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Gastritis..? H.Pylori..? Ulcer..? All in my head..? :(

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andy16458
andy16458

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. sad

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 sad 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. sad

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 sad 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. sad So for about a week or two I've had a slight flare up of my Colitis sad

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 sad 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 sad 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 sad

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 sad rightly so I think in a way, I've just made things a little worse for myself sad

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 sad I have still never vomited throughout this ordeal, which I'm assuming is good...? sad 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 sad To be honest though if I DID cut out dairy and gluten I feel like I would be left with nothing to eat sad

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 sad

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..? sad 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 sad 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 sad I miss eating the food I used to eat & I miss not worrying about myself so much sad 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

68 Replies

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  • deep0912
    deep0912

    Posted

    Hi Andy, how are you now?
  • andy16458
    andy16458

    Posted

    Hey @deep0912

    I'm MUCH better now. Thanks for asking. I have been enjoying normal bowel movements once maybe twice a day now for almost 3 months. The constant stomach ache I was suffering from turned out to be H.Pylori a b*stard little bacteria in my stomach lining. Thats completely gone now, hopefully never to return.

    I think that was actually prolonging my flare up of my Ulcerative Colitis, as the bacteria was always making me nauseous and I didn't feel like eating much the whole time. But I've come to realize that everything ends & all that suffering eventually did.

    I can't be grateful enough for all the nurses who looked after me in hospital the 2 times I was in there over Christmas & I'm forever thankful for the team of gastro doctors who assessed me and got me back on my feet.

    Anyway these days I'm monitoring myself very closely. I'm doing my very best to eat properly & get enough sleep. I've slowly introduced my body back into regular excerise. And I'm making sure to take all my medicine every day without fail. It's so nice to not have to be on steroids and acid reflux medicine and all that, like I was on a few months ago. I'm just doing all I can to avoid ever getting into that bad of a flare up again.

    I've had a meeting with a dietitian who gave me some great advice & pointed me in the right direction on how to not only get back to eating well but how to put on weight again without too much strain on myself. I went down to almost 8 stone, which for a 22 year old lad whose 6ft 2 is dangerous. But I'm back to almost 12 stone now which is very good, not ideal but much better.

    I am slightly anemic now however due to all the blood loss I was experiencing from my bowel movements for 4/5 months, so I'm taking Iron supplements, but my doctor has advised me that I will be able to come off those in another month if he thinks I'm ok. Seriously talking of blood I think the NHS must have taken over 2 pints of blood off me over the last few months I've had that many blood tests haha. The last one I had was the other week.

    Anyhow, sorry for rambling. I'm feeling great these days. I'm being a lot more careful with myself, but I'm more or less back to normal smile

  • sharonyfs
    sharonyfs andy16458

    Posted

     I too suffered with severe stomach cramps and diarrhea for over 4 years, I would get up in the morning and have to dash to loo about 5-6 times then I would be ok for rest of day, sometimes I would eat something and within 20 mins bang stomach cramps and dash to loo. I had loads of tests done all came back fine, I began to think it must be something I am eating and drinking so for over a year I started to notice after eating certain foods it triggered stomach cramps but it was a wide range of foods and usually high in salicylates, after about another 6 months I thought long and hard about what I had changed in my diet when it all started and it was about the time I wanted to improve my diet and I had changed to olive oil for cooking. I cut that out of my diet immediately not holding out much hope and hey presto no more stomach cramps and dashing to loo and I am able to eat and drink anything I want the olive oil must have been reacting with other stuff causing me to not realise what the culprit was. My point is if all tests are coming back fine it has to be something in her diet. Good luck x
  • ray23140
    ray23140 andy16458

    Posted

    All in your head? Sorry buddie it's really all in your gut. H-Pylori is truly a disgusting and dangerous disease. It is now in world epidemic stages. American Dr's are mostly ignorant of this disease, OR DOWNPLAY IT'S SEVERITY, resorting instead to treating it's symptoms instead of eradicating it from a person's body. This bug is contracted from eating food, or drinking water contaminated with sewage, or carnivore feces. If you own a cat or a dog, you also stand a very good chance of getting this disease from them, as they are known to carry it, and communicate it to people through their feces or saliva etc. Never let your cat or dog lick your face, if they lick your hands make sure you wash them before touching your mouth. 

