Hi I would be grateful for any advice on managing gastritis. I am reluctant to use acid reducing medication but am in a lot of discomfort.
Thank you
Anyone with gastritis - how do you manage it? - Thyroid UK
Anyone with gastritis - how do you manage it?
Written by
Eton
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47 Replies
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SlowDragonAdministrator
Quite possibly linked to your very low Ft3
previous post here
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Did you increase T3 to 2 x 5mcg
Or possibly 3 x 5mcg
Retest 6-8 weeks after each dose change
Thank you for your reply SlowDragon. I haven't increased my T3 as I wanted to increase my iron and ferritin first but unfortunately my blood results from last week show that I have failed to do so. Iron is 13 (6-35) and Ferritin is 69 (13-300).
I have been eating a lot more red meat and even some liver which I really do not like. I cannot take iron supplements as my stomach seems particularly sensitive even to gentle iron. So I am at a loss as to what to so.
Ferritin is going in the right direction
Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement
You might possibly be able to tolerate this
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Improving your Ft3 level should help too
Many thanks Slow Dragon. I will check Three Arrows and look at adding another 5mcg of T3.
this heme iron looks great..problem for my daughter is she cannot swallow large large pills, they have to be quite small or chewable...which is why we have tried the chewable ones. Out of interest, these are the same dosage as the ones we use..is it ok to take more than one a day if you need to up levels further?..I notice someone in the thread says they do this?...always a bit scared of iron!
Since you don't like liver and can't take iron, look into a desiccated liver supplement. Those are on Amazon.
we have this exact problem, constant gastritis until all levels are balanced...I don't know if it will help and I am not sure if it is OK to recommend supplements but my daughter cannot take iron for the same reasons as you..in an idea world an infusion would be offered, but we have had to sort this as well as we can ourselves. We found an iron supplement which really does not have any negative effects on the tum..apparently there are two sorts of iron, one which has no negative gut effect. It is only 20mg..chewable so easy to take, no nasty after taste..and it is working (only going by symptoms improving, not tests at this point...but symptoms have really improved)
uk.iherb.com/pr/natural-fac...
I know 20mg is low as supplements go, but it can add more than just trying to go down the dietary route..especially if you suffer gastritis, which makes eating a problem. We will also follow on from that later down the line with a Childs supplement...these are vey gentle...only 5mg, but at least an addition to your daily in take. We use the Halaborange gummies...she wont be taking iron permanently, just to get her levels up..but I think the Halabrorange ones are low enough dose you could probably keep taking the, for peace of mind if you wanted
Thank you for yourreply helsyf. Does your daughter take any medication for her gastritis?
when she has a flair up, which usually happens when her thyroid is out of wack, she takes cyclizine for nausea and double strength gaviscon tablets sometimes if the acid reflux is bad....she also has a hiatus hernia. When her gastritis is bad, the bloating, grinding and slow digestion cause her the most discomfort and actually stop her from eating...then she suffers weight loss and the accompanying vitamin deficiencies. ..she has tried omeprazole and stuff like that, but quite honestly not much gives her relief when she is in the midst of it..it is a nightmare isn't it? That said, when well medicated and supplemented she can be symptom free for very long periods of time. Unfortunately, with Hasimotos, once you hit a bump in the road..and they do happen..it takes a while to put right, which is frustrating. I know some people have success with gluten free and or dairy free, she did not...We continue to research. Let us know if you how you go and any successes along the way...oh, we have also just hit a new issue...diffculty swallowing..doctors say it is anxiety, but I think it maybe connected to gastritis and or thyroid...then exacerbated by anxiety because feeling like that makes her anxious..another learning curve.
I must investigate cyclizine for nausea. I also have a small hiatus hernia. I can identify very much with your daughters issues. It must be difficult for a young person. I have had a feeling in my throat also which has been investigated and nothing found. I really dispair of feeling well again but will have another go with trying to improve iron and also increasing T3 levels which remain very low. NHS endo has been no help whatso ever.
Good luck to you and your daughter with your journey.
apparently the stomach acid from acid reflux can cause throat issues..the theory is they resolve given the time to heal. who knows?..Our NHS endo was appalling..literally said any gastric issue were nothing to do with her thyroid condition and as long as her TSH was below 5..all was fine with her thyroid condition. Utter nonsense. The problem is it has knocked her confidence in seeking help. Gotta keep fighting!
High veg intake. Green drinks. Kefir. Avoidance of high carbs. That is anything sugary. At this time of year ice cream, whilst desirable is the worst thing for me.
