Gastritis..? H.Pylori..? Ulcer..? All in my head..? :(
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Hello, my names Andy. I'm 22, 6ft 1", 12 stone (last time I was weighed -5 months ago I think) I don't drink alcohol at all, I don't ever eat spicy food & I think in all my life I've smoked about 3 cigarettes the last one being on new years eve 2011. I also have Ulcerative Colitis, I was diagnosed with that via colonoscopy in October 2012, however I've lived with the symptoms on and off for the last 4 years. Other than that I'm fine... well not recently anyway.
It all seemed to start about just over a month ago when I was stressed out and nervous about almost everything in my life. I started missing the occasional meal, or eating one at an odd time or too late. I've always eaten a lot, not too much, but a lot. My diet has never been top notch, but I wouldn't say it was awful.
Anyway I was getting stressed about things in late August and like I said my eating habits were thrown wildly off for about a week. But then it became two weeks & then three And before I knew it I was feeling sick,nauseous and weak. I had a heavy feeling stomach and couldn't bring myself to eat much. My stomach would complain that I wasn't eating and I would get really bad hunger rumblings that would be quite nauseating, but then if I did eat something I would feel sick.
I found myself in the doctors and her diagnosis was stress induced Gastritis, which I had never heard of before. I wasn't really told too much about Gastritis, but I was told to basically try and de-stress myself & get myself eating again. I was also given some tablets called Lansoprazole(?) I was supposed to have one a day, which I did. So I took all 28 of them and have now been off them for about 5 days.
I feel as though the Lansoprazole didn't do much, if anything at all. After having been on them for a week I ended up back in the doctor's office for a follow up to see how I was doing. At that point I was more or less eating again, (still not my normal amount though) and my stomach didn't feel too bad anymore. So my doc said "ok well finish the course of tablets and you should feel better" and that was that.
I didn't really manage to "de-stress" in the end, if anything I was getting more stressed. I ended up looking up Gastritis on the internet, which I will say right now was a mistake I ended up reading about stomach cancer among other stuff.
On top of this constant nausea,to make it all a little worse I had stopped taking my Mesavant tablets for my Colitis because of a silly fear that the combination of those and the Lansoprazole would make me feel ill. So for about a week or two I've had a slight flare up of my Colitis
Anyway I have not been on the lansoprazole now since last friday. My stomach still hates me and I've been feeling nauseous pretty much every day. I've made myself take my Mesavant Colitis tablets again but I know from experience that that SHOULD clear up in a week or two. I have been much better with my eating habits, I've made myself eat even though I haven't always wanted to. I've eaten more this week than I think I did all last month. However I ended up having an emergency appointment with my doctor on monday morning I got up, felt more or less alright, had some cornflakes and before I knew it, it was as if my stomach had grown a fist and was trying to get out of my body. It was the most discomfort I've felt since this all started so I was in a bit of a panic to say the least.
Another thing to point out is that I have noticed an odd sensation this week. And that is that when I feel hungry, my stomach seems to struggle gurgling. Its hard to explain My stomach doesn't seem to rumble as much anymore, but if it does it is VERY "deep" and it feels rather more horrible than it used to normally. Also I've not been burping as much as I used to (if that's relevant at all), even though a lot of the time it feels like I need to burp. When I DO burp however its always a small pathetic one that doesn't relieve anything
Anyway I told my doctor about how the lansoprazole gave me a bit of relief, but my appetite wasn't great still. I said that I had nausea still and a heavy feeling in my stomach and that I couldn't seem to notice a pattern. By that I mean I can't tell if my stomach is aggravated by certain foods etc. I told her that I hadn't been taking my Colitis tablets & I more or less got told off rightly so I think in a way, I've just made things a little worse for myself
My doctor gave me some anti-emetics I think they're called Cyclizine(?) I've been on 2 or 3 of those a day since Monday. I think they've given me peace of mind if nothing else. The Doc booked me in for some blood tests which were taken today. The results should come in by next week apparently. My doctor is still certain that this is all because I get so stressed out, but I'm going in circles here I have still never vomited throughout this ordeal, which I'm assuming is good...? But this nausea is just crippling me.
