Gastritis or something else? Advice please!

[Phwoffy]

Hi,
About a year ago I started suffering from bouts of nausea. It was about the same time I started getting anxious again and there were so many things going on that I didn't make it to the doctor for a while. Eventually I saw someone and she diagnosed gastritis (did a blood test for H.Pylori etc) and put me on lansoprazole. The lansoprazole worked really well but I started getting constipated so when my dose finished (and the nausea came back) the doctor put me on a half dose which had absolutely no effect.

Anyway, I've stopped with the half dose and have an appointment on Tuesday with a different doctor because I'm still suffering with the nausea. I also find myself burping a lot. I get constipated a few times a week and sometimes my stomach will churn and I'll have to rush to the loo. Sometimes I get a pain just above my belly button that makes me want to scratch, if that makes any sense. I've seen little bits of red in my stools, as well as black flecks and basically I've convinced myself I've got bowel/stomach cancer, even though I've read stuff about gastritis causing blood in stools sometimes.

So, two questions. Has anyone ever had these symptoms and been diagnosed with gastritis (or something else)?
And er, the symptoms started a year ago. If I had one of the diseases I fear, would I be feeling ill by now? I've not lost weight, I continue to go to bed late and wake up early, I volunteer at a cat sanctuary 3 days a week (which involves far more physical labour than you'd think!) and, well, apart from those symptoms nothing much has changed.

Thanks for any advice, sorry this is a bit long.

[Phwoffy]

Just bumping this because I'm still busy worrying...

[duke246810]

Hi, I get all the symptoms your getting, i went to the doctors and they put me on omeprazole which had no effect whatsoever, and the pains, nausea and acid were still there. Omeprazole gave me really bad abdomen pains and made me go to the toilet lots so i don't want to take them anymore as they arnt working and making me feel uncomfortable.

They said i may have a stomach ulcer, but i was really worried aswell because ive had blood in my stool before, but if it has been going on for a year then you have nothing to worry about, mine has been going on now for months but still going to go back to the docs and see what they can do.

sorry i couldn't be of much help, your not alone in this.
Good luck! x

[honeyp1e]

Hi,
About a year ago I started suffering from bouts of nausea. It was about the same time I started getting anxious again and there were so many things going on that I didn't make it to the doctor for a while. Eventually I saw someone and she diagnosed gastritis (did a blood test for H.Pylori etc) and put me on lansoprazole. The lansoprazole worked really well but I started getting constipated so when my dose finished (and the nausea came back) the doctor put me on a half dose which had absolutely no effect.

Anyway, I've stopped with the half dose and have an appointment on Tuesday with a different doctor because I'm still suffering with the nausea. I also find myself burping a lot. I get constipated a few times a week and sometimes my stomach will churn and I'll have to rush to the loo. Sometimes I get a pain just above my belly button that makes me want to scratch, if that makes any sense. I've seen little bits of red in my stools, as well as black flecks and basically I've convinced myself I've got bowel/stomach cancer, even though I've read stuff about gastritis causing blood in stools sometimes.

So, two questions. Has anyone ever had these symptoms and been diagnosed with gastritis (or something else)?
And er, the symptoms started a year ago. If I had one of the diseases I fear, would I be feeling ill by now? I've not lost weight, I continue to go to bed late and wake up early, I volunteer at a cat sanctuary 3 days a week (which involves far more physical labour than you'd think!) and, well, apart from those symptoms nothing much has changed.

Thanks for any advice, sorry this is a bit long.




i suffer with bad nausea 24/7 and trapped wind spinning around my belly i have been put on omeprazole which i stopped taking as i found them crap my doc wants me to get a camera down my throat but as am emetophobic i wont get it done as am to scared so now am waiting to be put asleep now in nov/dec so i can finally have it done myself x x

[Phwoffy]

Thank you both for replying :)

Duke, it's really good to know that I'm not alone, although I'm sorry that you're having to go through the same things. Hopefully we'll both be able to find out what's going on soon!

