Does the gnawing pain stay?

[shafinazanwar]

Hi everyone.

I think I am doing everything right, but why is the pain still there??

After two weeks of enduring the pain in my tummy (about 3-4 inches above my navel), I went to see a specialist. I was really bloated by then and they took me in for endoscopy the next day. Long story short, after blood test, endoscopy and biopsy test, I am positive for HP and I was diagnosed with "severe chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia". The doctor explained to me that the atrophic damage is irreversible. As for the intestinal metaplasia, there's a 1%-3% chance that it will develop into a cancer. Otherwise, my blood test showed that everything is normal.

I have done my one week course for antibiotics, and I'm still on some other medications, which I am to finish within a month (still in my first week on these (I will update all the names of the meds I was given later tonight)). I take everything right on time and I haven't miss a single dose since I started. I will be doing the blow test to see if HP is gone on the 25th Nov (about a month after I am expected to finish my meds)

I have cut out a lot of food from my diet, as the doctor told me not to take anything with caffein (coffee, tea, choc; as caffeine relaxes the valve that is supposed to stop stomach acid from going up); nothing sour, or spicy, or oily either. I'm basically living on bananas, plain rice porridge with chicken bits in it, tuna sandwich (a bit of mayo). I have been avoiding anything that I think might be too tough for my tummy to digest. I also eat small, frequent meals. No lunch, no dinner. Just small, frequent, meals.

If I eat a meal that is any bigger than half the size of my fist, my tummy would be upset. If I don't chew my food enough, my tummy would hurt. If I don't drink enough water, I'd be hurt too. It's really making me feel kinda depressed. I know I'm not supposed to feel down as it will not help with my recovery, but I can't help it. Living on the same food everyday is a pain, and I'm too scared to try anything new because I'm doing everything that I can to avoid the pain. How long will it be before the pain actually goes away?

[Helico_expert]

if you have ulcer, it'll take a month to heal. There are some cases where after getting rid of H. pylori, intestinal metaplasia may reverse back to healthy stomach cells.

Nevertheless, I would recommend you to do a confirmation test to find out if really your H. pylori has been eradicated.

[shafinazanwar]

Hi helico_expert,
Thanks for replying to me.

The doctor didn't find any ulcer. Just a small tiny bit of swelling that can go away if I stick to my medicinal routine, as he told me.
It's been two days since I've not felt any pain; thank God for that. I understand that the instestinal metaplasia can revert into healthy stomach cells, but the doctor have told me that whatever that has been eroded by h. pylori cannot be repaired; is that true? Or am I understanding this wrongly? I have tried reading everywhere, but I'm still confused by what I've found..

Anyway, I'm getting my blow test done on the 25th of Nov, which will be about a month after I've finished all my meds (antibiotics, PPIs, God knows what else) to find out if the h. pylori have cleared up.

I'm only 26, but I keep telling my fiancee that when my body is not young enough to quickly recover itself, I'm gonna slowly die from a stomach-realted disease...

[shafinazanwar]

By blow test, I meant breath test.

[Helico_expert]

I think what your doctor meant was scarring (via very bad ulcer). Since you are still very young, there should be no problem in your recovery. Unless you have inherited some stomach genetic disease from your parents.

[shafinazanwar]

When I was still an infant (about 4 - 5 months old), my mom said that I had a series of really bad diarrhoea and vomiting. It went on for several months, the doctors did not know what else they could do for me, and my mom was already giving up because she wasn't willing to see me in that condition. But somehow I pulled thru and survived :p . I guess I just wasn't born with a strong stomach.

Anyway, I guess I shouldn't be worrying much now. The pain isn't really bothering me by now, and I'm sticking to my meals and meds routine.

Thank you, helico_expert!

I think this forum is brilliant!

[Helico_expert]

keep us updated with your test result after 25th Nov.

[Obama420]

If I eat a meal that is any bigger than half the size of my fist, my tummy would be upset. If I don't chew my food enough, my tummy would hurt. If I don't drink enough water, I'd be hurt too. It's really making me feel kinda depressed. I know I'm not supposed to feel down as it will not help with my recovery, but I can't help it. Living on the same food everyday is a pain, and I'm too scared to try anything new because I'm doing everything that I can to avoid the pain. How long will it be before the pain actually goes away?

[Helico_expert]

Hi Obama,

1. what is your endoscopy result?
2. have you done a breath test to confirm you are infected with H. pylori?

[shafinazanwar]

I've came back from my follow-up check-up. Did a breath test today, and I've been successfully eradicated of HP.

Also, a follow-up on why I asked the main question; the pain is almost gone now, as long as I don't eat anything sour, get enough sleep, and don't stay hungry for too long. I have no problem eating spicy food tho.

All in all, it's a big relief!

Thanks, helico_expert!

As for you, Obama, I don't know why you quoted exactly what I said like that. Do you find it funny that I was in pain?