Really appreciate some help as I’m as confused as can be. I have PA megablastic. I have gastritis chronic and atrophic in places. I’ve tested negative for HPylori but also positive in a biopsy
My stomach is in constant pain and I’m trying to sort my diet to get the best outcome.. currently on keto not sure it’s the best thing
What I’m trying to understand is if I have low or high stomach acid .. dr’s prescribed ant acids but I’ve read o. Here my issue is likely low acid ..which is it likely to be ? Thanks 🙏
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lifegems
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It will be low or no acid (Hypochlorhydria or Achlorhydria. .That is common to all Pernicious Anaemia patients . The intrinsic factor antibodies which P.A. patients have , destroy the Parietal cells that produce the intrinsic Factor and also stomach acid Antacids or PPIs ( Proton Pump Inhibitors ) are the worst medications possible for you . Keto diet will not do you any harm . Low stomach acid upsets the stomach flora ( good bacteria ) and allows bad bacteria to take over. Resulting in gas , stomach pain etc . Low stomach acid hinders the absorption of other vitamins and minerals , so it’s good to take a modest vitamin and mineral supplement . I found that a probiotic called Symprove helped me enormously . I took a 3 month course of it . But there are other probiotic tablets to take . Also taking an acidic drink with meals is helpful . Natural probiotics like true yoghurt , kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi are also good . My stomach is now trouble free . I also ensure that I have adequate B12 injections by self-injecting often enough to keep all symptoms of B12 deficiency at bay .
Stomach acid is so very important for our health .
Thank you wedgewood.. I have been doing the kefir .. vitamins and hcl and pepsin but to no avail.. I’m wondering if I’m intolerant to dairy .. appreciate your reply 😀
Hi since I’ve stopped lactose and gluten my gut is so much better,you can still have full fat milk if you wish to but just get the lactose free milk,Aldi Lidl Sainsbury’s all do it beside the usual milk.I’ve had HPylori a few times now and I have pernicious anemia amongst other things.I am able now to eat a great diet combining these things with b12 shots.best of luck
Hi lifegems sorry about the delay replying not had the best of days lol.The most efficient treatment for HPylori is triple therapy so 2 antibiotics and a ppi.I’m not sure what’s going on at your gp but if the stomach biopsy has shown HPylori then if I was you I’d contact the consultant or his secretary for advice,it’s unusual for the breath test or a stool sample not to show active HPylori , I would ask for the tests to be done again if you have no luck contacting your gastric consultant.It’s not something you want to leave untreated.I have pernicious anemia and each time I’ve had HPylori I’ve had the triple therapy treatment I’ve had no issues with the ppi ,the secret is to take as prescribed for two/3 weeks then don’t immediately stop them taper off so it’s easier on your gut because you are trying to heal any damage the HPylori has done.Hope this helps and be gentle with your diet your poor tum is very delicate just now.I’m fine now gut wise and I took a long journey getting to where I am.best of luck x
Thanks so much .. as I’m in Portugal it’s the surgeon who also Recc the breath test for both me and hubby .. he was negative too.. she said the biopsy only showed slight h pylori.. not sure how that works ! It’s so confusing to know what to do for the best .. tummy’s worse than it’s been in ages but not sure if that’s not the keto diet .. I m going to try and cut out dairy see how that goes 😀
I really would take a course of Symprove . It is suitable for dairy intolerant patients . It is water-based. Look it up and read all about it . As for kefir , that may not have enough probiotics for someone who has a serious problem, but great for maintenance . - Also fermented dairy products are often tolerated by dairy averse patients . I’m certainly only advising solutions which are not harmful if they are not successful . Are you continuing to take the ant-acid preparation that was prescribed ? If you do have Helicobacter Pylori , it will have to be sorted first of all .
i decided not to take the ant acids, i would love to take symprove but im in Portugal and they dont sell here, and if i ship in from UK what with brexit it will be a nightmare as i dont think food stuffs are allowed. and then i worry about it losing efficacy through the length of time it might take to get here, but i will see if i can source in EU. But last time i looked no. As for the Hpylori i really dont know what to do, the dr thought the biopsy might have been a false positive hence the breath test which came back negative so this is what she will say, and i dont want to take a load of antibiotics if i dont have to, its so frustrating !
I cannot for the life of me understand why , as a Pernicious Anaemia patient you were prescribed an ant-acid , when every doctor should know that P.A. is caused by the lack of acid as well as lack of the Intrinsic Factor . ( destruction of Parietal cells by I.F. antibodies . ) As there is some doubt as to whether you have H. Pylori , I would be inclined to change doctors . Is that a possibility ?
Unfortunately not so easy .. I’m in Portugal so not quiet straightforward.. i may have got it wrong with the prescription as it’s in Portuguese.. but I don’t think so . Thanks so much for your help
I have also found your post useful. I've also just had a gastroscopy b& found to have inflammation of the stomach & small bowel. No acid test done but omeprazole given. Not taken it yet though as dubious 🤔. Going to do bicarbonate acid test to ascertain. Need natural remedies preferably. Am also a hypothyroid patient on Levothyroxine.
