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.
Hi everyone, I'm new to this website and support group, I hope everyone is doing great! I needed recommendations but a little back story first:
I've had gastritis with symptoms for 6 years, starting when I was 14 and I'm now almost 20. I've seen 3 doctors for this and I've taken Nexium, Prilosec, Dicyclomine, prescribed phospates, probiotics, etc. and I'm currently taking Pepcid. H. Pylori was tested negative and my MRE and breath tests were normal as well as my ultrasound. I've had blood work done for basically everything in the books and I'm clear for Celiac's as well. I've had 2 endoscopy's and colonoscopy's done with a few years in between them, and afterwards I was told there was a lot of inflammation but it seems like my doctor either isn't caring or is just missing a huge part to this that could help cure it.
I've eliminated caffeine and artificial flavors from my diet. My doctor also told me to stay away from spicy foods and fatty foods. So basically I can't eat anything good tasting in my life haha! I've even tried rubbing DiGiZen Synergy on my stomach to get the pain to go away. I also don't smoke or drink alcohol.
I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for any thing else I could do because the pain is so crippling every day, I'm moved to tears and get incredibly nauseous, get gassy (from both ends) and I'm in the bathroom for a very long time.
In addition to the stomach pains and symptoms, I also get very bad chest pains, they have been going on for at least a year now and I could either be running or laying in bed, it will feel like a heaviness and a sharp pain that it hurts to breathe, so I hold my breath until it's over. The doctor said I have PAC's (premature atrial contractions) and that I have so many that I can feel them happening, but I'm also wondering if this at all has a connection to the gastritis?
Has anyone else had any luck with dealing with these symptoms or tests to help diagnose what's really going on?
Thanks in advance!
My suggestion for anyone who hasn't tried it...go to an allergist to see if you can find a culprit that way.
But, don't try new things to fix old...just eliminate. Here's why I say that...
The worst time of gastritis I've ever had (about 3 years ago) was triggered by Metformin. I knew that almonds and almond milk are soothing, so I consumed a lot of almond milk. About a month later (after an endoscope indicating food allergy and then getting allergy tested) I found out that I'm VERY allergic to almonds. I had been drinking cups of almond milk and eating handfuls of almonds, making my condition so much worse. (I also found out I'm allergic to tree nuts... and had no idea as my allergies have evolved since childhood.)
Gluten is not always the enemy...the best thing I tolerated was well-cooked pasta, coated in garlic-infused olive oil. Since I hadn't eaten anything in days/weeks, it tasted amazing. Cooked, pasta made from refined wheat (not whole wheat) is very soothing to the stomach. If you try veggies, COOK them. The fiber will hurt if it's not cooked. Stay away from broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage because they release gases (smells like sulfur when you cook them) so they hurt.
It took weeks to heal, so don't get discouraged. The only thing that ever seemed to help was Lomotil for some reason...and I didn't even have diarrhea.
A year ago, I tried a new supplement without thinking...(DoTerra vitamins) and there was something in it that tore me up. (Of course, it didn't happen suddenly and by the time I was in bad shape, I had a hard time figuring out what caused my demise.) I was dehydrated from unstoppable diarrhea. And the gastritis was awful...again. I realized at that point consuming essential oils or random substances (some green coffee bean extract or something else random in it) wasn't a good idea. I healed again...and it took weeks. Again.
After a year of "all good" my lovely gastritis has returned. I've been on a fitness kick...and I need to eat a lot of protein. I've been trying to supplement with protein shakes. And, I've been taking Josh Axe's chicken bone broth powder because chicken bone broth is so good for the gut, right? But, here's what I just learned this week: It's not for me. I just stumbled on some understanding about glutamine (the amino acid that really may help boost muscle growth). It's complex, but bottom line...you can OD on glutamine AND some of us may have more glutamine receptors that make OD'ing more likely. What does an overdoes feel like for me? Awful gastritis...and dizziness...and spaciness...and some depression. But worst of all - the raging gastritis. Guess what has the highest amounts of glutamine in it? Chicken bone broth. So, now I'm avoiding ALL foods with glutamine in an effort to restore balance to my poor body. I am SOOO hopeful that this is it. If this is the case, I need to always be careful about this amino acid piling up in my body.
In the meantime, I will NOT be adding anything new to my diet for a while and if I do, I will do it with great caution. I definitely recommend this to anyone else who's dealing with gastritis. Every body is different and for me many foods that normally help people (chicken bone broth, almonds, any nut milks, etc) hurt me. Log your food and be persistent. Don't worry so much about doctors once you rule out serious diseases and check for allergies. Why? Because only you will know how to experiment. And, that's how I look at it to keep my sanity - it's an experiment about my body. You CAN do it - I've done it three times now. I won't be upsetting the apple cart in my diet again for a long time.
I hope this helps some of us... unless you have celiac or a wheat allergy, check out the cooked pasta (do rice if you want) and warm it in garlic-flavored olive oil. Chefs call it Spaghetti aglio e olio (but don't add parmesan or red pepper flakes). Avoid dairy (since it typically provokes an inflammatory response). Avoid grilled meats. Just eat bland food for a while...Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. Keep your fats low. But, fish and avocados (if you already eat them) can be soothing. I'm eating tuna steak tonight. Just had a half an avocado while typing this. mmmmm. Try to enjoy the simplicity without freaking out. You'll get there...you're just in the middle of your experiment.