How I cured my gastritis
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When I got diagnosed with mild gastritis (but no H. Pylori) and esophagitis, I looked all over the internet to find what to do. I did not find many accounts of people who have cured themselves successfully and how they did it. So I thought I would write my story once I am cured. Here it is. If you have cured yourself from gastritis too, please share your experience below as well.
Many people ask how long it takes to be cured. At first I started on dexilant for a month but I did not see any improvement. After a month I kept taking dexilant and I started the low acid diet in parallel. I got much better in 2-3 days. After two months on dexilant and one month on the diet, I felt completely good. Then I stopped the dexilant cold turkey and got a lot of pain and acidity back in my stomach. Now I regret I did not take the dexilant a little longer as my stomach was obviously not healed and not strong enough to go through the rebound effect of stopping dexilant. I regret also that I did not stop dexilant slowly taking it every other day for a week, then every three days for a week, .... I felt anxious about taking a medication that has so many side effects taken long term and I wanted to stop immediately, which was not reasonable.
Anyway there I was back at the beginning with stomach pain and acidity day and night. I felt pain related to the esophagitis as well which really scared me. I hesitated to take dexilant again but I decided to try to cure myself the natural way. Below I describe what I did. I got cured in approximately two months, getting slowly better week by week. After two months of natural cures I had no stomach pain anymore and no excess acid, I was able to sleep again, felt like a new healthy (and lighter -- I lost a few pounds) person. However after those two months, I felt that I needed to follow the diet another month for my stomach to get strong and be able to handle a less strict diet.
THE CURE
Books
Most of what I did is summarized in two books which I found very useful:
The first book is "Dropping acid: the reflux diet cookbook & cure" by Jamie Koufman. This is the book I based my diet on. The only disagreements I have with the author regard dairy products that I stopped taking as they make the stomach produce more acid (very clear for me), and the use of ginger, manukka honey and aloe vera which I find too irritating and/or acidic (and I don't feel that they help). Also she does not talk about salt which is known to be irritating for the stomach lining in excess, I felt an improvement when I lowered my intake in salt. I will explain the diet more in details below.
The other book is "Ulcer free! Nature's safe & effective remedy for ulcers" by G. Halpern. I know you may have gastritis and no ulcers but the two conditions are related and what cures one usually cures the other too. I used some of the natural supplements recommended in this book. In particular slippery elm (this one is actually not mentioned in the book) and DGL licorice for stomach pain (coat the interior of the stomach lining), Zinc-Carnosine (reduce inflammation and protects stomach lining - I felt a great improvement after starting to take it especially with acid production at night), and cabbage juice (finished my recovery with this one, after two days I had no stomach pain anymore at night). I describe the supplements more below.
What did not work for me
Mastic gum hurts my stomach. It is supposedly helpful against H. Pylori which I knew I did not have (I had been tested).
Prelief removes the acid in food and stomach very efficiently but causes constipation.
Tums works well for 45 minutes but then there is a rebound effect with the stomach producing more acid.
Manukka honey hurts my stomach (Too acidic, Ph level 4, but maybe also because of the tea tree essential oil in it). It is supposedly helpful against H. Pylori.
Aloe Vera is too acidic (around Ph level 4), and I don't feel it is doing anything positive.
Ginger is irritating and I don't feel it is doing anything positive.
Probiotics helps with digestion but not really for the stomach.
Zantac works very well at removing the acidity but makes me feel dizzy and incredibly tired.
PPI worked very well at removing the acidity and pain in my stomach while I was taking it while doing the diet, but I had a bad rebound effect when I stopped (one must stop slowly by taking it every other day for a while). Also having too low acid in the stomach because of PPI might cause problems in the long term (problems with Calcium and B12 absorption, bacterial infection more likely).
39 likes, 3077 replies
carolyn10679 ines6375
Posted
Hi ines,
Thank you so much for starting this forum.
I am new to this, having started omniprozol this week due to gastritis.
I know I am unable to eat bread, dairy but am struggling to figure out what to eat, currently I am stuck with eating chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, mashed potato, porridge and oat biscuits.
I am 5'2" and 8 stone 13 pounds and don't want to lose any more weight, I have physical job and am struggling to keep the weight on because of this and the diet.
Can you or anyone suggest any food that is not likely to cause discomfort and hopefully put weight on!
Thank you
robin93893 carolyn10679
Posted
carolyn10679 robin93893
Posted
Thank you for responding, I just tried rice last night, and that seemed ok.
Thankfully the omniprozol is just starting to help.
