Badgut RN: Looking for answers to help with gastroparesis   

Hi @rossjt You'll notice that I moved your message to this discussion where other members are already talking about gastroparesis and where you and I were previously talking. You can click VIEW & REPLY to scroll through the past posts. The huge benefit to grouping closely related topics, is that you can easily identify members that have similar issues or health conditions and tag them with the @ sign to ask for their opinions and experiences.

@ken82, @downtowntiger, @ginnyodie, @thull, @pdilly, @quiteachiver75 and @fourof5zs are a few people in the digestive health group that might relate to what you are experiencing.

Does your physician currently have you on any medication? Do you remember if there was any significant change in your life when this started 6 months ago that could account for the sudden onset of symptoms?

@rossjt I have a quality life despite having gastroparesis. If you’ll scroll back towards the beginning Of this discussion, I had one rather long post where I listed 11 things I do. If you get time to read it and have questions about anything I do, please let me know.

Just signed up for this Mayo Clinic, hoping to find some answers &/or some ideas as to help with Gastroparesis.

i'd like to find out more too what do you have...any diet ideas

Hi @dsstevens and @picowgirl, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Glad you decided to join in the discussions. As you will see I have added your discussion to an already active discussion. This benefits both you and the members that are currently having issues with Gastroparesis and talking about it here on Connect by introducing you to the group and sharing your concerns.

I have included one of the Mayo Clinic links about a diet plan specifically for patients living with
Gastroparesis. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355792#:~:text=Eat%20smaller%20meals%20more%20frequently,broccoli%2C%20which%20may%20cause%20bezoars

Can you give us a little more information about your diagnosis and what your biggest hurdles are?

Thanks @picowgirl & this is in regards to my 20yr old daughter whom was just diagnosed not even a year ago I believe. She just recently had what apparently was a really bad episode! She was vomiting, had terrible lower stomach cramping, had much diarrhea, back pain & continuous headache but only a low grade fever, never over 100.00 degrees, over the course of about 4-5 days. Prior to all these happenings, the week before she felt nauseated and didn't really have much of an appetite, she rarely does anymore; she has now lost over 6lbs in less than 2wks. and over the course of the past year lost over 30 some pounds. NO she's not a soda pop drinker, the kid LOVES water! After a few days, symptoms kept getting worse, things were coming out of her at both ends so-to-speak that I've never seen before. I took her to the ER; tests were ran and came back as NOTHING being wrong and they even of course tested for Covid which came back negative as well. We did a follow-up with her family physician the next day, again ran plenty of test and took in samples of what was coming out of her, which changed to blood when they got another sample there at the Lab and AGAIN - NOTHING! Only conclusion was it was all related to this Gastroparesis! Now we hear, there's NO CURE or medication to treat other than heartburn medication and they want her to set up an appointment with a GI doctor, again; though she doesn't get heartburn very often. I'm very concerned for multiple reasons, 1st of all, this is NOT my normal kid, I hate to see her sooooo sick and feel helpless. Secondly sounds like this is going to be a whole new lifestyle for her, so got on the internet and started doing research and trying to figure out a diet for her to follow. 3rd I'm very concerned, as for myself I have heartburn and then read that it's common for diabetics to get Gastroparesis as well, so that puts me in that category too, but I'll do the diet with her, whatever it takes! & lastly my mother too had heartburn all the time, long-short, she passed away from having Esophageal Cancer, which all started with much of these same symptoms 🙁

@dsstevens I hope you will take time to go back to the beginning of this Gastroparesis conversation and read all of the replies. I did the 6th reply to the original post And listed 11 things that got me to where I am today.
I’m so sorry your 20 year old daughter is dealing with this. You’re right — it’s tough to live with but you can get to the point where it is quite manageable.
From your post, I want to ask a really gross question. Does she ever have severe stomach cramps with diarrhea and vomiting simultaneously? I did. And the surgeon who was scheduled to do a Nissan fundiplication procedure pinpointed the problem.

All new to this really, I was just reading the link that Amanda Burnett posted

@dsstevens

I understand your concerns. I have had gastroparesis.... my relief has been a fix for a hiatal hernia, a gastric by-pass. I still have some symptoms of it or they are the same as other problems I have. I now have Barrett's esophagus and achalasia.. a swallowing problem.

This article from the Mayo Clinic has suggestions in diet and life style. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355792

There are medications. Many people have success with reglan also called metoclopramide. My doctors say I have too many nerve problems to try it. Some have success with erythromycin, but my doctors have never mentioned it to me. The last one is domperidone. I did try it and had many side effects... I don't have my list handy and it is hard for me to remember back to 2013. I got the prescription filled at a compounding pharmacy. My insurance did not cover it and I only got enough pills for two weeks as a trial. I would suggest that option first before ordering a 3 month supply from pharmacy in Canada. When I was first diagnosed with gastroparesis I took propulsid. It was taken off the market shortly after prescribed.. I took it maybe six months and it helped. There are prescriptions for nausea too and they are mentioned in the article.

I do have a couple of personal suggestions. One is to take a probiotic. It will help balance gut bacteria. I tried several and my husband's cousin suggested that I try Align. It really helps me a lot. It cut down on the bouts of diarrhea. More expensive than some probiotics. I try to stock up on it when Sam's Club puts it on special. Secondly, filtered water. Water seemed to irritate my esophagus and stomach more than coffee... or even spicy foods. My husband put in an under the kitchen sink water filter. Only the cold water is filtered... including line to ice maker. Some people filter the water to everything. It may not help with gastroparesis, but it will help with GERD and also be better on an irritated esophagus from vomiting. One more.. take a chewable vitamin with a meal. It will get into your system a bit better than a capsule.

I have dealt with stomach problems since I was pregnant with my second child in 1972. I worry about his stomach too. He has had problems since he was 14. Wow.. a fast 48 years!!

ZeeGee

Wow! I'm sorry to hear you've had such problems, for so long. Thanks so much for all the ideas &/or suggestions! The doctor did prescribe Reglan for nausea & Protonix for heartburn. It seems like my kid is just going to have to try different things and see what does or does not work for her. Perhaps there will be a cure in the near future - fingers crossed. Thanks again