What do i do?

Women's health
1

My anxiety had left especially when I got the IUD removed. Now, I started taking the PPI dexilant for the gastritis again and it has returned. Every antacid i take or PPI it brings on anxiety or some other sympton. What do i do? I am losing weight weekly, when I thought I was gaining because I had a decent appetite but now my appetite is trying to leave and the dexilant side effect decreases my appetite anyway. My major complaint is the gastritis stomach. I don't know if this from the peri or not. I just want this all to end and I can get my life back!

2

Hi Mary,

This all started for me as gastritis over a year ago. I can't take antacids either, when I tried Nexium I would jolt awake at night and had bad shakes. Then I tried Zantac which caused my liver enzymes to skyrocket. I try to manage the gastritis by how I eat. Very careful of things I know will set it off, like spaghetti sauce. Or taking meds on an empty stomach. I did that with Tylenol and paid for a few weeks. Be careful with citrus. However I find drinking warm water with half a lemon squeezed in actually helps my stomach become more alkaline. I think herbs can be hard on the stomach, so many of the things that are supposed to help with peri can make gastritis worse. I'm not quite sure why many of us get gastritis with peri, guess it's just caused by the whacky hormones like everything else.

3

PPI's are not going to help you in the long run and may well cause a whole raft of other problems. Try taking Vits B3, B12 and D3. These have been shown to help with anxiety. Also, as Suzanne says lemon water helps reduce acid stomach as does apple cider vinegar. It sounds daft but when you take these 'acids' your body's reaction is to make your stomach more alkaline.

Avoiding heavily processed bread and cakes does the trick for me. If I'm tempted to have a piece of pie or a scone while I'm out shopping, I'm paying for it before very long! We have started having lunch at a wholefood veggie restaurant (though I'm not a veggie). I can eat any amount of their food, doused with vinegars and oils and feel terrific. But one small scone, well you know what it's like!!!

I know it's hard to start with, but try and stay off the meds. They cover one problem and start two more.

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Bobbygirl thanks so much for the advice. Yes! You are so right about the the lemon and apple cider vinger, I was doing this in the morning upon waking and before I ate and it helped. But I am so bad about not being consistent or staying with the protocol especially if it works.

I agree diet does play a big part. When it all started back in March and went through all the testing and diagnosed " gastritis". I was miserable for weeks in bed, I had no idea what was going on . I managed to get in under control with diet and it seem to go away or calm down. Then following doctor advice gave me antibiotic for a uti which was told later I did not have..led gastritis to return with a vengeance. I can't seem to get it under control this time. Its been now over a month and losing weight with it

I have notice the gastritis symptons seem to center around fluctuation of hormones. Its certain time throughout the day that the symptons will hit me and my appetite usually increases in the evening and peri symptons leaves also. Very odd🤔

Do you have any idea what can i do to help gain some of my weight back? Or stop the weight loss?

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Mary, so sorry to hear what you're going through. And I know it all too well. I am going through peri, have gastritis and have lost about 12 pounds over the past 6 months. I'm slowly gaining it back as my stomach seems to be improving, but I still have flare ups. It's really trial and error as to what you can tolerate. I agree that to much bread/pastries really affects me. Mid-day is the worst for me, but by dinner and bedtime, things seem to settle. Stress about the whole thing certainly doesn't help either!

You could try seeing a nutritionist. My friend (who is one) gave me a lot of tips on how to add calories even though I'm eating smaller portions.

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Thank you Jackie. I wished that mine could be 12 instead of 20. This has been since March. The combination of gastritis and peri , don't know which is worse but I do know they are connected.

My anxiety and worrying doesn't make it any better. What did you do to improve your stomach? Did you ever lose uour appetite?

I got a few nutritionist that I will call today

, I have to think positive that I will regain some of my weight back.

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Yes I agree what may be good for peri may Not be good for gastritis. Its a trial and error when going through this. This flare seem to last longer because I was trying to treat bladder symptons and peri which cause gastritis to flare.

My biodentical hormones comes tomorrow, I pray this is my answer to my.prayers. ..

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I needed to put 30 pounds back on so I started making smoothies with frozen yogurt, fruit, and protein powder. You can do two a day. It was difficult to put the weight back on at first but eventually when I got back to eating normally the weight came on.

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(I replied earlier, but realized I used a brand name, so reposting in case it didn't go through) Unfortunately I think it takes time and patience. I get so frustrated when I have a bad day. Any anxiety makes me lose my appetite so I'm trying to get that under control--still not perfect at all, but I started taking birth control pills (my doctor wanted to try that before HRT) and I think they've helped. I also go to a therapist and take an antidepressant.

It depends on what you can tolerate with food, but adding calories to anything helps. I started adding extra olive oil to veggies or a salad, drinking meal replacement drinks or eating oatmeal with vanilla almond milk. Kefir might be something to try too.

It's a lot to keep track of, but it's better than feeling bad all the time.

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Suzanne how long did it take for the weight to actually come back on? Because of my weight loss I am so embarrassed to be around people I know. I was doing the protein drink but some of them makes my symptons worse, depend on what's in it. I did find one that's work for me. I will go buy more today. I believe that is what contributing to some of my symptons such as weakness, etc. Lack of nutrition in my body. The morning time is when I really don't want to eat, cause of nausea, bloating, and weakness.

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Thanks Jackie. How long have you've been on peri? This stuff has been going on too long for me. Its like I don't have a good day. The mornings aren't good at all

It doesn't get better until evenings.

But I will try to add more calories as you recommended.

My gyn gave me birth control pills also, but I didn't try it because I went to a bioidentical gyn and I'm waiting for the prescription to arrive.