Honeyp1e, you suffer a lot with things like this, don't you? I really hope you can get it sorted soon! Hopefully the camera will be able to get to the bottom of things.

[LadyHaitch]

I've been suffering very similar symptoms, nausea, burping, dark coloured stools etc. And I thought exactly the same, as I do with any niggling pain...I think the absolute worst!

I was prescribed Omeprozole which seemed to work, but I stopped taking it after five days when I felt better (stupidly!) and the symptoms have come back.

I wonder if it's something to do with taking Citalopram? Does anyone else take Citalopram?

Hayley

[skyisblue]

Hi, Phowffy

If you follow my posts in this forum, you'd come to know that I suffer from almost the same symptoms. The doctor said that mine could be overproduction of acid. It all started early June this year. I'd feel gnawing sensations/hunger pangs in my stomach every after meal. It usually goes away once I eat but comes back afterwards almost immediately. I also used to burp a lot and my stools were extra soft (due to excess acid I guess). This went on for 6 weeks. I didn't feel any nausea or heartburn though.

After that, I went to a gastroenterologist and was prescribed omeprazole for 2 weeks. After taking the dosage, I felt better. The hunger pangs/indigestion, excessive burping, loose stools were gone. I almost couldn't believe that the meds worked. My relief from the "indigestion" lasted for about 3 weeks.

However, just 2 weeks ago I think, the gnawing sensation came back (it coincided when I became obsessed again with HA). It lasted for 4 days and it was gone again. HOWEVER (once again), just 3 days ago, the gnawing indigestion is back. Rarrr. As I am typing this message, my stomach is feeling the hunger pangs. Although my situation isn't as worse as my situation before the meds, I still feel anxious about it. Since the return of my stomach issues came back after the meds, the burping isn't as bad as before and my stools are still normal.

Funny thing though is that the "indigestion"/hunger pangs came back as soon as I started surrendering myself again to HA. I really hope this is just anxiety. :(

[eight days a week]

I suffered with really bad IBS when I took it LadyH, and I know someone who was taking up till recently who also suffered IBS on it and knew someone else who did.

I've been taking Manuka honey recently, partly to see if it helped my gastritis, and it seems to have eased it a lot. I was chatting with the sales assistant last time I bought it and she said loads of people find it great for IBS - take a teaspoon half an hour before eating (I think I read online, but there may be other ways to take it for IBS). Might be worth a try because if it works it's got to be healthier than taking more chemical medicine!!

<edit> My main symptoms of gastritis were frequent diarrhea and dry retching or actual vomiting, particularly in the mornings. On the honey the diarrhea is gone and I still get the retching/vomiting, but much less often.

[LadyHaitch]

Thanks Eight Days :) I will give that a try for sure. Someone in work has also recommended apple cider vinegar (which I would have thought made things worse, but he swears by it!)

I'm worrying terribly now it has come back, even though my doctor has examined my stomach and was happy enough to send me on my way two weeks ago. It just seems like it's one thing after another at the moment and it doesn't help anxiety! x

[skyisblue]

Have you guys experienced the "hunger pangs"/indigestion after eating that goes away immediately when you eat and only comes back after eating?

[pammy1944]

Phw .........an endoscopy will define whats wrong ...ask your doc to refer you

[selphie]

hi im on lasoprozole 30mg aday i also suffer with bouts of nausea not much anymore im these pills for life coz if i dont take em my indigestion goes crazy. i also get those black flecks your talking about and bouts of bleeding but i got checked and they found nothing that ofter black stools your talking about is bleeding in the upper digestive tract and thats not flecks thats black tarry stools and u would know if u had that u would know if u had cancer so try not to worry.:)

[LadyHaitch]

Sorry for late response skyisblue!

I haven't I'm afraid, I found it was mostly just a nauseous feeling that could occur at any time, but mostly after eating. It was at the top of my stomach where the oesophagus would meet the stomach I guess.

The apple cider vinegar worked a treat and I have been taking Omeprazole religiously so it had pretty much cleared. I get the odd bad day...normally when I have over indulged! x