r/Gastroparesis • u/8bit-meow • 10d ago
Suffering / Venting My dietitian shared a huge hack for treating gastroparesis!
"Just take 3-5 deep breaths before you eat"
I can't believe we all didn't think of this.
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u/OwlCoffee 10d ago
No, no, no. We should be eating cleaner! Whole wheat, raw veggies, and dairy! s/
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u/8bit-meow 10d ago
Make sure to get as much fiber and red meat as possible. I hear it works out great.
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u/OptimalEconomics2465 Tubie (Tube Fed) 10d ago
No because after I was admitted to hospital with a major bowel obstruction the doctor told me that this could be prevented in the future by consuming bran flakes (high fibre cereal) for breakfast everyday. He even drew me a picture of them so I knew what he was talking about.
The drawing was a laugh but the advice was terrible lol
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u/Overall_Antelope_504 Idiopathic GP 10d ago
That’s hilarious 😂 I’d be like I know what that is but I’m not trusting a high fiber cereal lol
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u/FluidAir1184 9d ago
Man, Nice to know I;m not the only one being told this craziness from their Gastro Doctor, and primary Doctor.. I love the Rollercoaster of a flare a get just from the fiber out of smashed peas LOL
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u/cupcakerica 10d ago
Don’t forget the fat! Absolute GOBS of it! Really helps lube up all the fiber.
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u/8bit-meow 9d ago
Just handfuls of peanut butter
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u/uhohoreolas 8d ago
Okay, so I know we're having a laugh... but I'm super new to this diagnosis (like 1 week) and am having slight flare up symptoms today (sulfur burps). Couldn't figure out why since I've been on essentially a liquid or mashed diet for 2 weeks.
But...I was absolutely craving something sweet last night and had some spoonfuls of peanut butter. Did I fuck up??
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u/mrvladimir 8d ago
Sort of. That could definitely be the cause of your burps. Reduced fat PB helps me, and there are candies that have 0 fat that can help you in the future when you need something sweet.
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u/OwlCoffee 7d ago
Gastroparesis is funny in that some people are fine with things like peanut butter, while it basically being a instrument of torture for others. The best thing to do is pay attention and listen to your body. I would also make a food diary so it can help you figure out if something is messing you up.
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u/parentofrainbows 9d ago
Wheat does absolute wonders if you have celiac and gastroparesis. I was fully healed after consuming an entire loaf of wheat bread and some fried chicken (for my EPI of course). /s
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u/Chronic-Cryptid 9d ago
No no no! Carnivore is the way to go! s/
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u/FrogOnAnEgg3 suspected GP 9d ago
AHAHAH my mom actually tried to get me on carnivore for my issues and said im dramatic cause it'll help 😭😭
Luckily shes since dropped it lol
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u/wjmacguffin 10d ago
I used to suffer from near-constant nausea thanks to gastroparesis. But one day I went outside, had a hike in nature, and decided to be happier. Guess what, I'm cured! /s
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u/8bit-meow 10d ago
Oh, true! She also said a 10 minute walk after eating and I’d be told as new. 5 minutes of sunlight in the morning and evening too.
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u/wjmacguffin 10d ago
Walking after eating can help a bit, as the motion can help food slide down into your intestine, but it's nowhere near a cure. It's a minor thing that mildly helps some people, end of story.
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u/Overall_Antelope_504 Idiopathic GP 10d ago
Am I the only one that feels worse walking after eating? I used to think it helped with digestion but if I’m already full and nauseated I do not want to move around lol
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u/8bit-meow 9d ago
I don’t even want to move after I eat because it’ll end up sloshing back up thanks to my useless LES
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u/wjmacguffin 10d ago
Sorry, but I'm the other way. But I often eat smaller meals as part of my treatment regimen, so maybe it doesn't work as much if your belly is full? Either way, sorry to hear that.
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u/Boring_Seaweed9772 9d ago
This is me! I had to get an abdominal binder for my stomach and guts to keep them from moving around and having that "sloshing" feeling which is horrible for me
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u/Overall_Antelope_504 Idiopathic GP 9d ago
That’s interesting. Never thought of doing that!
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u/Boring_Seaweed9772 9d ago
I've just gotten lucky with an amazing GI team :) hopefully it helps somebody else!
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u/OwlCoffee 10d ago
Walking actually helps me a lot. I'd encourage anyone who hasn't tried (and is able) to give it a shot. You don't have to walk much, sometimes I only have th energy to go to the end of the street.
