Autoimmune Chronic Gastiritis

[Karenedawson]

Hi Folks,

Found this article on Autoimmune Chronic Gastiritis if anyone interested…

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Jillymo]

Thank you for posting this link.

It has been a very interesting read.

[Helliborous]

Thanks for this post Karenedawson, so very interesting but oh so complex. After the read I am wondering if I should increase the Betaine hcl I am taking with my main meal. I also take a cider vinegar capsule with lunch and lemon or lime in water with breakfast and now questioning if the Betaine hcl may acidify the stomach more. This article should be read by GP's and Gastro's who don't take on board all the issues with PA, with the final paragraph being of particular note.😕

[TFH1]

Thanks for posting this - I have both a Pernicious Anaemia diagnosis and Pancreatic Exocrine insufficiency. The wanted me to take an acid inhibitor with the digestive enzymes and I refused on the basis I was likely to have low stomach acid already - but I was unable to explain the link between autoimmune gastritis and PA as I wasn't sure myself. Could someone clarify?

[wedgewood in reply to TFH1]

Autoimmune gastritis is used by NICE ( National Institute for Health and Care Institute ) now to replace the name of the condition that has been called Pernicious Anaemia for a hundred years or more . It’s what causes Pernicious Anaemia, when the Parietal cells in the stomach are gradually destroyed by antibodies. These cells produce what is needed to breakdown and absorb vitamin b12 from our food . . They produce The intrinsic Factor and stomach acid . So at the onset of Autoimmune Gastritis , the patient will not have P.A. , but will develop it , as the pareital cells are gradually destroyed by the antibodies . So using the expression Autoimmune Gastritis instead of Pernicious Anaemia is not strictly accurate at the onset , because some pareital cells will still be funtioning. Also that expression takes away the seriousness of P.A. It is deadly (kills you !) , if left untreated, which is the meaning of Pernicious. It is dangerous if undertreated, with symptoms becoming irreversible if not treated sufficiently in time .

[Karenedawson in reply to wedgewood]

Ah, I didn’t realise the name had been replaced… I couldn’t understand why the GP has not put this on my notes as a diagnosis (AIG) or why they are doing no tests or treatment for AIG.

[wedgewood in reply to Karenedawson]

It has not been replaced generally . It’s just been done in the latest B12 deficiency guidelines from NICE . ( the latest guidelines of March 2024 ) If you are only just embarking with Autoimmune Gastritis , then you may not yet be suffering from P.A. But it will develop . Do you already have symptoms of B12 deficiency?

[Karenedawson in reply to wedgewood]

Hi, yes I’ve been diagnosed with P.A as I have tested positive for intrinsic factor

[PlatypusProfit8077]

Thank you! This was a good read - my iron deficiency preceded my B12D by a number of years. I’m adding this article to my folder to take to my GP and gastroenterologist appointments

[FlipperTD]

Thank you for the post. Fascinating stuff, and shows how there's plenty to go at. Also the confounding advice and common prescription drugs to reduce stomach acidity when there's very little acidity to start with. That seems like the last thing folks need.

This has echoes of the prescription of statins to people with normal total cholesterol and LDL, when the actual risk factors are associated with raised BMI. Once again, missing the point!

[Myoldcat]

So interesting, at last a recognition of the symptoms of LOW stomach acid. I know many here take Betaine hcl - wonder how many years it will take for the average GP to stop pushing PPIs...?!

[wedgewood in reply to Myoldcat]

PPIs are a huge money spinner for the Pharmaceutical Industry , so don’t expect GPs to stop pushing them any time soon . There is a very cost relationship between many GPs and the industry . …………

[CheekyCrow]

Thank you very much for posting this, Karenedawson! Such a lot to think about here (and very helpful in underlining that PPIs are *so* not the answer to this condition)! Thanks again.

[KBird01]

Thank you for sharing - that made interesting reading.

[dollcat]

Thank you for posting this. I am having stomach problems. I take Omeprazole. Dr has increased it. Obviously not the right thing to do. I have IBS too. Gastroenterologist thinks I have a problem with my bowel. I am waiting for another scan and endoscopy.

[Orchard33]

Thanks so much for posting this article. It is now a seminal paper for me and it's given me my next step. I'm working backwards from B12D via ferritin/iron deficiency to the origins of both deficiencies which are in the stomach and digestive tract. Wolfenbuttal's et al treatment indications for gastric acid replacement are now a key part of my digestive rehab. I won't ever get back a fully functioning stomach after PPI mis-use but I now have a clear way to make things meaningfully better.