Hi. Interesting to read. I am 48, I have likely autoimmune strophic chronic gastritis with PA. I am B12 deficient and I do b12 injections in the dr’s office and have had iron transfusions as well. My hematologist has me taking children’s multivitamins like flint stones as he says the type of iron in those is absorbed differently than the type in the iron and vitamins for adults. Also if you have gastritis you don’t absorb b12 so taking Oral b12 is probably doing no good as it’s not being absorbed. I have had 4 egd’s now, the first which showed intestinal metaplasia and no hpylori. No hpylori on biopsy and negative breath test. I have had 3 consecutive egd’s for stomach mapping and all negative for hpylori but positive in 2-3 zones for intestinal metaplasia and on at least 2 Ecl-like cells. I have never had any stomach pain, heartburn, or any of those type symptoms. Isn’t there an autoimmune diet that you could follow? I think no nightshades is one part of it. And my dr has me on pantopronix? I think it’s called but I can’t convince any of them I have no symptoms. I don’t take it. I really hope you can figure it out so your pain goes away.
Thank you.. we sound similar re gut issues other than I have pain .. I didn’t used to have it tho. Someone on here as pointed me to where I can get symprove .. ironically it’s the German amazon site but still a U.K. store ! However they are shipping to Portugal so I’m going to give it a go. I have PA and i self inject much easier .. interesting what you say about the kids vitamins and iron .. I might try that
Have you had a fecal elastase test? This is a simple test that a GI doc can interpret or your GP can issue the test and get the results if the GI doc requests it. I had symptoms similar to yours not helped by diet or probiotics and got the FE-1 test. It tests pancreatic function and low FE-1 can be associated with PA. if you have low FE-1 you’ll have difficulty absorbing minerals and vitamins. Just a thought. A few of us on here have this condition. Good luck.
The stool fecal elastase test is completely different than the H. Pylori. I have had two separate sample; one for each. My fecal elastase is 84 which is very low and my doctor is currently considering treatment as this is evidence of pancreatic insufficiency, which is serious when this low (Martin told me) I am in pain no matter what I eat. Meanwhile the wheels turn very slowly here in the US as far as getting medical help. Two weeks later, I still have not got any recommendations for treatment...I am considering just buying pancreatic enzymes. I haven't tested as having PA but have very low B12, high homocysteine and very high MMA. These can all be related...(low B12 and pancreas trouble).
Crikey you are really suffering - that is a shocking lack of treatment. You really need Creon or Pancreatin which are prescription only in the U.K. You also sound like you have PA too. The two diseases can be associated. I hope you get some help soon!
Yes they are completely different. HPylori is a bacterial infection affecting the wall of the stomach and must be eradicated with antibiotics and a PPI. FE-1 tests how well your pancreas is working. It can often be missed but it is essential you rule it out given your symptoms.
Thank you Martin. Getting proper medical attention is getting to be impossible here in the US. If I go to the hospital emergency room, they say go to your primary care doctor or a specific specialist. Then those doctors don't have appts. for months at a time. It is truly becoming survival of the fittest. I lost 2 more pounds this week without changing my diet at all and no one seems to really care. I guess when I drop down into the 80's (pounds) someone might pay attention. I am only 2.5 pounds away.
I completely understand as i have chronic autoimmune gastritis and intestinal Metaplasia. Low stomach acid is normal for us with PA. I started following Medical Medium and doing his Celery Juice and it changed my Haematologist bloods within 3wks so there must be something incredible in it.
You can follow him on Instagram, Facebook, podcasts etc .. Otherwise you will be best to get his books or find them in the library Definitely worth the look.
I don't have pernicious anemia, so I cant comment on it but I've had gastritis for several years. Its improved from the first year I've had it but I'm still struggling with it. What's helped me the most is eating more bland food, fermented food and supplements. Like you, I had a biopsy that confirmed hplyori. My doctor suggested that I try mastic gum if I wanted to go a less drastic way but I ended asking for the triple treatment. She prescribed me a week of the triple treatment for hplyori. I had immediate relief from the symptoms but right after I struggled a lot because of the antibiotics.
If your biopsy showed hplyori, the lining of your stomach is probably being irritated and hence causing your symptoms. Look in to mastic gum, it's less invasive than antibiotics. Also, a life saving herb for me that coated the lining of the stomach was slippery elm bark powder.
Hi! I apologize if someone already said this but I also have atrophic gastritis due to PA, I have yet to see the gastroenterologist (I go in a few weeks) but just from my own experience, I have been eating an anti inflammatory diet for a month and I’ve never felt better. I have been curled into a ball after nearly every meal for a year until I started anti inflammatory diet. And it’s done wonders for my mental health, as well. Good luck to you!
I have also just went online before making grocery lists and searched “anti inflammatory dinner recipes” and I do that for breakfast and lunch as well. I have found some pretty tasty ones if you are interested
You can look at websites that specialize in autoimmune diets like autoimmunewellness.com or thepaleomom.com to find tons of information, helpful strategies and recipes.
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Definitely worth the look. 
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