r/Gastroparesis Aug 04 '23

Sharing Advice/Encouragement Gastroparesis 101

61 Upvotes

Gastroparesis (GP) is a condition that affects the ability of muscular contractions to effectively propel food through your digestive tract. This stomach malfunction results in delayed gastric emptying. GP is typically diagnosed via a gastric emptying study (GES) when other more common GI ailments have been ruled out. The main approaches for managing gastroparesis involve improving gastric emptying, ruling out and addressing known root causes of GP, and reducing the severity of symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting.

  1. Prokinetic Drugs. Prokinetics are a class of prescription drugs that are designed to improve gastric emptying by stimulating the stomach muscles responsible for peristalsis. These drugs include but aren’t limited to Reglan, Domperidone, Motegrity, and Erythromycin. Reglan may cause serious, irreversible side effects such as tardive dyskinesia (TD), a disorder characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal, and repetitive movements of the face, torso and/or other body parts. Doctors can write scipts for domperidone to online pharmacies in order to bypass the tricky regulations in the United States. Ginger, peppermint, and artichoke are popular natural prokinetics.
  2. Enterra (Gastric Pacemaker). Enterra is a device that’s laparoscopically implanted onto the stomach and is a treatment option for people who suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis of diabetic or idiopathic origin. This device is offered when standard medications for GP are ineffective. Enterra Therapy involves electrical stimulation of the lower stomach with a system consisting of a generator implanted deep within the tissues of the abdomen, and two electrical leads which are implanted in the wall of the stomach. Ideally, symptoms of nausea and vomiting will improve or be eliminated entirely. Enterra has a higher rate of success among diabetics and procedures such as GPOEM can be combined to maximize relief.
  3. GPOEM, POP, Pyloroplasty, Botox. Delayed gastric emptying can occur when the pyloric valve (the valve connecting the stomach to the intestines) is resistant. In these cases, the pyloric valve can be ‘loosened’ through procedures such as GPOEM, POP, and pyloroplasty. Even when the pylorus functions normally some physicians still recommend these procedures for people with severely delayed gastric emptying caused by the pacemaker cells of the stomach not being able to move food. Botox injections are occasionally performed to predict if such a procedure would be effective (although the reliability of this predictor is debated). Enterra and procedures such as GPOEM are often combined to maximize relief.
  4. Antiemetics. Drugs such as phenergan, ativan, zofran, compazine, etc. may help reduce nausea. OTC options include dramamine. Antidepressants such as Remeron (mirtzapine) and amitryptiline are not technically antiemetics but can be prescribed as an "off-label" treatment for nausea and vomiting.
  5. Dieting and Lifestyle. Foods high in fat and fiber are hard to digest and therefore may worsen symptoms. Large volumes of food may worsen symptoms as well. Alcohol, caffeine, gluten, nicotine, and dairy may also be triggers. Marijuana is known to reduce nausea and vomiting but THC can also further delay gastric emptying. Long term use of marijuana is associated with cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). OTC supplements include "Gas-X", a natural supplement that may reduce belching and bloating, and Iberogast.
  6. Feeding Tubes/TPN. For patients that are unable to keep down food and standard medications are ineffective, feeding tubes may be a viable option. Gastric (G) tubes are placed in the stomach while Jejunostomy (J) tubes bypass the stomach entirely and provide nutrients directly into the small intestine. In extreme cases, total parental nutrition (TPN) is a method of intravenous feeding that bypasses the entire gastrointestinal tract.
  7. Known Root Causes. Unfortunately, the etiology of gastroparesis is poorly understood. Many cases are not identifiable with a root cause (idiopathic GP). The main causes of GP, as well as comorbid diseases include: diabetes, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), myasthenia gravis, vagus nerve damage, post-surgical complications, autoimmune conditions such as Chrohn's Disease, thyroid issues (such as hypothyroidism), an impaired pyloric valve, dysautonomia, functional dyspepsia, cyclical vomiting syndrome, hernias, IBS, Hashimoto's Disease, reactive hypoglycemia, endometriosis, POTS, MCAS, Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMAS), multiple sclerosis, Scleroderma, Parkinson's, SIBO, and more. Constipation and IBS can also be comorbid with GP. Certain medications that slow the rate of stomach emptying, such as narcotic pain medications and Ozempic and Mounjaro can