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How I cured my gastritis

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ines6375
ines6375

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).

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  • healthcare79736
    healthcare79736 ines6375

    Posted

    All the information regarding diet is very helpful.

    I never knew chocalate and salt can act as trigger for stomach.I will surely avoid it.

    According to my experience,too much chilly is also bad for stomach.

    I'm fed up eating medicines.

    Is it fine if i avoid these things from my diet and don't take any medicine?Will it help me? Thankx in advance.

    Looking forward to hearing fronm you.

     

    • ines6375
      ines6375 healthcare79736

      Posted

      Hi Healthcare,

      Chocolate relaxes the lower esophagael sphincter which causes reflux, also fat in chocolate delays digestion and increses inflammation.

      Salt is very irritating and in high quantities causes damages to the stomach but it is hard to do without. I try to put as little as possible in my food.

      Chilly and all spices are more or less irritating. I eat herbs now, at first I could not tolerate it but now it is fine. They are less irritating than spices.

      The diet will help you if you take medecine or not. But I can't tell you if you need medecine. For me dexilant with the diet has been really helpful for my gastritis. I have been pain free for a week now.

       

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      My issue is beginning to feel more andmore like an infection as it seems that it doesnt really matter what I eat, one day I can eat a set menu at set times and it is maybe a level 3-4 on the pain scale yet the next day having thensame food and drink at the same time it goes mad.   There really is no explanation as stomach inflammation would or at least should act the same on both days to the same foods and drinks.   Also my entire digestive system seems out of kilter.  It is a totally different thing that I had before I had the upper GI Endoscopy.  Since the day after that its been a different pain that reacts differently to foods and it doesnt feel the same somehow.  What infections could I possibly get apart from H Pylori in my stomach and digestive system, as the doctors would even look at alternatives apart from duodenitis as othewise they are basically admitting that the hospital has caused this.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I noticed in the past that sometimes when I had a good diet for a while, if I eat something bad, the reaction is mild, but then if I eat it again soon, it is stronger. I really think that everything one eat matters, but sometimes eating one bad thing just makes you more sensitive for your next meal without creating immediate pain.

      I don't know what infection you could have beside H. Pylori. There is the C. Difficile but that is pretty bad. They are just starting to discover the universe of bacteria we have inside our guts and the implications on our health. If you find a good GI doctor, please let me know. The ones I saw were clueless beside the obvious facts. First doctor: your stomach is red, you have gastritis, take dexilant. Second doctor: You still have pain, it must be your nerves, we can try anxiety medication (Me: but doctor I am not anxious?!?).

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      The more I read and learn on this subject, the more I am learning that most GPs are pretty bad on this subject and it is upto us, the patients to solve it for ourselves.

      My stomach seems to get better everyday about 4pm and is then fine for most of the night, it is always worse after lunch.  Very odd!!

    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      The two doctors I saw were GI doctors. I was expecting more help from them. But I guess a diagnosis and a prescription were helpful. It would have saved me some time if they helped with the diet and natural supplements as well.
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Has anyone had any experience with the drug Sucralfate?  It is call Antepsin in the UK so I have just been told and is supposed to for a barrier on the stomach lining that helps it to heal... similar to Slippery Elm and DGL Licorice possibly.  
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      If you go on the gastritis forum of dailystrenght, people are talking about it.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I am sorry I forgot if we talked about this but why are you not taking a PPI?
    • vicky888
      vicky888 matt85910

      Posted

      Yes Matt. I'm taking that atm. Here in ozi it's called ulcyte & needs to be prescribed by a doc. Its function is supposed to be similar with DGL licorice & slippery elm.
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      I started on 20mg Omeprazole and despite working I kept having relapses.  Was then put on esomeprazole had that for a month and it did nothing so wemt back to the docs and he just doubled it to 80mg and I thought that was the point where Id drop it and just try natural stuff.   To be honest it has been no worse and no better so I wonder what they were actually doing apart from making me constipated as hell.
    • matt85910
      matt85910 vicky888

      Posted

      Yeah, I thought that, wonder if they all work together?
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      Now I remember you told me before, sorry for asking again. It is strange the PPI did nothing for you. For me dexilant 60 mg is what works the best. I have been pain free for one week now, started running again, eating more, having more energy. I never got to that level of comfort with natural supplements.
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      How long after dtarting that drug with that dosage did you start to feel an effect on a regular basis?  Were you always on 60mg?  I was just rather worried that my 80mg esomeprazole was rather excessive?

      Do you take the supplements as well as the Dexilant?

    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      Hi Matt,

      I tried dexilant 60 mg the first time in January. The first month I felt nothing but my diet was not perfect and maybe it takes time to work, time for the stomach to heal, anyway after a month I started feeling better. After two months, so end of February I felt good. Immediately after I started to feel good I stopped cold turkey. Some acid came back, a lot of pain too. Now in retrospect I think I stopped too early too fast. I tried with the natural supplements for three months and I improved slowly but I never got back to really feeling good. So I started again dexilant 60 mg beginning of July. It took a month for the pain to go away completely but I started feeling better very quickly.

      To answer your questions, the second time I took it, after one week already I felt a major improvement. Yes I was always on 60 mg. I don't know what the dosage is for the other drugs, 60 mg does not necessarily corresponds to 60 mg of another drug. For example at some point my doctor prescribed Nexium 40 mg telling me it is equivalent (I never took it, dexilant has better reviews), so 40 mg of Nexium = 60 mg of dexilant.  I take DGL licorice as well before each meal except in the morning to not interfere with the PPI and when I have pain. Sometimes I take bacteria if my digestion is weird.

