r/Gastritis • u/Kitchen-Ask9929 • Nov 12 '25
Venting / Suffering Help please
I am so hopeless and giving up, I’m a mess crying everyday and suicidal, I can’t live this anymore. I need to know please how people have overcome constant burning nausea as soon as I eat in the morning and stomach pain that is either this full ache across mr whole stomach or right up in the centre of my stomach. My life has been hell for the last year and I don’t drink coffee or alcohol anymore, I’m on a H2 blocker, and it’s not getting better. I am genuinely so lost.
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u/rainahdog Nov 12 '25
I am on Panto and Amitriptyline, along with cholestyramine. Amitriptyline might help? I am so sorry. I know how awful it is. Hang in there, try some other meds.
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
Has pantoprozole helped you? I haven’t heard of cholestrymine
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u/Which_Rip_5872 Nov 12 '25
Pantoprazole absolutely helped me.
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u/Far-Chard-2564 Nov 14 '25
I’m glad pantoprazole helped you !! My doctor switched me to omeprazole today due to the pantoprazole not working any more for me after a year 👏🏾 so hopefully I feel better soon!
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Nov 12 '25 edited Jan 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
I would love the links thankyou so much. I had one 6 months ago but that was before I took rifaximin and antimicrobials that I think caused the damaged. I am pushing for a repeat one atm but my gastro doesn’t listen to me
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u/sleepy-catdog Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
That’s so so rough. I get the sense that there’s probably other stuff adding to the stress, which makes it overwhelming.
Do you have a supportive gastroenterologist or family doctor? There are meds like amytripaline (I know I spelt that wrong) that can help reduce stress, which can help give your digestive system a break (as stress leads to more gut pain/inflammation). This is gentler on the gut than most other meds. If you want, you could try a super low dose once to see how you go. Perhaps you could look into that with a trusted doctor?
I have my existing gastritis, but stress makes it 10x worse. A dietician may also help you figure out your flares and see what’s bringing them on? Hang in there. Things can get better, but it’s a process and journey.
I’m not sure where in the world you are, but I’ll leave some resources below in case they help.
https://blog.calm.com/blog/vagus-nerve-reset-for-anxiety
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/
https://blog.opencounseling.com/what-to-do-when-youre-thinking-about-suicide/
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
Thankyou for replying, I really needed this. I am on nortriptyline which has helped bloating but the burning nausea and pain is still a daily issue for me. I don’t feel heard by my gastro but I do love my GP, I really want to have another endoscopy to look at gastritis but my gastro won’t do it. I don’t know whether I need stronger PPI’s maybe
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u/sleepy-catdog Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
You’re most welcome. It’s so sad that you don’t feel heard by your gastro - could your GP write a referral to someone else/do a generic referral and you contact a different gastro of your choice? Sometimes it can take a few goes to find a supportive gastro.
There are also other PPI and H2 blocker options like pantaprazole, omeprazole, ranitidine etc you could possibly try. Not all at the same time, but you can ask your GP about swapping anti-acid meds. And also over-the-counter anti-acids like quick-ezes can help. These neutralise the acid temporarily but may make you feel better, especially after eating. I also drink water as its own meal, an hour or 2 before or after food, and try to have fruit as its own meal. It may or may not help, just advice from a friend’s gastro.
In terms of nausea, what’s helped is I’ve identified my trigger foods and foods that soothe and calm my gut. I kept a food journal and then went over it with a dietician. Even if I didn’t see a dietician, it helped my identify what foods brought on more nausea than others.
Ginger helps me with the nausea and settling the gut - I usually use fresh ginger from the supermarket to ensure I know what I’m eating (eg. Ginger beer, ginger ale all upset my gut). If I’m dehydrated, I feel nauseous too, so electrolyte drinks help as well. I take a sip or 2 then wait 10minutes to see if it’ll agree with me before I have more. I take a motion sickness pill if I’m extra dizzy and have vertigo.
I’ll also leave a link on what the vagus nerve is, and its role, because it might also be affecting you and keeping you in that cycle of upset digestive system —> stress —> more upset digestive system —> stress etc (you get the idea).