I asked my doctor if maybe I needed to cut out dairy or gluten from my diet but she said "no you need to eat" My doctor is lovely but that felt very dismissive of her To be honest though if I DID cut out dairy and gluten I feel like I would be left with nothing to eat
My appetite is pretty much back, but its nothing like it used to be. It's very depressing I have to say. I'm not going out anymore because even walking around seems to make my tummy feel bad. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if I ever got on a bus or a train, I've never really been susceptible to motion sickness before... but then my stomach has never felt like its dying on me before
What I've been left with is a recurring sensation that's like a brick in my stomach in the middle area under my ribs. Whenever I'm hungry my stomach feels too weak to tell me so. But then I'll feel just sort of sickly a little while after eating. I wouldn't say I've been in pain as such, more of a nauseating discomfort. I'm annoyed at myself that I've read through pages and pages of the internet for what might be wrong with me. I know I should trust my doctor, she knows what's up after all, but I'm just a little sceptical since she didn't perform any kind of tests on me, apart from her lying me down and feeling my abdominal region in a few places.
Right now I'm in a horrible position of waiting for my blood tests to come back to me. I don't even know what they are looking for or what they might find? What if hey find something bad? What if they find nothing at all & tell me I'm fine when I might feel no better or worse even? The nurse took about 3 phials of blood out of my arm and I remember the doctor saying they would do a general blood count or something... and look at my liver funcions for some reason..? I don't know. Can Gastritis be confirmed through a blood test?
My doc said she didn't think I had an ulcer, (or cancer). But this H. Pylori thing, (I've done my reading to say the least) If I DO have Gastritis that seems like the only reason to me how I would have it. I've read though that some people have Gastritis/H. Pylori for years and sometimes it might never go away and then could perhaps lead to ulcers which then lead to cancer anyway If I was to feel like this for any more than a few more weeks I feel like my life will be destroyed & I might end up in hospital...
On the other hand I suppose this COULD be all due to anxiety and extreme stress, but I can't seem to make any progress, I'm in a vicious circle & it's upsetting me I miss eating the food I used to eat & I miss not worrying about myself so much I'm sorry this is a ridiculously lengthy post & if anyone has actually read through it all I'd like to say thank you. Perhaps leave me any advice? Or even a kind word or two? I feel like I'm at the end of my tether. If I do indeed have Gastritis, what should I do to help myself? If I have H.Pylori what would that mean for me?
Thanks,
Andy
8 likes, 68 replies
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andy16458
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terry10426
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All the best.
Tel
andy16458
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In short, no they haven't found out what's wrong with me. As is I am still sick. Been ill now for 5 months. I've been getting stomach ache every day now since September and it's getting to be a bit of a joke now. I'm really quite depressed about it. My life is on hold, I haven't seen my friends or even so much as left the house now for a long while. I tried to not let it ruin my Christmas but it spoiled it completely. But my Ulcerative Colitis has stolen the spotlight in the doctor's eyes recently, so ALL their attention has been focused on that. This is part two of my story I guess if your interested:
I actually ended up in Hospital in late November because my Ulcerative Colitis got so bad, I was passing blood INSTEAD of stools, feeling so weak that I was needing to fall asleep for a couple of hours throughout the days. I was eating again but it was just going right through me, I'd become anaemic I think. I was at my Doctors office back in November and she was actually great, she arranged for an ambulance there and then after taking my blood pressure and after seeing how grey my complexion was (also I had to go to the toilet twice when I was with her)
I was in Hospital for just over a week. I was put on a drip of fluids and painkillers and I was stabilized. The doctors took lots of blood out of me and saw that my inflammation levels were really high. I kept bringing up my constant stomach aches, but I've yet to get a straight answer out of anyone. One doctor told me tha it is related to my Ulcerative Colitis (which I don't think is right) One doctor told me that I had a stomach ulcer, but the next one said that I didn't. I'm disappointed with the doctors at my local hospital, I feel like they have just ignored my complaints of stomach aches or just brushed them aside, choosing to focus instead on my Ulcerative Colitis.