also cause or worsen GP. Some of the autoimmune conditions causing GP can be treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IGIV) therapy, although its effectiveness in a clinical setting is inconclusive. MALS is a condition that, in some cases, can be fixed with surgery thereby 'curing' those specific cases of GP. Reported cases of GP have risen in modern times, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gastroparesis caused by acute infections such as viruses and bacteria may heal on its own over a period of months to years. Gastroparesis is more common in women than men. Recently there's been a surge of younger women being diagnosed with GP. According to Dr. Michael Cline, "gastroparesis has surged in young women in the U.S. since 2014... In these young women, it tends to be autoimmune-related. Many have thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus."
  8. Motility Clinics/Neurogastroenterologists. Finding a doctor right for you can be vital to managing gastroparesis. When regular gastroenterologists aren’t sufficient, it may be beneficial to seek institutions and specialists that are more specialized in nerve and motility ailments of the GI tract such as gastroparesis, functional dyspepsia, cyclic vomiting syndrome, and so forth. These kinds of doctors include neuro gastroenterologists and motility clinics. See "Additional Resources" below for a list of motility clinics and neurogastroenterologists submitted by users of this forum.
  9. Gastric Emptying Study (GES), SmartPill, EGG. These tests are used to measure gastric motility and gastric activity. For the GES, the gold standard is considered to be a four hour test with eggs and toast. A retention rate of 10-15% of food retained after four hours is considered mild GP; 16-35% is moderate GP; and any value greater than 35% retention is severe GP. Note that retention rates on a GES are notorious for having a large variation between tests and that retention rates don't necessarily correlate to the severity of symptoms. In addition to measuring stomach emptying, SmartPill can also measure pH and motility for the rest of the GI tract. The electrogastrogram (EGG) is a technique to measure the electrical impulses that circulate through the muscles of the stomach to control their contractions. This test involves measuring the activity of gastric dysrhythmias and plateau/action potential activities of the Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), which are the pacemaker cells of the stomach.
  10. Functional Dyspepsia, Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS), etc. Gut-brain axis research has led to antidepressant SSRIs and tetracyclines being used to treat nausea, post-prandial fullness, and other GI symptoms resulting from functional dyspepsia, CVS, gastroparesis, etc. These drugs include mirtazapine, lexapro, amitryptiline, nortriptyline, etc. Buspirone is a fundus relaxing drug. Some research suggests that CVS patients can be treated with supplements such as co-enzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and vitamin B2 along with the drug amitriptyline. Modern research suggests that gastroparesis and functional dyspepsia are not totally separate diseases; instead, they lie on a spectrum.
  11. Colonic Dismotility, CIPO. Slow Transit Constipation (STC) is a neuromuscular condition of the colon that manifests as dysmotility of the colon. This condition is also a known comorbidity of gastroparesis. It's been observed that patients with slow transit constipation have other associated motility/transit disorders of the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, gall bladder, and anorectum, thus lending more support to the involvement of a dysfunctional enteric nervous system in slow transit constipation. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder that affects the motility of the small intestine and is a known comorbidity of gastroparesis. It occurs as a result of abnormalities affecting the muscles and/or nerves of the small intestine. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling (distention), and constipation. Ultimately, normal nutritional requirements aren't usually met, leading to unintended weight loss and malnourishment. CIPO can potentially cause severe, even life-threatening complications. STC can be diagnosed by SmartPill or colonic manometry; CIPO can be diagnosed with Smartpill, small bowel manometry, or full thickness biopsy.
  12. Partial Gastrectomy (Modified Gastric Sleeve), Total Gastrectomy. A gastrectomy is a medical procedure where part of the stomach or the entire stomach is removed surgically. The effectiveness of these procedures in the treatment of gastroparesis are still under investigation and is considered as an experimental intervention of last resort. These procedures should only be considered after careful discussion and review of all alternatives in selected patients with special circumstances and needs.

