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
bprester17 ines6375
Posted
Starting back in about june I woke up at about 5 am 3 nights in a row after drinking and would throw up everything in my stomach. I knew it wasnt just from drinking, but that my body was rejecting the alcohol and/or the food I was eating. I was drinking Jagr so I thought maybe it was something in the Jagr like yeast so I attempted to not eat bread and what not. The next time I tried to drink I realized that it was obviously alcohol that was hurting my stomach. I was in so much pain that I could only sit still and focus on my breathing while I would gasp for breathe. That whole week I felt so fatigue and couldnt even shoot a basketball. I was sleeping 12 hours a day when usually I only sleep 8. Then one day I ate chips and salsa from chipotle and that ended up putting me into the ER. Worst pain of my life. They did blood work and didnt really find anything, but I had a GE appointment scheduled for the next day so I told them I was getting tested the next day anyways. Went to the GE, didnt really find anything so he presumed it was just a stomach ulcer. I figured I mine as well get the Endoscopy just to make sure, but didnt end up going through with it. Took dexilant for about two weeks, felt a little bit better but then stopped because someone told me that my stomach will become vulnerable to acid and would get really prone to ulcers the rest of my life. When I heard that it got me really worried because I do smoke a lot of marijuana(which slows down the acid production in the stomach? dont quote me), so maybe I made my stomach prone to ulcers due to smoking. I dont know if thats true because I feel like that would be more of a known thing but maybe.
Its now September and I havent drank in about 2 1/2 months.. thats really tough for a 22 year old boy with a girlfriend still in college. I only eat ham and cheese sandwiches and chicken, its getting really boring. I called my GE office today to try and get in but they dont have anything until about October 7th. My girlfriend has an out of town formal at the end of october that I would really prefer to not be the only one sober at, but at the same time I dont want to be sober on new years eve either. Im trying to get in and have the endoscopy done before the doctors visit since he advised it anyways, so hopefully they can do that relatively soon.
Anyone have any idea what could be going on? Im not sure if its an ulcer because it hurts more once it passes through my stomach, and im not quite sure what that means. Ive self-diagnosed myself way too many times already so I would really appreciate other peoples feedback. Im going crazy without being able to drink at all and really need to get my body figured out. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
ines6375 bprester17
Posted
holly78179 ines6375
Posted
ines6375 holly78179
Posted
Maybe try omeprazole a little longer but with a strict diet. That is what helped me most.
chrisgee holly78179
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skythroat ines6375
Posted
Even chicken rice meal can irritate my stomach but when I eat this meal with COKE, it does not irritate my stomach, it's weird thing.
By the way, soak & boiled and cooked legumes can be eaten safetly by chronic gastritis sufferers? Thinking about going as lacto-ovo vegetarian.
eric49486 ines6375
Posted
My symptoms are almost gone, but I can't put back my weight, I still lost about 30 lbs, could you please comment and recommend foods to my current diet.
Breakfast: One and half cups of oatmeal with one ripe banana and one egg
Lunch: one cup of mixed vegie (cooked spinach, celery, zucchini, and other greens), one slice of chicken or fish (palm size), half cup of brown rice.
Dinner: one cup of mixed vegie, one slice of chicken or fish (palm size), one slice of whole grain bread.
Between meals, I eat handful of rice cracker, one time a day, a slice of watermelon or cantaloupe.
I drink alkline water, about 32 OZ x 3. Occasonally, drink half glass of coconut water.
Really appreciate your help as always.
By the way, each cup of cooked vegie with half tsp of coconut or olive oil.
ines6375 eric49486
Posted
Your diet sounds very healthy. Are you too thin (BMI < 18.5)?
to gain weight you need to consume more calories. what has the most calories is fat (9 cal/gr). sugar and carbohydrates come second (4 cal/gr), but the other side effect of sugar is that it increases appetite (especially for people who don't exercise by making your blood sugar go up and down) and help your body store fat (by stimulating the production of insuline). to gain weithg, the winning formula is sugar/carbohydrates + fat.
you could try adding some fat in reasonable quantities at each meal: one handful of nuts with your oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of oil with your meals (more if you can tolerate it, you have to feel how much fat you can eat without making your symptoms worse). you could also safely have more carbohydrates in your meals: go up to one cup of rice (beware of arsenic in brown rice, white rice has less arsenic especially after being washed) with lunch, 2-3 slices of bread with dinner. and with your snacks try to add some fatty proteins with your fruits.
