GERD/LPR/1200 calories Impossible to eat

I have GERD/LPR &"silent reflux-no symptoms until I had foot surgery 2 months ago. Symptoms-could not swallow, pressure on the sternum. Placed myself on clear/soft diet.
Went to ENT/Flex Larynscopy, Barium Swallow-Diagnosis: Mild Esophageal Dysmotility.
Went to my GP/Endoscopy-Diagnosis-Gastritus, Antral erosion, Dudenitis and Hiatal Hernia.
All three Dr's-said I am in the mild to moderate range. RX-taking now-Zantac -1am and 1pm. Omprazole-Once daily. Carafate liq-4 times daily. (for the last 3 wks)
MY PROBLEM-Purchased 4 books with many yes/no list on what to eat. Have lost 28# without trying. How to maintain 1200 calorie diet-with portion control, stomach shrinking, etc. I can only eat so much-otherwise I am sick all day and night. Usually eating about 800 calories only.
MY big problem-How many calories are we to maintain daily. Under 1200 our bodies go into a starvation mode and our metabolism stops?
Going to Gatroentrologists in 2 wks.
Thx for all opinions

I have the same problem. I was diagnosed with Gastritis recently but had been dealing with this for 3 1/2 months now. In the begining, I started to feel better after about a month, then started to eat alot more. So much so that I over did it and started getting into my old eating habits, soda, chocolate, fatty foods, etc. In the middle of February, I had a big flare up and now I'm back to square one. I've lost a total of 23 pounds since 11/12. I lost 4 inches off my waist. Since all this started I haven't been able to consume more than 1000 calories per day. Even on good days. Some days when my tummy is really bad, I'll be lucky to consume 300 calories. I force myself to eat some days just so I don't pass out. I've started to drink Ensure as supplement. Your tummy will heal slowly and you'll notice that you can start eating more and more each day with little pain. Just don't over do it like I did.

Have you lost any weight?? My last flare started about 3 weeks ago.  In addition to gastritis, I have Gerd. The first week of my flare up, I had zero appetite. I was weak, depressed and called in sick alot at work.  I thought I had stomach cancer or something because I just lost my appetite and I always felt full.  I think I dropped 5 pounds during that week.  The following week I had my endoscopy and that confirmed I had gastritis.  After that I felt a little more reassured that I didn't have a terminal illness and I slowly tried to eat a little more everyday.  I looked up foods that were safe but high in calorie, like peanut butter on bread. Pasta is one of my favorites that is high in calories as well.  I know it's difficult and as we're both going through it, it can get you down.  I have an app on my phone that counts every food and calorie I consume and it's been a great help.  I also weigh myself everyday to make sure I don't lose any more weight. My weight has been steady for 2 weeks now.  I know they say to eat 6 small meals per day, but I have trouble doing that. I do try to eat throughout the day though. Snacks in between meals like yogurt, fruit, crackers, etc. 

Chris, when I was losing weight and not eating, I was feeling more depressed than anything else. I didn't feel weak or tired, a little lightheaded maybe. The depressesion was over whelming and it made me not want to do anything. Your symptoms sound typical and depression can manifest itself in different ways such as pain, restlessness, fatigue, exhaustion, etc. Give yourself some time and I guarantee you will feel like your old self one day. For me this whole week has been great, no stomach pain and my appetite has come back. I'm even starting to crave food (which I know I can't eat anyway). If you're concerned about your tiredness, I would definitly bring it up to your doctor. They can run blood work to make sure everything is ok.

Chris, forgot to mention that when I brought up the weight loss to my GP, she had me do an abdomen CT scan to look at my stomach, pancreas, liver, etc. to rule out anything else.You may want to request that to ease you mind.
My liver enzymes came back slightly elevated too, but I think that had to do with the Nexium I was taking.

I am 40 year old male. Cant really comment about menopause but your symptoms are very similar to mine. Did you get a h. Pylori test? During endoscopy, the doc usually does a biopsy on your stomach tissue.

@Willovercome (btw, what is your name?)

