Hi, 22M sufferer from Mexico here. Long context here (I mix tenses because, yeah haha) :
Height: 172 cm, Weight: 54 kg (I've always been skinny, you know, that kind of person who can eat a lot and don't gain weight, well, I also think that's because besides my genetics, I had always been an active person)

• July 2021 *

I was going to the grocery store before lunch and suddenly started feeling like I couldn't breathe and a huge pressure on my chest. I managed to get to the store and came back home. I started eating and immediately started burping and feeling kinda trapped gas in my esophagus and I could feel how it was burning and swallowing caused the most terrible pain I've experienced. I tried Alka Seltzer and sodium bicarbonate and didn't feel relief, so my parents took me to a GP and I was diagnosed with GERD and gastritis and was prescribed omeprazole, carafate and Riopan (don't know the name in other places). This was really weird because I had never experienced GERD nor digestive issues, just a bacterial infection when I was 17, but that's it. After a week I started feeling better and I could eat normally again, I was burping less.

• August 2021 * After a month only an increased burping (for what's normal) remained, so I went to a gastroenterologist. He told me to take Dexilant instead of omeprazole, since it was the best med for GERD and gastritis. I started taking it and felt an improvement on my burping. He also ordered some testing, barium swallow and a endoscopy. They found a small hiatal hernia (2 cm), a lax LES, mild esophagitis and mild gastritis.

He told me that since I was young, going under surgery (Nissen fundoplication) would be a good option for me to get rid of symptoms and be off PPIs. My dad and I agreed, but since I didn't have insurance before, I'd have to wait 2 years until the surgery was covered. So we decided to wait.

• January 2022 * After vacation where I ate as if I was healthy, I started feeling a weird sensation of hunger (like gas travelling in my stomach and intestines), but not in a normal way as hunger usually feels, terrible nausea, so awful that I was bedridden, what now I know is brain fog, decreased energy and increased burping again. I was also dealing with was apparently an UTI, so I was prescribed an antibiotic for it. I discovered, after years of having intermittent symptoms of UTI, that it was never an UTI because tests showed nothing and it always resolved on their own. Obviously those antibiotics made me feel worse, but as they thought it was just a bacterial GI infection, they gave me more antibiotics. I learned then how terrible antibiotics were because for the first time in my life they made me feel awful. At that time I was studying uni online because of * fkn pandemic *. I was eating only chicken and rice and feeling hungry but full all the time (in a gastritis way, I'd say)
  
• February 2022 * A friend of mine told me that her sister was a nutrionist (not a functional nor a SIBO knowledgeable though), so I went with her and she gave me a menu and told me to try probiotics. I bought a commercial ones (Bacillus clausii I think, only 2 billion CFU) and at the end of the 5 days that they lasted, I started feeling better. Suddenly I was optimistic, the nausea was gone, the weird gas feeling was gone and my energy was back. Brain fog was still there, but at a minimum. At that time my uni decided to go back to physical classes, so I enjoyed my recovered health.
  
• March 2022 * I had a throat infection and took antibiotics (terrible decision). Since the first dose all my symptoms came back. I became suicidal at that point because I struggled so much on pandemic with depression and anxiety due to lockdown and when I was finally able to go back to a normal life, now I was terribly sick. My parents wanted to fix the GERD issue so they paid the two tests (manometry and 24 pH test) needed to determine what kind of fundoplication the surgeon could do. After those tests it came back that I was candidate for Nissen, but the surgeon didn't want to perform it because he wanted to wait for insurance to cover it. My parents and I were mad, but I was again trying probiotics to see if I felt better. I did, not as good as before, but better. At that time I also met a girl who became my girlfriend, so that helped me too. Didn't know how, but suddenly I could eat anything, except spicy food, only with more burping, but I didn't have issues. But, a weird feeling of being off has been with me since this all started (brain fog? It's like feeling that you're living a life that's not yours and everything feels alien to you). From there on every time I had a throat infection I requested injectable antibiotics (I can say that it really helps to not mess up with my microbiome)
  

I dropped out from school because I couldn't keep going. I was kinda okay, but going out and doing stuff made me feel nauseous and tired, for the first time I couldn't take a bus because I felt dizzy and about to throw up. So I usually stayed home and only went out to the store or to my gf house or sometimes to somewhere else, but not frequently. During this year I switched careers and got back to what I've always loved, programming, so I worked as a freelancer and made some money that way.

• March 2023 * My gastritis gets worse (more burping and feeling full fast) and I go on a bland diet. After two weeks it gets better and I try to eat pizza. No problems. A week after that I wake up feeling as if I was hit by a truck. I was insanely tired and with flu symptoms. I thought it was just another flu. After some days I was still feeling that way, so I go to the doctor and he says it's a bacterial infection and prescribes what they usually do, of course, with an injectable antibiotic. Flu goes away after a few days, but fatigue remains. To cope with fatigue I decide to eat some chips and all those weird symptoms come back. It feels as if I wasn't digesting a thing, with all that gas travelling inside my gut, but not in a way of trapped gas, I didn't feel bloated at that time.
  
• April 2023 * After a few days, I don't know what to do, I get a blood work done and it shows no deficiencies in minerals (they don't test for vitamines, it's a separate test which costs much more). An ultrasound also don't show anything abnormal on my GI tract. I was eating eggs, chicken, rice and avocado. My gf gets sick of me being sick and leaves me after tough months due to my illness (don't want to dig on it, but, cheated on me, basically). I'm heavily depressed, but convinced to get my health back and I use that as motivation. I start my research and discover SIBO and so much more that I'd like to know before. I don't know where to begin due to the GERD and lax LES thing, but I drop gluten (I was dairy free already) and experiment with several diets, keto, low-carb, low FODMAPs, low acid, but as time goes by, my symptoms only get worse and now I deal with bloating and occasional constipation. Magnesium helps with constipation at its worse.
  
• May 2023 * I discover functional medicine, do my research and find an institute where I live. An appointment is expensive, but I think it's worth it. I go there, explain all my symptoms, and the doctor talks to me about leaky gut. It seems interesting. She suggests a food sensitivity test and I see that I'm sensitive to gluten, any dairy related food, and eggs. The only thing I was still eating was eggs. That test also covered candida and it showed a little overgrowth. I tried fluconazole and grapefruit seed extract, but didn't feel anything different nor better at the end of the course. After that, she just sent me a generic treatment, which made me feel gaslighted and stopped going with her.
  

She also prescribed me digestive enzymes, which for some reason also contain ox bile here in Mexico and I've been taking them since then. I can tell they have actually helped, but can't tell when I'm doing the same and feeling like s*it.

• June 2023 * My dad, desperate, calls the surgeon to see if the surgery would help me, and he says that he doesn't recommend the surgery for me due to my other issues (he's right, I was already having trapped gas, it'd be worse). We also got mad at that time because he said other bad things about the surgery that he didn't say before, so he also seemed like a person we couldn't trust, but at least he told the truth about the surgery not being ideal for me.
  
• August 2023 * I'm following an unnamed diet, just avoiding processed stuff, and while it doesn't make me feel amazing, it makes me feel stable. I also get a job as software engineer from home (an informal job, without benefits, but it's a good opportunity to make some money and be able to buy more things that could help me).
  

I buy zinc-carnosine and Thorne's GI Relief to see if they help with GERD and gastritis. They seem to help, but can't tell really. I finish the bottles and don't refill. Don't feel noticeable changes.

