Mother's gastritis, triggered by h pylori, persisting for 2.5 years. Nausea + anxiety unbearable
Posted , 6 users are following.
Two years ago, my then 67 year-old mother was given antibiotics for an h. pylori infection. This coincided with a time when she was about to move to a new country. From that point on, she has had perpetual 'gastritis', which gives her nausea, an upset stomach, and anxiety.
We thought she primarily had an anxiety problem caused by her move, and tried to treat that with therapy and antidepressants to no avail. The gastro doctors would prescribe medications which did not work. She's had at least 3 endoscopies and colonoscopies, and they always turned up negative for ulcurs, etc.
She has difficulty eating because it makes her stomach burn. She has trouble sleeping (and has to take sleeping medication) in order to sleep. Her anxiety makes her worry all the time. She can't enjoy a second of her day with this happening.
We are desperate to find a way to improve her situation. At this point, I strongly suspect some kind of bacterial imbalance in her gut which in turn impacts her brain. She is currently awaiting the results of a test for various bacteria in her gut.
Has anyone experienced anything similar to this? Any resources, doctor recommendations, treatment we can explore to either address the cause or at least mitigate the symptoms?
Many thanks
0 likes, 13 replies
pippa58442 kareem72507
Posted
She could try a retest for h pylori which can come back even after successful treatment. In the meantime, is she sticking to bland foods and avoiding anything rich spicy or fatty? She could also try a food diary to see what foods trigger her symptoms. Has her doctor tried a PPI?
kareem72507 pippa58442
Posted
Hi, thanks for the reply. She has re-tested for h pylori a couple of times and it was never spotted again. Yes, she was advised to alter her diet shortly after the problem started and has been pretty good about it. A food diary is a good idea.
PPI= Proton Pump Inhibitor? Yes, and it has helped a little, but definitely not enough.
pippa58442 kareem72507
Posted
The best thing for gastritis is monitoring diet and stress levels.
Vish2015 kareem72507
Posted
What medicines were prescribed for hpylori?
Did hpylori came negative in later endoscopies?
Is it possible that she might be getting reactions because of new type of food , or may be impure source of water in the new country you moved in ?
kareem72507 Vish2015
Posted
She was prescribed 2 antibiotics: amoxicillin and another one, plus a proton pump.
They never found h pylori again, even after several encoscopies
I don't think it was the new type of food. She was put on a strict diet, and ended up going back to the US several months later.
Vish2015 kareem72507
Posted
Ok. I am not sure in your case but may be you can research about some very strong probiotics ( on amazon etc ) with very high number of strains of digestive bacterias. Check the customer reviews. They are not antibiotics and in my opinion not harmful at all. But you can still consult about it with a doctor before trying. Note that doctors do prescribe probiotics most of the time, but they are not very effective. They are not that strong.
Unfortunately if it's the infection then probiotics may not help. But just in case it may do some magic assuming sometimes problems are not as complex as you think. When you will see customer reviews for probiotics you will probably realise that people get similar problems that they don't get answers from doctors but later cure themselves by such simple solutions. Hope it might help you.
vicky60291 kareem72507
Posted
Hi im so sorry your mom isnt well . Anxiety and gast ritis can go hand in hand .. My doctor to me to eats frists , veggies , Metamucil and gas x ... It still takes time to heal
vicky60291 kareem72507
Posted
I will also mention , Fasting a couple if days helps heal gastritis as well ... Just drink juice or water while fasting , the gut
heather63245 kareem72507
Posted
hi there. I have posted a story on some strange stomach problems i have been having after i took medication to get rid of a parasite entomoeba hystolica. I'm sure it caused permanent issues to my stomach. I have tried lots of medication and probiotics. I have found I have a lot of new intolerances to food I use to eat with no issues. I have developed anxiety due to all my issues. anyway afew people recommended a probiotic called vsl3. its abit pricey and I dont know whether its having a placebo effect but I swear its helping. I was only taking it as needed but still having the odd week of problems so now I'm going to take it everyday for the month and see what happens. it's just keeping g me going until my 2nd colonscopy to see if anything is going on. and as everyone else says stress is a big one. but it's hard to reduce that when already stressed about your problems. anyway I hope your mother finds answers to her issues.
kareem72507
Posted
The latest update:
Her stool test results indicated that there is a bacterial imbalance (large amount of bad bacteria). Her nutritionist prescribed a series of supplements including charcoal*
She had an endoscopy done last week which show new erosions in her duodenum and gut. The doctor prescribed a PPI. Her relatives who are nurses and a doctor recommended that she skips the PPi since it has previously not helped her*
vicky60291 kareem72507
Posted
Praying for your mom
vicky60291 kareem72507
Posted
I hope your mom is feeling better !
vicky60291 kareem72507
Posted
I hope your mom is feeling better !