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Gastritis diagnosed but PPI's not working

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cath24183
cath24183

Just wondered if anyone else who's been diagnosed with mild gastritis is having problems with PPI's not helping? Had upper endoscopy 2 weeks ago and been taking PPI's since then, but if anything feels like its getting worse! 

Symptoms originally started 5 months ago and now the dull, burning ache is just constant and also along with constant back ache it's really getting me down. Only relief I get is going to bed and lying down. Does anyone else have this? I'm worried its something more sinister.

 

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  • deb42962deb1960
    deb42962deb1960 cath24183

    Posted

    Hello Cath

    I too have been diagnosed with mild gastritis and found the PPIs made me feel worse so I stopped taking them. To put your mind at rest, why don't you ask your GP to refer you for an abdominal scan? Have you had blood tests?

    d

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    • cath24183
      cath24183 deb42962deb1960

      Posted

      Hi Deb,

      Thanks for the reply, I'm relieved that I'm not the only one.  I've had an abdominal ultrasound and was told all seemed to be ok, gallbladder, etc. However, I don't know if this would have looked at the pancreas as well? I've read lots of stuff online that's scaring me so I will check that with my GP.  Also has blood tests and breath test for h. Pylori and all came back ok. How long have you been suffering?

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    • deb42962deb1960
      deb42962deb1960 cath24183

      Posted

      Hi cath

      I was told I had mild gastritis about 3 years ago now and then a recent endoscopy just said gastritis so I suppose it's moved on a bit from being just mild. I blame a massive amount of stress that I have endured for a very long time. The PPIs made me feel ill so I stopped taking them. My pain is more intermittent but is always there at some time of day. I'm due an abdo scan next week. I've been told that an abdominal scan consists of kidneys, liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Sounds good that your bloods came back all normal. 

      You sound as though you are doing what I would imagine most of us posting on here do and that's Google our symptoms and scare ourselves stupid! I do it all the time, just can't help it.

      Why don't you book an appointment with your GP for as soon as possible, tell the Dr what you think it could be and let the GP put your mind at rest. I think this is the only way you will get true peace of mind. As far as your pain goes, you might find it eases a bit once you are more relaxed.

      i wish you all the best.

      xx

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  • xmaryx
    xmaryx cath24183

    Posted

    From what I've read, if it's something sinister, it won't be relieved by laying down. It can take 4 weeks for gastritis to heal. I wouldn't stop the PPIs. You also have to find out what acidic foods or drinks are irritating it and lay off those until you heal. The ones that get me are fruit, wine, green tea, and coffee unless I stick to low acid varieites like Sumatra or French Roas. 
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  • pinkcatfairy
    pinkcatfairy cath24183

    Posted

    Dear Cath i had gastitis in Dec, well it was a gradual build up to it and it didnt go until the following April, i went from omelrezole to zantac bec after being on the omeprezole for too long it caused me to have a gassy stomach which felt uncomfortable, yes it does seem like forever for it to finally go!
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  • debbie89808
    debbie89808 cath24183

    Posted

    It can take an awful long time for gastritis to heal - I have been suffering for nearly a year despite PPIs and Ranitidine. I also had an H Pylori infection and the antibiotics used flared my stomach up so badly. I am on a very high dose if Omeprazole which works most if the time but I keep getting flare ups with acid and burning despite the medication. I am eating a very bland diet in the hope that it will eventually heal. Its a good idea to nor eat certain acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus fruits which may aggravate it. Keeping a food diary to pinpoint triggers is also useful as different people respond differently to different foods.

    Good luck

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  • cath24183
    cath24183

    Posted

    Thanks all for the responses. Think i just have to accept it's going to take time.  Have to be honest though there doesn't seem to be any food or drink that sets it off, its constant.

    Just one other thing though, did anyone else have the dull ache in the middle to top of the back and between the shoulder blades? This is the real thing thats worrying me but my GP said this can happen. Its there from when i get up in the morning to when i go to bed. Its not painful just always there and annoying!!

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    • debbie89808
      debbie89808 cath24183

      Posted

      Hi Cath

      I get the ache in the back too a lot of the time and it becomes a lot worse in flare ups.  Maybe you need the dose of your PPI adjusting or even a change of PPI - some people seem to do better on one over another.  I am on a very high does of Omeprazole which seems to work most of the time but then out of the blue I have a flare up and I'm back to square one.  Talk about 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.   I follow for the most part a very bland diet of soups and complan with steamed fish and very soft vegetables which seems to help but as soon as I feel a little better I eat something different and everything flares up again.  For some people it can be very nasty and take a long time to clear up.  There are also some natural remedies which may help.

