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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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  • kimlet80
    kimlet80 ines6375

    Posted

    Hi I've been reading through all the responses and I had a few questions I was hoping you could answer.  I've been suffering with gastritis (they say it's bile gastritis) for about 10 years.  I literally can't take it anymore.  I suffer each and everyday with pain and I feel like EVERYTHING I eat makes me hurt.  I was wondering if it is possible to "cure" it?  I am having a hard time understanding how long I need to be on the supplements.  Also, I'm just confused on which ones and how much to take.  As far as a diet goes, I put the two books on hold at the library that you had mentioned.  I actually did read the Ulcer Free one about a month ago and that's the one that had the supplments to take.  I guess I'm just unsure if I take all the supplements or some of them and how much?  Then do I take the supplements and follow a diet for a specific amount of time and then after that will I feel cured.  Did you?  Please if you could give me some advce I would appreciate it.  I have two little girls and It's so hard to function and raise them feeling like this.  I've had H.Pylori in the past and was treated for it but have been tested multiple times since then and it was negative.  Please help...any advice I'll take.  Thank you so much...
  • kimlet80
    kimlet80 ines6375

    Posted

    Hi I've been reading through all the responses and I had a few questions I was hoping you could answer.  I've been suffering with gastritis (they say it's bile gastritis) for about 10 years.  I literally can't take it anymore.  I suffer each and everyday with pain and I feel like EVERYTHING I eat makes me hurt.  I was wondering if it is possible to "cure" it?  I am having a hard time understanding how long I need to be on the supplements.  Also, I'm just confused on which ones and how much to take.  As far as a diet goes, I put the two books on hold at the library that you had mentioned.  I actually did read the Ulcer Free one about a month ago and that's the one that had the supplments to take.  I guess I'm just unsure if I take all the supplements or some of them and how much?  Then do I take the supplements and follow a diet for a specific amount of time and then after that will I feel cured.  Did you?  Please if you could give me some advce I would appreciate it.  I have two little girls and It's so hard to function and raise them feeling like this.  I've had H.Pylori in the past and was treated for it but have been tested multiple times since then and it was negative.  Please help...any advice I'll take.  Thank you so much...
    • ines6375
      ines6375 kimlet80

      Posted

      Hi kimlet,

      I am not familiar with bile gastritis but from what I read it is caused by the presence of bile in the stomach that should not be there. The first thing to do to help your gastritis would be to find a way resolve this problem of bile reflux. I read online that there are some medication and/or surgery available but I don't know much about this problem. I imagine you have done your own research. The diet and the supplements would probably help but I don't know if it would be enough to cure your gastritis as long as you have that problem with bile reflux. Maybe the fast tract diet might be helpful too. Have you noticed that some foods make it better or worse?

    • sirivinay1786
      sirivinay1786 kimlet80

      Posted

      Hi kimlet,

      I've read online that bile reflux has been treated successfully for lot of people with carafate and mild dose of xanax (Which would not be addictive)Maybe you should check with your doc. You can Google xanax and carafate.

    • sirivinay1786
      sirivinay1786 kimlet80

      Posted

      Hi kimlet,

      I've read online that bile reflux has been treated successfully for lot of people with carafate and mild dose of xanax (Which would not be addictive)Maybe you should check with your doc. You can Google xanax and bile reflux.

    • sirivinay1786
      sirivinay1786 kimlet80

      Posted

      Hi kimlet,

      I've read online that bile reflux has been treated successfully for lot of people with carafate and mild dose of xanax (Which would not be addictive)Maybe you should check with your doc. You can Google xanax and bile reflux.

    • sirivinay1786
      sirivinay1786 kimlet80

      Posted

      Hi kimlet,

      I've read online that bile reflux has been treated successfully for lot of people with carafate and mild dose of xanax (Which would not be addictive)Maybe you should check with your doc. You can Google xanax and bile reflux.

  • kimlet80
    kimlet80 ines6375

    Posted

    I do know that coffee and chocolate really seem to bother me and wheat and soy (I"m doing a gluten free diet) I'm having allergy testing done next week.  So many things bother me, I feel like there is no way I'm allergic to all this stuff.  I just wanted to try to heal my stomach and seen if I felt better.  So i was wondering how long did you take the supplements and stay on the diet? And after you've finished the supplements, are you able to eat a kinda normal diet?
    • ines6375
      ines6375 kimlet80

      Posted

      The supplements didn't completely cure me so I took dexilant 60 mg for two months afterwards, and then I decreased the dose slowly over another two months and that cured me completely. By curing me completely I meant that I had no pain or excess acid reflux anymore. But I can't eat whatever I want. Now when I eat irritating foods, my stomach gets quickly more and more irritated. At first I get more silent reflux, and I know that if I continue eating irritating foods, my gastritis will come back. So for now I am still on the diet, even though looser (I cheat every now and then with mildly irritating foods or dairy), I have been on it for a year and a half.

      But I am not sure I am the right person to ask right now because I am pregnant and because of the pregnancy I have silent reflux much more easily than normal. Before the pregnancy I was rarely having even very mild silent reflux anymore and now with the pregnancy it requires great care to avoid it.

