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Gastroenterology (Expert Forum)
To PM re: Your Gastritis
This forum is for questions regarding Gastroenterology issues such as Acid Reflux (GERD), Barretts Esophagus, Colitis, Colon/Bowel Disorders, Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis, Digestive Disorders, IBS, Stomach Pain.
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To PM re: Your Gastritis
by nanci, Oct 28, 2002 12:00AM
Can you tell me how long you've had gastritis and how many times you've been scoped. You said "just to stay alive". Do you have secondary things going on?
I've been dealing with symptoms for seven years now, correctly diagnosed about four years ago. At first I was treated for Reflux without testing.
I found that Nexium made me worse but everyone is different.
Were you ever diagnosed with Intestinal Metaplasia?
I've been dealing with symptoms for seven years now, correctly diagnosed about four years ago. At first I was treated for Reflux without testing.
I found that Nexium made me worse but everyone is different.
Were you ever diagnosed with Intestinal Metaplasia?
Anyway, I do have Barretts. I was diagnosed with that in April of this year. I have had 3 scopes in the last 2 years. Everything started back in 1996 after taking Naproxen. A GI doc. diagonsed me with HP and put me on the Prevacid/antibiotic pack. That did wonders, but I have never really been the same. 2 years ago was when I started to really have problems. I guess mine is different. When I am at my worst with a lot of burning, I run low grade fevers with muscle and joint pains. If I eat anything outside of bland food I get all these symptoms. Eating small meals does help too. Anyway, it has really been tough. If I didn't have the fever, I am sure this whole thing would be easier. My doctors have hit brick walls and really can't help anymore than what they have. I have had all the test you can imagine and ruled out most everything. One doctor thinks I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and maybe he is right. Maybe my body sees the Gastritis as an infection and it creates an autoimmune response. ??? Who could know? I can't tell you the hours and money I have spent trying to figure this thing out. It is crazy. I keep hoping that I will find someone with similar problems and answers.
Have you had any luck with anything? I have probably tried it all... including Reflexology with a highly noted Reflexologist out of China.
I'm 56 now and have been going through this for what seems an eternity. This may have been something looming for decades because I always remember whenever I drank a glass of wine, my stomach would burn. Even in my 20's and 30's, I always had a hard time drinking alchohol. It was only after my first hushand died when I was 40 that I started having acute symptoms but just ignored them as stress.
My joints too ache, especially when I have symptoms.
I wonder if your gastritis is a side effect of GERD. Have you done any research on this?
Some of the things I've tried are drinking aloe juice; chewing DGL tablets; making smoothies in the AM; soothing teas; long walks. If I'm really bad, I'll take two OTC acid blockers before bed. BUT, what works for me may not help you. I only take Prevacid now, Nexium and Protonix did not help me.
Let me know if I can help in anyway - 31 is really young. Are you seeing a gastrointerologist?
If there is a teaching or university hospital in your area, call and ask for their gastrointerologist department and then ask for a referral. Once you get that app't, take a copy of your pictures, reports, etc with you.
I just spent two days getting this all together to take for a third opinion at a hospital that's at least 1 1/2 hours away.
I couldn't take Nexium at all, it actaully made me worse. I'm sort of on a merry-go-round myself trying to figure out what works an what doesn't.
How were you diagnosed and what type of doctor are you seeing?
-Jenn
Wish I could say I'm doing good but I'm not. I have total discomfort and burning whenever I eat anything. It's below the breastbone and is downright uncomfortable but the funny thing is I'm always hungry, I mean I'm eating non-stop and packing the pounds on. Just got back from the gym here at work and I even think that bothers me. Have this terrible taste in my mouth constantly. And, am I ever cranky! I wonder what happened to those precious few weeks when I was feeling pretty good! My husband mentioned the fact that the weather is turning which is suppose to be a bad time for people with gastro problems.
Keep me posted on your doctor's visit and how you make out. I know you have a few things going on but at least you feel better. Haven't seen any of Karen's postings, hope she's okay!
I have no idea if there's a history of this in my family, but I'm pretty positive there isn't. When they found out I had it, nobody knew anything about what it was. I was diagnosed by my sister's ear, nose, and throat specialist. I finally talked my GP into refering me to someone (I really didn't care who at that point, just someone else) and he sent me to him cuz I kept losing my voice. Turns out all the acid aspirating onto my vocal cords kept burning out my voice. I can still talk, but it's very soft. I am unable to raise my voice except for very short periods of time, like for one sentence, and then I can't talk for about an hour afterwards.