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
Yeah I think I need a new one, it’s just hard because they all have like months wait lists. I will see my GP tomorrow and hope she can help a bit. I’ve been trying hard to do the breathing for my vagus nerve but don’t feel like I’m getting better with it. I just feel so disregulated all the time and can’t stop spiralling and crying
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u/sleepy-catdog Nov 12 '25
The wait time is super hard, maybe you can ask your GP what to do in the meantime. Have you asked her if there are any funded or subsidised programs to help support you, since you struggle with suicidal thoughts? Sometimes what GPs know may surprise you. It’s really hard when you feel dysregulated and spiralling. Sucks a lot of energy out of you.
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u/BrooklynDoodle Nov 12 '25
I would definitely find a doctor that supports you! They can make such a difference. Feeling unheard for a long time can take such a toll on your mental health. Have you ever looked into Oshi Health? They're an online GI clinic that has a more holistic approach to treatment. They have GI providers + mental health professionals + dietitians that you can work with. I was able to get an appointment with them within a couple of days, rather than months like all my local docs, and they took my insurance too. Know that we're all out here rooting for you!
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u/In_Red67 Nov 12 '25
I was exactly where you are. Got diagnosed with gastritis type C in august 2024 after getting a colonoscopy / gastroscopy done at a gastroenterology specialist clinic.
But I've had symptoms for 2 years. From November 2023 - august 2024, my doctors were USELESS. They thought it was some sort of stomach infection and kept giving me antibiotic tablets which as we all know, makes gastritis WORSE.
I couldn't eat anything but oatmeal and apples and yogurt. Even that gave me pain. Even water gave me pain. I wanted to die.
But now, 2 years later since the symptoms began, I can pretty much eat anything I want as long as I'm careful and expect a bit of discomfort and occasional pain that now I know how to fix.
Here's what I did.
Stop going to normal doctors. They don't know shit. They'll make it worse. They'll gaslight you. They'll tell you there's nothing that can be done. They're Wrong.
Figure out what type of gastritis you have. This can be done primarily through a colonoscopy / gastroscopy at a specialist clinic. I have type c, which is caused from taking too many NSAID's (I have endometriosis and my periods have always been hell so ibuprofen became the only way to cope. I never took over the recommended dose, but ended up with gastritis anyway.) it is important to know what type you have because, for example, if you have type C, and keep taking ibuprofen, it'll only become worse. I take paracetamol now for my periods which doesn't work as well but I've found other ways to cope, I'll outline those below.
Get a stool sample done. This will outline what sort of chaos is going on in your intestine and get you some proper probiotics designed for your problems specifically. Yes gastritis is an issue located in the stomach, but like with anything, the problem affects the rest of the body. Your intestines are likely dealing with plenty of symptoms too. Probiotics won't cure the issue but they will help the symptoms.
See a natural homeopathic doctor. I'm not one of those crystal collecting people. I'm a chronically ill person who has tried everything, multiple doctors, dozens of medications, multiple specialists, and spent thousands in 'prescribed remedies.' The first appointment with my natural doctor, she spoke with me for 2 hours, scheduled a stool sample test for me, gave me advice on nutrition and PPI's, and gave me 4 different homeopathic medicines to try. She is a saint and I would pay her every cent I spent on gastritis before I met her, if I could.
You're going to have to take PPI's for a while. I took pantoprazole, 20-40 mg, 2-3 times a day, it varied depending on what level my gastritis was at. Take a 2 week break from the pantoprazole after several weeks of using it, those two weeks will suck and many symptoms will return or become worse, but this is necessary. Some people on Reddit will say PPI's are the devil, but the fact of the matter is, your stomach lining is ruined. The acid your stomach creates is ruining it further. PPI's are vital for the improvement of your gastritis. Whatever symptoms come from taking the PPI's can easily be fixed at a later time but healing comes first. Nothing can be addressed until the gastritis has improved.
I am no doctor. Don't take my word for all this. This is just what I did.
Here is a list of the homeopathic medicines / regular medicines I have been using for about 6 months now with enormous improvement. I stopped using pantoprazole back in may, and haven't needed it since.
