Hi James, it is unlikely that people who cured from gastritis still reading this board anymore. I've been fighting gastritis for last 2 months and while I feel somewhat better then in first days after being diagnosed. it still sucks big time, I just wish that there will be more better days then bad ones.. Besides physical pain and discomfort gastritis imposes heavy psychological and social toll. It is especialy hard for people how had bean healthy all their lives and suddenly got hit hard with this illness. I wish there would be a magic pill and this all just go away one day but there is none. One of the most frustrating aspects of this illness that there is no conventional treatment options and it might take many months if not years to start feeling more or less normal. It is hard to stick with everyday routine and be cheerful but never give up!

Thanks Steve, I have had this around 4 months now, and have had 4 big attacks averging 1 per month. They are intolerable and the pain lasts a full day, and it takes a week for evereything to settle down again. The most annoying thing is that the doctors did all the tests and didn't find anything so they told me i have gastritis. If I overeat, and my body tells me when i have done this as i feel full for hours and hours i know the next day i will be in massive pain. I do actually have ibs too but its nothing compared to gatritis and the acid reflux effects. I am just praying that one day it will all go away and i would do anything too be able to go to a pizza hut all you can eat buffet again, but right now that seems impossible.

James

Sorry Steve just to add, Your right about the mental and social side of things. I feel like not doing anything except worrying about this condition. My family think i am boring becasue i never want to do anything and i sit at work all day looking up information on google regarding gastritis. Even simple things like having a pepsi in the pub can't be done anymore.

For me the worst thing now to be invited to the party or a restaurant. I'm afraid to eat anything other then my routine "safe" food that I hate. I was also diagnosed with IBS at some point before gastritis but suspect it was gastritis all along. Sometimes I also have GERD episodes and now sleeping on the wedge pillow. It all developed in a short period of time, I guess misery loves company....

I offer no better news. I've had gastritis for three years and IBS for two. I know the IBS will never go away and while I'm much improved with the gastritis I don't think I'll be 100% healed.

Hi Ive had gastritis for about 3 years now and mine got worse from the pain I used to have. I supose everyone is different. I have heard of some people getting cured of it,it depends on the cause of cause. I have a day or two when it eases off then it comes back. I have at times ate things that I shouldn,t like pizza but not often. After 3 years you get sick of not being able to eat or drink things. Mostly Ive kept off things and seen no improvement and the doctor is no help as he says eat what you want. However its not healing so Im under investigation still. I think its bile reflux but the doctors won,t admit that. I will see what the endoscopy shows then its an MRI scan. Im not sure what can be done though. I live for pain free days otherwise its a misery.

Hi Poorlygirl, I have gastritis that is NOT related to h.pylori, I have just been told to control it with diet and take the acid reflux tablets(lazeprazole). My main symptom is pain which i absolutely hate I live in hope that one day it will be gone. A lot of people I have spoken to have said its either never gone away or its developed into some thing else like peptic ulcers etc. Do you manage ok with it around work and your general life, I find it very difficult to cope some times and often have to ring work to tell them I can't come in some days.

I can't work at the moment as my health is so up and down. I had a good casual position and could manage that and then they got rid of casual staff and I don't have the confidence to apply for other jobs just now. It is really challenging isn't it?

I feel your pain soretum, I am quite lucky because I have had the same job as a small shop manager now for 10 years. I am pretty much left to my own devices. However I really worry because if I ever lost this job I would really struggle to work under new employment I just would not be reliable enough for them. I do have to ring my boss maybe around once a fortnight and tell him that I am so bad that I can't make it in and he is very understanding. I get pain at work and it can be stressful some times I feel like I can only cope with so much until I eventually give in.

Sadly we slip through the cracks of health support as it would be deemed I'm well enough to work. The powers that be are welcome to live under my roof for a month and see it first hand!

Hey james, i know exactly what your going through. Heres a link to a post i made a few months ago.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Gastritis/forum/15124871-does-every-go-away

Will it every go away? That depends on whats causing it. For me it was on over use of pain killers that damaged my stomach. If your case is similar than yes, it will go away. Its been about 9 months since it first really hit me and i couldn't eat for a week. It took me about 7 months to physically recover.

That said, its the emotional and mental strain you need to look out for. I started suffering from depression and anxiety. I cant go into to much detail as id be here all night but my advice would be this.
1. Keep a journal of all your pain and nausea, i dont know why but writing down how you feel helps.
2. For the first few months you'll start to feel better and start doing more only to get sick again. Dont push yourself to hard, but do push yourself.
3. See a therapist. Dont waste your time or money on doctors, there's noting they can do. The only cure is time.
4. Try to remain positive, keep telling yourself it will get better.

Message me if you need any more advice.

Shane.

Hi Shane, thanks for the advice, sadly I don't know the cause of my gastritis. I don't really drink or take many pain killers. I am on lazeprazole amytriptaline and codeine for pain control. I seem to cope ok for a couple of weeks and them slip into old ways and then from no where I am in immense pain and back to square one. It's starting to affect me psychologically now too. I end up sitting at work thinking what if I am ill and have to leave work and not be able to support myself because of this illness. I have thought about leaving my partner because I think she deserves better and I don't want to be a burdon to her. This has actually or is in the process of ruining my life, and no one around me really understand what it feels like.

Gastritis sucks big time but it is not a terminal illness. I'm sure you and your partner will have a lot of good days together. Don't allow depression and anxiety take the best of you and aggravate your condition. Force yourself into the proper diet for at list few months, completely avoid all the trigger foods at all costs and you'll get better.

Just looked up codeine side effects and it can cause abdominal pain and cramps. Pain killers are no good for gastritis.

Thanks Steve, are you saying that its better to ride out the pain rather than take codeine tablets. The doctor recomended them to me for the pain. When I get an attack it last all day and does not go away. They have just changed me from codeine phosphate to dihydrocodeine I don't know if that makes any difference. I can eat fairly normally but if I over eat at night I pay for it big time.

James