carlax1991 said...
Hi there. Thanks for replying. Its good to know I'm not alone, but of course I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
I know I have a small hiatal hernia and moderate stomach inflammation because I went to the ER - at the end of May - and they gave me an endoscopy. I have heartburn/acid reflux at times; I'm not sure if it's caused by the gastritis or the hernia (doctors told me it's small, 3cm, so it's unlikely to cause symptoms). They took a biopsy and tested for H. pylori, but it came out negative. Sometimes I feel like I want to get retested because I don't know if alcohol can cause H. pylori?
According to my gastroenterologist, nearly everybody has some level of H. Pylori bacteria in their gut; it's only when they grow to a certain population that they begin causing problems. Alcohol doesn't cause H. Pylori, but it does irritate your esophagus, your stomach, your intestines, your prostrate, and just about everything else it touches when it goes through your system.
Just because a hiatal hernia is small at 3cm, does not mean it cannot cause symptoms. I found the doctor's choices of words interesting. It's "unlikely", but what is he or she basing that on? I have a friend who has a 3cm hiatal hernia and it's caused her nothing but problems. Our bodies are all different, so it might cause problems in some and in others not.
carlax1991 said...
I'm just desperate for answers at this point... I'm in pain every day. I'm sure you know. Everyone keeps telling me that this will heal, but it will take time. It's very very hard to be patient when you're in pain every day and it doesn't seem like anything is helping... plus the anxiety keeps me from living normally. I don't go out as much as I used to. I feel like I need to be home because I need to constantly eat in order to keep the stomach acid from gnawing at my stomach lining.
I'm currently on Pantaprazole (the generic Protonix, not sure if it works the same), Sucralfate (capsule), Bentyl for abdominal pain, Buspirone for anxiety, and Ondansetron for nausea. I don't have nausea much anymore... I did at the beginning. My anxiety is really bad, the medication doesn't help that much. I don't see any difference from taking Pantoprazole and Sucralfate for a while now. I wish I could afford the Sucralfate liquid instead of the pill but it's not covered by my insurance.
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Yes, I hear you. I'm in constant pain, everyday, and in the beginning the pain was pretty unbearable and I could barely move. How I managed to make it to work still baffles me. I did call out sick for a total of 3 days at one point or another because I simply could not get out of bed on those days. Work has been a real challenge for me because it's difficult to focus.
That was about a month ago and today, though I'm still in pain, it went from an 8 (on a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the worst pain ever) to a now very bearable 5. This tells me that my body is healing, albeit slowly, but at least it's healing.
It can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks before you begin feeling some sort of relief, unfortunately, and that's assuming you don't aggravate your condition. So sticking to bland diet and avoiding beverages with any alcohol or caffeine is critical. And take the medication exactly how your doctor advised you to take it. It's going to take time.
carlax1991 said...........
I sleep with my head elevated, but I'm not sure if it's elevated enough. I sleep fine. It's actually when I'm in the least amount of pain, at night and in the morning when I wake up... though my anxiety is the worst in the morning. I try not to stress because everyone tells me that makes things worse but it's hard, especially when you've been going through this for a month and a half.
I heard with the cabbage juice, you're supposed to drink 8oz 3-4 times per day. I want to try it but I'm nervous of the consequences. I'm not sure what exactly to do to make it easier on myself... I've tried so many things.
I've stayed away from all those things, though I'm not sure about pasta, is it fatty? I eat that once in a while without sauces. And with dairy... I eat yogurt and drink lactose free almond milk. Not sure if the yogurt is bad for me. I have been eating the small meals as frequently as possible.
I've tried a lot of things but I don't know what to do to a.) ease the pain when it comes or b.) speed up healing. I'm very sensitive and a small guy who stresses easily, so this really has been the worst experience of my life...
Cabbage juice is more for people who have ulcers, as far as it healing your stomach lining I'm not sure about that. I drank a lot of cabbage juice for a month and all I really got out of it, other than the nutrients, was a bought of diarrhea.
People who know me on this forum, know that I am not a fan of dairy because according to Dr. Daniel Twogood, it can cause digestive problems for some people. So he recommended to me to stay away from all dairy for 90 days (to allow my body to heal) and then reintroduce it back into my diet to see how my body reacted.
I know yogurt is a good source of calcium and probiotics, but you can get those items from other food sources. I get my probiotics from sauerkraut juice (I'm at 2 table spoons a day) and fermented vegetables. I get my calcium from green vegetables.
Some people with our condition tolerate pasta pretty well, though I recommend using a gluten-free pasta and stay away from any tomato-based marinara sauces or think, creamy sauces as they will definitely irritate your stomach lining. However, it sounds like your symptoms are pretty bad at this point and I would focus on eating soft foods for at least 2 to 3 weeks. In the beginning all I ate was organic baby food, drank carrot juice in small amounts, steamed white rice, and homemade bone broth and homemade chicken vegetable soup.
I can eat pasta with a little bit of olive oil and it goes down okay.
I have made homemade bone broth from chicken and/or beef bones (I only use organic bones) twice a week which is enough to for me drink almost daily. I also use it to make vegetable soup. Bone broth is extremely good for you and has the nutrients in it to aid in repairing your digestive tract. And the vegetable soup and the chicken with no skin is what gave me the nutrients I needed to help me heal.
I won't lie to you, it may not go down easy, so if you do try it, start off with one coffee mug's worth per day for a few days to see how your stomach reacts to it. It took about a week for my stomach to get used to the bone broth, everyone's body is different, but I found that for me it was a godsend.
I'm also a very sensitive guy and at time my anxiety levels were through the roof. The thing that helped me more than anything was meditating. It's a learned skill so it might take a few days or a couple of weeks to get a handle on it, but I have found it invaluable in dealing with my anxiety levels. There are plenty of videos on line that will show you how to meditate. When I meditate I empty my mind as best as I can and I focus on my breath. There are also plenty of videos on youtube that have guided meditations if that's your preference.
Regarding elevating the head of your bed, some people like 5 inches off the ground, others like 7 inches, and some people like it even higher. It's one of those things you just need to experiment with.
I know it seems like the pain will last forever, but it won't. Your body has an amazing ability to heal itself as long as you give it the tools to do so. Stay on a strict, low-acid diet, take your medications as prescribed, and time should allow you to heal enough. Please let us know how you are doing.
Side note: I also posted some more detailed information in this thread which might help you:
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=3451912