Gastroparesis: Questions & Ideas (Part 2)

What autoimmune disorder has celiacs, gastroparesis, cystitus, vulvadynia and sub clinical hypothyroidism?

Autoimmunes as you list are all related to each other as they are HLA type conditions. If you have one, you are more likely to have others. There does not need to be one primary autoimmune disorder. Are you being strict with your gluten free diet (i.e. being wheat free as well) and have they started you on thyroxine yet? Both those things will improve your gastroparesis and vulvadynia. Improving the vulvadynia will improve the cystitis.

Does anyone have or know of a person with gastroparesis?

I have been living with gastroparesis for about a year now. Mine is pretty severe, to the point that I cannot tolerate any solid food without vomiting and have lost about 1/3 of my bodyweight.

Changing your diet is going to be necessary, at least in the short term. Soft food, low in fat, low in fibre. Things like soups, yoghurts, pasta and similar foods are best . Have you tried any of the medications that increase the motility of your stomach? These were no good for me because of side effects, but a lot of people use them with great success - the two main ones are domperidone and metaclopramide. Another possible option is botox injections into the pyloric sphincter (where food leaves your stomach). This has very mixed results, but I am actually going to be trying it next week.

It's probably easier for you to ask any questions you might have than for me to ramble on here, so if there is anything in particular that you want to know please feel free to email me :-)

I have gastroparesis what should I eat?

That depends, sweetheart ... and I offer that as a general term of endearment. It is NOT intended to be offensive, obnoxious, condescending, or sexist ... though, I must admit, I have yet to use it to an adult male, apart from my own two grown up sons and one of their friends who I've unofficially 'adopted' ... on whether it's diabetic gastroparesis that you have. If it is, a high carb diet is probably the worst thing you can do as this will raise your blood sugar (glucose) levels considerably, thereby causing even more nerve damage. (Gastroparesis can be caused by conditions other than diabetes mellitus.) A high fibre [fiber] diet MAY help but, if you're diabetic, you should already be eating a high fibre diet anyway. The first url below states that "Some foods are more difficult than others for the stomach to digest.

Fatty foods take a longer time to digest, as do foods that are fibrous, like raw vegetables. People with gastroparesis should reduce their intake of fiber or avoid these foods. Fiber when eaten should be chewed well and cooked until soft. Food that is poorly digested can collect in the stomach and form what is called a bezoar. This mass of undigested matter may cause a blockage, preventing the stomach from emptying and result in nausea and pain."

If you are NOT diabetic, I'd suggest that you should listen to your doctor. S/he has done years of training, and would be expected to know what they're talking about. If what s/he says doesn't help any, then go back and state exactly that to see if they have any further advice.

Is there anyone else out there who has gastroparesis?

Have you been suffering from bulumia or anorexia nervosa or the kind of ailments. Or have you had tummy flue or the kind. What in your doctor's opinion has caused the gastroparesis? Is there any reason for any nerve damage? Is there any or all of the following symptoms : Chronic nausea or morning nausea, Vomiting (especially of undigested food), quic satiety, Heartburn, Weight loss or gain, Stomach ache or abdominal pain with bloating, distention, Erratic blood glucose levels, Diabetis I or II (any juvenile history), Lack of appetite, Gastroesophageal reflux, Spasms of the stomach wall. The medicines of value in treating the condition is:

1. Hypericum 30, Gelsemium 30 and Causticum 30 in that order if it is due to nerve damage and paralysis of the evacuation system.

2. If it is from puberty use the Hahneman's classic Sulphur 30+Calcarea Carb 200+ Lycopodium 200 in that order one dose each a week, maximum three doses.

If the stools are receding due to fear of pain Sulphur works, for puberty aspect Lycopodiumworks, for thyroid aspects if any with gain in weight Calcarea Carb will work.

Has anyone ever taken Domperidone for gastroparesis?? If so how did it work for you?

I think the main problem with domperiodone, in terms of perceived risks, is that there is little research into using it to enhance lactation. It's excreted in breast milk, and I guess it's not known how the drug affects breast feeding infants.

For gastroparesis? Well, it is *supposed* to raise prolactin levels, which could pose a problem. But, it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, like other prokinetics (i.e., metoclopramide). So, not sure how this is even possible.

In terms of anecdotes? I am the QUEEN of side effects....or, so it would seem. Heh. I've tried both metoclopramide and domperidone. Metoclopramide gave me confirmed seizues and peripheral neuropathy. Nasty drug. Likely attributable to it's anti-dompaminegic qualities, the drug crossing the blood-brain barrier, and it having appreciable effects on prolactin--my prolactin was through the roof...at the time.

Domperidone has been approved for gastroparesis in my country. I've been taking it for about 3-4 (?) months. The regular dose is 10 mg 3x/day. I find I only need one 10 mg tablet with dinner. It has done wonders. I also drink lots of water and supplement my fiber intake. No more constipation, nausea, cramps, and no side effects. It's been nice ;-).

I can't tell you how much it is. In my country, prescriptions are covered and I'm thinking, prices would vary anyway, depending on where you live.

Good luck, though! Hope it works for you, if you decide to take it.

Can my doctor say I have gastroparesis based on the fact that I had a full belly of food when he did my EGD?

The time it takes your stomach to empty depends on what you have been eating. As a general rule, half of the stomach contents should empty in about an hour to an hour and a half. Meals with a lot of fat content stay in your stomach longer.

In any case, 16 hours is too long to have a full stomach.

With the endoscope, you doctor could also see whether or not your stomach was moving properly. A normal stomach has muscular wave motions approximately every 15 seconds.

So the answer is yes, you doctor can diagnose gastroparesis based on a full stomach 16 hours after eating. Almost all the alternative diagnoses that would cause failure of your stomach to empty would also cause vomiting.

Alt medicine ideas to help gastroparesis (non diabetic) patient anyone?

As yet, there is no cure for gastroparesis, but in most cases, symptoms can be improved with treatment. Regardless of the cause, treatment programs are fairly similar.

Diet

Changing how and what foods are eaten is helpful. It is best to eat six small meals a day, instead of three large ones. Liquid dietary supplements are often recommended since liquid meals pass through the stomach more easily and quickly. Avoid high fat foods that naturally slow gastric emptying and foods high in fiber like citrus and broccoli because the indigestible part will remain in the stomach too long.

Gastroparesis: Questions & Ideas

How do you treat your gastroparesis and what works for you?

This is not a normal thing and most likely is not genetic. If you eat lots of sugar or high carb foods, this will encourage Candia albicans growth. Candida is famous for subduing the parietal cells found in the stomach lining. When this happens, this affects how the body utilizes hydrochloric acid. If the hydrochorlic acid level is too low, food will be very slow moving into the small intestine. Essentially the pyloric sphincter stays closed until the acidic level in the stomach gets to around 1.5 to 3.0 pH that is very acidic.

If you have ANY scars or traumas on the front of your body, this can cause this same problem. Many times medical professionals are just not aware of these kinds of problems and since they treat symptoms, not root causes of problems, they don't even consider this or look for it.

I would suggest you see a QRA practitioner and get tested because they can tell you right away if this is the situation. It's an easy thing to take care of and is done with natural remedies that work very quickly. I do not suggest solving this problem with drugs or surgery because all drugs damage the body.

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!