• January 2024 * After eating some processed foods every now and then, it seems that I shouldn't have done that and I switch from occasional constipation with well-formed stool to loose stool, cramps and a weird mix of feeling like I want to poop all the time, but it's trapped gas, but sometimes it's poop, but it's loose, but I have to push it and sometimes it just comes out (sorry for being so descriptive haha). I stop eating raw salads and fruits and stick to chicken, avocado, rice cakes, walnuts and almonds. It helps and I can occasionally eat processed food with a little discomfort.
  
• Present * After sticking to those foods for months, I start feeling worse and now the weird pooping situation gets more uncomfortable and I feel like I need to poop all day, but when I go, sometimes it's just gas and sometimes it comes out a lot and sometimes a little. Dexilant made my stool darker, but since taking digestive enzymes it became lighter and it's more yellow than brown to say it somehow. There's no mucus as far as I can tell (it has been, but not recently, the same goes for blood). I also experience abdominal pain on a daily basis, sometimes it feels on the stomach and sometimes it feels on my intestines (seems like a mix of gastritis + whatever is going on on my gut).
  

I also tried ginger and artichoke for weeks, but I felt more cramping and gas. I've also tried Iberogast to no avail
Here's a list of my symtopms, I didn't mention some on the story

• Bloating (my abdomen doesn't look like a balloon, but man, I can feel the gas pushing my insides)
• Abdominal pain (fullness in stomach or in intestines)
• Fatigue
• Farting when gas decides to come out
• Cramps
• Brain fog
• Migraines
• Excessive burping
• That weird mix between constipation and diarrhea
• Sometimes trapped gas on my esophagus
• Sometimes spasms/twitches all over my body (if that's the expression)
• Bad breath
• Intermittently, a sharp pain under my right rib (it feels as if something was going to explode, but only lasts a few seconds and it can happen after eating or while eating, but this isn't common, and I think it's gas on my large intestine because when my bloating gets worse, I get this pain, besides, eating high fat foods don't always trigger it, so I doubt it's my gallbladder or liver)
• Hunger all the time, which leads me to eat more, but then I feel worse, but I can eat a lot, feel terribly full and after a few hours feel hungry again as if I hadn't eat a thing in years. I feel kinda hypoglicemic and that's when I have intense headaches. That's why I think keto is not for me, when I tried it I lost 6 kilos in only 2 weeks. As I said, I've always been skinny but needed to eat a lot, the difference now is that I feel sick. But, to clarify, I do feel hunger and my stomach growls, which I know is good, but not so good when it seems that there's no way of getting enough nutrients without discomfort

I also want to say that between August and December I managed to gain my weight back from 43 kg to 54 kg (don't know how, I guess I was absorbing more, which make sense since I didn't have this weird diarrhea situation)
I really don't know what to do because my parents have no money for tests nor treatment and I don't have either (I don't earn much, besides I have to buy my own food and meds). I can't stop Dexilant because I've tried and my esophagus just doesn't handle it well (cold turkey, wean off, I've tried it and it's the same in the long-term). Here where I live nobody knows about SIBO and aren't tests available, so I can't say if I have it. The public system health in Mexico is terrible also, I tried it for my GERD at first and I received the worst treatment and I obviously wasn't rude by any means :(. I haven't tried more extreme approaches such as ED or carnivore since I don't know what's the best for me because as I said, I just suppose that my glucose levels go down easily. I can eat high-protein and high-fat and low-carb and still feel weak. Is it the PPI? Is it leaky gut? Is it stress? I don't know.
I've thought about getting a better job where they give me a nice private health insurance, but besides it isn't that easy to get a nice job, I get discouraged by these symtopms and not being able to focus properly and have to fight all day with these symptoms. I know stress is a huge factor for me, but how not feel that way when I don't know a s*it about life and since this age I have to deal with a lot.
I've felt suicidal a lot of times. You should understand, it isn't like I want to die, I just don't know how to get better and stop suffering while trying to do every single thing you're supposed to. I just want to be able to hang out with my friends, have fun and live a life as the young person I am :(.
Thank you for reading :)

Hi folks with babie/s at home with NG tube. how long does it take to feed ,say 160-180ml etc of EBM /formula via NG tube? I have twins who were born at 25 weeks GA. Twins came home from Nicu at 1 month corrected feeding 30ish % via dr brown bottles the rest down NG. Both also on Oxygen. By 2-3 months corrected my twins ended up with oral aversion, most likely due to pressure 3hr feeds that weve been pressured ourselves to do. Both are now fully NG fed. Feeding through the tube is taking over 1hr + each feed. 5 feeds a day/3-4hrly. We have to pause for burps every 60-80ml so feed time does drag on. Girls also have reflux and been prescribed omeprazole which made them vomit full feeds worsw than before.so I stopped that. I'm concerned all this will also lead to solid aversion the longer we keep tube feeding. I do have rowena bennets book but SLT /SLP have advised I shouldn't tube wean until twins are off oxygen. Any advice or experience with this?. Thanks , tired mama

Hello Everyone,
So before March I would have occasional stomach burning that would be taken care of by tums no problem. I could eat anything except dairy which I get sick from so I haven eaten it in 15 years. It was suggested to me that OTC Omezraple might help me to be able to stop using tums so I tried it. A week later I started experiencing shortness of breath, not knowing what it was I went to the urgent care that turned into an ER visit due to heart palpitations. It was there that they suggested that it was GERD and that I make an appointment to see a GI. On a PCP visit and follow up conversations I was put on 40mg omeprazole in the mornings and Famotidine 20 mg for the morning and before bed. My LPR symptoms continued to worsen over April.
My Barium test showed clear except for moderate to severe acid reflux. I am awaiting clearance from a heart doctor to proceed with an endoscopy. Meanwhile I have changed my diet to the list below and managed to make myself comfortable on a 7.5 inch incline through lots of insomnia. However, it still feels like acid is coming up my throat, it was initially neutralized, just water tasting and nasal drip, but now it's becoming more acidic over time to where I have regular heartburn/throat burn every night.
My PCP also has put me on 3 other medications to help me deal with the panic attacks and anxiety that has come with all of this. Sertraline, Propanol and Hydroxyzine. I still have high anxiety however I feel the seraline is helping with the shortness of breath, though that could be the diet too. The more I eat the worse my Globus sensation and shortness of breath becomes. I am on 25 mg of setraline right now but a little afraid to step up to 50 mg considering I had some side effects at 25mg. Lots of fatigue and some tremors at night.
In the meantime I am losing a dramatic amount of weight. Two weeks ago I weighed 170, but now I am 153. I am not underweight yet but I am a little scared because I am doing my best to meet my calorie count but I am still dropping. This is causing me great concentration difficulty and I feel weak all the time and feel I might start to have symptoms of disassociation. To the point I am having trouble taking my dog for a short neighborhood walk. My body has always run a high metabolism, I used to eat alot and stay thin. Now I have no appetite at all because my stomach now hates me. Whenever I eat I become full easily. I am trying to spread my meals apart but it's hard with my schedule.
I am wondering if this was all caused by the omeprazole somehow? I had no problems before I started taking it. Both the Omeprazole and the Famotidine are lowering my stomach acid to a point where it just feels weird down there and it’s constantly upset. I am worried my body is not absorbing the nutrients and protein it needs despite my efforts and that's why I am feeling so weak. I want to start to wean off the omeprazole to see if that helps and my GI has given me the guidelines and clearance to do that. I tried last Saturday but resumed again after a next day heartburn attack but now might not have a choice.
I am looking for some advice, the doctors only offer more meds or don't seem to care. I usually only get short replies and my GI ignored my last question. Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and tell my story and maybe get some fellowship and mutual support if anyone is open to that.
I am starting to work with a nutritionist to see if this helps, keeping a food diary for her currently.
Diet (all of it plain, no seasonings or oils): Chicken breast, tuna, salmon, tofu, sweet potato, regular potato sometimes, protein shake every day see below, spinach, quinoa, lentils, brown rice, coconut water, oatmeal, peanut butter only peanuts in the ingredients, watermelon.
Currently cut out wheat to see if that helps. I might have a yeast sensitivity. Getting allergy tested in June. Getting tested for lynch syndrome next week, my brother and mom has it. My uncle died from stomach cancer at 50.
Supplements: Walgreens multivitamin and iron pill
Protein Shake: Coconut water, banana, tablespoon flax meal, tablespoon, pea protein powder