Just based on your post, I could sense that this whole thing is stressing you out.  Believe me, I could related.  It's basically that we want to live a normal life without feeling "sick".  We want to get that life back before we started to have digestive issues.  My days are so up and down right now.  If I wake up somewhat feeling normal, then I am ok for a few hours until I have my first significant meal, which causes a slight nausea.  Then I am a mess until the nausea passes. 

I am usually around 180lb (6ft tall) but have lost 10 lbs in the last 3-4 weeks, mainly due to loss of appetite caused by gastritis.  I got my appetite back a few days ago and tried eating more normal stuff (like tuna sandwich) but having some diarrhea, which is going to make me lose weight even more.  The antibiotics that I am taking for h. pylori could be causing diarrhea and I am really nervous about how my digestive system is going to be for the next 2 weeks (the duration of my h. pylori treatment).

Both your and my goal should be to be thankful that we do not have a life threatning condition and try to remain upbeat and hopeful and not get too down.  The anxiety and the negativity can't help with anything.  Try to eat healthy, focus on feeling good rather than the weight and come out as better people, you know?  Good luck.  I'll need it too. 

 

You can call me EJ. Chris, i do believe the power of positive thinking but this anxiety seems to come with heart racing 'attack' for no apparent reason. I have a home blood pressure monitor and i proved my case by checking my heart rate both i feel ok and not ok. Solid 10 per min difference and when i am ok even it's over 76. They said it is caused by low magnesium and happens usually after more than 3 months but first it happend only a few days of omeprazole. It was irregular feeling heart beat then. palpitation.
Many might think it's in my head but listen, when my doc first prescribed me nexium instead of omeprazole after i told her of my palpitation i did have a doubt but I was fine for whole 4 wks. And than next 40 mg started and i braced myself but i was again ok for first two weeks. So, see, it was not my thought that causes this. i was thinking i was doing better and i started getting this symptom that is totally 'unexpected' and almost surprising enough to make me suspect my mental health. I am so frustrated because i have no reason to think myself as a sick person. I am a healthy and happy person. Normally, that is.
Btw, for your antibiotics, i do suggest you brace youself. Antibiotic can be pretty horrible. I had some for a few months for my skin before and when it was skin thing not ingest thing one day i woke up and walked to the bathroom and threw up just like that and had 'total' diahhrea until nothing solid came out. It lasted a few days but when i stopped the antibiotics it gradually stopped. I seriously thought i killed all the good germs in my body! Lol
I am not trying to scare you off but just telling you since you already have a stomach problem it could be pretty bad but it will go away after you are done with the treatment. My ER doctor said so, too. Though i didn't have it, he said, his brother in law had it and after two weeks of treatment he has been doing great, no episode whatsoever for seven years!
And natitc,
I am so sorry that you seem to have more serious case than me. I just researched about breakthrough acid and it sounds bad. :( My condition is not that bad i guess because i sleep well and as my endoscopy picture showed i just have a minor inflamatory area in my esophagus only. I am rather worried now more about total block so that i wouldn't have enough magnasium and calcium to come through. But i understand how it would be like with breakthrough since i had had bad nights with heartburns before. Poor thing. Well, when i actually stop my nexium i would have heart burn again for a while according to many here, so i am trying to be ready, too.
When i have a mild heartburn i eat very soft rice porridge. Porridge only. They say food will make more acid but it seems when i eat something soft a little it actually helps me rather than just starve myself hours ahead of sleeping.
I am trying to get off of my drug so i can't suggest any drugs for that symtom. I just don't believe in pumping drugs to your body. I am not some no base natural remedy kind of person either. It's just that, there must have been a time when ther was no ppi you know, and i don't think so many had died or something just because they didn't have it.
about menopause, natitc, some people said when actually menopause is over, your body adjust to the changing hormone levels so everything will balance out and we will be fine. Some says it applies to men, too. You see, in that case, you are 6 years older than me and you bought 6 years over me! How lucky you are. I don't know but that is the reason i came here. To support each other to that glorious day!
Btw, nexium is working through liver, hence the enzymes, i guess. I have a upper back pain but i can't have a tylenol even because tylenol also is liver damaging drug.
Wish you all good luck too, all around. I will be around to listen to you and will tell my progress with stopping meds because eventually you would think about it, too.

