Hi all - today I had the joy of having an upper endoscopy and my GI specialist found gastritis and acid reflux. He prescribed pantoprazole, which I know has major risks of triggering my MC (which has been symptom free!).
That said, is it safe to take H2 blockers to help heal my esophagus and get my gastritis under control? Any other options that you may suggest to treat acid reflux?
Thanks so much!
H2 Blockers for Gastritis
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TheNutmegger
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:31 pm
- Location: Washington, DC
Hi,
Yes, if your doctor is correct and you actually have gastritis, then excess acidity is causing problems and an H2 blocker should help. I mention this because in many cases, doctors just assume that patients who have GERD are producing too much stomach acid when in fact, the GERD is a result of having too little stomach acid. (As we get older we tend to lose some of our ability to produce gastroc acid). The more acidic the stomach contents, the tighter the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) clinches shut in order to prevent reflux. Most GERD is the result of inadequate stomach acidity, but it's easier to prescribe a PPI than to actually check the stomach acidity, so most doctors routinely prescribe PPIS.
For some of us, H2 blockers seem to make our MC symptoms worse. But if you actually have excess acidity, then your stomach needs some relief in order to resolve the gastritis, so the chances are good that an H2 blocker will help rather than hurt. Remember that H2 blockers are only effective for a few hours (unlike a PPI that lasts for at least a day), so you may need to take them several times during the day, such as at each meal, as needed.
In addition, if the LES is not normally allowed to clinch tightly (because of low stomach acidity), like any other muscle, it loses strength, and soon becomes incapable of clinching as tightly as it should. This is why proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are counterproductive, because they actually cause the very problem that they are prescribed to treat. H2 blockers can also have that effect (on a more limited scale), but H2 blockers are much easier to wean off than PPIs, and they are not as likely to trigger MC.
The best way to treat GERD is by natural means. I have no idea whether or not you are already aware of this, but in case you are not, here are some suggestions that will help.
1. Avoid eating foods that are known to be associated with GERD, especially for at least 4 or 5 hours prior to bedtime, such as fried foods, spicy foods, dairy products, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol, some types of meat that are difficult to digest, and baked goods made with refined sugar and enriched flour.
2. Avoid lying on your right side, especially while sleeping, because in that position the LES is below the upper portion of the stomach, and if it is not clinched tightly, stomach contents can backflow into the esophagus.
3. If necessary, elevate the head of the bed a few inches, by placing blocks under the legs.
4. Published medical research shows that higher-than-normal doses of vitamin D can help to prevent GERD. (And conversely, a vitamin D deficiency can cause GERD). Members here have found that taking somewhere in the range of 8.000–10,000 IU of vitamin D daily can help to control GERD.
For additional tips on controlling GERD, please read the threads at the following links:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14245
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14344
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15313
I hope that some of this is helpful.
Tex
Yes, if your doctor is correct and you actually have gastritis, then excess acidity is causing problems and an H2 blocker should help. I mention this because in many cases, doctors just assume that patients who have GERD are producing too much stomach acid when in fact, the GERD is a result of having too little stomach acid. (As we get older we tend to lose some of our ability to produce gastroc acid). The more acidic the stomach contents, the tighter the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) clinches shut in order to prevent reflux. Most GERD is the result of inadequate stomach acidity, but it's easier to prescribe a PPI than to actually check the stomach acidity, so most doctors routinely prescribe PPIS.
For some of us, H2 blockers seem to make our MC symptoms worse. But if you actually have excess acidity, then your stomach needs some relief in order to resolve the gastritis, so the chances are good that an H2 blocker will help rather than hurt. Remember that H2 blockers are only effective for a few hours (unlike a PPI that lasts for at least a day), so you may need to take them several times during the day, such as at each meal, as needed.
In addition, if the LES is not normally allowed to clinch tightly (because of low stomach acidity), like any other muscle, it loses strength, and soon becomes incapable of clinching as tightly as it should. This is why proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are counterproductive, because they actually cause the very problem that they are prescribed to treat. H2 blockers can also have that effect (on a more limited scale), but H2 blockers are much easier to wean off than PPIs, and they are not as likely to trigger MC.
The best way to treat GERD is by natural means. I have no idea whether or not you are already aware of this, but in case you are not, here are some suggestions that will help.
1. Avoid eating foods that are known to be associated with GERD, especially for at least 4 or 5 hours prior to bedtime, such as fried foods, spicy foods, dairy products, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol, some types of meat that are difficult to digest, and baked goods made with refined sugar and enriched flour.
2. Avoid lying on your right side, especially while sleeping, because in that position the LES is below the upper portion of the stomach, and if it is not clinched tightly, stomach contents can backflow into the esophagus.
3. If necessary, elevate the head of the bed a few inches, by placing blocks under the legs.
4. Published medical research shows that higher-than-normal doses of vitamin D can help to prevent GERD. (And conversely, a vitamin D deficiency can cause GERD). Members here have found that taking somewhere in the range of 8.000–10,000 IU of vitamin D daily can help to control GERD.
For additional tips on controlling GERD, please read the threads at the following links:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14245
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14344
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15313
I hope that some of this is helpful.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Just a thought here in addition to an H2 blocker, would adding a few drops from a real Lemon to drinks occasionally during the day help to change acidity areas of the body to more alkaline? I know too much may cause some D but it may be worth it in the long run.
FWIW
Cheers
Erica
FWIW
Cheers
Erica
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
