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.
I'm new to this website. My name is Caleigh and I am a 17 year old female. About three months ago I caught a virus that was going around my school district and it lead to these horrible stomach problems. I have been constantly having nausea, upper stomach pain going to my chest, bad acid reflux, bloating, gas, bad indigestion, and a severe loss of appetite and severe weight loss. I have lost 30 pounds in three months and I was already skinny before all this! I have tried so much from white rice to squash to oatmeal. Nothing seems to be settling on my stomach and doesn't cause indigestion and/or nausea and/or acid reflux. I am vegan and I am allergic to dairy. I have been eating gingerbread pancakes for breakfast which doesn't seem too bad if I don't eat too much at once, which I never can. For lunch and dinner I have been eating brown rice with broccoli, kale, spinach, cabbage, and a little tofu and pumpkin seeds and some saltines. Whatever I eat I can only eat a couple bites before I get horrible indigestion/nausea/bloating/acid reflux. It's really hard for me to eat and drink a lot in a day, which is why I lost so much weight. A friend of mine who is a nurse said it sounds like I have gastritis and the GI doctor that I went to said it too, so I'm having an endoscopy done on January 12. Until then, I would like some advice on what would be good to eat and drink that would be settling on my stomach and also help me get the proper nutrients I need. I take 2 gummy multivitamins day (Women's Alive! with 26 vitamins), a vitamin B-12 gummy, a fiber gummy, a vegan probiotic supplement, Omeprazole one hour before I eat dinner, one DGL Licorice 20 minutes before lunch and one 20 minutes before dinner (the bottle says to take two but I'm afraid two plus the Omeprazole would cause a bad reaction), Tums throughout the day, 1 tsp of liquid minerals that my nurse friend gave me, and today I bought marshmallow root extract drops and took 12 drops in 2 oz of water, and I bought slippery elm lozenges and herbal Reflux Relief tablets that have aloe and marshmallow root. I am very holistic, homeopathic, herbal, all natural. Can anyone please help me??
I was supposed to have my endoscopy on Monday but it was sowing bad and it made the roads slippery (I live in New York), so we had to postpone it until next Monday. I haven't been too bad the past week or so. I only had two or three bad nausea situations. The first was because I think I ate a little too much lunch. Then, yesterday I either I either ate my breakfast too fast and it caused me extreme nausea and indigestion or it may be that I've been eating too much sunflower seed butter at once. I was told to eat sunflower seed butter to help me gain and also because it is a little more easily digestible than peanut butter. It hasn't seemed too bad but maybe I'm eating a little too much at time and it's causing me issues. Has anyone else had issues with sunflower seed butter? Also, I got Pepzin GI in the mail yesterday and took one before bed. I was told to take it twice and wait an hour before and/or after I eat. Also, has anyone found relief with coconut water?
Thank you!
Caleigh :)
I don't eat sunflower seed, but I eat almond butter, I eat sunflower seeds in between meals.
Do you have access to a naturopath dr, she gave me herbs to take that helped with my aniexty, and enzenges pills to take before each meal, to help with your digestion.
Glad your feeling better.
I do have have a naturopath doctor near me but she is really expensive and my family can't afford it right now. Do you find that the coconut water and almond butter are soothing? What herbs do you take that help with anxiety and what are ezenges pills?
Thank you!
Caleigh :)
My natrapath is expensive too, but my insurance covers most of it. She gives me this little bottle that's called UNDA 1001, it has numerous herbs like valerian, thymus, it's helps with anxiety and nervous exhaustion, it helped me a lot, especially to control my blood pressure, when I would get anxious my pressure would rise from the stress of my illness. Another bottle she gave me was UNDA 9 that helps with relaxation. There is a small amount of alcohol in the solution but I take with water one before bed or when I'm really stressed out and can't calm down.
In June when i had my first visit I was in bad shape with gastritis, she put me on a digestive enzenge called Similase sensitive stomach made by Integrative, it has no Protese in it which can be very irritable. I have trouble swallowing large capsules, so I open one and mix with a very small amount of water, cause drinking any amounts of liquids during meals disrupts the digestive system.
If you google UNDA 1001 and UNDA 9 you can buy on Amazon. I also take Domperidone because I have gastroparesis. And Pepzin GI and I take Pepcid 20 mg twice a day, I stopped my PPI 2 months ago it, I was on it long enough, when I started Pepzin, I was able to stop PPI.
gas X is a good thing to take after meals if there is any gas or heartburn, I like the one you put on you tongue and it dissolves. Dr OZ had a show about how good Gas X helps with acid build up and it lasts for hours. Where tums only give you relief for a strong time.
If you want you can email me and I'll help you any way I can, since I believe I the natural remedies with meds and foods.
Hope you are feeling better.
Gas X and Mylanta both have the active ingredient Simethicone which helps with bloating and heartburn.
I worry about taking anything with aloe, it can to harsh to your stomach.
The enzenges I take have marshmallow root and slippery elm in it.
Just take it slow. The stomach is the hardest organ to heal.
Thank you! :)
Are you in school? Do you bring your lunch or eat school food?
google "tcm stomach/spleen emotions" every person who suffers from stomach problems is an overthinker/worrier/pensive - and i would personally add that there is often times an ocd element also.
this is not a bad thing. until it affects our digestion. for some people, the gastritis is a secondary issue to some other larger issue (a lot of times you will find that there is an anger/resentment (liver) issue, grief (lung), fear (kidneys), and overstimulation/hyper (heart) issue that comes first. some people are just natural worriers also.
you are 17 - this should be the best time of your life - you should not be having to deal w/ a health related issue.
find a professional who can help you get back home to the healthy young person that you are. maybe you are first born type a overachiever (i can relate), or maybe you had a traumatic experience in your earlier years. find a healthy way to heal. otherwise you are going to end up a 45 year old middle aged grandma w/ stomach problems! :) good luck!
You're saying that some emotional problem could be causing my gastritis or at least making it worse? Honestly, stress is a big problem in my house. My dad is horrible. He causes stress on me, my mom, and my little brother. He hates my mom and I and he wants to see me suffer even if he claims he cares and he always tries to get my mom arrested. He is always putting us down and verbally, mentally, and emotionally abusing us. He has a lot of health issues, more than a lot of people I know, that may be causing him to act like this. Maybe it's just his personality. I don't know, but my parents fight almost constantly. I know that stress definitely makes gastritis worse. Could that be why the burning in my upper stomach returned the past couple days?
Thank you!
Caleigh :)
because you are in the middle w/ regards to your parent's issues - i urge you to reach out to someone you trust who can help you find a healthy, effective way to cope w/ the discord in your home. start w/ your school counselor, or pastor (if that is where you're comfortable) i would even reach out to mom and dad if that is possible - or talk to someone in your family who can be an advocate for you. but do not dismiss the effect this is having on you. it is not your fault. and your mother and father may not even realize the damage that gets done - they are hurting too - but that does not give your dad the right to harm you and your little brother or mom.
you may find some answers here: https://teenlineonline.org/ask-teen-line/ take care of yourself - always. you may find this website useful too http://holisticonline.com/stress/stress_home.htm
We 're here for you too.
Thank you!
Caleigh :)