How I Healed My Chronic Gastritis After 5 Years of Suffering

Chronic gastritis can be a relentless and often invisible enemy, as I experienced personally for over five years.

My struggle with chronic gastritis, which impacted every facet of my life, began unexpectedly and grew into a journey filled with both physical and emotional challenges.

It wasn’t just a physical ailment; it was a journey that encompassed emotional struggles, lifestyle upheavals, and a constant search for answers.

These years were marked by a series of challenges, from navigating through a myriad of symptoms to finding the right treatment that worked for me.

In this post, I’m going to share my experience with gastritis – the lows, the highs, and everything in between. It’s a journey that took me from a place of pain and confusion to one of understanding and wellness.

So, let’s begin with how it all started.

The onset of my gastritis was as sudden as it was confusing. Initially, I experienced a range of symptoms: a relentless heartburn and stomach ache, bouts of nausea, and an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after meals.

These weren’t just minor inconveniences; they began to intrude into my daily routine, affecting my work, sleep, and overall quality of life.

Seeking relief, I turned to medical consultations. The early days were filled with numerous doctor visits, each offering different insights but no definitive solutions. I tried various treatments – antacids, dietary changes, even stress management techniques – but the relief was often temporary.

This phase was not just about battling physical discomfort but also about grappling with the uncertainty and frustration of not finding a clear path to healing.

As my journey with chronic gastritis progressed, the challenges and setbacks seemed to multiply.

Physically, the persistent pain and discomfort became almost a constant in my life, making it difficult to focus on work or enjoy social activities. I often found myself planning my day around my stomach issues, which was both limiting and disheartening.

Emotionally, the impact was equally taxing. The ongoing struggle with gastritis started to take a toll on my mental health. I experienced periods of anxiety and frustration, often feeling disheartened by the seemingly endless cycle of symptoms and ineffective treatments.

The unpredictability of the condition led to a sense of helplessness, and at times, I felt isolated in my experience, as it was difficult for others to truly understand the relentless nature of chronic gastritis.

This period was marked by a search for solutions that often led to dead ends, but it was also a time that taught me resilience in the face of ongoing health challenges.

The turning point in my battle with chronic gastritis came through a moment of frustration and despair after consulting my doctor.

I remember I was sitting in my doctor’s office, exhausted and defeated, I was anxiously waiting for the results of my latest endoscopy. The look on my doctor’s face as he entered the room spoke volumes, and his words left me stunned:

“Your gastritis hasn’t improved since your last endoscopy one year ago; in fact, I think it’s going backwards. Are you taking your meds?”

I managed to whisper a “Yes” through a lump in my throat. His next words truly disheartened me:

“Well, I don’t know what else to do. I think you should accept living with gastritis and just focus on other things in your life. Just stick to the diet and take your meds.”

His words hit me hard.

Returning home, I collapsed on my living room floor, tears streaming down my face. I had invested so much in treatments, medications, supplements, and diets, followed every advice, yet nothing worked.

I felt utterly lost and hopeless.

But in that moment of despair, I had an epiphany. I realized I had been blindly following a conventional path leading nowhere. It was time for a change – to take matters into my own hands.

Fueled by determination, I embarked on a quest for a solution. I spent countless hours researching, experimenting, and learning everything about gastritis, determined to leave no stone unturned. And then, after months of relentless research, I stumbled upon a breakthrough, a revelation that was key to not only managing but actually healing my gastritis.

As I delved deeper, researching and collecting stories of individuals who had successfully conquered gastritis, I noticed a striking pattern. This common thread, woven through every success story, was something I had overlooked for years.

The key to their success lay in identifying the root cause of their gastritis and following a targeted treatment plan that addressed the problem at its core.

This realization was a watershed moment for me. It dawned on me that the conventional methods I had been relying on were merely addressing the symptoms, not the root cause of my gastritis.

After realizing that to heal my gastritis, I needed to focus on the root cause, it took some time before I began experiencing true healing. I had to identify what was causing it and then direct my efforts towards healing.

At the time, I was also dealing with bile reflux and needed to address this before focusing on my gastritis. Mine was caused by low stomach acid, so I addressed this issue first before moving forward.

