Don’t give up!
Hi all,
38F. I wanted to share my experience and what’s been working for me. I feel like I’m coming out of a level of darkness I’ve not experienced ever before.
11 weeks ago I came down with a stomach bug that I think I picked up subbing at my kids’ school. It wasn’t normal bug though, I threw up and had diarrhea for 7 days. I ended up in urgent care and they sent Me to the ER. In the ER, doctors gave me fluids and a CT with contrast. CT was normal. They eventually said that I had a bad case of norovirus or rotavirus and sent me home.
I did stop throwing up, but my severe nausea and RUQ pain continued. I struggled to do anything but was somehow doing it. My husband’s job is pretty flexible so he started working from home because I was so fearful to be left alone with my despair. I was crying everyday. Within a couple of weeks of my ER visit, I was able to get an H. Pylori test, an ultrasound, and a HIDA scan, all were normal. Then I saw a new GI doctor and he diagnosed me with gastritis, a duodenal ulcer (probably from vomiting and stress), and post-infectious IBS. He told me it would be 8 weeks of healing the stomach but the post-infectious IBS could last months.
I started famotadine (40 mg) because pepcid made me very nauseous. I truly was so nauseous, which is the worst feeling I've ever had. I was terrified to leave my house without a throw up bag. I also bought the Gastritis Healing Book this gave me a ton of hope and agency. at the same time I was taking dicyclomine 2-3 times a day for my pain. After 4 weeks of this, my doctor told me to stop both meds because they were affecting my mental health. He them started me on amitriptiline. I am only taking 5 mg per day, but I can tell my stomach has calmed down a lot. Instead of having diarrhea 3-5 a day, I’m down to 1 loose stool. I’ve also been taking zinc carnosine, DGL licorice, B complex, and a yeast probiotic.
About stress:
Don‘t underestimate it. I was a full time college student trying to finish a teaching degree, working part time, supporting my 4 kids and my husband who works 2 jobs. It was too much. I took a leave from my classes and started asking for help. We don’t live near family so that was hard. My mom came to stay with us for a few days and my mother in law came for almost 2 weeks. I started counseling two weeks ago. If you are on the fence- do it please. My pain and suffering was severely affecting my mind. My grasp on reality was weak on my worst days.
Today:
I am not all the way healed, but my energy is slowly returning my RUQ pain and the nausea is fading. I’ve stopped losing weight (16 lbs in all) and I wasn’t overweight to begin with. I have an endoscopy in 10 days which I hope shows that I’m healing!
In conclusion, find a good doctor And advocate for yourself as best you can. Try and treat healing like it’s your job. I know we all come from different resources and opportunities, but ask for help as much as you can. There is hope! My friend kept telling me every time I saw her and burst into tears that it won’t always be like this. I doubted her, but she was right.
Hugs all. Don’t give up.