can someone tell me when...

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
can someone tell me when...
17
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 11:40am

I will start to feel better?

I have what the doctor's think is gastritis...went on Prilosec, but stopped because I was feeling worse with it.
Started Zantac twice a day on Monday, and started to feel pretty good, until today...nausea is back, feeling full, no appetite, again...

Please help me. No one seems to be able to give me an answer and I'm at my wits end with this.
I'm frustrated with the nausea, done everything possible-chamomille tea, peppermint tea, small meals, bland diet...

If you have any experience with gastritis, please give me some insight...

I have a barium swallow test scheduled for Wed...

Thank you for any help. I just want some answers.

Thanks
J

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Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 2:18pm

Sorry, I can't tell you when you will feel better. I have gastritis and have had it for a while. I know how you feel with the nausea. I suffer almost daily with it as well. I have been put on almost every PPI under the sun and every anti-nausea pill humanly possible only to have a reaction to most. I find that eating mostly bland foods help. No greasy, fatty, spicy foods. Any foods that are hard to digest like sweets, chocolate, french fries, hamburgers, dairy etc. will make you have the full feeling for hours, so I avoid them like the plague ;o)
Have you been tested for H. Pylori? I know that alot of the times that can be a cause of gastritis, ulcers.
I would have the endoscopy done as well. It is a much better test then the barium swallow and I think it's more reliable. The barium swallow doesn't really tell much except if you have ulcers, acid reflux or blockages. When I had it done mine came back normal, but when I had the endoscopy I had gastritis and acid reflux.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful(someone else should be), but I do sympathize with you!

Donna M

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 5:09pm

Thanks Donna,

Can you tell me how you were finally diagnosed, what lead you to the MD in the first place, etc..Was it precipitated by anything?
How long have you had it?

Are you saying that this never goes away? Nothing helps you?

I don't get this disease...

I've searched all over and although there is a ton of stuff about it, nothing is very helpful.

Whatever you can offer will be so helpful.

Thanks \
J

Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 11:41pm

Hello,

Mine started over a year ago when I was pregnant with my son. I was sick with a 24-hour flu with vomiting. Ever since then my stomach has not been the same. I assumed at the time it was just severe morning sickness and it would pass once I gave birth. When it didn't I went to my dr. and he did test after test(blood, ultrasound, Hida Scan, barium swallow, stool tests, etc). I even had my Gallbladder removed but that didn't help. I had an endoscopy done and found out I had acid reflux and gastritis. Dr. put me on many PPI's which didn't work. Finally I was put on Pantoloc(Protonix in the US). It seems to help alot more then the others, but I still have the odd day where it flares up. A strict low-fat diet seems to be helping as well. Any more questions feel free to ask!

Donna M

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 6:43am

Ok, so it does go away somewhat???

Do you think I should just go right to the endoscopy instead of the barium swallow?
It seems to be a more detailed test?

Do any of these tests hurt?

J

Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 2:26pm

I can't tell you if it will go away, but alot of people have had success with just being on PPI's.
If you have to pay for the tests then I would definately have the endoscopy done instead of the barium swallow because anything they find with the barium swallow can be found (plus many more) with the endoscopy. The endoscopy looks at your stomach and the first part of your small intestine. They can also take biopsies with the endoscopy which they can't do with a barium swallow.
The barium swallow (going by my experience with both of these) you have to swallow some crystals with a TINY bit of water that give you gas in your stomach(similar to the gas in pop). I felt nauseous after swallowing the crystals. Then you stand on a platform of a big machine and they tell you to swallow the barium (horrible tasting thick chalky stuff) while they take pictures of it going down. Then you swallow the rest and the machine goes into a lying down position. They get you to do some "log rolls" and take more pictures. That's the procedure. They do tell you to drink LOTS of water afterwards because the barium tends to constipate some people--I didn't have that problem, I was the opposite!