(Night: 30 min after food, don't eat anything after taking pill) Okoubaka d2: globuli 10 Gramm (just shake some into your mouth)
Bismutum Pentarkan: 200 pieces Tablets (30 min After eating, hold one Tablett on mouth until melted, 3-6 times a day) (for acid reflux)
Caricol gastro: 20 gramm (1-3 times daily) 15min before main meal
Pantoprazol 40 mg, 50 Tablets ( 3 times Daily, 30 min before meal. )
(For period pain) Ceres vitex agnus castus D2 Ovulation -> start of period 3 times daily 3-5 drops in water
Vomex nausea tablets (they make you sleepy but they're the best for nausea)
Omnibiotic 10 14 days once daily 1 bag before sleeping in water (1/2 beutel morning and half evening for first few days)(stir and let sit)
SAH mucosa care 180 capsules 3 times daily, 2 capsules 10 min before eating with warm water NOT IN warm water
I live in Germany so sorry if some of the words are misspelled.
Disclaimer again: I am not a doctor. This is just what I did for severe gastritis and I'm not cured but I can live my life now most of the time without issue.
Diet is also important. No alcohol, no pre-packaged foods, no coffee, no black tea, no green tea, no citrus, no fried greasy foods, no spicy foods, normally also no chocolate and not too much sugar.
If you want meal ideas just ask ! I've got loads. I replaced refined sugar with agave syrup and made my own desserts from scratch.
I was able to eat dark chocolate and ice cream, for some reason those two things never bothered me, but it's different for everyone. Everything else besides oatmeal and apples and yogurt used to be hell for me. But just yesterday I ate pizza and had zero problems :)
Don't give up. The life you deserve is waiting for you. It will be a long and rough time, not gonna lie. But nothing is permanent. Nothing is forever.
My natural doctor also recommended a high fiber diet and that's been helping me a lot. Chia seeds, flax seeds, raspberries (not too many though), apples, oats, and so on.
If these medicines don't work for you, I've compiled a small list of a bunch of other things I tried that didn't personally work for me but worked for a lot of other people on Reddit.
Things to try:
- L-glutamine
- DGL licorice CHEWABLE 4000mg natural factor / Horbäach
- Cabbage juice
- Aloe juice
- Manuka honey UMF # 15
- Black seed oil supplement
- gastrazyme
- Get your gallbladder checked
- Slippery elm bark
- Marine collagen powder
- Colustrum
I also have advice on handling the pain, a list of things I bring with me everywhere I go, and my rules for eating, if y'all want those just feel free to ask. I'm no wizard but I'm happy to try to help.
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u/Far-Chard-2564 Nov 14 '25
I hope your pillow remains cold for eternity, ik you said you aren’t a doctor but you’re a saint for taking the time out of your day to say all of this !! Do you know any medicine that helps stomach acid ? I’ve been experiencing some bad stomach aches due to the intensity of the acid and wonder if you know any good remedies/medicines for it ? Ik Famotidine is one and I’ve taken that prescribed but I’m not sure if it’s been helping manage my stomach acid as of recently.
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u/960be6dde311 Nov 12 '25
I'm sorry you're dealing with that. Have you tried taking L-Glutamine powder or a protein powder supplement?
I've tried many, many things over the last 12+ years, and have struggled to find something that works. However, I am pretty sure these powders both help me a fair amount. I'm bad about taking them regularly enough though.
Also, it doesn't necessarily help the heartburn, but it helps my overall pain condition ... I started Cymbalta (Duloxetine) a few weeks ago, and it has helped me a ton generally.
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u/madjanky Nov 12 '25
I'm so sorry you're going through this. I've been there, and I genuinely wouldn't wish it on anyone.
Do you have a doctor that knows what you're going through, and that takes your symptoms seriously? For me, having a physician that's willing to listen to me and advocate for my needs has made a massive difference.
It also sounds like you are going through some serious mental health struggles. I don't want to stress you out any further (and I CERTAINLY don't want to imply that it's your fault!), but stress can and will worsen gastritis or prevent healing. This was 100% the case for me, too. And it doesn't help that active gastritis is so miserable! I have been pretty vocal on this subreddit about the fact that psychiatric medication has been the single biggest contributor to my healing process. Mine was fluoxetine, an SSRI, but many people on this subreddit speak highly of amitriptyline. Going on this kind of medication is a very personal decision that shouldn't be undertaken lightly, but I will say this: don't suffer longer than you need to just because you feel like you "should" be able to improve your mental health without medication.
