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1194973 tn?1385503904

A few questions

I was diagnosed with Gastritis, Erosive Esophagitis Class A, and am also awaiting the ultrasound/biopsy results to see if there's any problems with my gallbladder/liver (blood test showed elevated Bilirubin levels) or if I have Celiac disease. He's also checking to see if the Gastritis is due to H. pylori. I was prescribed Omeprazole to try and help with it, and was wondering how well it does to actually treat this. I was also curious if there's really anything I should avoid. In terms of drink I only have water, but almost all foods cause extreme abdominal pain, in addition to nausea/vomiting. In addition to this I've had weight loss, lack of appetite, and hiccups after eating. Pregnancy seems to have made these worse, as I only suffered minor acid reflux prior to this. My main questions are mainly, hope well does the body respond to PPI--does it depend on how severe the case is? Is this also just something you treat and it's better, or do you just have to keep using drugs to mask the symptoms. I have another appointment this Monday and will also be asking all these questions then, but until that point I'm just trying to learn a little more about it.
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1194973 tn?1385503904
Well I'm quite familiar with anti-nausea meds, especially Phenergan and Zofran. I took Phenergan 4 times a day for 7 months while pregnant due to extreme weight loss, nausea and vomiting. I've tried Zofran as well and it does nothing for me. I've not been on them since I delivered only because I've not found a need quite yet. I imagine if I asked I could get it again though.

I tried an elimination diet as well with few results. I only drink water (I detest the taste of soda, coffee, tea, juice, and any other form of drink) so there's nothing to cut out there. I am also lactose intolerant so I have already eliminated dairy from my diet. As a result I take a supplement in addition to my one a day because I nurse. I followed a GERD diet for 4 months and made little progress. I also self diagnosed myself with Gastritis before it was officially diagnosed (everything pointed to it) and tried to find a trigger for it, but there isn't one. It's all foods at this point. It used to be hot/greasy/fatty foods, but now I can't even eat broth without being sick. PPI's are the only option I have left in addition to working on my diet still. The benefits are outweighing all risks. I have a 6 month old and am a SAHM. If I'm sick, she suffers for it and I can't do that to her. I think what I'm going to try next is a Gluton free diet and see how that works.
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681148 tn?1437661591
If nausea is your main concern, more than the burning itself, you could consider using an anti-nausea medication such as Phenagren.  The generic is called Promethazine.  I have to use it for multiple reasons, as nausea is one of my "constant companions" due to multiple health issues.  I have gastro issues and migraine issues and the two issues collide often, so I totally understand the nausea issues.

I do think Zofran is a better anti-nausea medication, but even though the generic is actually now available, my insurance doesn't cover the cost of this medication without being a cancer or dialysis patient.  The out-of-pocket cost at my pharmacy is still cost prohibitive.  However, I have been made aware that if you can afford out-of-pocket costs at places such as Costco or Sam's club, the generic of Zofran is much more affordable there for some people than for me.  It is worth knowing about if you experience a lot of nausea.  I most definitely do have more than my share.  

As with you, my experience with PPI's has included more nausea than without the PPI's.  Also, most doctors don't tell people that long-term use of PPI's is a very bad idea.  Making dietary changes is definitely a much safer bet.  With me, as I do have confirmed gastritis as well as GERD, I do sometimes have the burning.  However, with dietary changes, I don't usually have as much as I did at one time--even without the use of PPI's.  So, I know from experience that diet changes do help.  Since I have discovered food sensitivities are a part of my GI issues, as I learned from a friend with a similar laundry list of health issues, I learned that antihistamines, such as Benadryl, actually do help with any residual burning I have from the GERD that I sometimes get even when I am on track with my diet concerning the food sensitivities and such.

Many of your issues do sound similar to mine.  Zantac (Ranitidine) doesn't help me either.  In fact, it makes my issues worse than not taking any medication.

