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.
My gastritis nightmare started 2 years ago. I have been through bouts on and off which varied from nausea for a couple of days to a lot of pain and heartburn.
Up until a month ago I was doing well and hadn't had a bad flare up for a year. I had slowly introduced some fatty foods after a period of recovery and was pretty much eating what I wanted (still healthy and reasonable though) and my Nexium medication was keeping my stomach and reflux ok. Then I went overboard and quite a bit of ice-cream on an empty stomach that gave me some stomach pain. It wasn't too bad, I was better a couple of days later, only getting a little irritated stomach after eating sometimes but most of the time I could ignore it and just made sure to eat carefully again. That's until a few days later when I ate what I now recognise is a huge trigger for me - cucumber. All HELL broke loose, my stomach immediately was painful, and from then on no matter what I ate or drank afterwards I would get burning - even water!!!
Its now almost 5 weeks later and my stomach is worse than it has ever been. I am on every medication possible and my doctors are at a loss as to what more they can do. They changed my PPI but that didn't make much difference. I'm on ranitidine and Sucralafate as well, have researched exactly when to take everything so am taking it at the optimal times. Also on a motility drug for the nausea and my reflux but it doesn't really help the gastritis as my stomach isn't slow to empty, it just burns from about 20 mins after eating.
On top of that I'm taking painkillers, co-codamol to ease the pain at the worst times. It does slow down stomach emptying as a side effect but like I said that doesn't seem to be my problem, more that my stomach just can't tolerate any amount of acidity.
I've tried every supplement under the sun for it, from fungus killers, to mastic gum (-which burned my stomach), Aloe Vera juice (-which also burned my stomach), DGL, pro-biotics, L Glutamine. Some help a bit but not much.
I don't know what else to do, I can hardly eat or drink, I eat small portions of mashed potato, with no milk or butter, throughout the day and thats it. I cannot tolerate any protein it gives me horrible burning afterwards, I tried a little milk in my mash this afternoon and I was doubled over on the bed crying an hour afterwards because it burnt so much.
What can I do, its been 5 weeks now on a bland diet and I have no improvement. No medication alternatives left to try, and I have recently been recovering from depression and this is pulling me right back down into suicidal thoughts.
I don't have an ulcer as there is no bleeding, and I cannot be tested for h-pylori as they say I have to be off PPI's and no way I can do that. I have been tested twice for it in the past, by stool and endoscopy and both were negative so I don't think thats the problem.
In real need of some support and hope at the moment, my gf and family are great but I feel like such a burden now, this has ruined my life and my gf's life :(
Up until a month ago I was doing well and hadn't had a bad flare up for a year. I had slowly introduced some fatty foods after a period of recovery and was pretty much eating what I wanted (still healthy and reasonable though) and my Nexium medication was keeping my stomach and reflux ok. Then I went overboard and quite a bit of ice-cream on an empty stomach that gave me some stomach pain. It wasn't too bad, I was better a couple of days later, only getting a little irritated stomach after eating sometimes but most of the time I could ignore it and just made sure to eat carefully again. That's until a few days later when I ate what I now recognise is a huge trigger for me - cucumber. All HELL broke loose, my stomach immediately was painful, and from then on no matter what I ate or drank afterwards I would get burning - even water!!!
Its now almost 5 weeks later and my stomach is worse than it has ever been. I am on every medication possible and my doctors are at a loss as to what more they can do. They changed my PPI but that didn't make much difference. I'm on ranitidine and Sucralafate as well, have researched exactly when to take everything so am taking it at the optimal times. Also on a motility drug for the nausea and my reflux but it doesn't really help the gastritis as my stomach isn't slow to empty, it just burns from about 20 mins after eating.
On top of that I'm taking painkillers, co-codamol to ease the pain at the worst times. It does slow down stomach emptying as a side effect but like I said that doesn't seem to be my problem, more that my stomach just can't tolerate any amount of acidity.
I've tried every supplement under the sun for it, from fungus killers, to mastic gum (-which burned my stomach), Aloe Vera juice (-which also burned my stomach), DGL, pro-biotics, L Glutamine. Some help a bit but not much.
I don't know what else to do, I can hardly eat or drink, I eat small portions of mashed potato, with no milk or butter, throughout the day and thats it. I cannot tolerate any protein it gives me horrible burning afterwards, I tried a little milk in my mash this afternoon and I was doubled over on the bed crying an hour afterwards because it burnt so much.
What can I do, its been 5 weeks now on a bland diet and I have no improvement. No medication alternatives left to try, and I have recently been recovering from depression and this is pulling me right back down into suicidal thoughts.
I don't have an ulcer as there is no bleeding, and I cannot be tested for h-pylori as they say I have to be off PPI's and no way I can do that. I have been tested twice for it in the past, by stool and endoscopy and both were negative so I don't think thats the problem.
In real need of some support and hope at the moment, my gf and family are great but I feel like such a burden now, this has ruined my life and my gf's life :(
Have you had a scope done, or seeked a 2nd, or 3rd opinion? What doctors say can vary greatly in my experience!
Hang in there, k?
It will protect your stomach and repair the damage caused by painkillers (documented by research) among other things.
In early 2013 I lost 30lbs and couldn't stomach anything except oatmeal, rice and potatoes. Nothing worked consistently to repair my stomach. Broccoli helped a little. Mastic Gum helped a little.
I was already on Zantac, which stopped the burning, but the stomach would blow up to mountain size whenever I ate something that wasn't rice, oatmeal or baked potatoes.
Then I found PepZin GI and it changed everything.
Go to a local Russian store (or wherever you can find it) and get cottage cheese (TVOROG/). Sprinkle a little sugar on it for taste, and eat it - it is a natural antacid, probiotic, it's easier to digest than chicken or eggs, and it has protein.
Despite taking Zantac every 8 hours, and helping with PepZin GI, for several months I was forced to finish every meal with cottage cheese, because it would settle the extra acid in my stomach.
Eventually I was able to let go of that crutch. I can eat chocolate cookies now, and junk food (in moderation).
A few days ago I actually ate a small bowl of "Cherry Garcia" ice-cream - something unthinkable to me just two months ago! (knocks on wood)
PepZin GI keeps my stomach from reverting its healing progress.
It healed me from being a desperate mess with panic anxiety. I no longer have to be super paranoid about how I'm going to feel the next hour after eating this... egg, or chicken, or sausage or whatever.
PepZin GI. I'm not their representative, but it has been my miracle drug, as it has been for millions of people in Japan, and I'm spreading the word.
I'll add - get some good enzymes and probiotics to help heal your gut as much as possible. Especially for eating protein, the enzymes are so important. They help break the food down in your stomach more easily. (think meat tenderizer (papain), the same stuff is in the enzymes along with others to handle veggies and fruit (if you can eat them)....
be well
Thanks for the suggestion of Pepzin GI, it's just about the only supplement that I haven't tried for this so I may as well give it a go. I checked Amazon and I apparently ordered it a month ago, but it hasn;t arrived. I ordered so much stuff I didnt notice!
Got an appointment with the GI on monday, I may ask to be put on Elavil, I heard it helps for reflux and stomach problems and lessens the pain, Ive been struggling with reflux for 2 years non-stop and my tests are always "normal" so I think I have a hypersensitive esophagus and possibly stomach too.