    • kimlet80
      kimlet80 ines6375

      Posted

      Thanks Ines....I'm waiting for the Ulcer free book to be avilable from my library.  I guess when i read it, there was mention of so many supplements that I wasn't sure If I was to take ALL of them or just some of them?  So that's what I was wondering.  What supplements did you use, how much and for how long?  Then your saying AFTER you took the supplements you took the dexilant 60 mg for two months and then slowly went off of it.  Was that just once a day?  Thank you so much, I feel like people that don't have this problem think it's in your head.  My husband can't relate.  So it's nice talking with people who experiencing the same issues.  Thank you so much Ines!
  • haelnotrab
    haelnotrab ines6375

    Posted

    Hi ines,

    thank you you so much for your post and the incredible support you give to all those following it. I have been absolutely obsessed and consumed with researching my symptoms and this is the first helpful thing I've found. I have been experiencing terrible gnawing hunger pains after eating and at night for several weeks. I have burning pain and gas pain in my upper stomach as well. I feel like if I could just burp or my stomach could growl I would feel better.i know it's not hunger because it happens after eating and is painful.

    I tested negative for h pylori and have scheduled an ultrasound of my gallbladder and a visit to thee GI doctor. I am working on cleaning up my diet (I was a total sugar addict for most of my life) and it seems to be helping but not much. I know it's a slow process and I'm trying to be more consistent and patient.

    i took Prilosec Otc for 7 days but stopped because I feels so fatigued and muscle weakness. I have always been incredibly sensitive to medications. I ordered slippery elm and pepzin GI and they arrive tomorrow so I'm anxious to give those a try. 

    I have suffered with IBS since childhood (I'm 30 now) and feel I have those issues under control for the most part. I also get terrible stomach aches from high fodmap foods and have mastered preventing those symptoms. These symptoms now are totally new and I wonder if stress was a trigger. I started seeing a therapist for anxiety and hope it will help.  It's miserable and I identify with all those who posted to this discussion. Changing your diet totally shakes up your whole life, especially for emotional eaters like myself. It's hard to start eating solely for nourishment and not pleasure and I hope I can find balance and enjoy meals however bland they may be.

    i just found out I have slightly high blood glucose (106) and wonder if anyone else has this along with gastritis or ulcer symptoms? I am not overweight I'm very thin but have eaten like crap for a very long time.

    again thank you for the information and support, I am so blessed to have found your post.

    • acakes
      acakes haelnotrab

      Posted

      Obsessingly researching sounds familiar! Been there! Gastritis is so consuming. And your symtpoms seem to match Gastritis. Mine was burning and bloating and fullness in my upper stomach. Just eating a small amount of food made me so full I felt like I would burst. IBS and Gastritis tend to go hand in hand. I would like to mention that if you have been a sugar addict alot of your life and consumed tons of sugar (like I have in the past), you may have Candida. Clearing up Candida can help Gastritis. I know this is all complitated and overwhelming. Keep being persistent and you will solve your puzzle.

      One thing in common with alot of us here is our sensitivity to PPIs. I have found with myself and others on the board, it was only with the PPIs that we have healed. I know one lady on her that is doing better since taking Apple Cider Vinegar and Enzymes because she has low stomach acid which was the cause of her Gastritis. But we are all different. Most people with Gastritis should be cautious taking Enzymes though because it can cause burning. You have to figure out the cause of your Gastritis and treat it accordingly. It's not easy. Good luck and there are many helpful people here.

    • ines6375
      ines6375 haelnotrab

      Posted

      Is your blood sugar of 106 fasting (when you wake up) or after a meal?
    • haelnotrab
      haelnotrab acakes

      Posted

      Thank you so much for the encouragement. It means so much to me. I think someone previously commented that people assume the problem is in your head. So it's nice to have helpful information. I have heard of candida and it seems like the diet for that is similar to the be one posted here. I'm going to give it my best effort. If I don't find relief from diet and supplements I may try Prevacid instead of Prilosec. I remember taking it as a teenager without side effects. 
    • haelnotrab
      haelnotrab ines6375

      Posted

      I had the test Friday - non fasting. It was about an hour after eating and they asked me when I last ate before they took any blood. I have had a fasting glucose of 100 in the past but worked on my diet and retested at 80. Then last year I had some non fasting tests and ended up at 90. 
    • acakes
      acakes haelnotrab

      Posted

      Prevacid had the least side effects for me. I still had side effects but I pushed through them even though it hurt.
    • ines6375
      ines6375 haelnotrab

      Posted

      Your numbers seem pretty good to me. Did the person who did the test say otherwise? After a meal the normal range can go up to 140. The normal range for fasting is up to 100. I was worried myself about the same thing and I have similar numbers so I talked to my doctor about it and he saw no cause for concern.
    • haelnotrab
      haelnotrab ines6375

      Posted

      it was flagged as high on my test results I viewed online but I haven't talked to my doctor yet. So you are right, she will probably say it's fine. Cutting out all the processed foods will only help this too.
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