Need Help: Chronic Gastritis

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me out here.

In July 2009 I started having abdominal pains. It wasn't too serious, but what kept me from going to a doctor or a hospital was no insurance. The abdominal pains would change in intensity over the course of the following months. Then in the beginning of October 2009, I had enough and the pain got to be too excruciating.

I checked myself into the ER and after fours of tests, x-rays, ultra sound, the doctors told me that I do not have cancer, tumors, cysts, any bacteria infections, foreign objects, and that the only thing that was left was some kind of virus. They prescribed Prilosec for 30 days. Which I took every morning for the following 30 days. Within a few days I was feeling better. By the beginning of November I had finished the medication and was off it until the middle of December when the gastritis came back. It was painful, but not like what I experienced in October. I then started taking the medication again. And it was gone within a few days. I kept taking the medication until the beginning of February of 2010 when I had some kind of 24 flu, which that week I had ZERO desire to eat. And I have not taken Prilosec since then.

Since the week that I had the 24/hr flu, I had regained my appetite where I was actually hungry for the first time since June 2009.

Now this week, I started getting the foul taste in my mouth, pain up the back and on the right shoulder blade, and abdominal pains again.

It just seems odd that I can go for 3-4 weeks without any problems, and then there is that one week where everything goes to hell.

Does any body have any suggestions? This now has been going on for 9 months. This is too darn long for something like this to go on.

Hey Bill, when it does come, which isn't all the time, it usually happens about 4 hours after eating. And it even happened when I eat honey mellon dew. I never knew that a gallbladder could cause shoulder pain, even without having stones.


Thanks.

dencha said...
Hi athandpr,
Sorry to hear you're having so many problems. I have a very reactive stomach, and I can understand what you're going through. It does take about 2 weeks for the effects of Prilosec to subside, so that could be part of the timing. After getting off the Prilosec, your stomach could take an additional couple weeks to get totally inflamed again. I don't know if that's possible, but it makes some sense.

Shoulder pain can be caused by gas, and if you're having a very inflamed and upset stomach, it's possible for gas to get loose, I'd think.

After a flu, it's very likely that you'd get a flare-up, and it would take some time for things to settle down. With gastritis on top of that, it would flare things up for a while. Also, if you have a weak LES, you might be getting extra reflux after the vomiting irritated that valve.

I hope you find an answer to your problem soon. You need to be very careful with your eating, and try not to eat things that are irritating to the lining of your esophagus and stomach (i.e. rough foods like popcorn, etc.).
Best wishes!
Denise

Hey Denise, What do you mean by "LES?" Also are you recommending that perhaps what I need to do is not take the medication? I did take it as the doctors recommend back in October. I'm wondering if perhaps my body is too Priolsec-ed at this moment.

Thanks again.

LES means the lower Esophagal spincter. It's just easier to say LES.
Don't stop the medicine. Your LES keeps the food and acid in your stomach when it's weak the stomach contents will leak back into your esophagus causing irritation. The medication keeps the acid levels down to lessen the burning. If you LES is weak the only cure is to have the surgery.

Joy

athandpr

It is great to read of your progress and I hope everything just keeps on getting better and better for you.

Keep us updated as it is awesome to read success stories.

Kindly,

Kitt

Athan -
Glad to hear you are getting treated.

Please do keep a journal/log of your foods, medicines, and the symptoms you have in a half hour, an hour and 2 hours. (If you were having migraines it could be 2 days, but reflux usually happens pretty soon.) This will help you find out if you have any specific food intolerances/allergies/sensitivities.

I've posted lots on this, and you can do a search in the forum.

Nolique said...
Hi Athandpr,


I also have gastritis that eventually comes back after going off meds. Have you been tested for bile reflux? . . . Just curious if they tested you for that?



Nolique

No. As far as I know I have not been tested for that. When I was in the ER, I had blood work, done, but I do know what tests they ran. I do know they ran the basic blood test for white blood cells, Iron, and I believe it was something called CCT. (I am missquoting this last one.)

dencha said...
anthanpor,
Glad to hear you're doing better. No I wasn't encouraging you to stop Prilosec. That would help your stomach, not hurt it. I was wondering if it's effects (which last at least a week after stopping) had worn off. Hope things continue to go well for you.
Good luck!
Denise

Hey Denise, I think it was in April is when I stopped altogether. I have read elsewhere that some have said that staying on Prosilec too long will also cause an upset stomach. I went off it because I felt it was time to go off it. But in the past two months or so, that is when I started to have the swelling and subtle pain. But as another poster suggested, I started to track what I eat and when the swelling/pain occurs, which happens within an hour of eating.

Another thing too that I posted, was that milk allegeries run in the family. And when ever I have something made with milk in it, that causes the problems. Also, anything high in sugar is causes problems as well. Like tonight, I didn't have any tea and end up buying a Snapple at a local store, after drinking it, everything came back.