive gone back to rice & chicken this week because of a flare up last weekend beginning to feel a bit more adventuous again going on a stag do next sat night dreading it as its a curry before town can handle the no booze bit but what do you choose to eat

Thanks all. I find I can handle icecream some days. Im going to stick to the Gaviscon as much as possible. I want to try the Slippery elm but last time I did I was having reflux and such bad pain,it didn't go down well. I just felt sick so will have to give it another chance. I have dropped the Aloe vera now as its done nothing. I have cut down on coffee and chocolate but not managed to stop it yet. I have decaff in the house and decaff tea. I don't really eat cake only occasionally. I don't like really sweet stuff anyway so keep sugar stuff to a minimum. I used to love fruit sweets but can't really eat them now. I can't eat peanuts. I have walnuts but can't have too much fat so need to be careful. I have the odd banana. Are egg custards ok? I can't drink booze. Currys are out I have actually tried them and its not worth the flare ups,though I can get them without having a curry. Make the curry very mild if you do have one.

Frankly, I haven't had the courage since I got gastritis to even taste a few sips of coffee or any soda pop. But I'm okay with that as long as I have my slippery elm or chamomile teas.

I am okay with a very small bite of chocolate per day, but I usually follow that with some cottage cheese or yogurt to help with the sugar.

I wonder about hot chocolate. To me, it wouldn't seem to have the rude awakening like the caffeine in soda pop--or the bubbles. Plus, it's warm milk, which shouldn't be hard for most people to digest, unless one is lactose intolerant. Still, I guess i'm chicken to try it, as it is quite 'chocolatey.' Has anyone had any luck with hot chocolate?

I didn't know that pop could upset my stomach sunlovinmom. I have had lime and lemon and its usually the next day that it can flare up,so Im wary. I have had the odd hot chocolate. You could try a light one,a drinking chocolate. Its all trial and error. I hope our stomachs heal soon so we can just eat and not worry about it. I pray for this. What are we going to do at Christmas? I have to walk past the sweets and chocolate and am dreading going to see inlaws if we go. They will all be eating everything. I had some Redbush tea today by the way which is said to be anti-inflammatory. It tastes nice enough.

if u cant do without chocolate u should really give white chocolate a try .....i drink hot vanilla milk or milk with honey instead ,im to scared to mess with the chocolate one ... as for christmas u can bake cookies and use honey instead of sugar :) i already went through all my recepies and looked up whats in which cookie to see the once i could tolarate :) and Thanxgiving i ll be cooking what i can eat too this way i wont feel so bad ...a little Turkey,mashed potatoes and green beans will be just fine for me :) so im not to worried bout the holidays

dagmar68: White chocolate sounds tasty--is that the same thing as white chips found near chocolate chips in the store? I would guess so, and is that also the same as almond bark?

Yeah--not too worried about the holidays, either. Turkey, mashed potatoes, a veggie, and a dinner roll will be okay. I may make something like pumpkin pudding for a dessert. Even when well, I try to avoid too many sweets at Christmas, as I tend to get more sinus problems with too much sugar. A taste here and there should help any cravings I get.