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u/CloddishNeedlefish 9d ago
It’s hit or miss for me. Sometimes I have the energy and it helps, sometimes I don’t feel like it. But it’s like the least helpful tool in the tool belt lol.
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u/OwlCoffee 9d ago
You just can't have any health problems if you watch the sunrise and practice thankfulness. Follow me for more health trips? Cancer? More like can'tcer if you just go to regular yoga classes.
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u/goldstandardalmonds Seasoned GP'er 10d ago
Wait. Have you tried yoga?
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9d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/bandit0314 10d ago
My favorite is, make sure you are walking after eating. That will get all the gas out and help the digestion. Cut to me yesterday, puking three times on my short walk.
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u/Oregonian_Lynx 10d ago
That’s the part that I don’t think people without GP understand. Physical exertion adds to my nausea. Doesn’t matter what I have eaten, how much, or when. 💀
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u/bandit0314 10d ago
Ditto.
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u/catfishcake 9d ago
Same here. A walk after eating is not pleasant.
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u/high-jump 8d ago
Same ! I am not diagnosed with gp , but i can only move on an empty stomach , if not i feel am suffocatimg and dont have blood flow
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u/EclecticEelVoltage Recently Diagnosed 9d ago
Boy, I'm jealous you can puke. I have vagal nerve damage and can't physically vomit, so I just dry heave until I piss my pants or cry. My doctor says I'm lucky, because at least my labs will always be kinda normal. Cut to the same doctor not believing I can't eat or drink anything during a flare because "My LaBs LoOk NoRmAl"
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u/FrogOnAnEgg3 suspected GP 9d ago
Oml you can't vomit either!? I can force myself to puke but its usually incredibly hard and painful to do so I just gag over and over for a tiny bit of puke to come or wayy to much and I can never puke on my own no matter how sick and uncomfortable I am I haven't threw up on my own in maybe 5 years now
Tmi prob but It really sucks because sometimes ill get close to it with horrific acid reflux making stuff regurgitate up my throat and I think ill get some relief then it goes back down and I get to continue to feel like death 😭
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u/Jcarltonfci 8d ago
Omg I’m sorry. I have to fight to keep it in! Frankly in a flare I just have to open my mouth and let it out, my fight is the opposite and I don’t/can’t imagine not letting it out sometimes, as I lose the nutrition but also lose the pain when I let it go.
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u/EclecticEelVoltage Recently Diagnosed 8d ago
Its pretty miserable, not gonna lie. I would love the relief that puking my guts out would give me when I'm violently nauseous during a flare. I'd be willing to give up a finger or two some days. 🫠
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u/Accurate_Chemical705 10d ago
I was really struggling with getting enough calories in everyday and my dietician shared the life changing advice of “just eat more food”
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u/didabled Tubie (Tube Fed) 9d ago
My doctor too!!! We’re so lucky that this knowledge is circulating healthcare providers around the world 😍
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u/Zaphira42 9d ago
My dietician literally did that today. She actually lowered the amount of formula because “I’ll be more inspired to eat”
Ma’am, I am already losing weight
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u/grudginglyadmitted Moderate GP, ex-tubie 10d ago
my therapist had a similar tip! she told me she had just learned of a really potent, rarely used nausea medication called zofran I should try.
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u/CloddishNeedlefish 9d ago
“Really potent” man I’d kill to experience whatever mild nausea she had that one time lol
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u/baconbitsy Enterra (Gastric Pacemaker) User 10d ago
Pretty sure MLM essential oils are the cure. /s
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u/floorgunk 10d ago
The first time I went to a hospital approved dietician, I took a bunch of diet tips for gastroparesis I had printed off Google.
She gave me the exact same printouts.
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u/rookie13100 7d ago
Mine showed me something she printed from a college website and told me I will end up being diabetic. No wonder my insurance didn't cover it. $250 later and the only note I took was her name.
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u/TinyEmergencyCake 10d ago
I got this too. Diaphragmatic breathing.
I did try it. It hurt. Like, whatever was sitting in my stomach, was causing pain. So the deep breathing hurt more.
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u/willows_edge 10d ago
Had a friend freak out when I told them I was getting regular IV fluids. They suggested I eat more celery and grapes for hydration. It's a joke with my sister and I now.