So, how did I heal my gastritis?

The first step was creating a comprehensive healing plan that tackled the gastritis from the inside out.

Then, I focused on diet. I eliminated all irritating and problematic foods, such as acidic fruits, fatty and processed foods, coffee, etc. You can read more about the gastritis diet here.

Additionally, I eliminated many bad eating habits, like skipping meals, eating at irregular hours, overeating, consuming too much salt, and eating foods that are difficult to digest or hard to chew, including very hot or cold foods, among others.

Another crucial step was lowering my stress and anxiety levels. This was key, as I suffered from significant anxiety, which seemed to prevent my stomach from recovering. I identified the stressors and sought the root cause of my anxiety.

Identifying my stressors was straightforward, but finding the cause of my anxiety was more challenging. After extensive research, I realized that my anxiety stemmed from inflammation and pain in my stomach, compounded by some nutritional deficiencies.

Supplements such as Rhodiola rosea, L-theanine, and calming herbs like valerian, passiflora, chamomile, and lavender helped greatly with stress and anxiety. Relaxation techniques like diaphragmatic breathing and meditation were also highly beneficial.

For gastritis, I included supplements like Zinc-carnosine, DGL, glutamine, slippery elm, and aloe vera powder (inner gel) in my routine. Eventually, I created my own healing powdered blend of Glutamine, DGL, and aloe vera powder.

Other supplements in my routine included a low-acid multivitamin (to compensate for deficiencies due to the strict diet) and a digestive enzyme supplement without irritating ingredients such as protease, pepsin, and bromelain, which helped improve digestion

My daily routine was simple, and I had ample time to focus on healing since I was studying and working from home. Most of my meals were based on recipes from my gastritis book, which I won’t detail here. My routine was as follows:

• Morning: Upon waking, I drank my healing blend of glutamine, DGL, and aloe vera powder. After waiting 30 minutes, I had breakfast, took my low-acid multivitamin supplement, and went for a 20-30 minute walk.
• Mid-Morning: Around 10:30 a.m., I ate something light like toast or a rice cake with almond butter or avocado. Sometimes, I alternated this with chopped fresh fruit or an anti-inflammatory smoothie.
• Lunch: About 30 minutes before lunch, I took my healing blend again and followed lunch with 2 capsules of zinc carnosine. Occasionally, I’d go for a short walk, or practice deep breathing exercises or meditation.
• Snack: My snacks were similar to my mid-morning meal, often including toast or rice cakes with almond butter or avocado, fresh fruit, or an anti-inflammatory smoothie to which I added pea or hemp protein powder. Sometimes, I prepared sweet or salty gastritis-friendly recipes.
• Dinner: Before dinner, I took my healing blend again, although I wasn’t very consistent with this. Dinner usually consisted of something light, like pumpkin or broccoli soup, chicken breast or white fish with a side of rice, sweet potatoes, or potatoes, and steamed vegetables.
• Before Bed: Around 10 p.m., I took famotidine to protect my stomach from nocturnal acid secretion and sucralfate to create a protective layer on my stomach lining (1,2).

This routine, which I followed for about 3 months and continued for another 2-3 months to ensure my stomach’s full recovery, helped me overcome my chronic gastritis after 5 years of suffering.

My journey with chronic gastritis has been both challenging and enlightening. It has taught me the importance of understanding and listening to my body, embracing a holistic approach to health, and the value of persistence in adversity.

Driven by my own success in conquering gastritis and empathizing with the struggles faced by thousands with this condition, I was inspired to create The Gastritis Healing Book. This book is a compilation of the extensive research and insights I’ve gathered about gastritis over the years. It includes, of course, the comprehensive 3-part healing plan I followed to get rid of my chronic gastritis.

For those struggling with gastritis, I want to emphasize that although the road to recovery can be difficult, there is hope. With patience, knowledge, and the right approach healing is achievable. You are not alone in this journey, and every small step forward is a victory.

I hope my story inspires you to start your healing journey. This is what worked for me, and I hope you find what works for you.

Wishing you all the best on your journey towards healing and wellness.