When I got to go home I was put on a course of steroid tablets that was supposed to decrease slowly every week starting with 8 tablets a day week 1, 7 tablets a day week 2 and so on. The steroids were supposed to decrease the inflammation in my bowels. However as I entered week 4 when I was supposed to be on 5 tablets a day, I was going to the toilet 10+ times a day, mostly with blood & I was feeling weak and faint again. So I eneded up back in hospital. I think this was about the 18th December. I can assure you I was feeling very festive indeed! *sarcasm*
I was in hospital again for another week where the docs and nurses repeated the process of a drip of fluids and painkillers. According to the blood tests they kept doing I was stabilized again. I was still passing loose and bloody stools though, but it wasn't as extreme as it was before. I got to go home on Christmas Eve, which was nice. I've been at home now since then. I just had to try and ignore my stomach and bowel problems. Its been the worst Christmas ever though, I love eating at Christmas, mums a great cook an she always gets great stuff for us, but this year I couldn't enjoy it.
The difference this time when I got discharged from hospital was that I was on 8 steroids a day for two weeks instead of one. I've been on 7 steroids a day now for a couple of days. My Ulcerative Colitis is still quite bad, but its "under control" if you could call it that. I'm not messing myself like i was before hospital. But I'm scared that when I get up to 5 steroids a day again that they'll wear off again like they did the first time.
I'm on SOOO much medication right now. I'll say right now I don't feel 22, I feel 92. I'm on my steroids, theyre called Predisolone, currently on 7 a day, decreasing by one per week. I'm taking Mezavant XL: 4 a day, Omeprazole: 2 a day, Iron Supplement tablets: 3 a day. I was given a few bottles of Gaviscon for my phantom stomach aches and bloody paracetamol too, the most generic painkiller in the world. I have half a mind to go to my doctor's office and start raging. Nothing is working. and I mean NOTHING. It's a joke. My life has been put on hold because I'm so ill. I've never been this poorly before and I've developed a very negative outlook that this is now my normal state, as in I'm never going to feel alright again Whatever the Hells happened to me has become permanent. somehow and will not go away.
I went to my doctor's office last week for a check up just to see how I was doing. That turned out to be pointless. The doctor told me that the steroids can give people stomach aches HOW STUPID IS THAT. I'm such a mess. So the steroids can give me stomach aches, but I've been having stomach aches daily since before I was on the bloody steroids. I haven't felt normal now since August, I haven't felt good for 6 months, I have lost half a year of my life. A small upside is that I have been eating almost like normal despite the Colitis and stomach aches. It's all become so normal now that I don't care anymore, I'm just eating and putting up with it because nothing makes me feel better.
wkb1972 andy16458
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andy16458 wkb1972
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Anyway I DID post my updated story somehwee below this but I'll just gve you run down to save you finding it all ...in the weeks following my post here I got the works done, a colonoscopy, an endocopy, barium stomach xray everything. I specifically asked them if it was Crohn's. I have a couple of friends who suffer with that & they talked to me about it. And after multiple biopsies from my large intestine & my stomach lining the docs confirmed that it wasn't cancer & I was in fact suffering from Ulcerative Colitis & that I had H.Pylori bacteria in my stomach lining & that was what was causing my daily stomach aches and nausea. Thankfully both things eased off on their own around mid february it was a miracle. I'm due to start treatment to get rid of H.Pylori bacteria this month, a two week program of anti-biotics. I feel liek I'm walking on egg shells where my bowels are concerned tho, my bowel movements have been pretty normal for the last 3 months but i'll have good days and bad days. I'm SO on top of my medication, I'll NEVER slack on it again. I've promised myself to never drink alcohol again, not a big deal as i didnt drink too much anyway & I've made damn good progress with my stress levels. I'm scheduled for another meeting with my doctor this month I believe, just to see how I am. I'm so thankful to be out of the woods.
