What tests do they use to diagnose Gastroparesis?

Hey - I'm sorry you're sick. I've got gastroparesis, too, and went though PLENTY of tests, so let me see if I can help you out.

Let's see - for me, they caught the gastroparesis on a barium swallow test. That's just a general stomach test - they'll have you swallow first a REALLY effervescent solution or pill (depending on what you can manage) and then x-ray your throat and stomach. They'll ask you to drink about three cups of "barium milkshake" which isn't good but isn't that terrible, either; apparently some people actually like it (ew). If you have gastroparesis this volume will probably make you feel kind of icky - it did for me, but they also let me get away with drinking maybe only half of it. The x-ray is really neat - you get to see your insides, really clearly, moving! All and all I thought the coolness of the x-ray outweighed only moderate unpleasantness of this test.

Then there's one to check your stomach on solid foods, so they'll have you eat an egg salad sandwich made with a radioactive egg. It's not a very big sandwich; for me eating it went okay. Then, over the course of several hours, you lie down under a radioactive sensor, which will measure how much of the sandwich is left in your stomach over time. Easy and painless - just bring something to read!

Last big test I can think of is the endoscopy - I think most people don't remember anything of the actual procedure itself. The worst part of this one I think is the anasthetic they spray in your throat to numb your gag reflex - tastes gross and feels icky at first, but you get used to it. I had this one done under general anasthesia because I can't take the other drugs, and it was totally fine.

Oh, I think they'll also check your pancreas (?) by making you drink 4 cups of water on an empty stomach and then ultrasounding your abdomen. This one's okay, except they're poking around on you when you really got to pee.

They often also want to rule out any other problems through medications - your doctors might want to go through a whole bunch of stomach medications to see if any might help (didn't for me).

Well, I hope that helps! I'm really sorry you're sick - good luck with everything!

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