I’m using 3 arrows heme iron. I started taking just one capsule and slowly increased to 4 a day. It’s helped me get my ferretin up from 23 to 64, I’ve been taking it since April. I would recommend heme iron . Good luck
parasites and H Pylori can be root causes of gastritis …. Once I dealt with the H Pylori, addresses food intolerances/ allergies and healed my gut I now have no more gut issues.
And on the subject of iron, hirsch grass fed liver capsules are very good. When taking liver supplements make sure they are from grass fed animals or you will just be loading up your body with toxins
Mine fortunately subsided once on Levothyrox. But prior to this I identified the foods that really made it bad and avoided eating them , especially in the evening. The foods I avoided (that I can remember) were tomatoes, dark chocolate and eggs (in the evening), onions, and red wine. Hope this helps.
Thanks Lovelab. I have really cut back on problem foods. I know that tea is a real issue so have swapped to decaf which really does help. Unfortunately it doesnt taste great but needs must. I stick to bland foods like porridge, potatoes, fish , chicken,no spices or anything tasty! Never drink alcohol, fizzy drinks or fruit juices. P
Why not take the PPI until things settle down and then wean off …. No reason to suffer or worse develop an ulcer.
Yes Batty1 I think I will have to take medication until things settle. I have osteoporosis so was hoping to avoid PPIs as these are not good for bone health. Its a constant juggling act.
You can try and H2 blocker which is a step down from ppi. There was a study which mentioned 40mg working as effectively as ppi. I've struggled with gastritis many yrs and when my flare up is particularly bad I do a brief stint on H2 blockers (Pepcid AC)
I have Hashimotos and a long-term tendency to acid refux , especially when my thyroid levels have gone low, maybe because of stress , temperature changes because of weather, infections. I find if I wake in the night with acid reflux symptoms I usually find my pulse is in the 50s, and it is eased by taking 10mcg or so of T3. Also slowly sucking an Aloe Vera tablet. If it gets bad I buy a litre of Aloe Vera juice which I sip often . Also I take a Betaine and Pepsin tablet with every protein meal
Meat based exclusion diet. Anti inflammatory for the gut and will likely resolve the issue altogether if given time. Plants and Fibre are inflammatory to the gut. Worth a look.
Oh thats interesting and we are always urged to eat lots of veg and fibre. So confusing! Thank you.
Eton, yes it is confusing. One of the few facts regarding dietary advice is that humans and our ancestors have been carnivores for nearly 3.4 million years almost exclusively surviving on an animal based diets based containing between 60-90% fat. As a result we have evolve an acid based digestion system similar to lions and tigers. Animals that eat plants have fermentation based digestive systems. You wouldn't feed a tiger plants it would be considered cruel. Worth looking at a site called the Lion Diet which provides lots of good info. I have been carnivore for 4 years following a fight with cancer and feel fantastic. Certainly no gut issues. If things aren't working for you it might be time to try something new. Good luck
*Zinc carnosine, DGL (might increase blood pressure, might alter cortisol levels) fish oil, vit d3 and k2 and turmeric all help with the inflammation of the lining.
* Slippery elm gruel or marshmallow root was a Godsend.
Last resort is a brief stint on a H2 Blocker for a few weeks and then weaning off
As for iron and gastritis, it took me a while to work up to 30mg of heme iron. I found it to be more gentler on my tummy. I started off with half a tablet and increased every week or so until I got to 30. That's all I could tolerate for a very long time. Along with the 30mg, I was eating lamb liver and that helped keep my levels midway thanks to God.
As I slowly improved, i was able to incorporate iron bisglycinate with my heme iron and that was a game changer thanks to God
Thank you Imaan. I will try slippery elm. How often do you take it? I am concerned that it may prevent absorption of vitamins and thyroid meds. Have you found that to be the case?
What brand of haem iron did you use? Others have recommended 3 Arrows.
Yes it does affect absorption because it coats the lining. So keep it away from your meds and supplements as much as you can. Try to aim for 4 hours at least.
What I found best was taking the slippery elm gruel 1 or 2 hours after supper and taking the h2 blocker 30 min to an hour before bed. Only had one big mug of slippery elm gruel at night.
If you're in the UK, there is an amazing over the counter med that coats the lining and acts like a barrier. It's called Gaviscon Advanced UK. There is a prescription called Carafate that acts similarly . Both of these dont change your acid production.
Also, its been mentioned above but I'll repeat, its important that you be tested for h plyori, sibo and other gut dysbiosis.
As for the iron, my current choice is the 3 Arrows but I prefer the one that also has a small amount of B12 and folate in it. That said, during my long yrs of gastritis I was taking Optifera heme. It has a measly amount of iron in each tablet. 11mg to be exact. It kind of worked out for me since my tummy was in shambles. I bought a pill cutter and started out with half a tablet. Slow and steady I was able to increase to 3 tablets a day.
