Gastritis - Constant severe stomach pain

Hi Jenny

I was diognosed with Gastritis 4 years ago now. I can generally manage my flare ups now but this has taken me all this time to get there. I still have my bad days (today for one as I was sick in the night last night and I am now in agony) I know how you feel it is extremely upsetting as the pain is so awful. 

I have been taking lanoperazole now on a regular basis for a while. At first like you say it did  nothing, but now I take one a day in the morning and this normally sets me up ok. However alongside taking my tablets I have had to extremely manage my diet, cutting out alcohol (for me one of the worst triggers) spicy foods, less breads and pasta, no fizzy drinks, some fruit juices, lots of fruit. 

I am in a place now where it is more manable but unfortunately this is something I have for life so I have to learn to work around it in order to keep away from the pain and upset it causes. I hope you can learn to control yours more as I remember being in your shoes. Also I did notice that taking probiotics helped me significantly as they help to manage the bacteria in your stomach. 

Emma 

Hi Jenny,

Thank you for keeping this thread alive for a long time.. I will say that I've had just about all the same experiences and issues with my stomach as alot of people who have posted  here. I had this pain for many years (possibly 10 years) at the time up until about 2009 when I figured out what was going on, it didn't start off too bad but it got progressively worse over the years to the point where it was unbearable at times. Here's my story that might help some:

I've been overweight for most of my life to the point where I believe I am considered 'obese' - strike 1. I also smoked occassionally (a pack a week) - strike 2 and I also drank on weekends probably more than I should have - strike 3. I tried all the stomach medicines and they really didn't help, I started eating bland foods and that helped a little but didn't make the problem any better.

When I went to a Gastroenterologist early in the 2000's he diagnosed me with Gastritis but my blood results were a little off. I went through dozens of tests and was eventually diagnosed with Fatty Liver which meant 1 of 2 things - I was overweight (clearly I was) OR it could be the onset of Liver disease. Because of my age at the time it was more likely to be my weight than Liver disease so 'I was cleared', at least in my mind and I was less worried about my stomach pain because it wasn't as bad early on.

A few years go by and my stomach is  worse - I had been going back to the Dr. but he kept insisting that I lose weight before doing a biopsy - I would lose a little weight and it would show improvement but he couldn't clear me for sure.

Then one day I found out that my cousin needed a liver transplant (death was around the corner as she kept is a secret) so as any relative would do I went to the doctor to see if I was an eligible donor - I don't remember if they said I wasn't eligible because I was overweight or because of the fatty liver but it was upsetting to say the least.

I used this as a catalyst to change my lifestyle, I can tell you with 100% certainty giving up smoking, losing 80lb's (enough where I was still overweight but not obese) and scaling back my drinking was the end all cure all.. I went back to a new doctor when I moved to a different house and had a perfect physical and never a stomach problem in the 2 years since I change my habbits. 

Unfortunately I've gained alot of weight back, started smoking occasionally again and enjoy myself in a few drinks on the weekend and now my stomach probems are back - possibly with a vengeance which is why I'm searching onling again for any remedies that I can find. There are other causes to stomach problems - stress, being out of shape, the list goes on but I believe 90% of chronic stomach problems can be controlled with lifestyle changes.. I know for myself I have to live with my stomach issues until I bring back my good habbits.. it's not an unknown to me, it's reality that I accept.

If I didn't experience the pain and then the cure of the pain there is no way anyone would have convinced me that my bad habbits at the time were causing my issues. Those 4 cigarettes that you're having a day would put me in bed with so much pain. For someone else it might be the tea or the coffee, being overweight, alcohol consumption, too much food, spicy food or a combination of these things. Until you give up everything that your doctors says to give up then you are consciously making a choice to live with this pain.

 

Hello Jenny and all,others,

I live in the US and I have had thebsame problem. Bad stomach pain , swelling in stomach, sick to my stomach like a saw in my stomach, I dont eat much, never smoked a day in my life and dont drink alchol.my pain has been on going on for years now. I het frustrated with the drs. they look at you like there dumb founded.Every test in the book. Iam afraid to eat. When I do eat I eat bland. I do have Lupus. But you give me bone pain, joint pain or any other pain I can take it, however what ever this stomach pain is, it is very hard to live with , I too am upset with what to do.

 

Hi All

I know this may be very late for some of you but I suffered for years with bad pains to my stomach and eventually my imune system was effected. This was after 8 - 10years of various problems numerous tests and treatments. 

I descovered I had an alergy to YEAST not wheat. This, I was told by a professional is extreemly rare and told me I was would not be. I then took a blind food test and sure enough the results were positive I was alergic to YEAST. It is in many foods and the reaction is made worse with  sugar taken near the same time. One intake of yeast can cause pain for over two weeks and can react to a wide range of foods.

I take ceterizine found in hayfever tablets if I feel any pain coming on and this helps relieve the swelling and pain. If I do not catch it quick enough the pain can go on much longer. Slippery elm has always helped but not prevented or made it go totally away.  I have cut YEAST out of my diet all together in the last 5 years and this has been brilliant - I had forgoten what feeling well was. 

This is overlooked by so many people but I think it is much more common than we know. Yeast is in bread, beer, lager, wine etc but is is in many foods as a preservative.

I discovered my food alergy because my mother in law was a chief and took my diet right back to veg only then added this and we recorded my reaction. I took me a long time to convince the doctors to test me but after years of problems and months of me telling them it was food they tested me. Then after having this confirmed by the local hospital I am now much better as long as I whatch what I eat. 

I hope you all make some progress as I am only too awear of how debilitating, depressing and upsetting it can be.  

 

Hi i am also going through exactly the same have been to the doctors loads of times took all sorts of tablets and been in hospital but stll comes and goes its like a nervous stomach!!!! Only thing i havnt really done is change my diet which i maybe should try and stop drinking tea

Hi guys,

I stumbled upon your thread whilst trying to research my illness a bit more.

im sorry to hear that you are all suffering, but if it helps I understand, I also understand the frustration.

my problems began 3 years ago.  I have the agonising pain, severe acid, (this got so bad it actually burnt a layer if skin off my tongue), I hadn't had a solid poo in over 2 years, was vomiting and pooping blood, lethargic all of the time and was in a state of confusion 70% of the time. I was eventually sent to a specialist who was convinced I had crohns.  I had the endoscopy and colonoscopy and they found that I had chronic gastritis and diverticulitis.  I was put on omeprazole, but to no avail, I am now on pantoprazole and find that the side effects are awful!! 

I am visiting the doctor again this week.  Just feel so frustrated, people who do not experience this have no idea just how much it impacts on every day life! 

So fed up! 

X

I use a bit of licorice extract in a tisane w/ some propolis and it seems to sooth the pain. I have reason behind it. But I would be glad if it gave someone else the same relief and would love to know if it helps other or if its me.  Same goes for Aloe &Turmeric.Thanks

I have being suffered GERD for almost 2 months and have not recovered yet.I feel persistaent pain on stomach,While I am walking or after eating,I feel very disconfort in chest and my abdoman is bloting start from chest.I feel musule strain & fullness .I had done Endoscopy last month and h pylori virus  is negative and biosy result is normal.Doctor just found some acid spots on stomach ,meaning stomach ulcer.I take dexlansoprazole 60mg every morning as doctor's instructions, I have done ultrasound on upper and lower abdoman for for pelvis area ,kidney,liver and pancreas. All are nomal.I stay alone in Singapore and I am working as IT engineer. How to survise with this pain ? What shall I do? I need some mental strength. Do you all have any experience with this kind of pain ? Any suggestion ? How to overcome this situaton?