Two questions...
For those who successfully weaned off PPIs, when was the acid hypersecretion at it's worst? Was it week 1, week 2? And what remedies are there to sooth and protect the throat from the acid reflux?
I've been on 20mg Omeprazole for 7 months, and I started weaning off omeprazole last week. I started by doing 2 days on omeprazole, 1 day off. First week was a breeze, no issues. But now at week two I'm starting to get acid hypersecretion. I think it's because now I'm doing one day on 20mg omeprazole and one day off. I plan do to the one day off and one day on for 2 weeks, then on week 3 I'll do 2 days off and one day on. Then week four I'll stop. On days I'm off, I take DGL Plus (1-2x a day) and/or 10mg famotidine. Yesterday, I started to get the acid hypersecretion. My throat is really sore like I have a sore throat from the acid reflux, but thankfully my stomach is doing ok! I'm just wondering how long the body produces an increase in acid before it stabilizes. Crossing my fingers I can do this.

Both from personal experience and from reading threads online, I've gathered a good amount of anecdotal information on PPI best practices. But I don't feel like I have a consistent set of rules for exactly how long is too long, when and how to best wean off of them, and so on.
For example, over-the-counter omeprazole is usually 20 mg for 2 weeks, then stop. I've done this a few times, with little issue, which makes sense, given the short time frame and low dosage.
Several years ago, I had a bigger flare up where my doctor had me on 40 mg for 2.5 months. In this case, I was able to cut them off without any PPI weaning, but I did need to keep a more strict diet and stay on H2 blockers for a month or so after.
What I would love is some sort of general "best practices table," that lets you look up how much you're taking, how long it's been, and then a recommendation like, "When ready to stop, take half-dosage PPIs every other day for X time, then H2 blockers" or similar.
I realize maybe this sort of thing doesn't exist, and the answer might be, "It is totally different for everyone, so you'll just need to see for yourself by testing," but curious if anyone might have something to link to or recommend.

I have been on omeprazole for about 6 years now due to an influx of gastrointestinal issues . Over the last year or so I felt like I had everything dialed in . So much so that I weaned myself from 40mg omeprazole to 10mg once a day .
March 1 I got Covid . Had all of the reg symptoms as well as a lot of gut issues . Ever since then I cannot seem to get over the gut issues . I had to up my omeprazole to 40mg , added famotidine 20mg 3x a day , mylanta, pepto to no avail .
Everything I eat I instantly have acid reflux . Doctor said to go on a bland diet, but that doesn’t help anything . I have fasted for 36 hours to try and reset my gut . Nothing is working .
Has anyone else had similar issues like this since having Covid , and what worked for them ?
Thanks!

I've been taking Omeprazole since mid June, and in late August I developed a rash on my neck and chin and jawbone. The rash has seemed to have moved to my eyes and side of my face by my ears and hairline. I wonder if it's the Omeprazole. I take 40 mg once a day.
Is it possible for Omeprazole to cause a rash after a month and a half of taking it? I did not experience any rash the first month and a half. My doctors are baffled. My dermatologist believes it's an allergy but doesn't know what kind. My allergist doesn't believe it would be the PPI. My general doctor says I should wean myself off Omeprazole and just see.
I take omeprazole because I have asthma and a little bit of acid reflux when I lay down due to an ulcer I used to have. It was helping a lot. My doctor is recommending I switch to pepcid though, especially if the rash could be the PPI.
Has anyone had a rash on their face that was extremely itchy, red, and seem to move from different parts of your face?
I thought it was dryer sheets, I thought it was my detergent, I thought it was maybe pollen in the air, but nothing seems to help it.
I wonder if the Omeprazole mixed with certain foods I eat is causing a flare up. I flare up almost every day, especially at night, waking up in the morning with a puffy face and puffy eyes that itch terribly.
I am vegetarian, so I eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, gluten products, soy, peanuts and other legumes.
I'm looking for others who have had this experience, and I would love to hear your stories. What do you think this is? My doctors are baffled.

omeprazole

facerash

Sharing my lil victory for those who are not losing 5-10 pounds a week the first weeks and 2-3 pounds a week after that. A pound a week, pretty much steadily, and I’m satisfied. 1 box of 2.5, then up to 5 mg where I am now. Here’s why I am pleased even though my results are way less dramatic than with previous intense diets I’ve done so many times.

1. I am not obsessing about calories, points, macros, getting a bazillion grams of protein or hitting 12k steps per day. I am eating intuitively, not feeling hungry until about day 5-6, keeping healthy choices stocked up. I do have the premiere protein latte shakes for when I get up too late for breakfast and coffee, and find them a big help, though I know they’re not exactly real food. I’m doing a 45-60 minute walking loop when the weather is nice, but not every day.
   
2. I’ve been liberated from my normal “bottomless pit” feeling that no matter how much I ate or how full I should have been, I just couldn’t get enough foodiedoo in the ole pie hole. The relentless insatiable feeling is just gone. Even around day 6 when I start feeling it creeping in, I am not doing the midnight microwave nachos or any of that behavior anymore.
   
3. At first I was pissed that Zepbound wasn’t magic, but I actually think it IS magical. My stress level is so much lower now that I’m not all about food every waking moment. So it’s not (for me) instant weight vaporization, but it’s calmed my mind and set me on a path that feels good and sustainable.
   
4. I could easily have gained 12 lbs in 12 weeks instead of losing, and I probably would have!
   
5. I’m grateful that so far I’ve had very handle-able side effects. Senna Plus daily helps and I have a stash of Zofran on hand. I’m not popping omeprazole all the time either, just when I need it. It took me closer to a year to fully wean off daily omeprazole when my body stopped getting nutrients from my food. So this is a big win.
   
6. Nobody is going on at me about how much weight I’ve lost and how much “better” I look, and that’s good with me. Slow, steady and subtle is a-ok. I do feel and look better but I’m not a before-and-after for Biggest Loser or anything. This is for me. Not for “them.’
   

