Gastritis

I have chronic gastritis since 2018. I'm on Pantaprazole 40 mg. I don't know if I'll ever get rid of mine. I eat low acid everything, no soda, no booze, low acid healthwise coffee, I drink unsweetened almond milk which is non dairy, gluten free, soy free and only 1 carb per cup. Try that in your coffee or oatmeal. Stay away from aspirin, motrin type pain relievers. Stay away from fatty foods and fried anything. Good Luck!

Hello @jkmelch and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Gastritis can certainly be maintained and controlled through medication and careful diet planning. How long have you been on omeprazole? When were you diagnosed?

I also have GERD.
Since the 7th of December 2020.
1 month now that I know of.

However my swallowing issues started in August of 2020. With an inability to swallow completely or strongly rather. ( * That was around the same time I was perscribed Ativan for sleeping. )

Now January 2021 my swallowing had cotton worse. Now it also has clicking and popping sensations. My throat feels like it has a huge lump inside.

I also have a burning dry mouth & tounge.
Burning dry sinus.
Burning dry throat.

My sinuses are inflamed and my throat.
Which comes and goes.

I've lost some of my senses of smell but have gained incredible abilities with some smells especially sweet and floral.
I have also gained incredible taste buds. I'm tasting wayyyyyy too much.

It hurts so much when I breathe.
My lungs hurt resting, breathing in or out.

I'm talking omeprazole, sucralfate, and pepsid compete. I am also still talking Ativan .50 ( down from 3mg a day.)

I cannot help but think Ativan is the cause of all my problems... idk

I have been to the ER AND DOCTOR in this small city about 16 times since December 7th.

I really need support and answers badly.
When will this go away? Is this all normal?
Has anyone had GERD this bad and they fully recovered?

I have been on Omeprazole for years. Now also Pepcid & Carafate. Have Gerd, diverticulosis and gastritis. At this point I don't know what to eat ! The diets conflict with each other. Cannot eat anything spicy or acidic due to other issues. Any suggestion on a diet with all these issues ?????

@ewalkercece

No not normal. Being you are like me living in a small city.. more on town level now.. you may have to do a bit of traveling to get help. I have traveled over an hours drive to another city and much longer drive to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. I have asked opinions of what doctors to go to in the other city. The best from a nurse friend who I went to high school with.

To me it sounds like GERD, Swallowing problem and perhaps something unknown going on. Swallowing problems can cause dry mouth. Acid could be going up into your nasal passages or something else going on with them.

Many medications can worsen GERD as well as what you eat and things you do. Most definitely sinus problems can make Gerd Worse.( have a checkup with ENT doctor to make sure all is well) Drinking alcoholic beverages, juices and sodas and eating certain foods can make GERD much worse. Some medications and combinations of medications can make GERD worse. A change in a hiatal hernia can make GERD worse. .. and the list can go on.

First I would keep a journal and write down what makes my symptoms better and what makes them worse. Is is worse after eating certain foods? Worse certain times of day or after activities? What effect does medications have on symptoms? How long after eating or taking medications are there changes in symptoms and what change? Be aware there is no one diet fits all. .. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT even though we all have the same basic organs within our bodies. Avoid food that trigger your symptoms. Eat small meals 4-5 times a day. Some people find it helpful to raise the top of their bed or use a wedge to raise their upper body. Some sleep in a recliner.

Second I would talk to a pharmacist about my medications including over the counter medication. Make a list of your medications.. prescription and over the counter medications. .. I made a chart on my computer for this and print it out for my doctors, pharmacists and hospitals. Include the name of medication, dosage and number of times a day taken and prescribing doctor. Tell the pharmacist about any side effects you may be feeling. Your pharmacist may see a conflict in medications that your doctor may not be aware of. The pharmacist will know more about the side effects than your doctor. The pharmacist can suggest better options for you.

Third.. take what you have learned from the pharmacist and talk with your doctor about it. Write your questions down and take a pen to write note with. If you are not seeing a gastroenterologist (GI) do so. If you are having swallowing difficulties you need swallowing tests. Yes, tests, plural. There are several types of barium swallow. Some with just the barium and others with barium tainted foods. Some swallow test are to see which consistency of foods you can swallow. Esophageal manometry is another test. A good GI doctor will know which ones need to be done according to your symptoms. You should probably have an endoscopy too.