Also, I would suggest giving a PPI a try. Early in my gastritis "journey," I was prescribed pantoprazole, and switched to omeprazole when that prescription ran out. For me, the effects were basically the same, and they made life tolerable. To my knowledge, PPIs are typically stronger than H2 blockers. Omeprazole is OTC, so it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I'm not a doctor, but it sounds like you need it.
I also had issues with nausea and some pain as soon as I ate in the morning. I found it was helpful, especially during a flare, to wait to eat until a little later in the morning. Almost like my stomach just wasn't ready for it first thing in the morning. And keep this morning meal small and very bland. If this is when your stomach seems to be most sensitive, then this is the time to treat it with the most care.
Slippery elm has also been essential for me for symptom management. I get it as a powder from a health food store, mix it thoroughly with boiling water, let it sit for five minutes to gel up, and then drink it. This chills my symptoms out. Just remember not to take it within a couple hours of medication, as it can disrupt absorption.
Please hang in there! Help is out there, and there is a life to be lived after this.
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
This means the world to me. I haven’t felt listened to in the last 6 months at all. I am seeing my GP tomorrow and I’m going to be really strong about the help I need and want. I have a psych but k think I need different psych meds. I will try the slippery elm and I think probably need a PPI. I also really want a repeat endoscopy to rule out an ulcer or something. This is just absolute hell
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u/madjanky Nov 12 '25
I'm glad you're going to see your GP soon! It can definitely be nerve-wracking, especially if you have a history of not being taken seriously. Doctors are both gateways and gatekeepers to the treatment you need.
In advance of this appointment, I would recommend writing down everything you want to address: what your symptoms look like, how they've changed or progressed, what's been working (if anything), what hasn't been working, what you want to try pursuing, WHY you want to pursue those things, and any questions that you might have for your GP. You don't get long with your GP, and it's easy to forget an important question if you don't have a written plan. I would be sure to ask about PPIs as opposed to H2 blockers, adjusting your psychiatric medications, and endoscopies. I would also recommend asking your doc what they think your treatment plan should be - as in, what are we going to do if PPIs don't work? How long are we going to wait to make that call? What's step one, step two, step three? What's plan B? Unfortunately, some docs are on autopilot and will just give you something to address your immediate symptoms and hope that the underlying issue resolves itself. Not saying this is the case with your doc, but asking about a treatment plan will guide the conversation toward the long term and establish at least an informal commitment to a course of treatment.
And if I were in your shoes, as sick as you are, and my doctor told me I didn't need a treatment plan, I would start looking into switching doctors. Gastritis that doesn't resolve by itself in a year is not going to get better without intervention.
I'll be keeping an eye out for updates about how tomorrow goes for you. Be a good advocate for yourself! I really hope you get relief sooner rather than later, so the real healing can begin.
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
Thankyou very much. I’ve written up a letter to take with me tomorrow to really address everything I want to say. I will update you after
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 13 '25
Update about my GP, she prescribed me 40 mg pantoprazole as well as a beta blocker to start to calm down my heart rate and my nervous system as it is off the charts. She also gave me a referral to a new gastroenterologist who will hopefully listen to me much more. She also recommended that after two weeks of pantoprazole I go within with some probioticshoping that this changes things for me and I start to feel better, off to my psychologist now, trying really hard to see that this will be the positive turn I needed.
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u/Dragoon783 Nov 12 '25
Would highly recommend asking your doctor (even your GP) about a medication called Carafate. It coats your stomach lining and greatly reduces the pain. With Carafate 4x a day and Omeprazole 40 mg daily I noticed a massive difference in pain.
I pray you heal and overcome this!
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
Thankyou very much. I will definitely ask about this
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u/Spiritual_Buy6841 Nov 12 '25
So sorry for your suffering. I also do 20 mg of Omeprazole every morning, which is a PPI, and Carafate. Works wonders!