Well, that’s my long-@$$ update from 12 weeks in. What I’m looking forward to in a month or so is being able to take a yoga class without feeling like I have a blub toddler sitting on my lap!
I am grateful to this group of super troupers who have been so inspiring, reassuring, and entertaining! Y’all have carved out a really nice corner of this here interwebs. 😍

My old post has been receiving a lot of questions and replies recently, and I wanted to give an update on how I am doing post-gastritis.
The journey to healing my gut has been very lengthy and sometimes confusing and other times very, VERY frustrating. One thing's for sure, my healing was not linear.
2021 and 2022 were pretty much the same. I would go to the doctor, I would get prescribed omeprazole, and I would be told that I was young and healthy and that my stomach would heal in time. At NO TIME on any of these visits would nutrition and how to care for a sensitive stomach be discussed. I had to do my own research, and I found The Gastritis Healing book, which has an excellent meal plan and supplement suggestions to try when you're trying to figure out your gastritis. This was essential for me to feel better, and my experience with that is talked about in my original post. rrified of coming off of it because I always heard of people talking about acid rebound and how miserable that can be. I was stuck...ck....
The problem I ended up having is at the end of my 90-day Gastritis Healing Plan, I wasn't 100% better... I wasn't in excruciating pain anymore, but I couldn't have eaten an onion if I wanted to, and forget anything fun like cocktail. I was basically in a place that I could have a "somewhat risky" meal like a salad with a VERY small amount of dressing... and I couldn't get too comfortable with that, because if I ate meals like that too often I would start getting discomfort in my upper stomach again.
This cycle lead me to a place where I was having very disordered eating (not an eating disorder, there is a difference), I was eating limited foods that I knew were safe just so that I could go through life convincing myself that if I kept doing that my gastritis would continue to improve and I would be back to normal "one day."
Halfway through 2023, I started getting more bold with my food choices. I could have a burger and fries again, I was drinking matcha, on vacation I even indulged myself in a few margaritas without any issue. But even when I was eating foods I enjoyed again, I always had fear in the back of my mind, I was constantly worried the introduction of any new food could be what flared my gastritis again. And at this point I was still taking 40mg of Omeprazole each morning and I was convinced that this was the key to me feeling "better." I didn't like that I was taking it, but I was terrified of coming off of it because I always heard of people talking about acid rebound and how miserable that can be. I was stuck...
Halfway through 2023, I started getting more bold with my food choices. I could have a burger and fries again; I was drinking matcha, and on vacation, I even indulged myself in a few margaritas without any issue. But even when I was eating foods I enjoyed again, I always had fear in the back of my mind; I was constantly worried the introduction of any new food could be what flared my gastritis again. At this point, I was still taking 40mg of Omeprazole each morning, and I was convinced that this was the key to me feeling "better." I didn't like that I was taking it, but I was terrified of coming off of it because I always heard of people talking about acid rebound and how miserable that can be. I was stuck...
Around SeptembeOctober 2023, I started getting really intense and uncomfortable bloating after most meals. It was to the point that I couldn't fit into my pants or skirts after eating, and I was always looking for a way to cover up how swollen I would look after meals (hello, oversized sweatshirts). It was a confidence crash, for sure. I also began having a lot of heart palpitations and anxiety attacks. I was just not in a good place. I wondered if these things were connected, but I wasn't sure how to connect the pieces to this new puzzle.
That's when I found Atlas Functional Wellness on TikTok; FYPs can really be a godsend. The video I saw made it seem that I must be dealing with SIBO. I knew this wasn't something I could heal myself, and I knew my doctor would just blow me off if I inquired about this, so I made a consultation with Atlas. I explained my whole 2 year + gut healing journey and told them that I still wasn't completely fixed, and they said they could be of help to me.
I've always been a little skeptical of functional medicine, I always thought it was someone just trying to push essential oils on people or something, but after a lot of research, I really liked that Atlas approaches each client with a personalized plan that is based off of their stool test results. Functional medicine is unfortunately not covered by insurance, but at this point, I was 26 years old, and I had already spent so much time and money trying to fix myself alone; I thought, let's just try this: what else do I have to lose?
In November 2023, I started my healing journey with Atlas, and within the first two weeks, I was off of Omeprazole without any issues. I was really happy to have a health coach encourage me through this process because I don't think I could have done it alone. In December 2023, my stool results came back and it showed that I had some inflammation, issues digesting fat, and that I had a small amount of bacterial overgrowth. Finding this out was very validating and my coach's personalized supplement regimen and meal plan helped put me in the right direction.
In February 2024 I was feeling much better, but I was still dealing with occasional bloating. We narrowed it down to sugar causing bloating, so that signaled I more than likely had Candida overgrowth. I've been on a Candida regimen since then, and I'm still currently in the process of it. The die off phase was really difficult, but I'm feeling much better now.
I am able to eat pretty much anything I want now. I eat onions, tomatoes, and garlic without any issues. The first time I had a salad with a vinaigrette dressing, I swear I almost cried. It had been literal YEARS since I had a salad dressing I actually wanted. (It sounds silly, but it's true.) I can also have alcohol when I want, although I'm not doing that currently because I'm trying to finish up my Candida cleanse.
In April, I will start the final phase of my gut healing protocol, which will focus more on healing the gut lining and getting rid of the last little bit of inflammation since all of the microbials will be gone.
The thing that stuck with me the most is how Omerprazole really was my worst enemy all along. (It is great for treating reflux in short-term usage, don't get me wrong!) But I am really upset that this medication was pushed on me by my GI doctor so much. Reducing my stomach acid for years only made my gut a haven for bacteria and candida to thrive and only cause me more issues! My gut is in a much better place now.
Another thing I have really appreciated from my journey with Atlas is the nutrition education. I thought I was eating healthy years ago, but I was not eating enough vegetables to give my body the prebiotics it needed to support a healthy microbiome. I'm walking away from this program healthier than ever!
I know working with a functional wellness group like Atlas is very privileged and not accessible to everyone. It has been a bit pricey for me, but it's worth having my life back again. I would have been spending the same money on supplements that don't work, and I would have continued to be miserable.
This is just kind of a summary over the last few months. I'm nearing the end of my gut healing journey and will soon be entering my gut health maintenance journey. I'm more than happy to answer questions about what this most recent process has been like.
Original Post:
A little backstory: I was diagnosed with gastritis at an urgent care on July 31, 2021. My symptoms were stomach burning, burping, nausea, fatigue, and indigestion. I was told to take 20mg Pepcid and that considering my age (23), my health, and my habits it would probably be over within a week or two. Unfortunately, that did not happen... my symptoms got worse and I had to wait a couple of weeks to see a GI doctor and then wait a few more weeks to stay off medication to take an H. Pylori test on September 21, 2021. My H. Pylori results came back negative and I was at a loss of what do to. Doctors had told me to stay away from alcohol and irritating foods... but that was really vague and information about gastritis online is really conflicting. That's when I found The Gastritis Healing Book, an actual godsend.
The Gastritis Healing Book lays out a 90-day diet to give your gastritis a base healing. Note, depending on the type of gastritis and its severity it may take longer to completely heal. The author used this diet to heal himself and he no longer has gastritis. I'm just nearing the end of my 90-Days and I want to share my experience.
Days 1-30: Getting used to the diet, weaning off of PPIs, and learning more about myself.
This was the roughest part of the diet for me. My symptoms were really bad, I had indigestion and burping CONSTANTLY. I could tell my week 2 things were starting to calm down, but I still needed medication to control symptoms. The book encourages you to wean off of PPIs slowly if you're able to and it was during this phase that I slowly weaned off of 40mg omeprazole my GI prescribed me. The PPI rebound was annoying, but I was able to control it with Pepto.
This is weird to explain, but it was during this phase that I discovered tofu was a major trigger for me. Having an elimination diet like the one outlined in the book helped me to pinpoint foods that bothered me. (And because of this, I feel very strongly that sensitivity to soy is what caused my gastritis to begin with. I went plant-based for a couple of weeks in July, something I never tried before, and that's when my gastritis started out of nowhere. I was also continuing to eat plant-based meals here and there between July and the end of October because I was in constant agony before I didn't know it was making things worse for me. As soon as I realized that was a trigger for me I stopped and things have only gotten better. I'm off on this tangent only because no one really talks about how food sensitivities you don't know you have can cause gastritis. It's not super common, but it's totally possible.)
The book also focuses on reducing stress and putting your mind on things other than your gastritis. As I'm sure you all know, it's very easy to sit on your computer or phone reading about gastritis all day and getting yourself down. I decided to delete Reddit off my phone during this phase because I found this group to have people that weren't the most encouraging people, to say the least
Days 31-60: Symptoms getting less intense, only needing medicine every so often.
The middle of the 90-Day diet was both easy and difficult. At this point, I was completely off of PPI, recovered from PPI rebound, and only needing to take Pepto on days my symptoms seemed a little worse. (I always noticed flare-ups around the start of my period, and it always sucked.)
My symptoms were getting less intense, I was feeling much more like myself, no more nausea and fatigue. The symptoms I still had during this time were stomach burning and burping, but I began to notice that even those symptoms were getting less intense.
Days 61-90: Symptoms only appear if I go too long without eating, making plans for healing post base healing phase.
During the last 30 days, I could really tell a difference in my symptoms. I still have occasional burning if I go too long without eating, but it feels less like gastritis and more like an intense hunger pang. I only had to take Pepto once or twice in the past month and that was because I had to make do with a food that wasn't particularly in the healing diet. The good thing is when I do have a slight flare up now it only lasts for a couple of hours and is gone the next day. Not days on end like it was before.
I would describe myself as 80% better. I really wish I was 100%, but I can see myself being there very soon, hopefully by the end of summer 2022. The author of the book wrote a blog article about his gastritis healing experience, and it took him about 6 months on this diet to be back to his normal self. I will be at the end of my 6 months in May, and I plan to give an update then. Even after the 6 months is over, I plan to be very careful for the next year to make sure I'm good and healed, but I'm confident I will make a full recovery.
If anything, this journey that I was forced to be on has helped me to create habits that I plan to keep up in the future. I'm on a regular exercise plan, that's something that has helped to keep me sane through all of this. I'm eating healthier and leaner than I ever have. I'm so excited to start reintroducing more fruits and veggies that I can't have right now... (Pineapple and lemons, I'm coming for you this summer!) And I'm on a regular supplement regimen now. I'm going to share what supplements I've been taking and how I've been taking them below. Hopefully you'll find it helpful. :)
Supplements:
7:00am 1tsp L-Glutamine powder
with water on an empty stomach
8:00am cabbage juice
before breakfast
8:30am daily vitamin
, probiotic, and collagen after breakfast
10:30am Gastro Comfort
with mid-morning snack
3:00pm Gastro Comfort
with mid-afternoon snack
6:30pm collagen
after dinner
8:30pm 1tsp L-Glutamine powder
with water
9:00pm I recently started taking 20mg Pepcid before bed because the author of TGHB
said he did that during his 6-month healing phase and it really helped with possible nighttime acid.
I know different things work for different people, this healing diet and supplements have made a world of difference in me. If you have any questions, I'll try and answer them as best I can. We can beat this!
ALSO: Here's another gastritis success story that really inspired me. https://www.theguthealingninja.com/