    H-Pylori needs to be stripped from your body by a 2 week long regimen involving a cocktail of 3 agents, 2 of which are potent antibiotics and the 3rd being a bismuth like Prilosec. THIS DISEASE CANNOT BE CURED BY ANY OTHER MEANS. It may take as many as two consecutive regimens of different antibiotics to kill it. I, and several members of my family had it for years, we have since been cured by the above listed means. NOTE! I tried the naturalistic approach, it was a crashing failure, lacking the total punch needed to kill it entirely.  My family have suffered a myriad of illnesses including irregular heart beat. This bug bores holes in the esophagus and the stomach bringing on acid re-flux, ulcers, food intolerance's, allergies, upper G.I.stomach cancer, irregular heartbeat etc. and a whole host of other afflictions, because its toxins turn on your immune system, which then attacks your own body in an attempt to suppress it. This disease was diagnosed in Perth Western Australia in 1981 as being the cause of many afflictions, including ulcers and stomach cancer. The AMA in typical arrogant denial, downplay the severity of this disease as being A 3RD WORLD DISEASE. Idiotic morons! It is a deadly parasite diagnosed through the following means. 1st choice, a stool sample. 2nd choice, the urea breath test. The blood test for this disease can be unreliable, DEMAND AT LEAST A UREA BREATH TEST. If you have any form of mystery disease, or stomach related problems of any kind, start with being checked for H-Pylori. The longer you carry this evil parasite the more irreversible damage it will do to your health....   

    • andy16458
      andy16458 ray23140

      Posted

      wow man, thanks for the info. Seriously if a doctor could have said all this to me about 6 months ago it could have saved me from my own personal Hell. The last doctor I saw was awesome & he did go into detail somewhat about the H.Pylori saying some of the stuff you said. My stomach oddly just stopped hurting about 4 months ago now so there seemed to be no urgency to get rid of the bacteria, but my doc said it would be worth me doing the anti-biotic route to kill the little bast*rd for good. I'm due to see the  guy again this month I think & I'll start on the anti-biotics. Just to comment on what u said, I had SO many doctors & nurses tell me that I didn't have it & that my stomach aches & nausea was all part of my IBD bowel issues, but it was as if no one was listening to me. I felt like I was going crazy. I do have a dog & yeh admittedly she is always licking my face to say hello but I'll think about training her to stop. Question: Do u know if this is a bacteria that will ever come back once it's been cured?
  • SarahH1982
    SarahH1982 andy16458

    Posted

    Dear Andy,

    I too a couple of weeks ago was diagnosed threw a blood test that I have Hpylori.