Recovery or reduction in symptoms of GERDS depends on the cause. There are surgeries to help. Nissen fundoplication is one. It does not have a high success rate. .. 1 in 6 fail. The Linx procedure has helped many. Reading through discussions here on Connect might give you more information. My story at my blog.. which I keep saying I will get back to.. here if you so desire to read https://zarogasnook.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-long-time-passing.html l

ZeeGee

@ewalkercece I had a hiatal hernia and GERD... had taken Nexium for a decade or more.. then my central Iowa town GI doctor recommended a "Nissen" surgery... WORSE thing that has happened in my life of 83 yrs.. that was 6 years ago.. I have post-operative gastroparesis ....They could not diagnose what went wrong..
After losing 50 pounds in 2 months I went to Mayo MN... they diagnosed it in a day.. 3 tests .. in the Best GI Dept in the US... the doc said that 1 in 6 of those surgeries FAIL... So change your eating habits.. the Process of eating ... smaller amounts, Slower, chew very well, do not lie down/get prone for 2 hours after eating ..raise the head of the bed at least 6".. Gravity works to keep that stuff from coming up.. Keep a daily log of what you eat and what happens .. do this for at least a month.. There are so many variables in GI issues.. but you can narrow down the possibilities by understanding what the stomach does and how to help it do its job easier..

@fourof5zs I would caution anyone who would think of having a Nissen fundoplication to do every thing else possible before that ..Eat correctly... and if it is the only thing that holds a possible aid ..... know the track record of the surgeon on that specific surgery... I have post-operative gastroparesis.. A disaster.. life changing MISTAKE.. 1 in 6 FAIL... After that surgery I lost 50 pounds in 2 months .. I did not have 50 pounds to lose.. when the local GI Doctor prescribed a drug that was not FDA approved... that would have to be obtained in Canada.. I went to MAYO, MN... I had talked with a friend who was a Radiologist in Sweden... when I asked her about that non-approved drug.. she said, "Don't do that; I hope you don't have gastroparesis..." ... She was Correct..

I have had Gerd, metaplasia and now autoimmune gastritis I too believe started with a thyroid medication I was taking. It's been 3 years, mostly better now however there are many foods and drinks I can not have. I take meds when I flare up and keep a very close eye on what enters my mouth and try to keep it from further damage. Good luck, keep up the good work...

I have GERD too, for years, and on and off gastritis. I also went to Mayo, Jacksonville where I was evaluated and treated for autoimmune inflammation on and off - could involve entire GI system. Over the years I have had EGDs - no Barrett’s.
I have had Candida esophagitis too- very painful. I have been on several PPIs- just started Aciphex- took it years ago. It seems one has to rotate them if they don’t seem to work as well.
Regarding diet- I avoid any fatty foods- they stay longer in stomach = more acid produced. I also eat smaller servings of meat- takes longer to digest= more acid. Careful with coffee and alcohol.
Having read previous posts I think this forum has become a great source of extensive information on GERD and gastritis!
I agree with other members regarding the Nissen Fundoplication- Too many members find themselves worse off after the procedure. Just my observation after following this topic for a long time.

@ken82 ... your message went to my Junk Box. I try to check every couple of days, but been busy.

I agree with what you said. To me any surgery is last option. I tried my best to research my surgeons, but in 2001 not as many resources. .. many surgeons will tell you what they want you to hear.. they have done so many surgeries and have so many successes. The one that did repair of nissen in 2007 lied. He asked me before surgery if I would be willing to talk with future prospective patients about surgery. I'm sure he regretted that. One of his patients called me and I told him my story of how I still having reflux and have had a lot of pain since surgery and cannot get the surgeon to address. I found out the surgeon used a type of mesh he should not have used where he used it. The man said he would be talking to a different surgeon as I suggested.

I had gastroparesis a few years pre-Nissen. Propulsid worked well for me, but they took it off market. You took it for so many days and then off for so many days. I had to have a gastric bypass to repair the giant paraesophageal hiatal hernia that was causing my problems. My stomach now empties directly into my intestines. My bowels are slow to empty at times and I have dumping syndrome occasionally as I had with gastroparesis.

ZeeGee