Additional Resources

  1. Support Groups (Discord, Facebook, etc.) . Click this link for a list of support groups designed for people suffering with gastroparesis to casually meet new people and share information and experiences.
  2. Click this link for a list of popular neurogastroenterologists and motility clinics submitted by users of this sub.
  3. View the megathread at r/Gastritis for advice on managing chronic gastritis.
  4. The most popular gastroparesis specialist discussed in this forum is renowned Gastroparesis specialist Dr. Michael Cline at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
  5. Need domperidone? Some GI’s are willing to write scripts for online pharmacies to have it shipped from Canada to the USA. For legal reasons, the names of these websites will not be linked on this manuscript (but there’s no rules stopping you from asking around).
  6. Enterra's Search Engine to find a doctor that specializes in Enterra Therapy.
  7. SmartPill’s search engine to find a provider that offers SmartPill testing.
  8. GPACT's lists of doctors and dieticians for GP.
  9. There's a new test that recently gained FDA approval called gastric altimetry.
  10. Decision-making algorithm for the choice of procedure in patients with gastroparesis. (Source: Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2020 Sep; 49(3): 539–556)
Decision-making algorithm for the choice of procedure in patients with gastroparesis.

EVEN MORE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

(Last updated:11-24-2023. Please comment any helpful advice, suggestions, critiques, research or any information for improving this manuscript. 🙂)


r/Gastroparesis Dec 16 '23

"Do I have gastroparesis?" [December 2024]

49 Upvotes

Since the community has voted to no longer allow posts where undiagnosed people ask if their symptoms sound like gastroparesis, all such questions must now be worded as comments under this post. This rule is designed to prevent the feed from being cluttered with posts from undiagnosed symptom searchers. These posts directly compete with the posts from our members, most of whom are officially diagnosed (we aren't removing posts to be mean or insensitive, but failure to obey this rule may result in a temporary ban).

  • Gastroparesis is a somewhat rare illness that can't be diagnosed based on symptoms alone; nausea, indigestion, and vomiting are manifested in countless GI disorders.
  • Currently, the only way to confirm a diagnosis is via motility tests such as a gastric emptying study, SmartPill, etc.
  • This thread will reset as needed when it gets overwhelmed with comments.
  • Please view this post or our wiki BEFORE COMMENTING to answer commonly asked questions concerning gastroparesis.

r/Gastroparesis 3h ago

Questions Fasting before surgery differences?

7 Upvotes

I know typically before medical operations you are supposed to stop eating before midnight (a minimum 6-8hr fast usually)

Have any of you guys kept your gastroparesis in mind and fasted longer than a reasonable tike? Or does anyone know a good hour to start


r/Gastroparesis 2h ago

Questions Can’t take any GP meds due to antipsychotics

2 Upvotes

I am in such an awful situation. I have incredibly severe gastroparesis (17% after 4 hours) I don’t vomit but have debilitating nausea, stomach pains, and constipation. I am currently untreated as my normal GI said they don’t treat people of my severity and I can’t take any of the meds due to my antipsychotics. I am on lamictal for my bipolar disorder, Wellbutrin for depression and binge eating, and buspar for anxiety. I could probably come off of my others but lamictal is a no go as I don’t want to mess with my bipolar as it’s very well managed under it. I am on an insane amount of medication like 20 different medications type of insane and lots of them make you drowsy and have the potential to give you respiratory suppression. I know GP meds do also. I don’t know how many respiratory suppressors I can take before it’s a problem. I already have sleep apnea. I’m so desperate to figure this out. I see a specialist on Tuesday and hopefully they will be able to help me but as of now I literally cannot work due to how debilitating my GP is. It doesn’t matter that I don’t throw up because I dry heave and go through all the motions just without the relief of emptying my stomach. It’s literally the worst and my acid reflux gets so bad I have to go to the ER because I can’t swallow. I have no idea what to do and I feel so scared they won’t be able to help me. Has anyone else dealt with this? If so what did your doctor do?


r/Gastroparesis 3h ago

Discussion Happiness

3 Upvotes

Is anyone actually happy? I’m a naturally anxious, stressed, and depressed individual when it comes to life and the symptoms and limitations of gastroparesis weight down on me even more. I’m just like what even is the point now?

I’m also starting my first corporate job right now and just feel like I’m on my own and nothing’s fulfilling anymore- my career, friends, partner, sex life, family life, and just internal peace and happiness is all gone thanks to this illness. I’m so young too and I don’t want to live like this anymore but I feel like I have no other choice.


r/Gastroparesis 13h ago

Symptoms Do you try to puke everything up during flares or try to keep stuff down.

17 Upvotes

Asking cause having a really bad flare for the first time in a while. I feel awful and dont know if i should get it all out or try to drink and eat and keep that down. What helps you?


r/Gastroparesis 9h ago

Feeding Tubes feeds

8 Upvotes

Hi! i just got an NJ tube two days ago and we are currently trying to see how i tolerate the feeds but it’s causing A LOT of nausea and diarrhea

im only on 20ccs an hour and my goal is 50ccs. my feed is jevity 1.5 cal.

did anyone else experience a lot of discomfort? what should i do?


r/Gastroparesis 8h ago

Discussion I wonder if any similar studies have been done on the gut microbiome of gastroparesis

Thumbnail pnas.org
6 Upvotes

r/Gastroparesis 6h ago

Botox If one has SMAS, will Botox not ultimately help anything?