This has been a very difficult and lonely journey for me. Felt compelled to share. Please keep in mind I respect what everyone is doing for themselves since we are all so different from each other. You may have preexisting conditions that prohibit what I do from working for you. I’m not against what you are doing nor am I saying what I am doing is the holy grail. Nor am I discouraging anyone from getting the SIBO test and taking antibiotics/herbs/prescription meds.
Bio:
I have health anxiety and am very sensitive to medication and medicinal herbs. I am just one of those people who get that rare side effect. I have learned the hard way to do what Hippocrates advised: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” So I opted to first try the most gentle way possible.
History:
I have had IBS on and off over the last 10 years. Once had chronic diarrhea after drinking green leafy smoothies for a week which resolved itself by avoiding veggies for six months. I think overconsumption of veggies depleted my body’s digestive enzymes. I didn’t think to take a digestive enzyme supplement at the time as I have never been into supplements.
After this first IBS episode, I would have on and off bloating if I ate too much fruit or drank fruit juices. Now after trial and error I know sugar caused the bloating due to not being able to digest it.
Another time I had severe constipation because I ate too much bread and cheese for a few days. It resolved by eating lots of veggies and moist soft foods.
Then last year in January, severe upper and lower abdominal bloating came that didn’t go away no matter what I avoided eating or drinking. I learned about SIBO and was on this sub looking for answers. Went to a naturopath who only offered herbs and antibiotics. Even though herbs are natural, the ingredients from them are so highly concentrated in one pill that some people do get side effects. So I did not bother. The SIBO test required me to eat a diet that I felt would constipate me, and quite frankly, I was just too scared of making things worse. Read about the false positives and negatives. I started taking digestive enzymes which helped my stomach digest food faster so it took away some discomfort. But that is when I became constipated. This was despite eating a lot of high fiber foods. Digestive enzymes also made me feel funny, so I eventually stopped. I didn’t have any medical doctor near me to go to who knew anything about SIBO or could give me an elemental diet. All they said was to take omeprazole and Famotidine for a month. But being that I am thin and was already losing a lot of weight, I don’t know if the elemental diet would’ve been okay anyway.
Symptoms:
Bloating, constipation, lower left abdominal cramping, hard pebbly stools, weight loss, hair loss, exhaustion, low appetite, intermittent nausea, foul breath, lack of sleep.
What I did that helped:
Listened to my body.
Spaced out meals, 2 a day, brunch and early small dinner.
Yoga pose. I don’t know the name of it but it was the only thing that helped my bowel to move.
Acupuncture. 7 sessions. The effects were calming. Helped with stomach emptying. Not much effect on intestinal motility.
Walking regularly when I had the energy.
Gas relief tea after meal.
Balanced meals. Carbs, protein, fiber, no sugar.
Regular routine. This calms the nervous system.
Nerva hypnosis app. Listened every morning. Very calming and keeps me from panicking when there are symptoms. Diaphragmatic breathing in this app strengthened my abdominal muscles and helped my bowel movements.
Prune juice. I was desperate and deciding between this and a motility drug. My lower left abdomen was aching all the time with trapped gas and food. My mom convinced me to try the juice first. Even though prune juice has high amounts of sugar which causes bloating, it stimulates peristalsis so the gas produced in the intestines is released. Prune juice allowed my intestines to remember to move on its own. Started with 3-4 oz twice a day and am down to less than 1 oz a day. Signs when it is time to reduce prune juice are diarrhea, loose mushy stools, and dark smeary stools. When stools become firm and the right color yet easy to pass, then prune juice can be stopped.
Staying upright during meals then moving around after meals.
Sleeping more upright to allow stomach to empty and avoid acid reflux.
Banana, raw garlic, and onion as prebiotics.
Sauerkraut and miso as probiotics.
Time (the body takes time to react to stressors, adjusts itself, and recover)
What I did that did not help:
Omeprazole and Famotidine (worked for a week then bloating got worse).
OTC meds like Gaviscon, Calcium Bicarbonate, and simethicone (made skin crawl and was ineffective).
Aloe vera juice. Made me shaky and more fatigued.
Digestive enzymes (emptied stomach faster but in long run made me feel weird. Constipation started after taking them. Was also afraid that by taking them long term, my body would learn to stop producing its own).
Sitting for long periods.
Late dinner.
Lying down too soon after a meal.
Sleeping flat with undigested food in stomach.
Stress (got badly bloated suddenly after a panic attack).
Sedentary lifestyle from WFH job (reduces motility and blood circulation).
Sugary foods. Sucrose = Sugar. Fructose = Half glucose and half sucrose. Carbohydrates = Glucose. I can digest glucose, not sucrose. A small amount of sugar from the fructose of bananas, raisins, and prunes is ok for me. Juices, brownies, cakes, and pies are not.
Cold drinks. Heat expands and relaxes, cold contracts and stiffens. I only eat/drink warm and hot things.
********
Bloating and Constipation Causes:
Stress, Sugar, Sedentary Lifestyle, Cold Drinks, Dry Fiberless Foods
Treatment:
Relaxation, Daily Physical Activity, Early Non-Sugary Balanced Meals, Warm Foods and Drinks, Yoga Pose, Nerva Hypnosis App, Prune juice, Diaphragmatic Breathing.
Length of Time:
15 months of recovery since onset of severe bloating. Not 100% yet.
My Condition and Protocol Now:
No more chronic bloating and constipation. Avoiding cold drinks and sugary foods to prevent acute bloating. Taking less than 1 oz of prune juice daily for motility but may end up weaning off completely and just take as needed. Drinking gas relief tea as needed for acute bloating after a meal. Still listening to Nerva hypnosis every morning. Managing and maintaining without any medication or herbs. No side effects. Working on lowering stress levels.
What I discovered that I did not know before: mind and body are one. Our digestion has its own “brain”. It remembers things. It reacts to events. Being upset whenever there is a symptom will feed the vicious cycle of producing the same symptoms. That is why calming yourself down is key along with listening to what your body is telling you and giving it what it needs. Relaxation is how you can let the energy flow unobstructed in your body for healing and repair. Emotions are basically thoughts that produce enough energy to cause obstruction.
EDIT: Recently I started drinking warm ginger water before meals, which has improved gastric emptying. Before I had been doing it after meals and stopped because it wasn’t as effective. Also, vagus nerve exercises for relaxation.

