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Has anyone else been diagnosed with Vagus Nerve Dysfunction?
Brain & Nervous System | Last Active: Jun 14, 2023 | Replies (51)Comment receiving replies
I confronted my physician several times. We remained at odds. I was eventually able to see a Gastroenterologist. I had to bounce around to walk-in clinics. Eventually I found a physician that was somewhat competent and initiated a referral.
I ended up getting scoped top and bottom. By the time they got to the Endoscopy/Colonoscopy (months later) the symptoms were less severe. The Gastroenterologist said "You should really get your Doctor to send you to an Infectious Disease Specialist"... yeah, no kidding. You cannot make this stuff up. It took over a year to see a competent Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease specialist.
Glad you have a good PCP. It makes a huge difference when they are helpful and actually listen. How do you manage your symptoms? I have found pre-biotics, pro-biotics, magnesium supplements and an anti-inflammatory diet helps. Our symptoms are somewhat similar, and perhaps a lot of overlap. Any insight on how to manage the gut issues?
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@bmont Did you finally get answers from the infectious disease physician? Was the initial thought that you had an ulcer?
I will be happy to share what I do that I found to be helpful.
The key is not to overload your stomach with food since there is a delay in digestion. I select foods that are easier to digest like plain yogurt, thick soups, and smoothies. I do take longer to chew foods. I eat frequent small meals(5). My main meals i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner are no more than 1.5 cups each. I avoid too much water in meals because water can make you feel full. I do drink in between to keep hydrated. I like to make my own foods for content control ( and maintain a low carb diet) including plain yogurt and dough for rolls and pizza. I found eating freshly made plain yogurt is not sour as the store bought. Yogurt is easier to digest because it doesn’t contain sugar. The added bacteria in the milk consumes the sugar for reproduction to become yogurt. I also eat boiled eggs. At times I make vegan desserts to keep my cholesterol level low. I limit fatty foods in a meal because fats tend to stay in your stomach longer. For pizza I use very little cheese. For peanut butter I use PB2, the powdered form without the oil. I try to make digestion easier on my body. For me I found chewing gum helpful too. I should add I eat mainly a plant based diet. I always have so that was not a big change for me.
I know this is a lot of information for changes. I included a few. Don’t be afraid to ask if you need more information. As you can see it is not easy to manage gastroparesis. My motivation is to feel better and avoid other health issues that may arise from gastroparesis. In other words, I try to have a better quality of life. I hope this is helpful to you. I learned all this on my own. A few years ago I was suspicious when some of the routine lab results were not my normal. The physician did not pick up on that because the results were within range but at the very end of the range. That was odd to me but now I know why. Next year I should have better lab results according to my normal. Wish you all the best.