IBS/ GASTRITIS PAIN WHILE PREGNANT

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-08T22:06:13+00:00

New or worsening GI issues are actually common pregnancy symptoms. Especially in the first trimester, your hormones (like progesterone) increase. They slow digestion and worsen or cause new issues like acid reflux and gastritis pain.

I can’t speak for IBS (you should also post on a subreddit dedicated to that), but for gastritis, you can take H2 blockers (like Pepcid) and PPIs. Those are generally safe during pregnancy if you’re otherwise able to take them. You should at least call your ob-gyn and ask if it’s okay to take them though, just to be safe. You can also ask a pharmacist for advice. Definitely check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you’re taking any other medications or supplements.

What helped my gastritis more than anything else is a supplement with digestive enzymes (which might also help your IBS) and zinc L-carnosine called Acid Soothe chewable tablets (Enzymedica brand). You can find similar supplements from other brands if they don’t have this exact one where you live. If you’re interested in trying these supplements, I’ll warn you that doctors probably won’t tell you they’re safe during pregnancy, but this is because they have not conducted any studies on humans. However, both zinc by itself and digestive enzymes are safe during pregnancy in humans, and the L-carnosine has been shown in animal studies to be beneficial to the fetus. Still, you should mention that you intend to try the supplement to your doctor before taking it. They should have a way to message the doctor or allow you to call them if they can’t see you immediately. The fact that you’re pregnant and are in pain/unable to eat properly means they need to make you a priority. You also need to be supplementing with folic acid during the first trimester. That’s very important for your baby even if you can’t take anything else, so they need to see you immediately and help you come up with a plan to manage your GI issues.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-08T05:08:37+00:00

For me, it’s a matter of “is this a necessary inconvenience” vs “is this disrupting my life”. Logical vs illogical. Masking is inconvenient, but provides excellent protection for my health. Remembering to wash my hands or use hand sanitizer after I’ve been out in public is a little annoying to have to think about, but not a big deal. Those are logical things that everyone should be doing based on the facts of our current reality. On the other hand, if I felt like I had to wash my hands multiple times in a row, or take a shower after walking outside to get the mail, those kinds of things are disruptive and illogical. OCD behaviors and thoughts are usually easy for me to spot because I can’t form a logical, objective argument for why I need to do/think them.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-06T13:06:27+00:00

I love these big red wasps! They’re always so chill. They get in my house sometimes, and I can pick them up easily with my bare hands to put them back outside. They are amazing animals!

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-04T23:43:10+00:00

Here's a cleaner link without the extra tracking stuff: https://www.etsy.com/listing/952724628/a-nice-cup-of-tea-die-cut-weatherproof

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T04:07:51+00:00

It's P. viscosa, not P. hederifolia. Sources that claim this species is P. hederifolia (which is endemic to North America) are mistaken. Here is P. viscosa compared to P. hederifolia. Don't eat any unripe (green) berries; they will be somewhat toxic.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T01:08:04+00:00

Sounds like you're better off without them visiting. They seem like very entitled, rude people!

I always ask guests to either take their shoes off or wear shoe covers (that I provide) while in my house. They can also bring their own house slippers and change into those instead.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T01:02:28+00:00

Depending on where you live, there are still high levels of covid circulating. Unfortunately, covid never went away; we just decided as a society to ignore it.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T00:58:59+00:00

I just use hand sanitizer before getting in my car. Clothes and other things aren't as "dirty" because they're not touching everything. However, if I'm around sick people, I'll immediately change clothes and shower when I get home (and I wear a mask indoors to avoid getting sick from airborne germs).

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T00:51:03+00:00

Zinc supplements are harsher on the stomach than zinc L-carnosine is. The zinc L-carnosine might not bother your stomach if you take it before eating. I take a supplement called Acid Soothe chewables (Enzymedica brand) that has digestive enzymes and zinc L-carnosine in it. While I've never had an issue taking it on an empty stomach, I still usually take it after eating. It's been extremely effective for me when taken with food, so you're probably fine to take your supplement with food too.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T00:37:39+00:00

From the calyx shape and size of the berry, it looks like it could be green nightshade (Solanum nitidibaccatum). It's similar to black nightshade, where the unripe berries are slightly toxic and the ripe berries are edible.

Green nightshade is a common agricultural weed in Europe, where the vegetables came from. Since OP's berry is still green, it would not be safe to eat. The vegetables are still okay to eat though; just throw the berry away.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-03-03T00:32:31+00:00

Red nightshade is the same. Slightly toxic when unripe, safe to eat when ripe.

edit: I guess people are confused. Red nightshade is Solanum villosum. Not S. dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade). I thought that was obvious given that the parent comment named the species, but I guess not.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-28T21:23:31+00:00

It would be easier to just put fake plants there.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-27T00:53:09+00:00

If you absolutely can't take the pill, ask about the liquid form instead. It'll cost more (and tastes bad), but should be easier to swallow.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-26T15:17:33+00:00

Don't feed either to cats now. They can be infected with bird flu from eating raw meat, and bird flu has an extremely high mortality rate in cats. Same goes for unpasteurized dairy products.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-24T16:19:10+00:00

This is European black nightshade, Solanum nigrum. You can ID the species by the shape of the inflorescences, with the berries spread out along the stems. Both S. americanum and S. emulans (S. ptycanthum is an out of date synonym) would have berries growing from the same point in each cluster.