    As of today I finished the last of the antibotics and am still taking the antiacid, but Im here to tell you it was the worst thing Ive ever been threw even after being a pryer cancer patient with chemo and radiation!!! I still dont feel good, heck I dont actually know what that feels like.... I come from sever poverty, i lived until I was 5 with my grandma who was a horder, her house was cockroach infested, spong bathe's only due to piles of everything and anything possible every where, i slept on top of what I think at one time might have been a couch under all the clothes about 2 foot from the ceiling, and most of my food intake was from behind grocery store dumpsters... My whole life Ive been ill and all of my family seems to think its "IN MY HEAD" or "Your just a hypocondract" (or however you spell it)! My skin is now yellow and my eyes are to filled with inflammation/scars, sever stomach pain, two weeks ago I weighed 141 now Im 113, i get sick when I eat, sick to my stomach all the time, dark sunken circles under my eyes, weakness, bloating, bleching, cant use the bathroom or cant stop, i have no gallbladder anymore, sever sharp pains that come and go in my pancerous area... the symptoms go on and on..... Im still as confused as you, still after treatment I have to weight 3 months to see if its gone or treatment will start again.... how could the ones we go to for help and usually will owe dept to till the day we die ( doctors) do this?? why are there not tests we can take??? I have 4 kids... im a single mom that sufferes from an on the job injury to my left hip, right ankle, neck,  right shoulder, and all of this on top of it... I cant work... and Im supposed to keep my stress levels down!! I cant care for my kids they have been doing the caring for me!! And to think where my life might have been if not for this.... I tested positive for cancer of the pancerous.... CA 19-9 and CEA was found also... when there found the cancer is in the last stages.... How could this happen to me!?? Ive always worked hard, been the best mother I could, a helping hand to anyone in need, a daycare provider, a welder, roofer, and construction.... and now Im laying here knowing my children are going to be left without their mother, if my doctor is wrong with by saying "that sometimes Hpylori gives false positives" ... I dont know who to believe anymore!! I wish you the best!!! Ive suffered my whole life and fought cancer since I was 13 years old... now thats pretty much all my life will ever be  A FIGHT TO SURVIVE!

    wish you luck!! Ive read that apple-cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon before each meal with juice or water helps, when symptoms become sever or even moderate take 1/4 teaspoon of cream a tarter twice a day  ( stuff you use to make pies with) with lots of water for 3 days and symptons should ease up, garlic, catsclaw( natural herb) and majestic gum (natural herb) if taken together for 6 months kills H pylori! Fruit is a big thing to eat!!!! for indigestion a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 4 ozs of luke warm water works...

  • helpwanted
    helpwanted andy16458

    Posted

    I just came across what you are going through. I read the entire thing, since I am having the same problems.
    • andy16458
      andy16458 helpwanted

      Posted

      send me a message if you like, I feel like a guru of stomach problems by now, i'll be glad to offer advice or whatever
    • SarahH1982
      SarahH1982 helpwanted

      Posted

      Hi andy! Well got threw treatment and just a few days ago... Dwarf tape worms were found.... I feel really gross more or less... a parasite and now tape worms... took the pills three days ago for the Dwarf tape worms, IM EATING!!!! YAY!!! Food is AWESOME!!! I still only eat very small amounts, im still in pain, and im sleeping ALOT( not by choice) sleep hits me like a freight train now... when its time to lay down there is no fighting it... talked to the doctor about it and she said sleeping heals the body??!!! but Hey im eating!! im still unsure on the rest still...

      If you have questions or curious about anything please message me!! Im not a doc but Ive become a wiz on alot of things!

      Hope to hear from you soon,

      Sarah

  • Padada
    Padada andy16458

    Posted

    Hello Andy,  you have been through a lot and thank you for offering to help others who are going through similar issues.  I am glad you are OK.  I am hoping you will respond to me too.  What do you think really helped you be able to eat again after everything you went through.  Was it a medication or a supplement, diet change, what?  Or did you just get better?  I know you had extensive tests done , extensive amount - which ones do you think are worth having?  Which ones are awful or not much help afterall?  I do not have anything more than gastrities and also just finished the triple cure for h pylori - I have had no scopes of any kind or ultrasounds or barium swallow.  Endoscopy is what my doctor wants to do next but I am scared or it.  I am nauseated all the time and am so full I havae to push the food in me so I don't lose weight - so sick.  Hope to hear your suggestions and anyone else who feels like commenting.  Thank you

     

    • andy16458
      andy16458 Padada

      Posted

      Hey there. I think after a while I just made myself eat again. I wasn't eating my full amounts straight away by any means, but I suppsoe my body just needed food. 

      I was on an Iron Supplement, a proton pump inhibitor tablet, prednisolone steroids, supplement milk shake drinks (they did help a lot for when I didnt feel like eating much) and I was taking my usual medication for my colitis, which are anti-inflammatories.

