When hunger hurts: Fasting with gastritis

This topic contains 5 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by Tinker8ell 6 years, 2 months ago.

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seoul765

6:29 am
18 Oct 14
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Does hunger make your stomach hurt — beyond normal hunger pangs? That was my experience on my first fast, but now I’m fasting happily. Here’s what worked for me.

I had been diagnosed years ago with gastritis and had it off and on since then, usually in response to stress and certain foods. I recognized the pain during my fast as the same familiar gastritis pain. I loved the energy boost the fast gave me, so I decided to cure my gastritis as much as I could and then try fasting again.

I cut out coffee, Coca-Cola, and alcohol, and cut back on chocolate, all of which I knew irritated my stomach. I also worked on calming down overall. After only two weeks of this, my stomach was clearly happier, so I tried fasting again. No pain that time, just normal hunger!

Now I’ve completed 6 or 7 fasts, all while traveling and sometimes under stress, with no stomach issues. I surprisingly don’t miss coffee, and the other stuff I cut out was a rare indulgence, so all of this has been much easier than I anticipated. I had been drinking only 1-2 cups of coffee a day, so it was surprising to discover how much trouble it had been causing me.

In addition to feeling much more upbeat, I seem to have shrunk (I don’t have a scale on the road but had to buy smaller jeans). Also, importantly, my gastric reflux has calmed down. So I’d recommend that if you have gastritis, the benefits of fasting might be the motivation you need to get rid of irritating foods and enjoy both a happier stomach and more energy.

Ruthi

11:04 am
31 Oct 14
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I haven’t been fasting of late for other reasons, but when I did I used to find that fasting helped the gastritis, and I had LESS pain on fast days.

For me the things I have found that aggravate my gastritis are grains and nuts. I am very sad about the nuts and plan to do an elimination diet to try and find out if its all nuts, or I can find one or two that don’t disagree!

Whatever you do, don’t get onto the PPI wagon – it leads to all sorts of serious problems like B12 deficiency. Not surprisingly, a powerful drug that reduces your stomach acid, which nature designed you to make, is going to upset all sorts of things. Work out where the likely causes are, and let your body do what it should!

SvetlanaDavina

10:11 am
25 Jun 16
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Thats really weird. Ever since i’ve been diagnosed with chronic/erosive gastritis and GERD, fasting seems to aggravate the pain. Sharp stinging pains, acid reflux, cramps and diarrhea usually start to happen mid-fasting month. Once it was so bad i actually started throwing up blood for over a week. So i really dont understand how fasting can help.

whyamisoshy

7:50 pm
27 Sep 16
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fasting is meant to be a cure all. there are a billion books about it. there is old man on here bachcole who claims it cures cancer. xx

josergonzalezf

11:29 am
8 Nov 17
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My experience says seoul765 is right: when you have gastritis and your stomach is empty for fasting, its movements and juices make you feel bad because the stomach is irritated. Once the irritation is over thanks to a diet, then fasting works perfectly because the load of the stomach is lower during those wonderful fasting days.

Have you given it a try, SvetlanaDavina?

Tinker8ell

5:57 pm
17 Feb 18
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Definitely repairing and feeding your gut biome with the right nutrients should help with a sore stomach. I find milk kefir very good for this, and soothing. And avoiding irritants like caffine, alcohol, saturated fats. Absolutely agree Re staying off PPIs if you possibly can too, very horrid things in my experience and many others I have talked with.