If you don;t mind Wannetta, as a veteran of coltis, do you have any advice for a rookie like me? Like how do you avoid flare ups? I sthere anything youve found that triggers it for you? I have only concluded that stressful times causes my bowels to get upset, what about you?
Thanks,
Andy
jeri26977 andy16458
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samuel96589
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terry10426
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I really do hope things improve for you mate. Not fair to have to put everything on hold while they figure it out. Keep me informed if you don't mind sharing.
All the best
Terry
michaelsolomon314
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make sure your not being given a placebo which would be putting our health in danger!!! whilst your on ppi's for now take them at the correct time which is 30 to 60 mins before breakfast doing otherwise will reduce lansoprazole's potency by upto 40% typically a 30mg lansoprazole dose 30 mins before breakfast work's best for me although i cheat by ten minutes for me more like 20 minutes before breakfast. cut out orange juice pure or otherwise, tomatoes, black pepper induces acid secretion, you might have problems with gluten and dairy "reduce them and see if your alleviated". i'm going through a bout of suspected gastritis currently dairy bloats and causes nausea until i switched to 1% fat milk although the bloating and nausea have gone down i have a feeling i have a problem with the lactose which there is slightly more of in 1% fat milk. have to go sorry. just one more thing me personally for myself find these experiences G-d puts us through as lessons to be grateful to G-d and remain grateful to G-d, us humans can easily forget the blessings upon us ie enjoying a nice meal without feeling sick or discomfort, i have a feeling some humans not been shown to be grateful would burp off after a meal without any recognition orf G-d's mercy. after suffering from trapped wind through life i have definitely reminded myself to thank G-d after every burp for the relief! don't get me me wrong i'm definitely no saint
but i try to remember to be grateful through reminders. good luck. turn to G-d.
michaelsolomon314
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you said a diet eliminating wheat and dairy would be almost impossible but if you replaced a portion or 2 of wheat for potatoes that would still help a lot! if most of your daily complex carbs come from wheat you will get excessive acidity also in the lower gut. i dreaded boiling a potato a day but it's not hard or time consuming ie boil a sliced 200 gram potato "skin intact for fibre" in 10 to 12 mins, this 200 gram potato should replace wheat equivalent of 2 slices of thick bread. definitely do 1 times 200 gram portion daily but and keep a daily limit of 2 times 200 gram portions daily max well it's kinda working for me. obviously the potato should be part of a balanced meal of carbs, protein and a little fat me personally i used to give a good spray of mayo around 15 grams before the gastritis, i find mayo not too acidic compared to other fats.
andy16458
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I'm still struggling with stomach aches every day. These Omeprazole PPI's don't seem to help me out a damn bit. What's really pissing me off is the fact that I'm also on steroid treatment for my Ulcerative Colitis & apparently steroid treatment can give stomach aches. I'm taking Prednisone & I've overall been on it now for 8 weeks, I'm currently on 6 tablets a day with food, & I'm slowly going down by one every week, (next week starting Wed i'll be on 5 tablets a day)
Some good news is that my Ulcerative Colitis seems to be very gradually calming down after 4 months of a bad flare up. I've stopped passing blood into the toilet & my cramping has subsided significantly in these last few weeks. I've also put some weight back on. It's likely that its just because of the steroid treatment, but it's still a good thing right? I've been eating like my old self again, albeit a little healthier. I just mean I've been eating AS MUCH as my old self.
So what's really my only BIG problem these days is my constant stomach ache that I'm getting every day. The last time I went to see my doctor, he said that he thinks my stomach aches are because of my Ulcerative Colitis... I'm not a doctor, but I was always told that Colitis ONLY affects the large intestine and rectum and nothing else further up. I've been a little worried that maybe I actually have Crohn's but my doctors don't think that's the case.