      To be quite honest I have no idea why I started to feel better, I just did. It could have been anything. Not very helpful I know, sorry sad

      I'd say any procedures the doctors suggest you have are worth going through, they do know best, even though sometimes it might feel like they don't. Which ones are awful is easy to say, the endoscopy was horrible, I couldn't handle it. The colonoscopy is ok, the preparation for it is the bad part. The barium x ray was a little uncomfortable but overall ok, kinda funny looking back. I hope your endoscopy goes better than mine honestly. The endocopy can help you find out if you have got rid of h pylori so don't bail on it please. You really do want to be rid of the bacteria. That is probably what was making you feel so sick and full even though you're not eating much, its Hell & I really feel for you.

      Let me know

      Andy

  • jake69007
    jake69007 andy16458

    Posted

    I feel the same way I have lost over 40 pounds I feeel as if as I might die sad . I have been feeling this way for 6 moths . Does any any one know can this kill you I'm really fears I'm only 19

  • valentina_76666
    valentina_76666 andy16458

    Posted

    hey andy, ive read evey word u have written and related like no other, i had been reading ad reading online and never responded or took time to make an account, but i really wnt to talk to you and see how you been and whats been helping, almost a year ago in august/september i was diagnosed with stress induced gastritis, my life has been on hold since, and i dont care about anything except findng answers and feeling normal, please please get back to me!
  • SarahH1982
    SarahH1982 andy16458

    Posted

    Andy,

    Well Ive been on here a few times and it didnt just stop with H pylori and dwarf tapeworms.... They now have found Toxoplasmosis (latent) gondii ... I did okay for a bit but then I became worse.... also found out the H pylori treatment did not work as well.... the toxoplasmosis was first found in my right eye.... but now after a MIR i now know it is in my brain and in my pancreaous ... well its everywhere .... I have two plague's that do not actually have a cure or a vaccine.... Center of Infectious Dieases are reviewing my medical records and trying to decide what needs to be done or if anything can be done... there isnt much research on the two combined and Im just a loss for words... Also when I was a kid I had chicken poxs really bad i mean everywhere... my eyes, ears, mouth, throat, everywhere... well Ive had 3 strokes since I was 19 and from what I over heard not actually told is due to that and called Encephalitis????!  Also they keep bring up something called TORCH??? I need an extra set of hands and eyes for research... my short term memory is coming and going its hard to explain but if im having a good day I write everything down!! I dont want to be blind sided and not understand what their talking about with testing or procedures!! If you have any info I could use it ! What are my options really for treatment and what are the best hospitals!!??? I have 4 kids and Im determined to walk my little girl down the isle ( single mom) and watch my boys grow into men!!

    sincerely so confused, Sarah

     

    • john1999
      john1999 SarahH1982

      Posted

      Hi Sarah,

      I hope you read my message... I just wanted to share with you that your problems mostly seem to come from T. gondii (Toxoplasmosis). It is a poorely understood parasite, and all kinds of negative assumptions about it come to be true - meaning, it is much worse than anyone ever thought.

      It is possible to slowly kill it off: I have been taking combination of Yellow gentian powder (about half a teaspoon, three times per day), and Artemisinin (a supplement made from wormwood) and absolutely NOT SUGAR OF ANY KIND for a few months and I am doing much better than ever before.

      That last part is the most important: you have to switch your diet to well cooked meats (chicken, small fish such as sardines, beef, and no pork), and green vegetables. Grains all have high glycemic index, making them unsuitable for you. The only bread i eat is "high protein rye bread" the kind available in health food stores (it is typically made from sprouted rye and some sprouted wheat).

      In addition, if this all starts making you really sick, keep in mind that it is all normal. To help yourself with that period (which should be the worst for about a month or so), take frequent hot baths, with some epsom salt in them (about a cup or two). I also take ibuprofen for pain, and it helps a great deal, not only with pain but it seems to have a good effect on the infection itself!

      Good luck!

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