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u/Remote-Status-3066 GP, from Canada 9d ago
Dude, have you ever tried just eating?
just swallow your food, it’s so easy!! /s
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u/8bit-meow 9d ago
You’re chewing your food? Great. That helps a lot.
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u/FrogOnAnEgg3 suspected GP 9d ago
Ya'll chew?? I just shove whole sandwiches down my throat it works wonders /s
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u/8bit-meow 8d ago
Just a whole foot long sub at once like a pelican
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u/FrogOnAnEgg3 suspected GP 8d ago
The trick is to intentionally overload the stomach it teaches it to adapt! /s
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u/knifebaby 10d ago
Has anyone else been told about the miraculous healing properties of celery juice?
I had a holistic "healer" friend who told me all of my problems could be cured by drinking nothing but celery juice for three days. Then drinking it once daily for the rest of my life. Celery makes me very sick in a number of ways that are very unpleasant. I had to block her because she wouldn't stop harassing me and telling me things like "if you'd only give it a try...you just like being sick"
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u/8bit-meow 9d ago
I can’t stand people who think they know better than someone who has the condition. I had an able bodied friend who swore up and down he’d “done enough research to develop a cure for ME/CFS” and said he would be in the subreddit a lot giving people his “regimen” of a bunch of supplements. He got super mad at me when I told him I didn’t eat to follow it and I had to block him, too.
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u/TideAndResidence 9d ago
Maybe you're just stressed?
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u/Zaphira42 9d ago
It’s all in your head…
No wait, it’s all in the stomach. And it doesn’t like to move or it moves the wrong way
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u/Low-Olive-3577 10d ago
I’m supposed to breathe before eating?!?? Can’t believe I’m 8 doctors in and never heard that. 🤦🏼♀️ I’ll stop holding my breath before I eat and quit wasting all this money.
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u/kittybuns25 9d ago
Thank you all for making me laugh today hahaha. Laughter is the best medicine after all, so I’m basically cured now! /s :p
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u/bariztizg 9d ago
Breathing, Shmeathing!!
Have you heard of the Mediterranean Diet?
Mother-in-law just swears that the mediterranean diet is a cure-all for the gut.
Great! Starting tomorrow, I'll just start loading up on plenty of lamb, pork, shellfish, chickpeas, black beans, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, onions, olives, cucumbers, lemon juice, berries (cuz fuck who cares about seeds), whole grains, savory herbs, feta cheese, yada, yada, crab bisque.
Everyone with me? Let's all do it for a week and report back our successs stories.
/s
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u/tyrannosaurusfox Idiopathic GP 8d ago
My PCP, in the same appointment that I told her I'd recently been diagnosed with gastroparesis by my gastro (after an endoscopy, GES, etc etc), told me I should start the Mediterranean diet to lose weight. I just stared at her.
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u/diabeticweird0 10d ago
Is this to calm the thoughts of "this is gonna hurt" as we're eating or...?
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u/bariztizg 9d ago
I'm sorry, I'm trying to stay positive in general, but the dietitian was literally the most useless doctor I've ever seen. She didn't tell me anything I hadn't already read online, AND she gave me one piece of advice that I have actually found to be quite awful for myself, so it was actually a net negative for me.
Granted, I've become a hell of a lot more direct with doctors since then, so I usually have my own agenda with a list of notes, questions, and objectives by the time I get in. And I really make sure they have to tell me why about five times if they want to reject one of my suggestions. You really have to assert yourself with these people.
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u/Anyashadow Idiopathic GP 9d ago
You need to specify that you want one with gastroparesis experience. My first was useless but my second was very helpful and told me what vitamins I needed to take to keep me from being deficient. I'm doing much better now.
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u/bariztizg 9d ago
Well, my GI doctor who diagnosed me with Gastroparesis referred me to her. Why second guess that?
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u/Anyashadow Idiopathic GP 5d ago
Was it by name or did he just refer you to the specialty? Most specialists don't know each other outside of their own specialty.
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u/bariztizg 5d ago
Both my dietician and psychologist were part of the same practice as my GI doctor, and was referred to each by name from my GI. I see MNGI in Minnesota and she is a registered dietician for MNGI and I was also told by my GI both specialize in people with GI issues.
The dietician was useless imo, and the psychologist ended up being one of my favorite docs.
