gastritis

[Kimbad1990]

Hello all,

Please anyone with gastritis, I have a few things I need to ask… health anxiety here too!

1. Once you’ve had gastritis, once, does it tend to be a condition that “flares up”? That’s how mine seems and I just want to know if that’s normal, I suppose?

2. If you have flare ups, are these directly linked to stress / anxiety? I’m a highly anxious person and know I’ve been stressed recently (I had shingles last week) and it seems to have come on again since then?

3. I still have PPIs left from when I was suffering a few months ago, should I continue to take these when/if I get a flare up?

Also, I have had h~pylori test and that was negative.

I am currently having CBT for my health anxiety and trying really hard not to think the worst/ constantly phone the GP about the same thing so anyone who relates please do let me know if this seems like a “regular” gastritis issue. I really would appreciate it.

Thank you 😊

[ParkSchool5]

Hi, sorry to hear about your Gastritis and anxiety. I was diagnosed with Gastritis five years ago and it's a case of managing the symptoms as best you can from day to day as it never really goes away. I too suffer from awful anxiety and the two are definitely linked, as stress increases stomach acid production. I take a low dose PPI every day and Gaviscon at night. Diet is a big contributor for making symptoms worse. I can't eat fried food, chocolate, tomatoes, soft fruits (only bananas), no alcohol or fizzy, acidic drinks. It's quite miserable but you soon get used to what to avoid. I hope you find some relief soon. Try some deep breathing exercises and try to be aware of tight stomach muscles from anxiety and relax the muscles when possible. I hope you find some relief soon. Regards.

[SableBandit]

once you’ve had gastritis I believe you will always be prone to it. I know I am. Have had it too many times to count over the last 17 years. Check and see if you have a hiatal hernia. This is a major cause of gastritis.

The stomach lining gets weak and it may repair itself but it will never be like it was before. It will always be weak.

Stress and anxiety are really bad for gastritis.

I wish you wouldn’t take the ppi’s. They are bad news. If you have to take something then try an h2 blocker like Pepcid but this still has its drawbacks. I am currently having acid rebound from Pepcid and let me tell you, this is no joke. Severe depression so I had to quit them. I am using charcoal and slippery elm and Gaviscon to manage. Of course a bland diet is key. You can also use PepZinGI which helps heal the stomach lining. It takes 2 months but it really works and so much safer than ppi’s.