i worked at some points in a special center for anorexics and what they did to increase their weight is to give them some sorts of rich sweet protein smoothies many times a day between meals. i personally like odwalla vanilla protein shake original, and i tolerate it very well (it is soy milk based) but i don't know if i would have tolerated it a few months ago. it might be worth trying. 18.5)?="" to="" gain="" weight="" you="" need="" to="" consume="" more="" calories.="" what="" has="" the="" most="" calories="" is="" fat="" (9="" cal/gr).="" sugar="" and="" carbohydrates="" come="" second="" (4="" cal/gr),="" but="" the="" other="" side="" effect="" of="" sugar="" is="" that="" it="" increases="" appetite="" (especially="" for="" people="" who="" don't="" exercise="" by="" making="" your="" blood="" sugar="" go="" up="" and="" down)="" and="" help="" your="" body="" store="" fat="" (by="" stimulating="" the="" production="" of="" insuline).="" to="" gain="" weithg,="" the="" winning="" formula="" is="" sugar/carbohydrates="" +="" fat.="" you="" could="" try="" adding="" some="" fat="" in="" reasonable="" quantities="" at="" each="" meal:="" one="" handful="" of="" nuts="" with="" your="" oatmeal,="" 1="" tablespoon="" of="" oil="" with="" your="" meals="" (more="" if="" you="" can="" tolerate="" it,="" you="" have="" to="" feel="" how="" much="" fat="" you="" can="" eat="" without="" making="" your="" symptoms="" worse).="" you="" could="" also="" safely="" have="" more="" carbohydrates="" in="" your="" meals:="" go="" up="" to="" one="" cup="" of="" rice="" (beware="" of="" arsenic="" in="" brown="" rice,="" white="" rice="" has="" less="" arsenic="" especially="" after="" being="" washed)="" with="" lunch,="" 2-3="" slices="" of="" bread="" with="" dinner.="" and="" with="" your="" snacks="" try="" to="" add="" some="" fatty="" proteins="" with="" your="" fruits.="" i="" worked="" at="" some="" points="" in="" a="" special="" center="" for="" anorexics="" and="" what="" they="" did="" to="" increase="" their="" weight="" is="" to="" give="" them="" some="" sorts="" of="" rich="" sweet="" protein="" smoothies="" many="" times="" a="" day="" between="" meals.="" i="" personally="" like="" odwalla="" vanilla="" protein="" shake="" original,="" and="" i="" tolerate="" it="" very="" well="" (it="" is="" soy="" milk="" based)="" but="" i="" don't="" know="" if="" i="" would="" have="" tolerated="" it="" a="" few="" months="" ago.="" it="" might="" be="" worth="">
to gain weight you need to consume more calories. what has the most calories is fat (9 cal/gr). sugar and carbohydrates come second (4 cal/gr), but the other side effect of sugar is that it increases appetite (especially for people who don't exercise by making your blood sugar go up and down) and help your body store fat (by stimulating the production of insuline). to gain weithg, the winning formula is sugar/carbohydrates + fat.
you could try adding some fat in reasonable quantities at each meal: one handful of nuts with your oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of oil with your meals (more if you can tolerate it, you have to feel how much fat you can eat without making your symptoms worse). you could also safely have more carbohydrates in your meals: go up to one cup of rice (beware of arsenic in brown rice, white rice has less arsenic especially after being washed) with lunch, 2-3 slices of bread with dinner. and with your snacks try to add some fatty proteins with your fruits.
i worked at some points in a special center for anorexics and what they did to increase their weight is to give them some sorts of rich sweet protein smoothies many times a day between meals. i personally like odwalla vanilla protein shake original, and i tolerate it very well (it is soy milk based) but i don't know if i would have tolerated it a few months ago. it might be worth trying.>
eric49486 ines6375
Posted
My BMI is 20.1, but when I take off my shirt, all the chest bones and neck bones are so obivious, it is kind of scary.
ines6375 eric49486
Posted
A BMI of 20 is actually very healthy.
I described how to gain fat above but if your goal is aesthetic, building muscles by exercising might be a good thing too (and it will increase your appetite). To gain fat and muscles, you might need to eat much more though. Check the diets for athletes and how you can adapt them.
jessica09207 ines6375
Posted
Thanks
Jess
ines6375 jessica09207
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mariast jessica09207
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Hi, Jessica! How are you? Did your nausea go away with lansoprazole?
aleksandra777 ines6375
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I know you it's been over a year ago, but I had to follow up. I hope you get to see this. I ran into this post as I searched the web for gastritis cure since I'm getting pretty desperate as the time goes by.
I don't even know where to start.
I've been having heartburn for as long as I remember (even though I'm only 25) but recently it escalated. I did gastroscopy (an awful experience) and was diagnosed with chronic gastritis and reflux (I had a sensation of something being stuck in my throat). The stomach lining all the way up to my throat is quite inflamed.