F 53 5'3"/130 lbs Non-smoker Non-drinker Multiple sclerosis Short course of Prednisone (20mg x 3 days / 10 mg x 3 days) Hello, Docs
My wife was on a short course of Prednisone (described above) and was on day five of the course, titrating down on 10 mg.
On the night of day 5 (Tuesday 3/5), she spaced and took a 200 mg dose of Ibuprofen (Advil Liqui-Gel).
Over the course of the next several hours she had extreme stomach upset and reflux which has since lessened, but her stomach is still irritated, although not nearly as bad, three days later (Friday 3/8).
She was also weaning off of a 40 mg 1x/day Omeprazole Omeprazole the week in question, which I am sure didn't help as the proton pumps were likely re-activating. She has since gone back on her 40 mg 2x/day course recommendation from a few months ago.
Until she can get in to see her gastro, the questions are: * Can a single 200 mg Advil dose while on the described course of Prednisone do enough damage to warrant endoscopy or other interventions?
* Should or can the irritation last this long? * What is the typical resolution time for gastritis caused by this "mistake?"
Thanks in advance

I got diagnosed with erosive gastritis/duodentitus back in September. I was on 40mg Omeprezole from last October through January. I weaned off and was off PPI for all of February until I started getting bad flare ups(I don’t think I was fully healed). I decided to try 40mg Pantoprazole last week and after 5 days it has caused insane bloating. Is there any reason why switching back to Omeprazole and sticking with the lower 20mg dose would be a bad idea? I got mild cramps and some occasional bloating with Omeprezole, but it wasn’t nearly this bad. And I’d like to stick with the lowest dose if possible since it’ll be easier to stop PPI’s in the future once healed.

I (28F) was put on omeprazole when I was 14 (20mg daily) and much to my frustration haven't managed to get off of it since. Once in university, I ended up switching up to 40mg pantoprazole and then switched back down to omeprazole at some point, but have always been in a PPI. A couple years ago, after a number of panic attacks and so much stomach pain that I went to the ER at one point, I finally went on Lexapro for long untreated anxiety. This worked great, and I noticed a huge improvement in my anxiety and GERD. I tried weaning off the Lexapro this past summer (with permission from my doctor because I had some other symptoms from it I didn't love) and ended up having a huge GERD flair up. At this point, I've figured out that my GERD and anxiety seem to be related and that being on an anxiety medication brings me noticeably fewer symptoms. I have a plan with my gastroenterologist to try and get off omeprazole again this time while taking the Lexapro. My doctor recommended weaning off the omeprazole by first going every other day while taking famotadine daily. Has anyone tried this successfully? Does anyone else with the anxiety-gastrointestinal connection have any other advice that's helped them in similar situations? Thank you and my apologies if I missed another similar post to this one!

Not looking for medical advice, only experiences.
When weaning your little from omeprazole, did they experience an acid battle? What did that look like? My guy is for sure fussier than usual and seems to maybe have some discomfort, but he isn't crying. I knew when we had to increase a dose because he would cry after his bottles, he isn't doing that right now.
He was on 20mg, which was 4ml compounded. I was trying to do .05ml every 4 days, but that might be to quick for him. We are currently on 3ml.

Writing for my mom (66F). Height 5' 8", ~220 pounds, Ashkenazi Jewish, primary complaint: delirium maybe secondary to pneumonia?, or maybe medication-induced?, no drinking, no smoking, no recreational drugs, we are in northern California
I will share any labs requested and have tried to summarize them. I am an only child and have no family other than my mom and the past month has been the worst of my life. I cry all the time and am so scared.
Current meds in hospital: IV doxycycline q12h, IV cefepime q8h, weaning off depakote, starting risperidone .5mg, levothyroxine (unsure but very small dose), omeprazole 20mg once a day, Adderall 10mg in the morning
At home she also takes uqora supplements (these have actually really reduced her UTI frequency). I haven't brought them into the hospital yet but since she'll be there a while I probably will.
My mom has had multiple sclerosis for about 20 years (probably longer, but it was dismissed as anxiety). Her primary symptom is leg weakness; she uses a powerchair and can stand and pivot with minimal assistance from others. I live with her and have not noticed any cognitive changes due to MS, though she does have ADHD and has her whole life, I suspect. She is a full-time professor and was teaching until the end of last semester; she took this semester off to edit her textbook.
Here is a timeline of what's happened:
Jan 11 - 15? - upper respiratory infection, negative for COVID, everything starts after this
Jan 18 - she forgets my birthday, I begin getting concerned, sometime between this and the 22nd I suspect she has a UTI and she takes Keflex (culture shows either contamination or colonization), this appears to help the confusion briefly
Jan 22 - she begins to get more and more confused
Jan 24 - starts hallucinating that there are people
Jan 25 - brought into ED, thinks she’s in South Africa, significant hallucinations
Jan 25 - Feb 8 - hospitalized for encephalopathy and delirium, thought is microseizures from Ampyra usage (for MS, she had been on this drug since it was FDA approved, ~15 years) and URI triggered delirium, gets nosocomial UTI and rx’d 7 days of Bactrim, significant improvement by discharge (discharged with Prednisone 40 mg, Zyprexa 5 mg, Depakote 1000 mg), CT shows possible infectious nodules in lungs but these are never followed up on. Sometime around February 2nd or 3rd she begins showing improvement, but before that, she has been extremely combative, had to be in restraints, and was hallucinating and delirious more or less constantly. She did have some very lucid moments even in that time period, however.
Feb 8 - 12th/13th - appears to be doing well, still some hallucinations and confusion but felt to be on upward trend by both of us - standing and transferring well after a few days, tells me about how for 30 seconds “I thought I was in Miami but then thought, that’s crazy!”, reading the New Yorker, score of 28 when I administered MMSE (I work in healthcare research and felt competent to administer) though has moments of confusion, remembers passwords, short-term memory improving, has home health PT and is very motivated (BIMS administered by home health PT, perfect score), fairly consistently AOx4, talking about editing her textbook manuscript. She is eating very well and keeps telling me how happy she is to be home. She is very traumatized by her hospital stay and seems to remember much more than you would think for someone who had delirium.
Feb 13 - I notice a cough, but it seems to improve throughout the day. I dismiss this as that we have just turned the heat on, and that always dries our sinuses out.
Feb 14 - Bactrim has stopped a few days prior, Zyprexa stopped by her PCP due to concern of side effects (makes her feel very groggy and sleep a lot), feels she is on upward trend, has a PCP appointment where her long-term PCP notes that while she is confused at points, also has quite a few higher-than-college-level responses, she complains of a sore throat that night
Feb 15 - ?? - wakes up feeling extremely cold and confused and thinks she is in London or Thailand, I call 911, readmitted for encephalopathy/delirium likely due to pneumonia that Bactrim was potentially holding at bayOn readmission on the 15th, her temperature got down to 91.8F. It has since risen to around 98F. She was initially hypoxic in the mid-80s, but now is satting 94-98 on room air. Her encephalopathy and delirium continue--she is consistently only ao1-2. She has only a very mild cough and only pain from her IV, no complaints of chest pain. Initial ER x-ray showed either fluid overload or pneumonia, follow-up CT of chest showed pneumonia (" LUNGS: Interval development of patchy opacities in the right upper and middle lobes. Mild interval progression of airspace consolidation in the right lower lobe. Interval development of patchy groundglass opacities in the left lower lobe. Technical factors or superimposed disease prevent exclusion of pulmonary nodules (#PULX)." She was started on vancomycin and cefepime, but when MRSA screen came back negative vanco was removed. Now she is on doxycycline and cefepime after a chest x-ray showed maybe progression of pneumonia, but they were unclear on this. Again, her oxygen is fine, and she doesn't seem to be in any pain except from her IV. You wouldn't know she had pneumonia if it weren't for the delirium, which I'm told is very uncommon.
Urine screen on admission was clear, no UTI.
She does have lucid moments, but now she's just terrified out of her mind in all of them. Like she was saying "I can't make decisions, this is so scary" and talking about how "this is the most awful thing to ever happen to me". She seems to understand she has pneumonia, and starts crying when she thinks about it. She is not consistently aware that she's in the hospital.
The working theory from the MDs is that this is all one long delirium episode starting from the initial URI, which was unintentioanlly held at bay from causing pneumonia by the Keflex, then unintentionally held at bay again by the Bactrim. Once she was off that, it could progress into a full pneumonia. I'm just getting scared because there's been no improvement in her delirium yet (they say that there has been a little, but I don't see it and I'm there 12 hours a day). Will she make a full recovery? I've read that delirium is more distressing than it is serious, but I'm so scared. I'm also wondering if this could be something else entirely, given that delirium presenting as the primary symptom as pneumonia seems very rare to me. What is the prognosis like? Her labs have all been pretty okay (WBC WNL, slightly anemic but like 11), slightly low platelets (~100) but she always gets slightly low platelets when she has infections.
CT of head has been normal, MRI of brain was stable MS-wise from 2019, nothing else remarkable on it.
They also have said they haven't really seen a case quite like this before, and when I've pushed on the % chance they're right that it's the pneumonia and once that's treated her delirium should clear, one doctor said 66% and another said 70%.

