Giving up on Doctors

Or rather, they’re giving up on me. Since dealing with gastritis since the Fall of 2023, I have seen four doctors in both the U.S. and Italy, been prescribed some type of proton-pump inhibitor during each of my visits, been diagnosed and rediagnosed with separate and unrelated (and sometimes related) diseases and conditions, been laughed at for trying to approach it a naturopathic way, been told my symptoms are not severe enough, had to demand testing, the list goes on and on.

I THINK I’m Done

I’ve always respected doctors and have had a great relationship with my GP for almost a decade. Yet, even she is not offering any advice to help me get to the bottom of my issues. After telling her I wanted to get off PPIs due to their questionable side effects, she put me on metoclopramide, which…comes with about a million other side effects when taken long-term. I took it a couple of times during bad flare-ups and it helped sometimes but did nothing other times. It works by helping the muscles in your digestive tract move food, speeding up the digestive process.

And still, this medication does not cure anything. It treats a symptom. And that is what I’ve come to understand about doctors.

Doctors treat symptoms, but they don’t cure

Once I accepted this, it became a lot simpler for me to plot my path forward. So far, I have centered traditional doctors and Western medication in my healing process, but that’s like becoming a pastry chef when your goal is to cut back on carbs.

This is not to say that doctors do not care, I’m sure some do (I just haven’t found them yet).

My Experience with a Naturopath

I felt like I was starting from square one. My symptoms had suddenly worsened again despite eating the way I know works well for me, exercising, meditating, journaling, and taking natural supplements. Yes, my stress had increased due to work and my symptoms tend to worsen during the winter when I don’t spend much time outside in the sun, but I still felt like there was a piece missing, some stones still unturned.

So I found a naturopath while I was visiting family in the U.S. I was hesitant about seeing yet another doctor, but she had great reviews, so I gave it a shot. She takes clients at her home, so the atmosphere was already such a stark contrast to that of a sterile, cold doctor’s office. Her home was warm, cozy. She asked me to take my shoes off and leave them by the door. We entered her office, she took my coat and offered me a cup of herbal tea. I made myself comfortable and she started asking me questions about my health history, my story with gastritis, and how I got here.

Then she asked me if I had any metal in my body, including fillings or permanent retainers in my mouth. I said yes, I do, a permanent metal retainer behind my lower teeth. She looked at me and said, “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I’ve had several clients with gastritis who, after removing their retainers, stopped experiencing symptoms within 6 months.”

I was speechless. It sounds too good to be true and maybe it is, but it’s worth a shot. I eagerly booked an appointment with my dentist to have my retainer removed. I don’t expect to see results instantaneously. I don’t even know if I expect this to work at all. But I’m trying it so you don’t have to. My dentist and my GP both pushed back against this, which sort of made me want to do it even more. It makes me uncomfortable how condescending they became when I mentioned this theory to them, especially when no one has provided me an actual explanation in the last year and a half.

MY Current Status

So for now, I’m not taking any PPIs, I’m retainerless, and I’m taking the following medications and supplements daily:

• L-Glutamine powder every morning on an empty stomach

• A probiotic, digestive enzyme blend with breakfast

• Arrae heartburn capsules before dinner

• Sucralfate every night on an empty stomach

I’m also continuing my fairly simple diet (avoiding alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, fried and spicy foods), though I’ve come up with a bunch of recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and easy to digest.

One other thing I’m trying is avoiding eggs for the next 6 months. Apparently, the hormones in eggs can increase food sensitivities. Even though eggs are easy on my stomach, they can make other foods less so, so I’m giving that a try as well. This is my plan for the next 6 months. I’ll keep you updated of course.

If you have any specific questions about gastritis, feel free to contact me.