Gastritis (damaged stomach lining)
Has anyone dealt with this? I was diagnosed last month after an endoscopy but have been dealing with it since April. I'm pretty sure it happened from taking too many ibuprofen but I'm not sure. I was also on antibiotics for a while and was normally drinking 4-5 cups of coffee a day and having at least one alcoholic drink every evening, 2-3 on weekends. On top of that, I love spicy foods (the spicier the better!) and things like onions and garlic. There were plenty of reasons to develop it. Now I need to get rid of it.
The weird thing is that I didn't notice stomach symptoms like cramps or nausea. I didn't start really feeling sick until the gastritis affected my esophageal sphincter and I suddenly developed horrible Acid Reflux. I also started having chronic diarrhea and lost nearly 25 pounds. (I call that my consolation prize since I was a little overweight anyway. 
) I've been on Dexilant (a ppi) since June and my esophagus has healed. My bowels are normal again but the gastritis is still there. My symptoms are not nausea but a constant burning in the upper stomach region, right under my lower ribs. I also get the burning feeling in my back and I have a constant shaky feeling that gets worse sometimes when I eat or drink. I feel weak sometimes and tire easily.
I've cut out all the "bad" stuff and have been on a strict low acid diet for a few months now. I only drink alkaline water and marshmallow root/slippery elm bark tea. I take deglycerized licorice but not sure it does anything. PPIs and gastritis inhibit absorption of B-12 and I was having numbness and tingling in my limbs, I believe from B-12 deficiency, so I've been taking under the tongue B-12. The numbness/tingling has gone away, thankfully.
It's been six months. My doctor is all happy that my esophagus healed and keeps saying I'll be better soon but this just keeps hanging on and on even through all I'm doing to heal it. Last week I started large doses of L-glutamine, which is supposed to be good at healing the stomach lining and I think I am starting to feel a little better but geez....how freakin' long is this supposed to last? Has anyone else gone through this? How long did it take to heal? What did you do to heal it? I just want to eat a taco with salsa or some Indian food again someday, and maybe even have a beer!! 
= new reply since forum marked as read
I've taken note of what I eat and my symptoms but I'm sure it would be more precise if I wrote it all down. The burning in the stomach is constant but it does seem to worsen sometimes after I eat. It seems to happen mostly when I overeat or eat foods that are too greasy or rich. It can also happen if I eat more than a small amount of chocolate or drink more than a cup of mild coffee. I agree with you though, chocolate, and for me coffee, is worth it. I found a brand of low acid coffee (called Puroast) that has saved my sanity. But it's best if I don't over do it.
The doctor seems to think I will heal up completely once the gastritis is healed but she did say I can always take a Pepcid AC or something like that if I have episodes. I'm getting so used to eating mild, non-acid food that I think I'll be satisfied to keep the spicy stuff to a minimum and I'll continue most of my good habits, like not eating before bedtime, so I think it will be ok.
I do think the L-glutamate is helping. Since I've been taking it, I'm noticing periods where I am nearly symptom free!
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.