Relieving my gastritis without medication: an update

I feel it's only fair to give an update on the gastritis situation for anyone desperately seeking relief of some description from the royal pain in the g-ass. 

The back story: As a gastritis and stomach ulcer sufferer I was despairing and
there didn't seem to be any tunnel let alone light at the end of one. I was readying myself for a life of bland food and misery and was willing to try anything. 

I tried an over the counter pharmacy de-wormer tablet, both horrified and hopeful that this may be the answer to my prayers.  When that didn't work, I drank another parasitic cleanse, a combination of hideous and disgustingly expensive drops bought at Whole Foods mixed together like a science experiment, consuming this concoction a few times a day for 3 days.  I chewed on papaya enzyme after each meal, l was becoming crazed.  I needed relief.  

I then found myself sitting in the mid-city office of a gentle Korean acupuncturist who had little to no English describing my symptoms with the help of an interpreter. He seemed to get it and I was optimistic.  The needles went in and I prayed.  I went weekly for about 10 weeks and I have no idea what the scientific proof is around acupuncture but it definitely helped me. The herbs he prescribed were not covered by insurance and cost $350, they were more disgusting than they were expensive and had to be taken 3 times a day.  I drank them diligently for up to as many weeks until I literally couldn't stomach them anymore. Pun intended. Something else happened by way of constipation that has yet to rect-ify itself during the herbal drinking, that even I as an excessive over-sharer am not willing to get into. Pun most definitely intended.

In between acupuncture visits I saw a gastroenterologist who was next to useless.  He was renowned and recommended and didn't listen to a word I said nor did he give two burps about my condition. He prescribed anti-spasmodic stomach tablets for IBS.  His lack of interest was palpable and left me more frustrated than ever.  My husband and I left deflated.  I'm loving the little puns. I didn't take the prescription.  I felt defiant because he had chosen the path of least resistance, didn't listen to me at all and just decided on a strong do not drive or operate heavy machinery pharmacuetical. I am in no way advocating not listening to your doctor, do listen but make sure they listen to you, and seek out the alternatives too. 

Here's what I did: For a couple of weeks I decided to completely cut carbohydrates and all things tomato from my diet. I don’t eat meat so that too. I reduced all sugars and allowed myself one small light coffee in the morning after breakfast and the key to all this was eating little meals. I drank and now drink a ridiculously expensive probiotic first thing in the morning. It's so expensive I drink half and leave the other half for the following day. 

The whole affair was quite hard but once I started to feel the gas dissipate, the bloat decrease and burp disappear, it made it palitable.

I attempted to go without the coffee which caused such an awful life is not worth living misery in me that I succumbed to the addiction. Tomato-gate was hard enough.  My pain, nausea and gas were close to eradication and I had lost a few pounds too. I kept this up for a few weeks all the while continuing the acupuncture and sleeping on my left side.

Cut to today: I still sleep on my left, I am still a little strict with myself, not in an LA way and definitely not as much as I should be.  I have the occasional gaseous episode if I over eat or the food is too processed. If this happens I drink Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and usually the symptoms subside, if the Bragg’s doesn’t help I take gas x.  This is a time when I don’t want to feel the burn and I haven’t needed an omeprazole tablet in nearly 3 weeks. Long may it last. 

My routine is a Whole Foods Bio- K probiotic first thing, followed by 2% Fage Greek yogurt with fruit, honey and cinnamon for breakfast. 

Salad with egg or avocado for lunch where peppers replace tomatoes.

Banana, pumpkin seeds and more yogurt as a snack with chamomile tea during the day. 

Fish and veg for dinner and a handful of chocolate covered blueberries for dessert. I'm a chocoholic so sometimes I double fist and this keeps me sane. 

I feel like I'm on recovery road and I plan on residing here for a while with thanks in no small part at all to my husband who researches tirelessly looking for new cures. 


Read my previous post Feb 2016 by clicking below
Gastritis : What it feels like