I've been told time and again that my stomach ache isn't an ulcer and one doctor when I was in hospital told me that the likelyhood that I have stomach cancer is pretty much impossible, his words were something like, "if you had a malignancy in your stomach for 4 months, you would be in pretty bad shape right now, probably dead". The last doctor I saw which was a couple of weeks ago told me that once my Colitis calms down completely and when I'm off the steroids then my stomach aches will stop too, but that honestly felt like a bit of bedside manner.
To be quite honest I'm at a complete loss as to why my stomach has been broken since September. I've not felt nauseous for a long while now, I'm talking November time now. My stomach just ...hurts. Right under my breastbone a dull ache. It doesn't have me keeling over and it doesn't make me feel sick. I haven't been vomiting. It's very vague, but constant. There are some days/evenings where it seems to not be so bad, almost not there, but it always comes back.
I've got an appointment with a Gastro specialist at my local hospital on the 28th of this month. I think I've got a full hour with the guy & this is the dude who was monitoring me when I was in hospital just before Christmas, so he's someone who knows what's going on with me which is good. I'm gonna have a list of questions as long as my arm when I go see him. I think this doc's gonna decide what to do with me at that point, wether to get me a Colonoscopy or a Gastroscopy (or both for goodness sake.) I'm hoping that my bowels just keep on improving over these next 11 days so much so that he won't find it necassary to get me a Colonoscopy, but whatever I suppose, I've had 2 before, 3rd times a charm and all that right?
I'm going to really push him to give me some solid answers about my stomach though. Because all my doctors and nurses and consultants and GP's have focused ALL their attention on my Colitis over the last 5 months, and my stomach aches have been left on the sidelines, when to be honest that's what's giving me the most grief. I can deal with my Colitis to a point, I've been dealing with it for 4 years, but I've never had a stomach ache that's lasted me 5 months.
By the way, I have experienced coming off PPI's suddenly. When I was first ever given them in September I was on Lansoprazole 1 a day half an hour before breakfast like what you said. And I took them for the whole month of September. After that time I think my stomach felt a little better but for about 3 solid days I had the worst heartburn I've ever had, but I just chugged a load of Gaviscon and it went away. So I'll definately make sure that I ask about slowly tapering off any of my medicines.
I've not been given any H2 blockers, do you think they might help with my stomach aches more than the Omperazole since that doesn't seem to help..?
As far as my diet goes, I was told my my doctors that diet doesn't really affect Ulcerative Colitis, & that I should just try to have a healthy balanced diet like any doctor will tell anyone. However I have shuffled things a little for myself. I have cut down on fibre, as in none at all, and I've stopped having so much pasta, I normally eat quite a lot of it. I never drink tea or coffee, & I haven't had an alcoholic drink since 2011, so I didn't really have that to worry about. But despite all this nothing seems to relieve my stomach aches, so I'm not sure that there's a point in experimenting with what I'm eating.
I know my posts are always quite lengthy but I really appreciate the people who end up reading this crap & responding to it. It;s nice to know that there are nice people out there who have have similar experiences to me, so thanks again.
dave23786 andy16458
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Seems you could solve my problem too. It feels you are more of a true expert on gut and bowels. I am facing a typical problem from past 10-12 years, i am 31 right now. Whatever i eat goes down rapidly, resulting in loss of energy, weakness, weak muscles and obviously always careful as to what to eat. It confirmed to me that:
1. I am lactose intolerant
2. Heavy oily foods
3. I keeps on a cosntant weight of 55 kgs.
4. i have left tea, coffee..as it is aidic.
5 . I feel hungry in morning after toilet. but if eat a minor thing then also i have to got to toilet.
6. morning three toilet are normal. then throughout the day i have no issue.
Let me know as to what more info. you need also what it is in my body?
michaelsolomon314
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