You are all very helpful, and I notice a mixed reaction to ppi's, the thing that I don't get is how do you know when your healed and at what point do you start to get back into normal eating habits. Overeating gives me the biggest reaction by a mile so I will not eat big meals, my body tells me I am overdoing it when I feel full for 4 hours and when I wake up I feel all blocked up and my chest hurts from the acid. I didn't realise before how much that food played a large part of my life both socially and functionally, even daft things like going for a pub lunch or having some food in ikea can't be done now.

Regards

It is not that I'm against of PPIs, they are helpfull short term but create more problems then benefits on the long run. I even read somewhere that number of acid producing cells in the stomach will increase after few months of PPI use to compensate for the acid suppressing effect. Also for thousands of years people were treated from gastritis only with proper diet and few natural remedies. Why do we need to be stuffed with pills now? There is no gastritis healing pills known to man at this point. I also believe that antacids create a physiological problem of false safety net. If you take a pill in the morning then your stomach might be more forgiving... This is simply no true. Go on YouTube and search for the Larry the cable guy Prilosec commercials. He's pretty much telling you to eat anything you want an top it with Prilosec. I can see antacid commercials every 15 mins on TV. How did people live without them before?

During the initial stages of gastritis after you eat you may feel pain or a feeling of fullness after barely eating any food or bloatedness in your stomach. After a while even on ppi. You may start feeling the food digests faster. You feel hunger pangs and that's when you are lulled into a falseness that you eat one good big meal then the next day it attacks again. That's why it's advisable to totally change the way you eat and feel about food. I can advise there will be a point that you can eat pizza and most foods but in moderation, I would give it 9 months before you try. When you can eat a gastritis diet comfortably withou any pain or problems you can maybe start weaning yourself off ppi and see how you fare in eating a gastritis diet withou meds. Usually if you eat out, I eat jacket potatoes or fish, no cheese or heavy sauces. Eat only the main, no pudding. Have a fruit juice , therefore you will be able to eat out with friends .

James, I'm pretty sure you'll feel much better once you healed. I don't think it is feasible for any of us to go back to our "normal" eating habits since this is the reason we developed gastritis to begin with.

The only other thing I can think of is that I was mega stressed at the time I got gastritis. The first doctor I saw said he was sticking his neck out but he believes its my bodies way of telling me I have to cut stress out and that I am very worn down. I actually had 2 slices of brown toast and an hour later some oatmeal and honey and it wasn't bad so that is now going to be included in my daily diet along with a couple of bananas throughout the day. I do like yoghurt but I will have to dig around asda/Walmart to find some lactose free.

I agree with you in regards to advertising gives a false sense of security, in uk, we can't get OTC ppi, they are all prescribed. Some people have been on them for years. I feel that if you have followed a strict gastritis diet and your stomach is truly functioning properly you will have no problems when you stop taking them. I had no problems when I weaned myself off them in December, but I have a hiatal hernia so unless it is returned to its proper position I may never have a proper functioning diet. A lot of people take the ppi, carry on with their usual diets, and never truly heal their stomachs inside and of course feel pain and a surge when they come off them at the set time of 2 or 6 months.

You can add juiced apples to your diet, healthy for you with lots of vitamins and fructose , drink fresh, natural acid suppressor. I would advise not eating meat, acidic to your body, plenty of fish and salmon. My advice you chew thoroughly to a pulp, if its stringy needs a lot if chewing don't eat it. Your stomach had no teeth. If you teeth can't chew it your stomach definitely can't . Spinach, carrots, roots veg which are soft is advisable . No cakes too highly processed. If you have ibs, I have heard of kefir which is supposed to be really good for it ir other conditions like crohns and colits .

Thanks Anita, its getting easier to see what I can and can't eat, I just want to get the calories into me. Is tuna in sunflower oil ok as I can eat that until the cows come home. I have just discovered river cobbler too instead of cod as its cheaper.

Regards

Tuna in oil doesn't sound good. Avoid fat and oily food. Get fresh or frozen fish and boil or steam it.

Tuna in brine or spring water with olive butter with a jacket potatoe withoutt skin is delicious . I tend to lay of whole meal or raw breakfast like museli, too much gas is produced. Baked salmon with olive butter and sliced lemons delicious served with rice. Hope this gives you some ideas of what to eat . Change from dairy butter to olive butter .

Few more tips... Nothing too cold or too hot. Food or drinks should be close to your body temp. Limit salt as much as possible since it irritates stomach. Soft boiled eggs should be OK, hard boiled not good. You can also bake apples in the oven. I take few "golden delicious" apples, put in the pan, add water and bake for couple hours till they get soft.

Thanks for all the comments guys i have really had a bit of a wake up call and now know which direction i need to take, i think i completely underestimated the work and will power needed to recover properly from this.

Steve I have started my new diet today, this is what i have come up with please bear in mind i work full time and i have to adapt to this change.

Breakfast- 1 lanzprozole cap instead of 2, then 1 hour later 2 slices of brown toast (tiny bit of butter) I may have to switch to gluten free.

Around 11.00- A portion of blueberries

Dinner time- A lactose free yoghurt, and 2 slices of toast or oatmeal and honey made using lactose free milk.

around 4pm:- A bannana

Tea time:- Plain chicken breast/tuna and mash or river cobbler portion smoked/unsmoked.

How does that sound, and also if i am using lactose free milk does that mean i can drink it pretty much whenever or do i just use it when mixing it with oatmeal.

Also i some times mix the lactose free milk with slippery elm powder and put it in the microwave to warm it as directed in the preparation instructions.

Thanks

Hi James, you're getting on the right track with your diet. Just don't be tempted to cheat now and then. Working full time and managing any illness is challenging but you tummy will not take any excuses. Stay out of smocked or too salty food. Think fresh, boiled, steamed, or stewed. Also add fresh juice to your diet. Get a juicer. I make apple, carrot, and celery juice 1-2 times a day. Try using organic or natural produce and everything else. Also be easy on lactose free milk, see how your body reacts on it.

Hi I don't think you will have enough calories , this is my diet, wake up take lansoprazole with warm water sweetened with one or two teaspoons of manuka honey. Half an hour later, eat one bowl oatmeal made up with soya milk instead of water, during the last minute of cooking slice a banana inside then serve. Ideal to sprinkle a teaspoon or two of brown sugar and a teaspoon of iglutamine. The perfect breakfast at least 350 calories if not more. at 10.30 you feel up to it 1 or two slices of toast with olive butter. Lunch you could pre bake a jacket potatoe the night before and microwave hot, serve with Tuna and olive butter or just eat at room temperature. Afternoon snack at your discretion. Evening meal baked chicken or fish with rice . If you feel your stomach gnawing take the lansoprazole before your evening meal . Bear in mind I only take minimum dose but I know some people take 2 lots of 30 mg a day. Then juice 3 apples and sip after 7. If you still feel ok, another round or two of toast to finish of the evening. Sometimes I sip warm honey water if am thirsty or have a probiotic drink . I would not advise smoked fish as too high in salt content until you feel better,

Sorry I meant to say organic honey, if you can afford high factor manuka honey, eat that straight off a teaspoon before you eat anything. Manuka is supposed to be good at healing cuts and wounds but undiluted .