Had the endoscopy...

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Had the endoscopy...
6
Wed, 12-21-2005 - 2:04pm

and it went well...Hated the spray stuff in the beginning...made me gag!!

The MD saw a mild gastritis. His thoughts were this :

Since it's been 2 weeks since I started with the symptoms, and they are getting better...VERY slowly, but still getting better not worse, he feels it could be the end of what was a more significant gastritis, and that this is the tail end.

He really does think I'm going to start to feel even better soon, but if not, he:

1. changed me from Zantac to Carafate...Anyone ever either taken it, or heard of it? Any thoughts?

2. will schedule mw for a CT scan in 2 weeks, if I'm not better.

Also, he took a biopsy for H Pylori and to confirm the gastritis.

My plan:

I'm not taking the carafate unless I feel worse. I have been on 2 drugs so far, and I think both have made me feel worse.

So I'm just going to wait and see.
In the meantime, I'm only eating a bland diet...nothing spicy, fatty, heavy, etc...no caffeine, and not even a glass of wine ( well, maybe just on NY Eve !!)

I'm also going to try coconut water...anyone ever heard that it helps in digestion?
Oh and I've also started taking probiotics, as well.

Today, I've just felt mildly naseous...nothing too debilitating, but sadly, still there, and a little "foggy".

Appetite is still gone, too, but I'm trying to remind myself to eat,even if I'm not hungry.

SO that's it for now.

I would love to hear what else anyone has tried, espcially for the nausea ( chamomille and ginger teas are OK, but I'm getting tired of them )

Thanks for all of your support...

J

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2005
Thu, 12-22-2005 - 11:14am
Hi, I know what you are going through. I have bouts of gastritis. I usually just take Maalox Total Stomach, eat what I can and wait it out. I took Carafate after my first ulcer. It is a protective coating,I guess. I have taken Zantac but I have also taken a lot of other prescription and non-prescription ant-acids so I don't remember much about any particular one. I hated that spray stuff,too, but here they don't do that. They just put me to sleep. I need to go have that done as I am having terrible GERD. I do hope you feel better soon - wish I could offer more help.
Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Thu, 12-22-2005 - 2:52pm

I am glad to hear your endoscopy went well and it was nothing too major (although the gastritis can be a pain in the butt). I was told to take Carafate(aka Sucralfate here in Canada). After the first 2 days I had to stop as the nausea went to 1000x what I had before, I had major stomach cramps/pain and also the size of the pills were LITERALLY hard to swallow! It may take some time but your appetite will return as your stomach heals. I still have days that my appetite isn't what it should be--esp. when I haven't eaten for a while. The nausea starts and then the "brick" feeling, my appetite disappears which usually ends up with me only eating a couple of crackers (which can't be healthy at all). So now I eat small meals more frequently to avoid the vicious circle.
Good choice on avoiding the foods that will cause irritation to the stomach. That will help a great deal in the healing. The only thing I find that helps with the nausea is to have something in my stomach most of the time--even if something small like a couple crackers. Someone on here mentioned that flat Ginger ale helps with nausea as well. If my nausea gets too bad then I will take a Gravol(ginger tablet) or a couple spoonfuls of pepto bismol. I read somewhere about a product called Mastica that helps with stomach disorders like gastritis. I haven't tried it but a few people have had success with it. It is usually taken with a probiotic.

I do hope you feel better soon!
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Donna M

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Thu, 12-22-2005 - 5:21pm

Donna,

You are such a weatlth of information!!

Thank you for always ansering me and helping me. I swear, no one else knows what is going on!!

I had decided against the Carafate, but my MD suggseted Pepcid, whcih I took yesterday and just now and so far, so good.

I'm a nurse practitioner and used to give Carafate to my patients a while ago and I remember how big and hirrible they were. I was really never going to take it, so when I spoke to my MD ( not the GI guy who gave it to me), he suggested Pepcid. He actually said I would hate carafate as it would make me bloat and make me feel worse-just like you said.

Funny thing is, today was a good day. I actually ate steamed chicken!! I was really hungry, which hasn't happened to me in about 2 weeks.
It's such a weird feeling, ot to have an appetite. Of course, when you don't want one ( when you're 20 pounds over weight) it never goes away!!

So do I dare think that this is possibly the beginning of healing? I'll have good days, then bad days, then hopefully more good then bad?
Is that what happened to you?

I guess what makes/made me feel so worried is that everytime I asked the GI MD if this was the normal course, he would say " I was thinking you should have been better by now".

He never said it was going to take a while.

You described the feeling in my stomach perfectly- a brick...I need to remember that when the MD asks again. I couldn't put it in to words.
I kpet saying it felt "heavy"...

Anyway, I'm going to try to remember to eat small meals -
what do you do at night? Do you eat something before you go to bed?

I wonder if that's why I feel so lousy/nauseous in the AM???

THanks again,
and Happy Holidays to you,too.

Jane

Community Leader
Registered: 10-01-2002
Thu, 12-22-2005 - 6:24pm

Try the anti ulcer fruit cocktail its in the folder below

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2004
Thu, 12-22-2005 - 6:37pm

Thanks for everyone's suggestions!!!

Happy Holiday!!!

Jane

Community Leader
Registered: 10-01-2002
Thu, 12-22-2005 - 6:44pm

Your welcome


Have a Happy or Merry Christmas!!!


the smiley -
**WREN**

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