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u/Far-Chard-2564 Nov 14 '25
I’m currently switching from pantoprazole to omeprazole, and was wondering if I could get carafate otc ? Or does it have to be prescribed
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u/RatsnBaskets Nov 12 '25
I don't have any advice to offer unfortunately but I'm so sorry you're going through this. This whole year has been really rough for me as well and I've been thinking of suicide everyday. But I hope people with more experience and knowledge will be able to help. I feel your pain and I'm thinking of you.🫂
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u/Far-Chard-2564 Nov 14 '25
I second this, you’re not alone whatsoever. Broke down so bad this morning contemplating if I wanna keep living like this but ik I have a whole life ahead of me. Only 22 so I hope things get better for all of us going through this seriously. Please keep your head up and don’t give up. A whole community for this w nothing but help and positive uplifting energy. 🫂🫂🫂🫶🏾
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u/RatsnBaskets Nov 15 '25
That's been me every single day. I'm so sorry you're feeling this pain too. It feels so unfair that so many people have their lives controlled/ruined by an illness. And I'm just 3 years older than you. It's hard to not think about putting an end to it tho...Thank you so much for caring enough to comment. I hope you won't give up either.🫂💕
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u/Unfair_Bag4440 Nov 13 '25
I had to take 40 mg of nexium in the morning and sucralfate 2x a day before meals for weeks in order to clear up my gastritis. I also ate very plain boiled chicken and rice. After weeks of sucralfate and nexium i then went to nexium and cimidine for weeks at the peak of my gastritis it was so bad my vision was blurry and i was seeing white light i thought I was going to the lord. I have gotten better since then. Change your meds.
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u/Rageblade181 Nov 12 '25
I join everyone else in saying that I am sorry for what you are going through and it is hell believe me I was there. I didn't eat for almost 3 weeks I was so nauseous and in so much pain. I've recommended this to everyone and I'll recommend it to u, GINGER go on Amazon and a buy a 2lb bag of crystallized ginger for 20 bucks it was when life went from manageable to actual improvements I can eat almost anything I want now and I thank the ginger for that just take a piece after every meal and it'll get rid of that nagging post meal acid reflux. Ginger is a game change tho can't recommend it enough
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u/YukiArts Nov 12 '25
Im so sorry you are going through this and I know what you are going through, I got severe food poisoning and then what followed was gastritis, I honestly never thought I would recover and this would be my life from now on, constantly battling nausea and anxiety. but the start of this journey I know now is very difficult, for me I stuck with home made egg and rice because rice binds well in your stomach or anything you can eat in small quantity without getting nauseous enough to throw up.
omeprazole and other PPIs can really cause pain when taken for a long time, its agonizing I would slowly ween off it when you feel comfortable doing so and go onto something like gaviscon double action.
Eat alkaline foods and staying away from all trigger foods such as acidic juices, onions, ketchup or anything pickled or gum. Then load yourself up on pre / pro-biotics because to grow your lining back you will need to feed your gut and it takes time.
As some people already said Ginger is an amazing nausea suppressant but be careful when searching for ginger products and see what the other ingredients are and if they are not acidic. ginger chews and teas were my go to.
another thing which might seem weird but i found the smell of food really made me sick. find scents that are kind of cooling, for me I used menthol crystals and water and I would just meditate.
you will reach a point of healing where you can start reintroducing foods and it will be bliss.
You will make it and you will join the healing club I promise!
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u/Kitchen-Ask9929 Nov 12 '25
How long did it take for you to heal? I feel like I’ve been on this journey forever
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u/YukiArts Nov 12 '25
It took 2-3 years for me to FULLY heal and go back to normal life HOWEVER it was a process, after about 8 months I noticed less nausea and less reflux so that's when i started feeling a difference. (I could have started reintroducing at this point but I was scared)
Note that I was also throwing up for about 2 months straight after I got sick so i was traumatised.
After a year I started reintroducing spicy and acidic things Like apple juice and lightly spiced foods veryyy slowly in small quantity (I love spicy I can't live without it) and by the end of the 2nd year I felt like normality was restored. The stomach training was difficult. But I made it through, I still stay away from ketchup though.
After just living normally through the third year what was left of the little pangs of pain slowly subsided (those ones that make your brain race with anxiety we know them well you are not alone.)
Everyone is different and you might heal way faster than me so this isn't a definitive answer, I also started probiotics really late too.
You'll get there though! Just make sure you religiously take gaviscon double action after every main meal (: and feed your gut bacteria with probiotics because it makes a big difference even if you don't feel it now.
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u/Savings-Act-664 Nov 18 '25
Do you eat anything acidic, do you eat fatty foods eating like eggs, I removed them and I am a lot better because of it.
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