Try a food elimination diet.  First, eliminate the foods that the GI already told you to stop, including the drinks such as coffee and caffeine.  Just stop these ones right off the bat.  I know and understand that this much already can be very difficult, but so is feeling crappy.  All the foods that the GI told you to stay away from are also included in the typical elimination diet.  So right away, several items in the typical elimination diet are already removed from the diet.  I still have a scanned list from the naturopath's hand out I was given, so also remove these items from your diet to see if there is any change:  wheat, dairy, soy, corn, citrus, eggs, alcohol, chocolate, obvious sugar, coffee (and all caffeine), peanuts and potatoes.  You may want to eliminate all sources of gluten rather than just wheat and relatives of wheat such as kamut and spelt.  So, this would include barley, rye and oats (not everyone agrees about oats, but you will find out from research that oats are a tricky grain in that they can be contaminated with gluten just by being grown in a field close to wheat, barley, rye, kamut or spelt.  Also, avoid triticale, which most people have no idea what that is, but it is a hybrid of wheat and oats, so definitely avoid that if you have it available in your area.  It is usually rolled like oats are and eaten like oats, in case you're unfamiliar with this grain.  Also, avoid teff, which is the grain Ethiopians use to make Injera bread, their national bread product.  Also, in regards to potatoes, I had to include all the nightshade family.  Tomatoes are in the nightshade family, too.  And, tomatoes are definitely on your list that the GI wants you to avoid.  Well, I found that eggplants (all varieties) and peppers (all varieties) are just as bad for me as tomatoes in how my GERD reacted.  Also, corn is already on the list, but corn is simply terrible for everyone because the majority of corn is also GMO.  Although the agricultural people would love to have you believe that GMO produce isn't harmful, this simply isn't true, because there are far more allergies since GMO was introduced as a common agricultural practice, which is especially common here in the States.  The same is true of soy--the majority is GMO.  And, I have come across people right here on medhelp who are fatally allergic to anything with soy and can't even come into contact with soy.  With it being so widely used and with so much of it being GMO, it is no wonder that it is listed as a common food allergen on the elimination diet.

There are further instructions for the elimination diet, but the first thing that one has to do is to be totally off of all these common food allergens for a minimum of two weeks.  And, with you, since I know what my naturopath told me, as I am a partiularly sensitive person with a multitude of GI issues as well as other issues myself--well, my naturopath had me stay on the elimination diet for six weeks before doing any of the food challenges.  That's when I found that I pretty much have to remain on the elimination diet indefinitely if I want to avoid the severity of symptoms I had prior to being on the elimination diet.

I do think that the elimination diet will help reduce the severity of your GI symptoms.  No, it won't cure, but I know from experience that it will definitely reduce the severity of your symptoms.  So, I know giving this a try is worth it.  However, since you have a baby who is probably still nursing, you have one more person to consider since the baby will be affected if you are nursing.  So--don't attempt this if you are nursing without consulting your doctor.  Also, be sure to include nutritional supplements, such as the ones you were already told to take while nursing.  You may need to take some additional B complex.  

I have no doubt that you need to check your vitamin D levels, too, because my GI symptoms improved when my vitamin D level were raised to where they should be.  I was very sick from the severe vitamin D deficiency.  It nearly killed me.  As I was being treated for vitamin D deficiency, many of my GI symptoms, such as the GERD improved.  I still have some bad issues with IBS-C, but the GERD is so much better and far more manageable even without the use of PPI's, so I do believe this is also worth checking into.  Also, a vast multitude of people in our country are vitamin D deficient, but you have to ask your doctor to check it.  Doctors won't do this unless the patient asks.  If it hadn't been for the naturopath asking me to have my conventional doctor look into my vitamin D levels, I would probably be dead by now.  It really did almost kill me.  If you are vitamin D deficient, your baby likely is, too, since babies are affected in utero by the mother's own condition.  If you're low, the baby most likely is, too, especially since in utero the baby's body is going to try to take what it needs from you.  So, it stands to reason that if you are deficient yourself that your baby will be, too.  This can be remedied, but you have to test it first to find out.  This is one that you should have the pediatrician check out for your baby, too, if the doctor hasn't already done so.