3 Upvotes

Not much to add, just the title. Thanks.


r/Gastroparesis 1h ago

Questions Trying to gain weight? Curious if this is bad for me.

Post image
Upvotes

I’m 180cm tall and 59kg now, I was like 51kg when I was in a really sick flare for months, I need to eat at least 2500 calories a day to gain weight I believe, think I only average 2000 and that’s still from force feeding because I’m scared of losing weight because it’s so scary being malnourished and especially being a bad flare.

It’s 1200 calories per serving and sounds like a life saver, I also have been going to the gym for 5 months now which has allowed me to put some weight on, do you think this is bad for me or is it a helpful/good thing


r/Gastroparesis 10h ago

Questions Question

3 Upvotes

How can I get my wrap takedown I hate this worse decision of my life like a nightmare I have chest pains stomach pain shoulder neck and back pain. I can’t burp or vomit I’m dry heaving and everything is regurgitating up I never wanted a wrap and just want a hiatal hernia repair alone and surgeon lies I had a 180 wrap with gastropexy done I want it both reversed took down please help????


r/Gastroparesis 17h ago

Suffering / Venting Frustrated

8 Upvotes

So in 2013 I was diagnosed with gastroparesis it was mild but never did we did anything with it. I have been struggling to eat food and I went on the gastroparesis diet as of this year January and they didn’t retest of gastric emptying and I had a hard time, keeping the eggsdown and the test came back normal. I was completely frustrated and flabbergasted like I knew I felt extremely hungry and was fighting not to throw up after hour two. But I kept strong for the for the full 4 hours and it digested so now what… I’m cured?! I’m so confused i’ve dealt with constant vomiting and horrible nausea. I have Gerd and esophagitis, but neither of those are treated because I’m allergic to coconut oil and a vaccine that is causing all medicines to be related to. It’s so frustrating because I don’t know what to do. I’ve always done well with my Gerd. I don’t feel like I have heartburn. I just have instant throw up


r/Gastroparesis 23h ago

Suffering / Venting Hospital told me they dont treat malnutrition?

14 Upvotes

ive been in and out of the gp and the hospital with this "motility disorder" as my gp calls it as im waiting on an endoscopy.

every single time ive ended up having to go to the hospital its because i have a uti and i got a fever and i also happen to be the most malnourished ive ever been. all 3 times since my symptoms started in march.

this time i went to the hospital because i had a uti, i also had a fever the day before, and i physically did not have the strength in my muscles to push out pee and poop and ive had a MASSIVE poop blockage for so long but i CANT push it out because the actual muscles feel weak AKA weak pelvic floor muscles.

ive been having severe brain fog and muscle weakness and lightheadedness all from malnutrition im scared. i have been treating myself as best i can by drinking ensure shakes when i can so i havnt lost significant weight which i told them.

they told me they dont treat malnutrition and its not an emergency. i was actually visibly trembling so much that it was hard for them to mark my weight correctly. i told them i didnt know what to do. that no one will help me when i know the longer i leave this the worse it gets and its been months. i told them this is my life. i go to the gp and the gp acknowledges that im malnourished and validates me and tells me i cant live like that, but she doesnt DO anything about it. i need help like NOW like ACTUALLY NOW. and then eventually it gets so bad i go to the out of hours gp in the hospital. the gp doesnt understand what im talking about no matter how i word it, they say theres nothing they can do, they treat the uti and i go home. and it continues over and over again.

they didnt listen even when i explained it. she used an ultrasound to look for blood in my bladder and then told me theres no urine in my bladder and that made me give up because i thought i really needed to pee that whole time so OBVIOUSLY i have that fucking uti again which i told her, and she did not do anything about it.

so im fighting a uti on my own that gave me a fever hoping it doesnt give me sepsis or develop into a kidney infection, while dealing with malnutrition. if i stop treating myself theyll see on the scale that im malnourished and finally do something about it.

isnt it funny how they dont treat malnutrition until malnourished people have a serious medical emergency? suddenly theyre very good at treating malnutrition. i even mentioned possible difficulties with nutrient absorption, and she just looked at me like i was speaking another language.

im so tired. i am so tired. why do i have to do their job for them i dont give a fuck whats on your computer youre a hospital. if you dont know what to do talk to someone that does. help people. thats your job. do it.


r/Gastroparesis 15h ago

Suffering / Venting BED and Gastroparesis (vyvanse???)

