Gastritis - and no meds?

Sorry to hear you're struggling. I have a reactive stomach, so I know what you're going through.  I have a few suggestions for you.  If you have good prescription insurance, ask you doctor for a Carafate suspension script.  It is great for coating and protecting your esophagus and stomach and thus facilitating healing.  If you don't have good insurance, ask for the generic version in pill form: Sulcrafate.  It is a very benign drug that was developed to protect ulcers while they heal.  I am never with out Carafate suspension in the house. 

Remember that the stomach contracts to mash foods.  Be sure you don't eat anything that will enter the stomach as solid and rough.  Chew everything completely until it is a compete liquid/creamy consistency.  That way when the stomach mashes the food during digestion, the stomach lining won't be scratched by irritating chunks of food.

Stay away from spices, acidic foods, and alcohol.  Personally, I have always found that taking a maximum dose PPI helps clear up gastritis more quickly.  If you're feeling you need more help with this, contact your doctor and share your concerns.

Good luck!  Hope it clears up quickly.  Don't get discouraged, though.  It always takes quite a while to get my stomach healed when it acts up.

Take care,

Denise

Carafate was developed to help heal ulcers, but it works really well to heal plain inflammation as well.  That's why I love it.  I go through stages when my stomach flares up and the Carafate definitely helps it feel better and heal more quickly.

Coffee and wine are two absolute no-nos.  They are both highly acidic and will irritate your stomach lining.  The PPI (Prilosec is OTC, but there is a generic version which might be less expensive if you get a script.) works well because it helps reduce the acid and protects the stomach in that way.  I find that it helps heal a gastritis more quickly. 

When I asked my PCP if I could still drink coffee during a flare up he'd always say, "It depends on if you want to feel good or not..."  I recommend you skip the coffee until your stomach is healed.  If you want a hot drink, tried tea.  I've given up coffee almost completely and drink tea only, which is much more gentle on the stomach.

The NSAIDS and Celebrex were probably the cause of your gastritis to begin with, so it's a good thing to get off of those.  My stomach is so sensitive that I never take pain relievers at all.  I use ice for pain, and lie down and tough out headaches.  It's not worth the stomach issues.

You might find the Carafate will help with the pain.  Have you tried Maalox?  If the pain is from bloat, Gas-X is the key.

Good luck getting things healed.  I know how frustrating it can be.  It seems to take forever to get things healed and comfortable again.  It'll happen, though! 

Hang in there!

Happy healing,

Denise

In my case it's a chronic condition, but that doesn't mean it is in yours.  I have what my GI doc referred to is a "reactive stomach".  I had told him I thought I had chronic gastritis, but he said, no.  My stomach can get better for a period of time, then get irritated, and I'm back into a gastritis.

Before my Nissen surgery it was much worse.  I'd have esophagitis in addition to gastritis, which was even more painful.  Now, it fortunately stays in my stomach, which is much less painful and easier to heal.

I can't answer the coffee question.  It will be answered by you. In my opinion there is no universal list of things that will cause problems.  It's a very individual thing.  Coffee is off my list of things that can be ingested on a regular basis.  I used to drink a LOT of coffee in the morning before going to work.  Over time, it started bothering me.  Now I do drink it occasionally...I only drink really good coffee...if I'm going to be bothered by it, I'm going to enjoy it!

I drink black tea, but drink it fairly weak.  If I drink a lot of it and it's strong, even tea can bother my stomach.  I don't know if you have GERD, but if you do, remember that caffeine can weaken your LES and create more reflux.

When I spoke to my GI doc, I asked him how long I should baby my stomach before eating normally again.  I'd find that my stomach would feel better after a few days, then I'd eat normally/challenge it, and I'd be back to square one.  He said that I should eat carefully until my stomach feels perfect for two weeks, then gradually introduce more challenging foods.  It's a rule of thumb that I follow when I'm having problems.

Good luck getting things better.  Be patient...it takes time!

Happy healing,

Denise

A bit of an update and I have another question.

At present, my most dominat symptom of the gastritis is nausea (which is awful when i need to function).  about 3 weeks ago, I started taking one PPI a day (tecta), which was actually prescibed by my rheumatologist, and not by my Gi (he prescribed it in the case where I wanted to try taking celebrex again).  I find that the PPI is helping with my nausea and I often have to also take something like zantac and a nausea pill (the only thing my GI did prescribe). 

When I'm nausous, I find that the best cure is to eat little.

My question is:  for how long can I take the PPI without risking getting rebound side effects.  I am hesitiant to stop as it does seem to lessen my nauea bouts and I don't want to get it even more than now. 

As a note, i do not have GERD, an ulcer of h pylori infection.