G'day all, My wife was just diagnosed with gastroparesis. I have noticed some of you have mentioned gastroparesis. Would some of you share how you deal with this problem?
Thank you
Seeker.
Since I havent been officially Dxed with Gastroparesis,, but i;m not stupid and know I have it,, I take Miralax daily,,, now I was prescribed Erothomycin (sp),,, it is used off label for GI issues such as slow transit,,, but I didnt take it,, I am not taking any more antibiotics and wipe out whats left of my stomach,, and not to mention more abuse of antibiotics
Seeker,
You can go on-line and find dietary recommendations for a diet for gastroparesis...foods you wouldnt assume, really can aggravate this conditon. I know myself, I can only
eat very tiny meals, and to stay away from too much fiber, grains, gluten,...as well as lettuce, alot of vegetables I just cant break down, and potato chips, which I crave all the time.
I know there are a few meds than can be used, but Im not willing to risk the side effects. I had a problem with Reglan before, as many do, and would never take it again. I shook all over. As navydad mentioned, antiobiotics can be used, but again, big risks.
Gursie
I think you just need to try and keep as many meds out of your body as possible,,, our guts are not meant to be waste dumps for al those meds
Hi Seeker:
I have severe gastroparesis and need to get botox injections in both my stomach and esophagus every six months. This aspect of my illness has become so severe that I have become totally imbolized by the severity of the stomach and esophageal spasming. If I can't get things under control quickly, it causes me to projectile vomit for hours/days in my case. If you have some specific questions about gastroparesis I would be happy to answer them to the best of my abiility. I've pretty well been thru every treatment to try and minimize its impact on me. My gastroparesis started out very mild and has progressed over about 8 years to this level of severity. Not everyone gets this bad. Its like anything else, there are mild, moderate and severe aspects of gastroparesis. One good thing though about being so severe though is that my gastroenterologist will see me the very same day if I call and need specific treatment.
I eat small meals and avoid foods that are hard to digest. I do personally eat a small bowl of raisin bran for breakfast and try to eat an Activia yogurt every day to avoid constipation.
I take Domperidone to help move the food out of the stomach. Cleveland Clinic ordered this medicine for me from Canada. It is not approved in the United States but is considered much safer than Reglan. It does not cross the blood brain barrier. I really don't know how I'd manage without it.
Even with treatment, I belch a lot, have abdominal pain and nausea quite often. I'm sorry your wife has to deal with this as eating is supposed to be an enjoyable experience.
Seeker, if you have specific questions, please ask and I will be happy to help in anyway I can.
Anna
My wife and I appreciate all your responses. This helps a lot. Please keep those tips coming.
Thank you
Seeker
Seeker as your wife has questions, just ask and we will be glad to help. I had many in the beginning and a few of the ladies here were very kind and helpful.
Anna
Today has been brutal for my stomach,, last night I ate some icecream,, and I dont know if that did it or what,, but my guts have been burning all day,, and what is going through my colon looks like paste,, (sorry),, but this is getting frustrating,, when I told the case manager about it, she said get a gastro, I told her I was sick of calling doctors,, How about you do it since your my case manager,,, she said she cant do that,, and I asked her,, just what exactly is your job other then to call me and ask how depressed I am,,, Good grief
I understand what you are going through. My wife just traveled across country to Indiana. She had a horrible time of it. She would stop and eat a light meal. Then she would stop and loose the light meal. She never knows what will set her off.
Seeker