Intestinal Metaplasia: What do you do to lower the risk of cancer?

Posted by evapa @evapa, Apr 22, 2021

Has anyone been diagnosed with intestinal metaplasia? What does your doctor recommend? I was just diagnosed and am very anxious about it because of the risk of cancer. Would like to hear your experience with it. Thank you.

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I was diagnosed with this as well. Went in due to stomach pain, burning in my stomach, can’t eat and feeling nauseated. H-pylori is negative. Colonoscopy was normal and now Mayo tells me nothing!! What am I supposed to do just live with this pain, not being able to eat, nauseated all the time? I take pantoprazole 40mg twice a day plus Prilosec 40mg daily, I am eating tums like they are candy and my stomach is on fire. I typically eat a yogurt a 4oz cottage cheese and a protein shake and try for a small meal if I am able..that doesn’t always work out as I am nauseated most of the time. Am I just supposed to hope this gets better and they put me on Reglan 10mg four times a day thinking I had gastroparesis but no one calls me back. All the research says they can remove the areas from your stomach lining, remove a section of your stomach to relieve the symptoms but here I am reading it’s nothing to worry about??? I can’t imagine continuing with these symptoms forever. My diet has been pretty bland for the last three weeks since the symptoms have been the worst and nothing is helping!!! Thoughts???

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Profile picture for kpreskorn @kpreskorn

I was diagnosed with this as well. Went in due to stomach pain, burning in my stomach, can’t eat and feeling nauseated. H-pylori is negative. Colonoscopy was normal and now Mayo tells me nothing!! What am I supposed to do just live with this pain, not being able to eat, nauseated all the time? I take pantoprazole 40mg twice a day plus Prilosec 40mg daily, I am eating tums like they are candy and my stomach is on fire. I typically eat a yogurt a 4oz cottage cheese and a protein shake and try for a small meal if I am able..that doesn’t always work out as I am nauseated most of the time. Am I just supposed to hope this gets better and they put me on Reglan 10mg four times a day thinking I had gastroparesis but no one calls me back. All the research says they can remove the areas from your stomach lining, remove a section of your stomach to relieve the symptoms but here I am reading it’s nothing to worry about??? I can’t imagine continuing with these symptoms forever. My diet has been pretty bland for the last three weeks since the symptoms have been the worst and nothing is helping!!! Thoughts???

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@kpreskorn
I also have nearly constant nausea and absolutely no appetite. I was diagnosed with IM 6 months after onset of symptoms. Also no H. Pylori. Luckily, i have very little burning in my stomach. Not on a bland diet but a very strict one. very limited. The doctors say that the IM is not causing my symptoms and I have been given nothing that relieves the symptoms. It has now been 14 months. The nausea has gone away for a month in January and another part of March and April but I have had to force feed myself every day since March of 2025 and been nauseous for 12 of the 14 months and can barely maintain a decent weight. I don't know what is causing my symptoms but it is definitely no way to live. At this point, all of my doctors want to put me on antidepressants because they can't explain the symptoms with all of the testing and believe the symptoms are being caused by anxiety and depression, when in fact it is just the opposite. I am now depressed after this year of torture of nausea and no appetite. The symptoms and constant poor news about my health have made me very anxious and depressed indeed.. I have also found out I am pre-diabetic, have positive autoimmune risk and antibodies for Scleroderma, and a host of health issues that do not explain my symptoms.
And on top of all of that they have offered me an experimental procedure to do an ablation of the IM, that would reduce cancer risk but not help symptoms. It would, however, create an ulcer, carry risk of complications, and likely exacerbate the mysterious life destroying symptoms. I don't know what to say or do at this point. I've done all sorts of holistic therapies as well, which have helped a few things but not the nausea or loss of appetite.
I wish I had sage advice or something even positive to say... but bless you and let's share anything that might help.
Out of curiosity, are you being informed that the IM is likely causing your symptoms?

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