I even have these small white spot in my throat (it's not tonsillitis) probably due to excess acid. It doesn't hurt, though, but it's been stuck there for almost half a year already. I also have sinusitis, and excess postnasal drip, which is often related to gastritis.
I got DGL today and I started taking it. Can't tell if it's going to work. I sincerely hope so. And I'm going to order Zink Carnosine as well - feeling hopeful about that one, I read about it, it's seems like a great supplement.
I also made changes in my diet, but sometimes I don't know what to eat. I don't always have the time to prepare meals and I end up eating the same stuff. Cabbage salad, some tuna (although probably not a good choice) yoghurt, toast, sesame seeds, boiled eggs, raw almonds, etc.
Anyway, I wanted to ask you the following: Do you feel like you've completely cured yourself? I mean, can a person cure themselves completely? Now that you've cured yourself, are you able to occasionally indulge yourself, drink wine, beer, eat sweets, pizza?
I just can't imagine spending the rest of my life like this...
ines6375 aleksandra777
Posted
All my symptoms have completely disappeared, I don't have any stomach pain anymore, acid reflux or silent reflux. I feel perfectly good.
But I am still careful with what I eat and I cook all my meals.
Yoghurt is too acidic, if cabbage salad has vinegar, it is not good and the tuna salad might be too fatty (also beware of mustard). For me being very strict with my diet and cooking all my meals were necessary for recovery.
JEG435 aleksandra777
Posted
aleksandra777 ines6375
Posted
Hm, then perhaps I should get almond or coconut milk instead of yoghurt since I eat homemade granola for breakfast and mix it with yoghurt.
So all dairy products should be excluded? No, I eat canned tuna with no oil or dressing, but I read somewhere that all canned food is slightly acidic. I was also wondering, do you think it's okay to munch on semi-sweet dry cookies like Digestive or pretzels...?
Thanks for your advice. And thanks for starting this discussion, it's really helpful.
aleksandra777 JEG435
Posted
Yeah. nobody really tells you about the harmful effects of the drugs. They cure the symptoms, but not the cause.
I was also put on PPI (40mg twice a day) and another medicine to fight the reflux for two months. It was fine while I was taking it but as soon I stopped I had a rebound and then I had to start taking it again (20mg a day). Now I'm off the PPI, but I have to follow a strict diet.
Just like you, I sometimes pay the price. I hope I'll be fine in a few months or so. I feel like so awkward sometimes when people around me can whatever they want...
I have to make a strict diet plan and stick to it. Do you eat pasta or dairy?
ali63625 aleksandra777
Posted
inspired, I remembered my mother had been diagnosed with it just before she died - they'd only had 64 years to find it! So I cleared my cupboards of anything remotely wheat/gluten connected, and dumped the lot.
within hours, the chronic diarrhea and awful stomach pain stopped, and gradually all the other issues reversed. I have not had any of them since.
you do need to be 100% free of the stuff. Often even a few crumbs is enough to keep the symptoms going. Be aware that it can also be 'hidden' under such guises as 'dextrose', 'hydrolyzed vegetable protein', 'barley malt extract', etc.
if you search for 'hidden gluten' you will likely find a list of names gluten can masquerade under. I just cook most things from scratch now and avoid buying things in packets.
Many people are reversing all kinds of health problems not just digestive by adopting a wheat/gluten free low carbohydrate diet. Avoid expensive gluten-free food as it is often very high in sugar. There are other options that are better - and loads of awesome GF low carb recipes out there.
i've also started drinking a pint of water first thing when I wake, 45 mins before eating. It's done a lot in Japan and is claimed to help reverse all sorts of issues, including digestive.
ines6375 aleksandra777
Posted
I personally tried to avoid all dairy while I was trying to recover but now I am fine with reasonable amounts of hard goat or sheep cheeses.
ines6375 aleksandra777
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aleksandra777 ines6375
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Yesterday I bought the book on Dropping acidity you recommended... So I decided to stick to the guidelines and see if it helps.
First I decided to go with the Induction diet for 2-4 weeks and then I'll move on to the next phase...
Today I also had a reflux (lump in my throat) even though I only ate what's on the Induction diet list.. Probably boiled chicken or something.
aleksandra777 ali63625
Posted
have gastritis (really inflamed stomach lining all the way up to my throat) and reflux. The latter came a few months ago.
Now I'm sticking to the book Dropping acid, and hooopeefully I'll see some improvements. I need to strengthen the stomach lining. I've also lost some weight and with this regime I'm going to lose even more.
Recently I got DGL, but can't tell if it's working really.
I have high hopes about Zinc Carnosine, though.