However I still feel a bit stressed by everything.
robin93893 carolyn10679
Posted
Glad you're getting some benefit. All I can tell you re stress is what I find helps enormously which is mindfulness meditation. Don't know where I'd be now if not for that! Good luck.
carolyn10679 ines6375
Posted
How did this go?
Thanks
carolyn10679 ines6375
Posted
I have been taking omniprozol for just over two weeks also probiotics night an morning one being 10 billion with 8 strains and another being a small yoghurt type drink...I have also been eating broccoli at least once a day.
It appears that the omniprozol is just starting to help.... Unfortunately in the beginning I was very stressed and that really didn't helping because being stressed causes more acid in your stomach causing more pain ... vicious cycle!
melodye80215 ines6375
Posted
Hi, Ines,
Tried to reply to a comment that you made that most people that are cured would not be on this forum. So the fact that you've come forth to give us your success story is wonderful.
I too have been doing natural supplements, ppi, juicing cabbage then to potato which actually helped and I was able to eat larger alkaline meals but takes weeks. I was getting better but then tried Irish Moss and went cold turkey off the Prevacid 15-30 mg. The first few days were great. Two days later after going off the ppi I had really bad acid indigestion and took my two caps of Moss in the evening. The indigestion was totally gone in 20 minutes! Even after I ate it didn't come back. The Moss actually coats the stomach lining because it's highly muciliginous and provides vitamins and nutrients to help heal the stomach lining. I started adding nut butters to bulk up as Ive lost so much weight. Then I had a relapse. Not sure if it was due to the acidity of the nut butters or going off the ppi or both. Whatever the reason I'm now trying sucralfate/carafate and 15 mg of Prevacid. The side affects are slight dizziness probably from lack of eating as well, but otherwise I'll let you know how I progress. I had real hopes for the Irish Sea Moss. I may go back to it at some point but for now the success I've read about carafate will spur me to stay on it. I may try the dexilant at your suggestion. Thank you, Ines.
ines6375 melodye80215
Posted
Hi Melodie,
I am sorry to hear you had a relapse. I don't think nut butter is acid but the fat might be hard to digest.
I have had problems as well when I stopped the PPI cold turkey the first time but the second time I stopped very slowly over a few months and it went well.
I have never tired the irish moss but I get the same result with the DGL licorice. Still now if I eat a meal that is too spicy or acidic, I take it for prevention and it works well. It was not enough to get me cured though but still helpful.
I hope you get better soon.
melodye80215 ines6375
Posted
To relieve gas I take two activated charcoal tabs before I eat which seems to work. Not sure if this affects the carafate and 15 mg of Prevacid I'm taking but it keeps my stomach from bring gaseous after a meal. Has anyone else tried charcoal?
mahesh1976 melodye80215
Posted
I often take tabs unienzyme which also has charcoal in its composition and it helps I'm digestion as well reduce bloating
Cpyg ines6375
Posted
I wanted to come back here to tell you and others that I am much better! I was not much of a participant on this discussion but had to at least say my peace now so that others can continue to be encouraged.
I suffered greatly this past summer with gastritis. I was never this sick in my entire life. After the second month & after losing over 20 lbs I started to feel better on 80mg of omeprazole. Doctor lowered it to 40mg the third month. After 2 more months I am about 90% better. I eat just about everything. I try to be cautious but will admit that at times I give in to temptation and eat crappy foods.
I'm hoping that after maybe a month or so I won't really need to be on this medication. I've gained back all my weight, energy, & so grateful for this discussion. I received a lot of helpful information on here! Thank you!
Have faith everyone!
Dianaleo Cpyg
Posted
Cpyg Dianaleo
Posted
I felt some difference after a month but I still suffered a lot at that time. My diet was very restricted. For me the second month, was when I got some much needed relief. I still had burning but it was at a level that I could withstand without crying. The third month was the turning point for me. I begin to eat a variety of different foods, I could handle fattier foods, & appetite came back fully. Now, on my fourth month I can drink a cup of Starbucks coffee (once in a blue) without pain. Now, I'm still not 100% but I'm in wayyyyy better shape then in previous months.
Dlbecker217 Cpyg
Posted
Which medication are you taking? I've been on a Nexium since march and I'm still not completely well. My diet is still super restricted.
Cpyg Dlbecker217
Posted
I am taking omeprazole. I started on 80mg which is very high. I stayed on 80 mg for 2 months. The doctor decreased it to 40 mg which I've been taking for the last 2 months and I'm currently on.