The endoscopy you have to fast from midnight. I was given an IV in my hand. I was wheeled into a room where they sprayed the back of my throat with a numbing spray (that was the worst part because it caused me to gag and the spray tastes horrible). Once that was done the anesthesiologist(sp?) gave me a TINY bit of Demerol and Valium through the IV and told me to lay on my left side. Most people are "out of it" and don't remember a thing. I wasn't. They stuck a round mouth piece in to keep me from biting on the scope. Then they stuck the scope in and told me to swallow. I could feel the scope in my stomach--it was like butterflies or that nervous feeling. They took biopsies of my stomach as well. The whole procedure took maybe 5-10 mins. The prep took longer. Afterwards I was wheeled into the recovery room and told not to drink anything for 30-45 mins because my throat was still numb. I did end up choking on my own saliva and had to spit into a kleenex (sorry if TMI). After about an hour I was able to go home(someone else driving). I found the barium swallow to be worse then the endoscopy because I had some major bloating, gas and diarrhea for the rest of the day.

Hope this helps! Sorry if it's so long!

Donna M

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 3:41pm

I guess I should ask,if it's supposed to take this long to feel better...

I mean, I'm not getting any worse, but I would say that I'm getting better VERY slowly.

The one thing that is constant is the lack of appetite...I really have to force myself to eat because if I don't I feel worse-lightheaded, and even more nauseous.

This whole thing started on 12/3 with just some nausea anf no appetite...by 12/8 it was full blown, so I guess in reality it's only been a week, but it feels longer.

Is this the way you get better? I just imagines taking the Zantac and withint a day or two, being fine...
I never thought it would be this long and slow.

Did you find this? Do you remember when your appetite came back, and do you ever feel right anymore?

I know this sound dramatic, but I have 4 kids who are starting a 2 week CHristmas vacation tomorrow..I do not have help, and wuite frankly, I can't be feeling this way next week...

Oh what are PPI"s and is Zantac one???

Sorry for the pity party, but I'm just fed up with this.

J

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 8:46pm

Hey J,


I know you are frustrated, but gastritis is one digestive disorder that takes a while to go away.

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Fri, 12-16-2005 - 9:08am

Lynn,

I am so happy that you said it takes some time to get better...I just want to know that this is the normal course for gastritis, but I've been unable to get that from anyone.

I spoke to my GI MD last night. All my bloods came back normal again, ( thank goodness), and he feels that I should start to really feel better soon. If not, he's doing the endoscopy some time next week.

I am definetly not getting worse, that I know, and the good days/periods are getting more frequent, but there as still times when : I'm nauseous after I eat, but it's only for an houror so now, not all day, and there are still times when I just feel yuck in my stomach.

The upper abdominal terrible pain has been gone for about 4 days, so that's good.
And there are times when my stomach feels heavy, full, and just not right.

The good thing is, I see my appetite coming back slowly at times during the day.

That's the thing that scared my the most, you know?

To answer your questions:

No I don't take NSAIDs, I'm allergic to them.
The only thing I took was Levaquin about 3 days prior to all this starting.

I was taking probiotocs at the same time,too, thought that would aviod any of the stomach issues...

I have soft/loose stool, and only oce or twice a day, so I wouldn't say it's diarrhea, but it's not formed and normal for me.

Do you think I should take the probiotics? I'm so scared to take anything now, but if they will help with the healing, I'll do it.

Thanks for your kind words,

J

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Sat, 12-17-2005 - 9:17am

Hey J!


Glad to hear the blood work came back normal.

 
Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Sun, 12-18-2005 - 12:45am

Like the other person said Yes, it does take time to heal. Some people take longer than others--depending on how badly damaged the stomach lining is. Mine must have been REAL bad because I am still healing after a year. I can understand your frustration. I have 3 children (6 yrs. & under) to look after as well and there are days when I can barely get off of the couch because I feel terrible. I still have days of no appetite and the "brick" feeling in the stomach, but they are becoming fewer and fewer. Yes, Zantac is a PPI. I am taking 40 mg Pantoloc(Protonix in the US).

Hope you feel better soon!
Happy Holidays!

Donna M

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