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I was low in iron, make sure your ferritin levels are ok. That could def be making you weak. My endo said I would only start feeling better if I put some weight back on, by then I was so paranoid about eating anything, I had cut out sugar, gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol,red meat, fruit. I looked awful, I see pics of me and I look like an old lady. I liked being a size 4 or less, but it's not a good look in my face, way too thin. I'm 5'8 and went from 145 lbs to 119 in about three months. Anyway, I gradually started adding things back in (food sensitivity tests showed I was only sensitive to some dairy) so started with some bread. Was doing the protein shakes but that just didn't seem to do enough. So I added in sugar and red meat. Two days at Five Guys and I put on 6 pounds! Lol!! I'm away for the summer and not weighing myself but my 4's are now small so it's taken about 6 months to get my weight back up. I think the gastritis is under control, but like I said, just some Tylenol on an empty stomach made me sick for days. I imagine antbx would do the same. Hopefully you can stay off meds for awhile and let things heal in there.

Try the frozen wild blueberries in your smoothies if you can.

Try not to be afraid of eating, food is what will heal you in the long run. Try and stay off antbx. Drink a ton of water a day to keep UTIs away!!!

I'm in PA now for summer, PA Dutch country, and totally out of control. You can get fat here very quickly! Had shoefly pie for breakfast. Lol!!

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Wow Suzanne! I just told my friend this morning is that I think that is the reason why I am feeling so weak is because of my weight loss. I mean when I walk my legs feel so fragile, tiny and weak. I did have my iron checked last week, and everything was fine, kind of on the low side but inside the lab range. My chiropractor did put me on iron pills a couple months ago because my iron saturation was very low, an 8. Which meant my body wasn't absorbing enough iron. Although my appetite increased but the iron aggravated the gastritis so I had to stop taking it.

The bio gyn said it could also be from my tetesterone being so low, which I should start today.

How did you exactly manage to get your gastritis under control?

I think I can deal with the peri ....

Thank you for your help.🌹☺

.

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I think it was just time. I was taking ferrochel iron which was easier on my stomach and I'd take it after a meal just in case.

I was diagnosed with chronic gastritis April a year ago. I had always taken Advil for headaches and once I took it with just water and I think that really made it bad, plus my emotions were out of control and I'd fly into fits of rage so much so I'd be heaving over the toilet. That made it worse too.

You'll get better, it just takes time, and no meds and no fits of rage! lol!!

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I also felt very fragile. My body looked itty bitty. I was embarrassed because my arms were so skinny the skin was hanging. Not a good look indeed! i looked like a little 99 year old there for awhile.

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This is the same iron that i use. Though i was not monitoring when i took it , with or without food. I only took it when i thought about it. I know bad of me. I also took advil not knowing it was a big no no for gastritis. This was done during the antibiotic time. It has been almost 6 weeks now. But it has gotten better. It used to burn really bad, that part has subsided alot. Now its just the bloating, gas, and lack of appetite.

I was diagnoise with mild chronic gastritis this past March. Don't know if mild makes a difference or not.😒

Is the food sensitivities test something I can get done or is it something i monitor on my own?

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Oh, you really did yourself in taking all that stuff. From now on be extremely careful with any meds, no empty stomach!

The ferochel I took after lunch with half glass of OJ and half water. You need vitamin C to help the iron absorb better. However, someone alerted me here that iron can raise your cholesterol and she was right, mine jumped from 163 to 238! You just can't win.

My naturopath did the food sensitivity test with a drop of my blood.

Sounds like you are getting back on track, just try to eat more calories. I know it's hard when you don't have an appetite.

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Ok. I will see a naturopath to get this test done. I think it will save me alot of going around in circles. So do you not take NO meds for your gastritis?

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Hi Mary, hope today sees you feeling a little better.

I had gastritis also, terribly. Any time I would eat any kind of processed food or artificial sweetener in anything, I would wake up in the night in excruciating stomach pain.

Soon, I was in pain during the day too. But always worse at night. Doctors found nothing useful through all the usual tests.

I lost 35 lbs. I had it to lose, but still, I was so anxious and depressed... It was miserable. A bunch of other stressors were piling up too, so it was a vicious downward spiral.

I had zero appetite. But knew I had to eat. I have a child to raise. She was 3 at the time.

Here is what helped me out... I hope some part of it helps you in some way!!

I could reliably tolerate fresh melon and berries and grapes and pineapple, along with bone broth soup with well cooked veggies and beans. And canned peaches. And all natural yogurt. In small quantities. Some days I could only tolerate one tiny portion mid-day.

I ate those few things almost exclusively for a month. I could tolerate the occasional egg. And rice. I used good quality olive oil as my only cooking and dressing oil. No processed oil at all.

After about a week of eating like that, the pain started to lessen, little by little, day by day.

I know that wasnt a balanced diet, so once I could tolerate them I took Vit E, Calcium, Magnesium, Vit D, and B Complex in to account for that. And a combined Essential Omega Fatty Acids supplement.

Eventually I could add back high-quality ice cream with all natural ingredients. And real butter. Once I added those, my appetite started coming back and I could add back anything but highly processed foods.

That was about 6 years ago. I have none of that any longer. Thank Heaven!!

Prayers for you, I know it is miserable!!

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Stay away from tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, mint. Ginger tea and chamomile tea are ok. Be careful with veggies, just do cooked carrots, butternut squash. Pasta is ok if you are good with gluten, with a little olive oil. Oatmeal and bananas. Don't do carbonated beverages. Drink lots and lots of spring water. Just be very easy on your stomach and slowly add things back in when you are feeling better. I couldn't do citrus like OJ. Later on I diluted low acid OJ with water to take my iron. Vitamins are hard on the stomach too.