I just wanna know if this is a coincidence or not, because I don't think I've ever had this reaction to omeprazole ever, but I took a third of a 20mg tablet the other night for the first time in many months since being off of it, and shortly after had this super sharp lower belly ache, that just like buzzed with pain, got some relief only from a hot water bottle for half an hour is that common? now I'm a tiny bit scared to use any ppi's as needed if I react to it like that now, or maybe was it because I took too much? obviously a third of 20mg isnt a lot at all, but I used to split it even smaller when I'd use it as needed and when I used to wean off of it. or maybe it was just something else like something i ate
btw I got LPR, i was using it for LPR throat symptoms

Hi guys, my EFF LO has suspected CMPA due to symptoms such as reflux (on omeprazole), eczema, gas, mucousy stools. He has started on a hydrolysed formula (SMA Althera) that i’ve been weaning him on from 5 days ago. Normally he would take 5 ounces fine, so we are currently on 2 ounces of SMA and 3 ounces of Kendamil to gradually introduce the SMA into his system.
Since we have introduced the new formula my LO is incredibly unhappy during feeds, he thrashes around the bottle, pushes it out with his tongue and refuses to continue feeding after being burped. His feeds have now dropped from 5 oz to 3oz every 4 hours. He is also spitting up a lot more often and his stools are a lot more often - particularly in the middle of his feeds.
Is it that he is not agreeing with the new formula and this is causing his refusal to feed - do I need to change it? Or do I push through until I wean him onto the full 5 oz of hydrolysed formula? It’s incredibly upsetting to see him like this during feeds because he was a very hungry baby that was ready to move up to 6oz before we changed his formula.

Hydrolysed formula creating bottle aversion?
Hi guys, my EFF LO has suspected CMPA due to symptoms such as reflux (on omeprazole), eczema, gas, mucousy stools. He has started on a hydrolysed formula (SMA Althera) that i’ve been weaning him on from 5 days ago. Normally he would take 5 ounces fine, so we are currently on 2 ounces of SMA and 3 ounces of Kendamil to gradually introduce the SMA into his system.
Since we have introduced the new formula my LO is incredibly unhappy during feeds, he thrashes around the bottle, pushes it out with his tongue and refuses to continue feeding after being burped. His feeds have now dropped from 5 oz to 3oz every 4 hours. He is also spitting up a lot more often and his stools are a lot more often - particularly in the middle of his feeds.
Is it that he is not agreeing with the new formula and this is causing his refusal to feed - do I need to change it? Or do I push through until I wean him onto the full 5 oz of hydrolysed formula? It’s incredibly upsetting to see him like this during feeds because he was a very hungry baby that was ready to move up to 6oz before we changed his formula.

Hi guys, my LO has suspected CMPA due to symptoms such as reflux (on omeprazole), eczema, gas, mucousy stools. He has started on a hydrolysed formula (SMA Althera) that i’ve been weaning him on from 5 days ago. Normally he would take 5 ounces fine, so we are currently on 2 ounces of SMA and 3 ounces of Kendamil to gradually introduce the SMA into his system.
Since we have introduced the new formula my LO is incredibly unhappy during feeds, he thrashes around the bottle, pushes it out with his tongue and refuses to continue feeding after being burped. His feeds have now dropped from 5 oz to 3oz every 4 hours. He is also spitting up a lot more often and his stools are a lot more often - particularly in the middle of his feeds.
Is it that he is not agreeing with the new formula and this is causing his refusal to feed - do I need to change it? Or do I push through until I wean him onto the full 5 oz of hydrolysed formula? It’s incredibly upsetting to see him like this during feeds because he was a very hungry baby that was ready to move up to 6oz before we changed his formula.

I am currently weaning off of Omeprazole 20mg. I am currently down to taking 10mg a day. About three days after starting that regimine, I have started to have a sore throat below my voice box. I can not only feel it when I swallow, but also as a constant sensation. I am wondering if this could be acid rebound or withdrawal from omeprazole? I am not really having any heartburn symptoms or burping or anything, just this sensation in my throat. Upon eating, the sensation goes away but then comes back a few hours later. Thoughts? I have stuck to a very low acid/anti-inflammatory diet. Of course this can't be easy! Endoscopy a month ago came up clear other than some fundic gland polyps from PPI use and very mild gastritis.

