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Anyone experience gastroparesis post esophogectomy?
I'm almost 4 months post esophogectomy and currently getting bimonthly Optdivo infusions. About 10 days ago, I started having significant dysphagia and associated pain after eating. Prior to that, I was doing really well and eating small, frequent meals without issue. Now, I get severe pressure and pain even after a small amount of food or drink. I lost 8 lbs in a week after holding steady for 3 months. I went to Mayo and they did a Barium swallow test and didn't see any strictures so the thought is that I have gastroparesis. My question is, has anyone experienced this after feeling fine for months? Was it induced by the esophogectomy, immunotherapy or both? I'm trying to get with my local GI doctor and oncologist to see if they can help. Last evening, I had to go into the emergency room to receive IV fluids due to malnutrition and dehydrarion. I can't even tolerate Ensure or other meal replacement without pain and having to relieve myself via self induced vomiting. Let me know please?
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EVERYONE has this post-op... and I mean EVERYONE! I'll come privately and we'll chat (if we haven't already). It takes a good year or two for you to pass thru this phase... at least it did for me. I can now eat whatever I want... and in pretty good quantities as well. But it sure wasn't that way my first 12 months post-op! And sleeping... and reflux... and pooping... don't get me started!
Zoom call tomorrow at 9am Eastern. I'll send you a one-touch Zoom link to use.
See you in private.
Gary
Like Gary said join the zoom call tomorrow and you will get some good advice. I also delt with this and found a solution that worked for me. See you there.
I'd like to, but I'm in the hospital for this ailment. Not sure I have enough energy just yet. Thanks Geoff
@lionsfan, I wanted to follow up. How are you doing now? Have you been discharged from hospital?
@podrunner1 @aheid @ken82, along with @deedive1967 might also have some tips to share here about managing gastroparesis after treatment for esophageal cancer.
Geoff, have you been able to make changes to your eating habits that help to manage the gastroparesis, like smaller meals more often? Or other changes?
I'm out of the hospital after almost a week's stay. I put myself on a liquid only diet to see if the gastroparesis subsides such that I can move back to a normal diet again. I'm going in the hospital two or three times per week for IV hydration. Wish me luck.
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1 ReactionAs soon as I started to take Linzess it helped my (motility) gastroparisis and constipation/bloat by at least 90%. It was a wonder drug for me, I was miserable and almost immobile due to this condition. It's my experience after taking it for 8 yrs that it has trained my modified digestive system to work on it's own again.
Thanks so much for the suggestion. I'm at a point of not being able to even sustain a liquid diet, let alone a full one. I'll talk with my GI doctor about it. Thanks Geoff
Hi. I've just had 4 days in hospital being rehydrated and checked for the same thing. I'm 2 yrs post op. I couldn't even keep water down. Coming right slowly but gastro paresis has been a problem for me for about a year now and my motility is hopeless. Additionally if I'm constipated I feel extremely unwell.
I'm back home doing pretty well, but soft foods for now. My Doctor thinks the immunotherapy treatment may have caused the gastroparesis. This would be rare, but possible. I'm hoping it isn't immunotherapy as I want to continue that. I have follow up in a week with my Doctor. I stopped the Optivo treatment about two weeks ago and have improved immensely on the gastroparesis. Thanks for following up.
Oh...I'm also getting a banana bag twice per week at the hospital.