      The plan is to take dexilant 60 mg another 3 weeks, then take dexilant 30 mg for a month, then take dexilant 15 mg for a month (empty the content of half of caps on mashed banana). Hopefully I will feel good without anything afterwards and not have reflux or LPR.

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Well im currently on 80Mg Nexium, so that would equate to 120Mg of what you are on, I was on 40Mg until the last time I went but he doubled it when I told him it hadnt really done anything, which was the truth.

      I read somewhere that you are actually meant to take your PPIs before a large meal, preferably the largest of the day for it to do the most good, so I guess you can take it at anytime of the day and the largest meal of the day for me is dinner, as breakfast and lunch are usually pretty light.

      I guess I should give the pills another go as I thought things were going well, but that honey episode has made me realise that its not really improving very fast at all even though in popping supplements left right and centre.

    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I did a lot of research and experimented a lot and from what I found and my experience taking the PPI 30 minutes before breakfast works best. The last GI doctor I saw told me that it does not matter as it is a slow release. But I really have the feeling it works well only 30 minutes before breakfast (on an empty stomach).

      From what I read too dexilant has a higher rate of success and less side effects, it is one of the most recent PPI. It works well for me. The first day I got a headache though but it was an isolated event, and maybe it had nothing to do with it.

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Maybe I should ask to go on that?  Ill make an appt to see the doctor and ask to be changed onto it.  Ill start the pills that I already have again tomorrow.   I have trouble swallowing tablets though and have to take them with a biscuit, will that take the edge off the effectiveness?
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I don't know if taking the pill with a biscuit will do something against its effectiveness. Maybe you should try first the normal dose of Nexium 40 mg with a big glass of water when you wake up, if you can't swallow it, you don't have a choice but to take a biscuit. Then wait 30 minutes for a full breakfast.

      I don't know either what it does to take more of the recommended amount of a medication. The studies have been done for the normal amount which is supposed to be optimal. If I were you I would try at least a week or so with the normal amount of the drug first.

      I am not a doctor though, this is just what I would do if I were you.

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      To be honest Im past bothering what doctors say these days as they have misdiagnosed the last 4 issue I have had and I found out myself on goodle and forums like this.  I only go to them either in an emergency or if I need a prescription only drug.   Ill see if I can down the pill tomorrow morning and see what happens.   How big of a breakfast do you have?
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      Half a cup of dry oatmeal cooked in a cup of water with a pinch of salt, a banana (either cooked in the oatmeal or raw on top) and a few walnuts on top. But you are a man, you need more calories, so don't hesitate to make more oatmeal.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      What is a full english? Do you mean bacon, eggs, pancakes, blueberry jam, orange juice and coffee? ;-)

       

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      lol.... Bacon, Egg, Sausage, Beans, Toast, Fried Bread, Black Pudding and Hash Browns with Coffee.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      If you need a more substantial breakfast, maybe two eggs and white bread would do? or a Japanese breakfast: rice and fish. I like sweet things when I wake up.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I guess I gave you the typical american breakfast. I have never heard of black pudding, is the cake made with old bread? Fried bread sounds scary too, it reminds me of that Navajo meal I had a few years ago.

       

    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      To be honest ive always struggled with breakfast, Im never hungry and usually have to wait u til 10am before I feel hungry.  I used to just have a cup of tea and a few plain biscuits at about 8am and then something else after a few hours.  I really miss Bacon Sandwiches with Mushrooms in a morning, they were my favourite and its even harder to eat in a morning now as I am a really fussy eater at the best of times.  
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Lol... Ill let you look up Black pudding on google!  I personally cant stand the stuff.  Fried Bread is actually really nice, but 1 slice is more than ample.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      A very long time ago, I read a study when they put people in the dark for a while or something like that to find out what are the natural times when people are hungry and eat. They found out that people naturally go on a schedule where they eat at 11 am and 3 pm. I think there was something about the hormons too, I forgot. Anyway, whatever works for you. You can still have your sandwich with mushrooms, just skip the bacon. What are those biscuits you are talking about?
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Ginger Biscuits, remarkably I can eat them!  I always used to start eating about 4pm and then was hungry til about 10pm and just kept eating lol.   Never got above 12st (166lbs) in my life though, hence losing nearly 2 stone is not great for me.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I checked black pudding, it is blood sausage, what a weird name.

      Fried bread is different in England than for the Navajo, but way too fatty in both cases.

      Are the biscuits those small breads with a lot of butter? Delicious but probably too fatty too.

       

    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      Those are way too fatty Matt. I imagine you don't eat just one per day. Fat delays digestion, increases inflammation, not good. And ginger is irritating. You might not feel pain immediately but I suspect they make things worse. Why don't you try one week of very strict diet (low fat, low acid, nothing irritating, low salt), replacing the biscuits with normal fresh white bread, with nexium or dexilant and DGL licorice and see how you feel.
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Ive been through that stage already and lost a load of weight.  Now Im looking at anything my stomach will allow me to eat, and these it does, ams really I have no idea why.  It does say on many places that ginger is very good for gastritis, thats why I started eating them in the first place, just on the off chance, and amazingly I can eat these with no effect at all..... how on earth that works I have no idea.
    • matt85910
      matt85910 ines6375

      Posted

      Which white bread did you use by the way as I am off bread totally at the moment based on all that I had read.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      I use 100% organic white spelt bread. I have a sensitivity to gluten (unrelated to stomach issues) but somehow I tolerate the gluten in spelt. If you are fine with gluten, any artisan white or light brown bread should be good.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 matt85910

      Posted

      Spelt has less gluten then wheat and I think but not sure that the gluten protein is slightly different (simpler).
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