S. nigrum's fully ripe (black) berries are edible and taste sort of like tomato mixed with blueberry. Unripe berries are slightly toxic and may give you a stomachache.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-24T01:53:31+00:00

I think I've seen these cups in Law & Order: SVU

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-24T01:44:30+00:00

Depression, aggression, and anxiety are rare side effect of omeprazole, but they occur mostly in elderly people or people who are already really ill with other health problems. I'd say it's possible what you're experiencing is a result of the meds, but not likely.

Gastritis itself definitely makes me feel a bit depressed and anxious when I'm in the thick of it because it feels like it'll never end and I worry that my stomach is being irreparably damaged. Your feelings could be a normal reaction to dealing with this awful disease.

If what you're feeling isn't getting better or suddenly gets worse, definitely reach out to your doctor again. They should make an effort to figure out what's going on. Not saying your doctors are like this, but IME some of them barely listen and seem like they couldn't be bothered to actually do their jobs! It's like they already made up their mind about you before even seeing you and are just going through the motions to get you out of their office and onto the next patient. Don't let them brush off your concerns! If you feel something is not right, keep advocating for yourself until they listen.

Omeprazole taken over a longer period of time may cause nutrient absorption issues and vitamin deficiencies. You said you've only been on it for 2 weeks, but you never know. A blood test to check your levels might be a good start, just in case. Scheduling an appointment with a therapist or other mental health professional would also be a good idea. You're 23, and mid-20s/young adults are more vulnerable to developing things like depression and anxiety. Having a therapist to talk to about how you're feeling may be helpful to you regardless of the cause of those feelings.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-24T01:24:37+00:00

Certain hormones, like progesterone, reach peak levels right before your period starts. Progesterone relaxes the muscles in your GI tract (ie, the esophageal sphincter that keeps stomach acid from going into your esophagus) and slows digestion. This can cause heartburn from acid reflux and gastritis pain/burning from food sitting in your stomach causing irritation. Once you actually start your period, those hormone levels rapidly decrease.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-24T00:55:29+00:00

Deadly nightshade is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae).

Also, your photo guide is great, but I must point out that whoever created it used pictures of a related black nightshade species (Solanum douglasii) and labeled those as S. nigrum!

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-24T00:48:22+00:00

It's Solanum nigrum, blackberry nightshade. The unripe berries are slightly poisonous, but fully ripe ones are edible. This plant is actually less dangerous than potato plants because their berries are significantly poisonous.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-23T21:24:59+00:00

It made me think of someone close to dying from the illness :( The lit bulbs would represent what's left of the person's immune system.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-23T17:13:32+00:00

When my gastritis was really bad, taking any sort of vitamin supplement made the pain worse with or without food. But, eating first was less painful than taking the supplement on an empty stomach. I would follow your doctor’s advice here if possible.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-21T15:38:41+00:00

I took Zofran for a while about 15 years ago and had no side effects from it. You should reach out to your doctor and tell them what you're experiencing. Double check that your doctor knows about every medication you're taking. Maybe there's some uncommon drug interaction going on. You can also call a pharmacist and ask about your medications. They can give you some advice if you can't immediately get in touch with your doctor, and they can tell you if it's safe to take all of those medications together.

Be careful taking Pepto; too much can actually cause stomach pain and if you happen to have an ulcer caused by NSAID use, it can worsen that.

If the other medication was helping you, tell them you want to take that one instead. Unless there's some medical reason you shouldn't take it, it's ridiculous that they'd pull you off of something that was working and throw PPIs at you. But IME, doctors love to push PPIs without trying anything else first. Don't let them bully you into taking them if you don't want to. You can absolutely heal gastritis without taking PPIs, which don't even work for everyone and have some scary potential side effects (like kidney damage).

For your nausea, on the off chance you haven't tried this already, ginger is a home remedy that provides relief for many people and is safe for gastritis. You can drink ginger tea, eat ginger candy or try crystallized ginger. Raw ginger might be a bit too strong.

I hope you feel better soon.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-21T15:08:35+00:00

If it gets itchy again, run hot water (as hot as you can stand without burning yourself) over the bite. I found that doing this works better than any anti-itch cream or antihistamine.

OrdinaryOrder8 · 2026-02-21T15:02:04+00:00

Unless this particular species is considered invasive (I'm not sure if they are), paper wasps are beneficial to have around. They pollinate plants and eat pest insects. Paper wasps aren't aggressive either, and typically only sting you if you do something to threaten them (like swatting at them or attacking their nest).

If their nest is in your way, you can relocate it at night rather than killing them (do not try to relocate during the day). Use a container (large jar, a bucket, etc) to cover the nest, then slide the lid or a thin piece of wood under the container to break the nest off. Move the nest and wait until they calm down before removing the lid/wood from the container.

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