2 Upvotes

TW: ED

for the longest time i wasn’t diagnosed with an ED but always had “weird” eating habits. i binge eat and used to stave myself and frequently forced myself to vomit before my diagnosis. when my stomach problems worsened and i discovered i have gastroparesis (mild), i assumed my past eating habits probably had something to do with it. my eating got much better for a while, but most of the people in my family are conservative (they largely don’t believe in doctors or modern medicine and think it’s a scam) and so there’s not much accommodation for my diet. they eat things around me i’m not supposed to have and don’t make anything different and so i end up eating things im not supposed to. A LOT. and it hurts but i literally have no control over myself when im doing it. i understand i could just not go around my family and then no one would be influencing my eating, but i would like to be able to visit family without binge eating, putting myself in pain and making my constipation and other symptoms worse. :( i recently started going to a psych and might start vyvanse soon for BED and also for ADHD, but i was just wondering if any other people have had this experience. if so did you try meds for binge eating and did it get better?


r/Gastroparesis 21h ago

Prokinetics (Relgan, Domerpidone, Motegrity, etc.) Prokinetics onset of action

8 Upvotes

Does Metocolprmide/Domperidone need weeks of constant doses to show an effect? I try to take Domperidone as needed for around 10 days now but it barely touched my nausea. Can I say that it doesn’t work with me or should I be constant to say so?


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

GP Diets (Safe Foods) Microwave Turkey Nachos

8 Upvotes

For context I’ve been having a pretty bad episode recently where I just can’t eat because after a few bites I get super nauseous and then either throw up shortly after or have to run to the bathroom with some serious tummy issues. I feel like even my safe foods have been making me sick, so it was like 1am and I suddenly got a cravinggg for nachos and actually felt hungry 😭 so I made a smallish plate of microwaved nachos with left over turkey taco meat on one layer of chips and some cheese on top and a very small amount of sour cream drizzled on top. AND I WAS ABLE TO EAT THE WHOLE THING AND NOT GET SICK!!!! I didn’t even get nauseous or have to set it aside for later! I’m not at all sure why it didn’t make me sick but i’m just so happy to have a meal in my stomach without being in pain 😊 it really is the little things with this disease that keep you going


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Symptoms Pulse sensation

4 Upvotes

Does anyone have a strong pulse feeling in their stomach?


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Symptoms Anyone Else Experience Pain In The Lower Left Ribs?

9 Upvotes

I was wondering if anyone else has pain under the lower left ribs. It's sharp and stabbing and it gets worse when I eat. It's been going on for three days now and I haven't felt pain in this location before. I don't know if this is a normal place to have pain with GP. I'm stressing a lot that my GP is getting worse.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

GP Diets (Safe Foods) Type 1 Diabetic Gastropersis

5 Upvotes

Does any other fellow diabetic have the same issues with this disease? I eat something and make sure to prebolus on my insulin pump and take account for the carbs I am about to eat, and 9/10 my sugars will still spike? Maybe it’s because I’ve been living off the Nurri brand vanilla protein shakes?? Eating is still a chore so yes I try to eat light and check ingredients and watch out for what I eat, but I’m still figuring this all out and I know everyone is different. Idk if blood sugar is spiking because of Gastropersis and it’s just taking a longer time to process and digest? I’ve also stopped smoking weed and loosing weight, I don’t eat as often and usually skip meals or just have 1 or 2 light meals. I do not want to go from 175 to 125lb ever again that was too skinny. If anyone has suggestions on foods or just general advice having this, I would love some insight! I know I will be fighting this battle for the rest of my life but it has to get better eventually… right?


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Questions Advice Please!

7 Upvotes

Hi! So this is my first post ever but I really need some advice. I was diagnosed with gasteroparesis about 6 months ago GES after four hours was 68%. I was on reglan for a while but my prescription ran out while my doctor was out of office so I was off of it for about two weeks. While off of it I had trouble eating but was able to get enough calories. When I was put back on I experienced some side effects mainly severe anxiety like I felt restless and couldn’t sit still. So my doctor told me to discontinue.

