Post-operative Gastroparesis

Tonight I had a great Gazpacho soup..lots of tomatoes..

That opens up a whole new world. I am trying to eat a very low fat diet, but avocado is so healthy!

Ken82, do you have GERD with your Gastroparesis?

I had that... I had an operation called a "Nissen" that was to solve GERD...had that surgery in Iowa ..It seems as if it is still occuring...I feel bloated often after I eat...but it passes usually within a half hour.. I often carry Papaya enzyme pills to get relief from bloated feeling...but must be very careful not to eat too much...

I’m about to have the LINX procedure and hiatal hernia repair.

as I recall the Surgeon said they did some repair on that too...as I was having a lot of trouble with reflux that way... My big adjustment is to sleep with 4 pillows or the bed head area tilted up quite a bit... but this way I don't have food come up during the night... that was a heck of a way to wake up... I don't lay down flat anymore... that is just asking for trouble..

There are silicone antifoaming tablets -- that might help - defoam after eating. Your Gastroenterologist should be aware of these. This is usually present in Antacid tablets. Foaming can also occur due to swallowing of air while eating. I have this problem, when I talk (maybe more than necessary !!) while eating.

It sounds like the Nissen is failing. I had a Nissen in 2001. My story here: https://zarogasnook.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-long-time-passing.html .. no ads. I haven't updated in a long time. Right now I am having esophageal spasms that are creating the mucus... I cannot figure out a trigger.

My experience with gastroparesis... First diagnosed.. late 1990s or so. Every time I ate salads I had problems. I took propulsid and it helped, but they took it off the market. I tried domperine (sp) and the side effects were bad for me and it is recommended I not take reglan because of nerve problems I have. In 2008 we went on a trip out to the west coast and up to Washington State to see my brother We were in Benson Arizona and I got a stomach virus... then it hit my husband a few hours later. When it hit we were out and about and all of a sudden my vision went wacky and nausea hit. My husband sped back to campground, but I asked him to pull over because I had to throw up. I didn't really notice what I threw up.. but hubby said it was salad... looked as fresh as I had eaten two days before. It had never made it to my stomach. When we got back home I saw my GI doctor and he did an endoscopy. More greens in my esophagus from a salad I ate days before. He found a small bezoar in my stomach. I also had an ulcer. Some info on bezoars here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/expert-answers/bezoars/faq-20058050 . Since high fiber and fibrous foods and most raw food can sit in the stomach a long time I was advised to not eat them. I have had less problems with gastroparesis since following this advice. I have followed it more closely since my last surgery in 2015.

If I were you I would watch my diet more closely. Look up on internet suggested diet to follow.. they should have given you a guide when you were diagnosed. Also let your doctor know what is going on. If you have to prop up with that many pillows you need more testing to see what is going on.

You have had quite a battle. . The surgeon and GI doc in Ames IA who did the Nissen could not figure out what went wrong.. the GI doc even prescribed a non FDA approved drug...then I asked for a referral to Mayo Rochester.. great people. I had the diagnosis promptly after the tests. . Once I was telling the doc how a once eaten chicken with a lot of sauce and broccoli... when stuff came up only the broccoli did... The doc said,"you never have to eat broccoli again...".. when talking to a Swedish friend who was a retired Radiologist before going to Mayo. She gave me the heads up.. "hope you don't have gastropaneisis".. I seem to tolerate raw fruits and vegetables that are not leafy...soft breads also don't work.. that is they cause the food to get caught and come up... I feel the worst after eating... and usually sit with my legs up for a half hour after eating to allow some of the food to go beyond the stomach, that way easing the pressure..

Please let them know about the swallowing. Sometimes I get the stuck food feeling. I get fussed at by doctors because I do not go to the ER after an hour of pain and nausea after eating.. and liquid will not go down. Used to be a simple walk and gentle massage would solve the problem... and sometimes my heating pad. I believe it is the esophageal spasm that cause this... anyway they say it is easy to aspirate into the lung when this happens. .. wjich is not a good thing to happen. Sometimes it comes with coughing, but most times just feel full and nauseated. Once I throw up I am fine, but it takes more than that hour most of the time. I think the spasms just cause the sphincter to close and food is not stuck. Used to be a strtch of the esophagus would hold for a good while. I have had 4 episodes since May 3rd when I had the last stretch.

I can tolerate some breads and some buns from burger joints around. I can eat Ritz crackers, but not saltines. Potatoes even mashed and soupy are difficult. Sweet potatoes are fine... no peels. I can eat granola bars... homemade. I chop dried fruits and toasted almonds and pecans fine with toasted quick oatmeal. Held together with a mixture of butter, brown sugar and honey... think I am going to have to drop the honey... maybe substitute a syrup or just more brown sugar. Green beans don't want to go down... Bush's baked bean I do fine with. All veggies have to be so tender they would be baby food if mashed with a fork. It is better than the feeding tube.