A naturopath or nutritionist can help you understand the rest of the instructions for the elimination diet.  I am positive that you will benefit from an elimination diet.  I am certain it will help reduce the severity of your symptoms.  No, it won't cure.  As, you can see from what I've written about my own case, I am not cured, but the severity has certainly been brought down or reduced to a much more manageable state even without the use of PPI's.
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1194973 tn?1385503904
No. I gave birth 6 months ago and had minor reflux before pregnancy. It made me cough or have hiccups after meals, but I was able to eat anything without pain or nausea. While pregnant I was ill and suffered Hyperemesis. After giving birth I suffered the after effects as my body returned to normal and the hormones left my body. During that time I also had recurring acid reflux and treated it with Zantac and once tried Prevacid but due to undesired side effects stopped taking it. Within a month or so the acid reflux went away, but the nausea and abdominal pain increased. This culminated into a decent amount of weight loss (almost 50 pounds total in 6 months without trying to lose weight--in fact I'm trying to gain weight) in addition to what is starting to look like a problem with my body not being able to absorb proper nutrition. I'm getting random bruises all over my body, and am fatigued even with proper rest. (I know that when you have a child you might suffer sleep deprivation, but my daughter sleeps through the night, and is also sleeping with me, so I don't wake through the night) The nausea and abdominal pain begin shortly after I eat, or might take a few hours. I attribute the sudden pain to the open sores they found in my stomach and throat, in addition to the acid rising with the food. I'd imagine the pain occurring after hours is similar to what you said. Slow digestion. I started on day one of taking the medication, and so far have only had minor abdominal pain and slight nausea. My case seems to be minor as no bleeding was found in the stomach, so I would imagine and hope treatment would repair the damage quickly. I'm just....skeptical that anything will really help that pain. I know the ideas of these and how they work, but I don't know how well people really respond to these things. My doctor has given me 11 scripts-30 pills in each- so I imagine I'm not going to be doing the 'typical' 14 day treatment with these. Does this mean it's something I'll have to take for the rest of my life to deal with?
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Avatar universal
I didn't have nausea, but I did have a lot of discomfort. Yes, that all went away for me. Your nausea might be caused by the high level of acidity in your stomach. I'll explain. Naturally, your stomach is very acidic, but as the contents of your stomach move into the intestines, the acid must be neutralized, because the intestines cannot handle the high level of acid. Well, if your stomach is too acidic, the movement of the food into your intestines slows down considerably. It can leave you feeling nauseated. Now, if this is the reason you feel nauseated, the PPI may help with that. PPIs are relatively safe drugs. There's no harm in at least trying it.

You also mentioned something about pregnancy. Are you pregnant now?
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1194973 tn?1385503904
Did the nausea and stomach pain go away when taking them? The heartburn doesn't actually bother me. It's the constant nausea and my stomach feeling like it's on fire that does.
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Avatar universal
PPI's generally work pretty well at reducing acidity of your stomach contents and therefore reduce heart burn. They reduce the acid levels of your stomach by blocking proton pumps (the more protons, the more acidic). From my own experience, I have gotten relief from them within about 24 hours.
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1194973 tn?1385503904
Thanks. Is there any temporary fixes I can use for now until the medicine starts to kick in? I'm in so much pain, and the nausea is driving me mental. I'm just tired of living with this all day, everyday.
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Avatar universal
I had H-Pylori, and I was told by my gastro, that many people have this bacteria in the stomach and intestines, he explained that the bacteria is held in check by your stomachs good bacteria, when you are treated with any type of anti-biotics, (as in my case) or something happens that destroys the good bacteria, the H-Pylori bacteria runs rampant and causes all these problems and inflames the lining of your stomach, this in turn can lead to ulcers and even stomach cancer if left un-checked, Prilosec and all PPI medications also Supress the Pylori bacteria and ease the symptoms, although they will not cure or get rid of it alone, an MD or Gastro (Once H-Pylori is diagnosed) Will prescribe a ten day treatment, this will include two strong ant-biotics and an Acid Pump Prohibitor (PPI) a higher dose medication like Omeprazole or Prilosec. One important factor is when they treat you for this condition, they don't advise on how to replace the good stomach bacteria, So what you can do, go to a health food store, and sak for a good 'Probiotic" these are loaded with good bacteria that can improve digestion and releive gas and bloating, which is where most of your stomach pain starts from. you can take probiotics any time even before your treatment begins. Yogurt also contains good culture for your stomach. Good Luck FTB4
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