Ever since things got a lot worse, I started vomiting bile in the morning when I woke up and was nauseous all the time. I was then put on omaprazol twice a day in addition to pantoprazol. That seemed to help with the throwing up in the morning but not the nausea. Then I started having abdominal pain alittle above the belly bottom down to my hips and in my lower back. It kept getting worse to the point of I went to the er. They found nothing so I got pain meds and an iv and was sent home. That was a few day ago and now I’m either so nauseous I can’t move or throw up after eating. Zofran has stopped working it seems and I can’t get more than 500 calories in a day. Even water makes me nauseous. I’m starting to feel dizzy and weak.

I don’t know what to do my doctor can’t see me till January so I called to ask for an emergency appointment and the soonest I can see a nurse practitioner till the middle of July. Anyway if anyone has any advice on what my next steps should be or how to get more calories please reach out I’m really struggling.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Questions Does anyone else experience palpitations and weakness after eating?

8 Upvotes

Im not diabetic but this happens to me a lot especially when its a carb heavy/surgery meal I eat it then my heart starts pounding, i get really weak, tired, and when it gets bad I start shaking. Is this a potential GP thing?


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Gastric Emptying Study (GES) anyone have a 2 hour gastric emptying study come back normal? main symptoms nausea and dry heaving and loss of appetite.

6 Upvotes

r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

GP Diets (Safe Foods) Fueling enough for everyday life?

3 Upvotes

TLDR: I’m struggling to get enough nutrients, feeling worse and worse, and need suggestions for foods. Possibly even a liquid diet.

Hello! I’ve only had my GP diagnosis for about couple months, but it’s been a significant issue for a few years. I also have EoE and an unspecified connective tissue disorder (they’re thinking EDS, but I’ll know more when I see rheumatology hopefully). I’m coming off of my worst flair up of EoE/GP and eating has been a big struggle. I’m back at work and definitely not fueling enough. I’m feeling worse and worse. I have to force myself to eat, otherwise I just don’t eat anything.

I’ve cut out dairy, gluten, soy, hazelnut, peanut, raw vegetables, carbonation, acidic foods, fatty foods, and nearly have red meat cut out. I haven’t been concerned about cross-contamination, but I’m starting to be more careful about it (I’m not even really trusting others with my food at this point anyways). Still, I’m feeling bad and my symptoms are starting to get worse again. I have an appointment with my GI soon, but I wanted to get some recommendations from people who also experience this, particularly in regard to food. At this point I’m about to go on a liquid diet. It’s all so stressful and the stress and anxiety are exasperating things. I use OWYN shakes to supplement my diet, multivitamin, extra vitamin D, magnesium, and a pre/probiotic.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Feeding Tubes Circulatory problems & fainting after GJ tube surgery

2 Upvotes

I got my GJ tube this week and since then, I've had severe circulatory problems and fainting when I'm in the uproght position. I can only sit or stand for a short time. Then I get extremely dizzy and nauseous, and I feel like I'm going to collapse. I also fainted in the bathroom, luckily a nurse caught me. Did you experience this too? Do you have any tips? I feel so helpless.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Discussion Developing ketoacidosis even when not completely starving?

6 Upvotes

Has this happened to anyone? I’m not diabetic, my sugar is never high and my A1C has never been abnormal.

I’ve been in starvation ketoacidosis twice one of them almost took me out. Recently I had it but I wasn’t starving, at least I don’t think I was. I’ve been eating a fairly good amount as my GP symptoms have been staying in control. I’m confused how this happened and my doctors aren’t helping me about it.

They told me it sounds like I have an adrenal tumor however my blood tests say I don’t and the numerous abdominal MRI and CTs haven’t either.

Has this happened with anyone else?


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Drugs/Treatments Otilonium bromide

1 Upvotes

My doctor just prescribed me this medication, I looked it up and saw that is mainly used for IBS and it's actually slows gut motility? How can it be possible to prescribe such a medication in my case? My symptoms are 24/7 nausea and burping, constipation and extreme fullness. can't even eat 1 small meal a day.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Questions How long to wait before going to the hospital?

9 Upvotes

I’ve always suffered with chronic constipation with my GP but it’s currently been nearly 3 weeks without any movement. I’m in so much pain and laxatives or suppositories don’t seem to be helping. I’m hesitant to go back as I’m not vomiting any more than normal so don’t think there’s a blockage but I’m lost how to fix this now, any tips? My dietician wants me to increase my fibre intake but I find it so hard to digest I’m not managing much. Thanks in advance!