Obsessing over gastritis and IBS- need advice

[spidergrrl]

I'm not going to repost my entire ordeal- I posed that in another thread.

Basically- I had a bout of food poisoning followed by a severe reaction to prednisone and ended up with a gnawing, wrenching pain in my stomach.

I have become OBSESSED with the idea that I have IBS or that my gastritis will last for years (this is what happens when you read a lot of forums at 2 am).

My symptoms are not particularly IBS-related (which the doctor agreed with and that was his reason for diagnosing gastritis). They were sudden-onset after the nine days of prednisone. I don't have any intestinal pains or cramping, just a sometimes gnawing pain in my actual stomach organ and some mild nausea. I'm emetophobic, so that's not great, but it's not so bad I'm panicking... about that, anyway.

I am not constipated nor do I have diarrhea but I am going a lot less because I am eating a lot less. I have eaten things like fries with no problems but then I'll eat a turkey sandwich (just turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomato) and it hurts. I'll eat plain cheese and it's fine, but then I'll drink a hot cocoa and it's awful. I'll eat tomato sauce without complication but then a bit of ground beef has it aching. Bread doesn't hurt at all.

I'm in pretty rough shape emotionally. I'm terrified that over a period of about three days I've developed some sort of problem that will never go away and I'll never be able to eat ANYTHING comfortably or without worrying about it.

The doctor put me on Prilosec for two weeks. I'm only halfway through but I feel like I should be SOMEWHAT better now! I don't get heartburn or anything like reflux, but the gnawing hunger pains an hour or so after eating continue.

So... if I have gastritis (my doctor is an internist, so he should be good at diagnosis!), how long will it take to heal up? I have always had a very strong stomach and been able to eat anything without trouble. I have vomited a total of about four times since infancy (I'm 33). I rarely get diarrhea. I don't smoke or drink and I drink lots of water (not as much lately with nausea).

COULD it be IBS? The doctor doesn't think so as it came on suddenly and with a cause and I've never had stomach issues before. I don't have blood in feces so he says not an ulcer. I don't seem to have any IBS symptoms... just stomach pain localized to just the stomach and nausea.

Also, I feel pretty darn good in the morning.

Please help me feel better about this. I have a diagnosis and my doctor is a good doctor but something about HA makes me assume I've got a chronic disease that won't go away, ever, and I'll never enjoy life again. I've lost about 15 lbs., am tired, and not nearly as happy or engaged with life as usual. I had a couple of panic attacks on prednisone that took a lot out of me, too.

I just need someone to reassure me... if I don't feel better by Thursday, I've decided to call the doctor back and tell him I need something more done/prescribed.

[cathycrumble]

I had gastritis and was put on antacids and it cleared up no problem

Cathy xx

[spidergrrl]

How long did you take the antacids and did you still have some trouble for a bit with some foods before it was over?

[cathycrumble]

I had burning pain and pain by my right rib and they put the camara down and they said i had gastritis which put my mind at rest then I took the antacids and it cleared up I just watch what i eat well sort of lol it is just the lining of your stomch gets inflamed drink milk that helps and just dont stress over it you will be fine

Cathy xx

[spidergrrl]

I'm no fan of milk, but yogurt seems to calm it. I watch what I eat but it doesn't seem to matter... I can eat the healthiest or the blandest food (plain brown rice!) and it might cause the pain.

Here's hoping after these two weeks of medicine I feel as good as you!

[cathycrumble]

You will and eat little and often and don't stress good luck xx

[Plysg]

I can't really help you with a diagnosis, as I've had stomach problems for the last 9 months or so without a real diagnosis myself but a lot of the problems you describe here (apart from the part about it starting with the food poisoning episode) I've experienced and completely empathise with the obsessive worry that comes with it.

My 'episode' was a heavy night of drinking which is really out of character for me and I had a massive massive panic attack the next day. It set into motion months of this gnawing, wrenching stomach you describe (one of my first posts here asked people about this symptom). Eating was completely hit and miss for most of the summer as something bland like rice or potatoes would be fine one day then have me bent double and freaking out the next. Before I knew it I was completely obsessed by my stomach and was in a bit of a mess really.

I've gone through diagnoses (diagnosises?!) of acid reflux initially (lansoprazole) and later IBS (colofac/mebeverine). None of these really helped much on their own, in the end it was good old fashioned calming down that did it. I too am ridiculously emetophobic (and I say ridiculous because I know it is, it's just convincing my body that's the hard part!) and I let this make me a lot worse. I kept thinking that today's gnawing stomach would be the one to make me sick, when actually yesterday's didn't, nor the day before's and eventually I started seeing a pattern and noticed that actually no it never made me sick. It's bad patterns of thinking that got us to being scared of sick in the first place, so it stands to reason that noticing good patterns (i.e. I had a bad stomach yesterday and today's is just the same) works the other way.

The things that helped me were: time, relaxation (I swear by self hypnosis cds/mp3s, even if they just mean I stop still for 20 mins), eating regularly (breakfast!!!), avoiding the obvious triggers (alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods), gaviscon (I obviously don't recommend you take anything without seeing the doc, but I took the advance stuff shortly after eating and this definitely helped me, even just for piece of mind) and accepting that it wouldn't last forever.

I hope some of this helps, I'm by no means an expert but I wouldn't in a million years go back to how I felt 9 months ago so I definitely sympathise. Honestly, I was in bits and would say I'm 90% better now - if I could get over the being sick thing, I'd probably be cured! Once the gnawing pain stopped (about 5 months ago) I did go throuh IBS as a result of the worry, so don't be surprised if symptoms change. That's the nature of stomachs unfortunately!

good luck