Thanks Andy! I thought so, too. But this doc of mine had this mysterious smile and rasing eyebrow habit for anything i said and when i mentioned just 1lb a months she did that again and said if it persisted i had to come back. She also wrote a letter to me with a biopsy result and mentioned that again! I know all the other possible causes for weight loss but really i told her i was not eating well and she worried me so. I don't exactly worry but perhaps a little impatient like you guessed. Silly me.
Thanks so much for your support. Will try that!
I love this community not because of some no base natural remedy that sometimes tends to pop up here and there( understandable because people are desperate and anxious) but for this support for each other!

Post Edited (Willovercome) : 3/10/2013 12:42:39 PM (GMT-6)

Willovercome said...
You can call me EJ. Chris, i do believe the power of positive thinking but this anxiety seems to come with heart racing 'attack' for no apparent reason. I have a home blood pressure monitor and i proved my case by checking my heart rate both i feel ok and not ok. Solid 10 per min difference and when i am ok even it's over 76. They said it is caused by low magnesium and happens usually after more than 3 months but first it happend only a few days of omeprazole. It was irregular feeling heart beat then. palpitation.
Many might think it's in my head but listen, when my doc first prescribed me nexium instead of omeprazole after i told her of my palpitation i did have a doubt but I was fine for whole 4 wks. And than next 40 mg started and i braced myself but i was again ok for first two weeks. So, see, it was not my thought that causes this. i was thinking i was doing better and i started getting this symptom that is totally 'unexpected' and almost surprising enough to make me suspect my mental health. I am so frustrated because i have no reason to think myself as a sick person. I am a healthy and happy person. Normally, that is.

OMG Willovercome! I had the same symptoms as you while on omepazole! I felt anxiety and palpitations after I start taking them and stopped. My doc keeps saying it's very unlikely that this med is causing anxiety! I don't know cause I have anxiety disorder as well...but somehow, i can differentiate between my usual anxiety and the anxiety that i get when on omepazole. So did Nexium works better for you?

Evelyn,
I stopped my nexium for that side effect. My doc agreed with me in my case. I have been on zantac 75/150 now for a week, and will go with 150 from tomorrow and eventually stop.
Like you said, we can tell them separate, right? It's not in my head. But you know what my sister said when i explained that i read there are many who have experienced the same thing? She said i felt it because i READ them! We CAME here to read them because we felt them first, right?
Today after a week i feel already much better. My husband was even surprised by that. It's ppi. Any ppi has same side effect. I suggest You grit your teeth and try to get off of it unless you really can't. I have my own thread under 'stopping nexium due to the possible side effect' please join me if you feel terrible after you took ppi.
Best luck!

I am not an expert because I am only 3 days post NF. But I did a lot of research prior to my NF and I found a chart showing how many calories you need to maintain your present weight. Anymore you gain, any less you lose. I was 6' tall and weighed 213 at the time. The chart calculated as a moderately active person I needed a minimum of 2328 calories. For a sedentary person such as myself while in recovery, I would need 1940 calories just to stay even. I cant imagine how few calories I am currently eating. Since I am allowed few carbs and no meat I cant see how I can control my weight loss during the next few months.

Prior to my NF I played tennis six days a week. I am giving myself three months off during my recovery and then I am going to try to begin light play again.

Geripie

It's best to avoid soft bread and solid meat for a couple months at least. They are the easiest to get stuck. Also mashed potatoes can if you don't let each bite go all the way through. Trust me it's not fun to have your esophagus reverse gears.

You are right that ground meats are OK. The best way to tell if it's OK is if it can be chewed to a liquid consistency. Toast is OK because it can be chewed to a liquid.

As for calorie intake...for post surgery puddings, milkshakes(if cold isn't a problem) are good ways to add calories. Small frequent meals are the way to go also. For post op the body needs calories and for the short period eating bad stuff can be good.

For those dealing with gastritis the small frequent meals work also. It's a lot easier on the stomach to digest small meals.

Take care,
Bill