After that my GP just kept throwing more and different pills at me, until he ran out of ideas. Then he sent me to a gastroenterologist at the beginning of this year. I only saw the guy a few times before I moved, and he put me on Nexium. He was good, though. He has GERD too. My GP's a jerk.
I always seem to have trouble with food. I'm never hungry anymore, so I have to force myself to eat. I didn't eat for almost 2 days once before I remembered make myself eat. I haven't been hungry for about a year. That's not typical, is it?
As far as hunger, when I was at my worse, I hardly ate. If you have a blender, smoothies are very helpful. Just toss in alittle skim milk or soy milk, some fruit like bananas, apples, a container of yougart, some ice and blend away. After a few days, I actually felt better. Try eating small meals several times a day, toast, soap, sandwiches like turkey or tuna. I was not hungry but I made myself eat even if it took me an hour to finish a piece of chicken.
You'll find, even with going to a specialist, most doctors can't offer much help and I find that I have to be my own doctor adding and eliminating medication or foods that work or don't work. Read postings from Concerned Lady who often posts the do's and don'ts and how to self help for GERD. You should definately try DGL tablets, especially if your throat is sore. You can buy these at any health food store.
This morning, I decided to stop taking medication - I haven't been doing well for a few weeks and the meds I'm taking apparently are not helping so I decided to stop to see if this is the reason I feel poorly - in some cases, meds can make you feel worse instead of better.
Hope this helps, do some research and don't get discourgaged - there is help for you. It seems every other person I know has GERD - my best friend's hubby has GERD and Barretts and he is doing fine. It's a long haul but with the right doctor and right course, you'll get there.
I am a little more under the weather than usual. Like Nanci I have had a huge appetite and it has been hard to control myself. Now, I am paying the price. I missed several nights of sleep due to burning and joint pains. I probably had a fever, but I never checked it. Anyway, as always, I am hanging in there. : )
Nanci thanks for your response. DGL didn't help me at all, but then everybody is different. I am a health nut, so I do walk as much as my body will allow me. I sometimes ride my bike also. I take fish oil everyday. I do think that it and Probiotics may have helped my lower problems. To answer your question about seeing a GI doctor. Yes, I have seen several. I think they are all stumped.
To the 19 yr. old - sorry I forgot your name. I no longer feel sorry for myself. 19 is far too young. I agree with everyone else. You out of all us should have the best chance of defeating or at least controlling this. Find a good GI doc and let him do what it takes to help. I see my mistakes now and wish I could change them. I have had to learn the hard way. Here are some tips for the acid reflux.
- stick to small meals (easier said than done)
-If you are having a bad day, avoid acidic and hard to digest foods, such as red meat (by the way I haven't been able to eat red meat in over 2 yrs.) Even lettuce can be hard to digest.
- Don't run or lay down after eating. I wait at least 3-4 hrs. after eating dinner to go to bed. It really sucks and I understand what you mean about friends not understanding. This thing can control and consume your life if you aren't careful. My husband and I had to see someone to help us get through this. He use to complain about having to wait on my medication schedule before we could eat and then he would also complain about not be able to eat out at certain places. He was a real jerk, but I knew I had to take care of myself or suffer the consequences. Don't worry about what others say. You do what it takes.
- avoid aspirin, but if you must take it- take it on a full stomach.
- eat healthy and avoid a lot of fat and grease. They all take longer to digest. It is hard to give up some of these things, but I know I would rather feel better.
Keep us posted.
-
Great idea for the smoothies, but I don't have a blender. I just moved out on my own for the first time and am still trying to set up my own home. It's exciting! I always eat small meals, and I try to eat frequently. It takes me an awful lot longer to finish a meal than any of my roomies, for example.
I've noticed that there wasn't too much that my docs could tell me that I didn't already know about GERD as I always did lots of my own research. I even entertained the idea of becoming a specialist in this area when I went to university. What exactly are DGL tablets? There's a health store right by my apartment, so I might go there sometime.
Sometimes I don't take my pill in the morning when I feel really good, but not often because more often than not I am in serious pain by the end of the day. I had quite a few different meds before Nexium, and one med that I took for 3 months made me nauseous 24/7. I felt like I was going to throw up for 3 months straight, but I never did.
I still have trouble visioning this as my life forever. I know on a conscious level that this will never go away, but I'm refusing to acknowledge it. I think I'm still in denial, but I guess when I moved out and had to take everything with me; meds, hospital bed (6" is too low) and such, it's starting to sink in and I don't like it. I thought I faced up to it years ago already, but I guess not. Any help?