I'm going to use this opportunity to share my recent GI experience. I’m going to share a bunch of details, partly because I want to share, and partly cuz I’m hoping someone is going to read this and say, “oh dude, you definitely have XYZ thing and all you have to do is ABC and you will go back to feeling 100!”
GI issues are super frustrating and if you're reading this, you (like me), probably got frustrated spending countless hours on reddit/internet forums, going to a bunch of doctors, and spending a bunch of money on tests. The advice below is just from my personal experience, I am not a medical doctor. I am feeling much better after this elimination diet (finished yesterday), but not back to 100 yet. Hopefully with some more time I will be.
I’m 35/M. I was pushed into the world of GI issues about 15 months ago. I had a big important work trip coming up. I was supposed to leave on a Saturday. The Wednesday before I started getting a slight fever in the evening. “No prob” I thought, I’ll get a bunch of sleep and drink a ton of fluids. Thursday comes, same thing, slight fever in the evening. I skip my evening workout and sleep.
Friday afternoon/night comes, and I am sh**ting my brains out all night. Get almost no sleep before an 8 am flight. I go to the airport for a moment thinking I can get on the plane and suck it up. At the last minute, I pivot. I ask the airline if I can just get on the same itinerary tomorrow, they say sure, so I go back home and sleep and poop all day/night. Next day comes and I take some Imodium and get on the plane. “Certainly this thing is going to be gone within the next 24 hours”, I think to myself.
I proceed to hang out with colleagues and clients on this trip and pretend that I am totally fine. Even though I have absolutely zero appetite all week, I proceed to eat a bunch and drink bunch of alcohol as if nothing was bothering me. I don’t poop at all the entire week. If you are ever in this situation, just don’t go on the trip, wait til you get better.
Come home from trip and after a week or two I seem to have an appetite again, but I also have this fairly persistent ache just south of my rib cage on my right side (right upper quadrant, RUQ). 1/10 on a pain scale, but definitely obnoxious and present. I am also going to use the toilet 3-4 times per day, even if I’m not actually pooping that much. Diarrhea probably once every 2-3 weeks. When I do have solid stools, they are always floating now (this has been the case for the past 15 months), and sometime multi-colored as mostly light brown, with some dark brown patches (this has also persisted for 15 months). Lastly, I am just fatigued. I used to be able to run a 10k no problem, now struggling to make it 2 mi.
I wait a week or so, and when things don’t seem to be improving that much I go see my PCP (or I should say, go find a PCP). He prescribes a liver enzyme blood test (normal), gallbladder ultrasound (also normal). Suggests 40 mg omeprazole once a day.
I wait ~a month later and go back. Not having to use the toilet quite as much, but persistent RUQ ache, and still feel fatigued. Also, and I’m still not sure if this is the PPIs or the tear in my GI system, but I have some referred pain (maybe 1.5/10) that will suddenly pop up in my chest, on either right or left side. I’ve learned through reddit forums that is fairly common for people on PPIs and not something to be too concerned about. Other odd things I notice is that in addition the RUQ ache, I sometimes get a center belly “burn ache” (0.5/10, not very intense or painful) and that spot on my stomach itches briefly.
After a couple months I get frustrated over little improvement, and also a little freaked out that if I don’t figure this stuff out I might be dying (dramatic, but I was anxious). I notice alcohol definitely exacerbates the RUQ pain and start avoiding it more and more. I do a couple H pylori tests at this point (before knowing the PPIs can contribute to false-negatives).
I stop taking PPIs soon after this point. They don’t seem to be doing a whole lot, and I don’t feel that different with or without them. I don’t like the idea of being on them for months/years, so I wean off them over about a week. I feel no noticeable difference in symptoms.
Frustrated by my PCP, I go find a GI doc. She seems to listen and suggests an endoscopy. A month or two later, do the endo. She said stomach is a little inflamed, but if I’m not loosing weight she’s not terribly concerned. I was in fact gaining weight, since my activity level had dropped precipitously and I was still eating the same amount. She also suggests resuming omeprazole at 20 mg/day.
Frustrated, but also relieved that, at least according to the tests I’ve done, nothing life threatening was present. I pick up the PPIs for a month or so, before discontinuing them again.
Live with the RUQ ache for several more months. It starts to get worse (2/10), and I start to totally abstain from alcohol. Needs to the toilet are at a somewhat more normal pace now, only going once per day. However, now getting super farty all the time. Like a ridiculous amount of farty.
So I stumble on to the Integrative Therapeutics Physicians Elimination Diet (dextrose free) via a few reddit posts. It is supposed to 1) give your GI system time to heal, and 2) help in eliminating any bad bugs you may have in your GI system. After debating about it for a while, I decide to buy a 14 day supply and commit to it. You cannot buy it directly from Integrative Therapeutics, you have to go through a distributor (of which there seem to be many online). Since the price is on the Integrative website, a find a distributor that isn’t jacking up the price.
According to the bag, you’re supposed to do this under medical supervision. I did not. I was tired of paying for a lot doctors (probably have already sunk >$4k into doctors and tests at this point). I also wasn’t too concerned, since after gaining weight for 15 months, I was a little over weight. If I was not overweight, I probably would reconsider that choice.
It’s a frustrating diet. Had diarrhea at 2-3 times over the 14 days. Everyone around you is eating and you are not. It’s tough. According to the instructions, you should aim for 1800 calories/day (12 scoops), or whatever your medical supervisor recommends. I found that impossible. You just don’t want to eat that much of it. I probably averaged 9 scoops per day. Mentally and physically you just don’t want to do much. It’s a little harder to focus on tasks, and I stopped almost all extra physical activity except occasional walks. I gave up coffee cold turkey on this, so the first two days suuuccckkeeed.
There are some quick benefits on the diet. My fartiness/gas immediately stopped. I didn’t actually feel that hungry, even though I was probably only getting <1500 cals/day. I feel like the powder does have an appetite suppressing effect. You mostly just miss food when you see other people eating it, but you don’t really need it. I also felt like I was thinking a little more clearly/realistically -hard to describe but I could tell I was thinking about situations differently (or maybe this was just the absence of coffee).
I was close to quitting on day 9, but thanks to some motivation from my partner, made it all the way through 14 days. I would suggest that anyone thinking of quitting make it through at least day 10 and evaluate. Things seemed to improve most noticeably at that point. It’s a very subtle improvement, the RUQ ache seemed to turn into a total right side ache, but much less noticeable (0.4/10).
Over the course of the 14 days, I lost 11 pounds (probably not super healthy there, but I’m back in the “normal” BMI range). Also around day 10 my libido improved. I hypothesized that my lack of sex drive was related to GI issues, so that was nice to see come back a bit. One last thing I’ll mention here is that it got hard to sleep through the night, especially during the second week. I would wake up at 3 or 4 am every night, not being able to get back to sleep. Might be my body telling me I needed more calories, but I did not feel hungry.
Today was my first day back on solid food. Fartiness hasn’t returned (knock on wood). Unfortunately the RUQ ache is still there (1/10), though it feels better than it did when I started. Referred chest pain is present occasionally as well. I am going to go back on 40 mg of omeprazole and see if PPIs for the month can totally heal things.
At the end of this, I’ve concluded that I likely have a teaulcepre-ulcer (if that is such a thing) somewhere in my upper GI system that needs to heal. I was hoping 14 days on the diet would do it, but maybe I needed to be on it for more time. Maybe the PPIs will get it totally healed.
If anyone out there has successfully healed their RUQ ulcegastritis ache with PPIs, I would love to know about it, or hear about any other things people did to eliminate it.
TL;DR – If you have RUQ ache, my suggestion would be:
1) Make sure it’s not a liver, gallbladder, pancreas issue
2) Test for H pylori (before taking PPIs)
3) See if the ache responds to PPIs for ~ a few weeks to months
4) If it doesn’t or it still persists, try the physicians elimination diet. It’s not the best, but it does allow your GI system time to chill. Pick weeks where you maybe aren’t expected to perform constantly, since you will likely not be at your sharpest mentally or physically.