      Also a malfunctioning gallbladder can cause a lot of the same symptoms without their being any stones present.  A Hida scan will tell you how well the gallbladder is actually working - mine was working at only 8% so it had to be removed earlier this year - there were no stones present though and my ultrasound was clear and this greatly delayed my diagnosis.

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    • pinkcatfairy
      pinkcatfairy debbie89808

      Posted

      I had gallbladder problems but no stones showed up, it was only when i had it removed it was found to be infected!, i thought i was going mad as ultrasounds, mri and ct scans didnt show anything but i knew it was my gallbladder at the time.
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    • debbie89808
      debbie89808 pinkcatfairy

      Posted

      Malfunctioning gallbladders are greatly underestimated and when doctors see clear ultrasound scans they think everything is alright.  The pain and suffering from a malfunctioning gallbladder is as bad and in some cases worse than having stones.

      In my case a normal ultrasound caused great delay in me receiving treatment - 3 months to be exact with daily agonising pains.  I thought I was going to go mad too trying to convince doctors that my symptoms were real when they clearly didn't believe me. 

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    • pinkcatfairy
      pinkcatfairy debbie89808

      Posted

      Yes I suffered on and off for quite some time. I knew it was my gallbladder when once one new years eve instead of drinking alcohol which was obviously out of the question at the time I bad full fat milk and i ended up in alot of pain! I knew then it was gallbladder related and after many months of discomfort i asked to have it removed.
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  • k421
    k421 cath24183

    Posted

    Hi! I know I'm late but I wanted to ask how we are now? As I was reading your post I felt like I could have written it. I'm experiencing the exact same thing. I need an endoscopy but it's so expensive. I was diagnosed with gastritis at age 10. No H Pylori history I don't think. Blood work is all normal. No answers sad

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    • Neoison555
      Neoison555 k421

      Posted

      My gastritis started after a couple rounds of antibiotics.. started with nausea then my Dr. Put me on a Ppi with carafate. I then started feeling worse and 2 weeks I had full blown gastritis. Scope confirmed no ulcer. So I went off the ppi and started zantac with bad side effects. So the specialist put me back on ppi nexium and things started to look better with brats diet. But then it's slowly getting worse each day. I was reading that ppi drugs can in some causes cause gastritis. So you keep taking the ppi to keep from getting an ulcer but slowly it just gets worse. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster of better days and bad days. Taking the ppi Capsule apart and lessening the dose does sound like a good way to taper off but fearing a major gastritis attack. Carafate also keeps me awake all night. I get 2-4 hrs each night.

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    • ProtonStar
      ProtonStar Neoison555

      Posted

      Hi

      Just wondering how you're getting on? I see you posted this thread 6 monthes ago.

       I had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy 5 days ago and they found gastritis with some bleeding. 

      Your post got me though because I'm 100% convinced that my condition has developed after taking ppis (for just 6 weeks). 

      I started taking ppis for reflux back in May time was on them for 6 weeks and had no choice but to stop due to the abdominal cramps and diarrhea. I thought stopping would help but stopping didn't do anything! I've suffered ever since and I never had any stomach issues before then. I'm waiting for my biopsies to come back now but I'm terrified of what I've done to my stomach! 

      Everything I read seems to recommend taking ppis to fix gastritis but what do you do if it caused it?! 

      Sorry to hear you were suffering. What has your experience been? Are you any better now? 

      Angela 

      ProtonStar

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    • esthi4711
      esthi4711 ProtonStar

      Posted

      I fell exactly like you, Angela. I was prescribed PPI two years ago for suspected silent reflux. Two weeks into taking it, I got intense stomach pain radiating into the back, never had such pain before. stopped taking medication, pain got more tolerable but never went. GP said pain was probably coincidental to cause the pain and put me on another PPI. Again, after about two weeks, same intense pain, stopped medication. Rnitidine did not help much either. Same thing after trying a third type of PPI. Pain also made me feel nauseous plus I got too loose stools making me lose too much weight. MRI was normal. Endoscopy of stomach showed two benign polyps and gastritis, probably medication-induced so the consultant said initially assuming I regularly take aspirin or ibuprofen which I did not. He then said, probably stress-related which I find hard to accept as well given the low stress level I have. I cannot help thinking the PPIs caused it. Since then, I still get flare ups of this stomach/back pain (luckily not as intense anymore) mainly long after eating/empty stomach. Feels like my gastritis has never really cleared up despite all the careful eating. Need to see the doctors again.

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    • esthi4711
      esthi4711

      Posted

      corrections: GP said PPI and pain onset was probably coincidental. Ranitidine, not rnitidine.

      esthi4711

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