Fair warning, the tablets are huge
Thanks for the advice Imaaan . Can I ask if you have ever tried PPIs and if so did they agree with you?
I am in UK and have seen Gaviscon advance in the Pharmacy so I will buy some of it just to add to the mix!
Have you managed to cure your gastritis successfully? I am beginning to think this is a chronic condition for me now and I will have to live with it for ever.
Best wishes.
I avoided the ppi for a few yrs and I think it might have caused more problems down the line. I dealt with excruciating pain almost every night for several yrs. So hindsight being 20/20 I wish I did 2/3 weeks. I was on ppi later on when I did triple therapy to eradicate h plyori which is a bacteria that's associated gastritis. I think I did 2 weeks or so many recall but I do remember that it changed my thyroid levels.
I had gastritis for about 7 yrs or so and now it's better thanks to God . I do have the occasional flare up whenever I have too much salt or something my body disagrees with
Hopefully yours will improve as well
Hi Imaaan its strange that salt causes a flare up of gastritis! I have never thought of this and had been increasing salt intake to see if it would help raise my low blood pressure.I will try cutting back to see if this will help.
Best wishes.
Imagine placing salt on an open wound. The lining of the stomach is inflamed so it makes sense that salt would irritate it.
Like you, I use it to raise my bp and also calm down my tachycardia. I sprinkle Himalayan pink salt here and there in my food and water. I've found that I can tolerate a lil more better . That said, I still cook with sea salt that includes iodine. Just at a reduced amount
I take a PPI called Lansoprazole. I take a prescribed dose of 15mg, twice a day.
I was originally prescribed 30mg, once a day, but it made me feel sick so I asked for the lower dose, twice a day, and it works well for me.
I take the PPI to protect my stomach from the NSAID I take for chronic pain :
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonst...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naproxen
NSAIDs erode the stomach lining and, for reasons I don't understand, taking a PPI helps to prevent that. I have gastritis as well as the chronic pain, and the gastritis was caused many years ago by me taking large amounts of ibuprofen (also an NSAID) for excruciating period pain, without a PPI.
If I didn't have chronic pain I would try to come off both the Naproxen and the PPI because they aren't benign. They could shorten my life because of the side effects. But life with untreated chronic pain is miserable so I keep taking them both.
humanbean I've just sent you a PM 
Humanbean do you find that the PPI reduces absorption of thyroid meds or supplements or are you able to keep all optimal even with the PPI?
I probably do take more thyroid hormones than I would do if I didn't take the PPI. I still use my thyroid test results to determine when I should increase or decrease my dose. So I'm compensating for the possible lower absorption.
I do the same with the nutrients I test.
hi,
Sorry your suffering, it’s horrible, especially if it’s chronic gastritis.
I take Famotidine 40mg which is an H2 antagonist rather than a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole or pantoprazole . Before I was on Ranitidine and it worked well but it was withdrawn from the market. Famotidine is the same group as Ranitidine but I don’t find it as helpful.
I have a small hiatus hernia and chronic iron and folate deficiencies plus pernicious anaemia.
If you are similar to me, you need to be very careful if taking regular iron supplements.
This can cause liver problems.
I would suggest asking for a gastroenterologist referral for an endoscopy. If you have bleeding gastritis, there will be little option for you other than an H2 antagonist or PPI. Antacid medication will only treat the symptoms and not the cause.
Thyroid disease is much more complicated than doctors realise.
I wish you well!
Thank you for your reply Mauschen. Can I ask if you take Famotidine daily or just when flare ups occur? I have lowish iron and would probably benefit from supplementing however your reference to liver problems makes me a little nervous. Do you take iron supplements?
Best wishes
Famotidine will further diminish the vitamins that you can absorb from foods. Did you get your T3 put up after you posted results 5 months ago?
Low FT3 will make this sort of things worse.
I take 40mg daily but it took the Famotidine quite a few weeks to work for me.
I take a 2 month course of Ferous Fumarate 2-3 times per year according to blood results. I also take 5 micrograms of Methyl Folate Mon-Fri and Vitamin D 400 daily. Plus Hydroxycobalamine 1000 im injection every 8 weeks .
This regime works for me and I feel well on it. I also take 75 mcg Levothyroxine and 10mcg of Liothyronine .
Thyroid disease is much more complicated than is openly stated, exacerbated of course by other illnesses.
I stick to the lowest dose possible in all medications and supplements and never lose sight of the fact that my thyroid medications are in mcg not mg!
Some health professionals will try to increase or decrease doses by 50/100%.
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