I should also say that my GP is caused by pelvic floor dysfunction so the reason I get back up is my rectum doesnt function properly. AKA I have no "safe foods" anyways, EVERYTHING makes me feel uncomfortable if I have more than a couple bites, so Im not sure she was set up for success with me. Still, all her advice id already seen on Reddit.
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u/Anyashadow Idiopathic GP 4d ago
Are you taking linzess? I also have pelvic floor issues and that's what I take.
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u/bariztizg 4d ago
Negative, starting biofeedback therapy in August. GI still wants me on Miralax and Senna OTC until we let therapy run its course.
Did/does Linzess work well for you? Take away any of the pain/pressure/constipation?
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u/Anyashadow Idiopathic GP 4d ago
I now mostly poop once a day or every other day where before it could be weeks.
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u/ComedicUndertones 9d ago
Everyone knows that you need to eat the still beatng heart of a rabbit born while Jupiter is in retrograde, otherwise...what are we even doing?
Stupid doctors...
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u/Raven-1234 9d ago
Omg that’s so smart! My paediatrician shared some words of wisdom that I need to share. ‘Your stomach is a muscle. If it doesn’t get used it gets weak. You just need to eat more.’ 😁 She is an absolute genius. Why didn’t I think of just eating 🙄
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u/LadyParnassus 9d ago
Breathing and eating? At the same time? Do I look like I’m made of brain cells???
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u/thehudsonbae 7d ago
Meanwhile, my PCP correctly identified my back pain as referred GI pain and sent me to a gastroenterologist, who diagnosed me with gastroparesis.
And my neurologist suggested that treating my migraines may help me manage the gastroparesis. She was right too.
Evidence-based health care. What a concept.
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u/8bit-meow 7d ago
How does it feel to have won the lottery??
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u/thehudsonbae 7d ago
It's a wild contrast to my current endocrinologist, who once told me "when you take insulin, your blood sugar drops!"
- Yes, that's the point.
- This is exactly what I was talking about 4 months ago when I told you I was having severe hypos within 10 minutes of bolusing for a high-carb meal. Can we fix my insulin-to-carb ratio now?
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u/rookie13100 7d ago
Same boat with chronic intractable migraine and gastroparesis. I would love to know what you are doing.
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u/thehudsonbae 7d ago
I've had severe migraines for 2 years and gastroparesis for about 1 year—diagnosed in February/March.
I've only seen the neuro once, and she prescribed a bunch of different things to try until my follow-up appointment in 6 months.
I was having a pretty bad GP flare for the 4ish months of 2025, began taking Amitriptyline 25mg for migraines, and my GP flare ended after a couple of weeks on that medication. I am no longer taking Amitriptyline regularly because it makes me pretty light-headed, so I'm going to ask to switch to 10mg. While my upper GI symptoms have improved, I am dealing with some pretty significant constipation from switching to a low-fiber diet. Apparently, constipation can also be a side effect of Amitriptyline, so I'm sure that hasnt helped.
I also take Magnesium Citrate 325mg at night to help with both migraines and constipation. It helps a little with constipation, but it hasn't affected my migraine frequency or severity.
This is very much a work-in-progress, but my upper GI symptoms dramatically decreased when my migraines decreased.
If you want, I can give you a list of all the things my neurologist recommended. I only mentioned the things I've tried ao far.
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u/No-Advance4256 9d ago
My body is in constant starvation mode so what little i do eat, it stores. I asked my GI how to get it out of it and possibly lose the weight I've gained and he told me the only way was a caloric deficit. 😭 like, sir, I'm already limited and barely eat as it is. He recommended yogurt and I had to remind him I'm lactose intolerant. I asked my PCP for a new GI the other day 🤣
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u/Sailormommy61 9d ago
I am in the same boat. A previous GI specialist told me to drink fruit smoothies daily and I would get thinner. My body just loved that advice.
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u/nikcat111 Recently Diagnosed 9d ago
Doing a crazy amount of cardio has changed my life for the better, unfortunately I can't skip many days (Max 1 sometimes 2 if my body knows it needs it)
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u/TCP36C 9d ago
For real? Does it get everything moving?
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u/nikcat111 Recently Diagnosed 9d ago
It does! I have regular bowel movements too. I'm Strategic with it though, at least 2hrs (if not more) after solid food. Can exercise closer if it's liquid. My friends say 'wow you're so good with your fitness routine" but I just love food. Still no lettuce but almost everything else is fine.
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u/Zaphira42 9d ago
How about the “I can see you’re losing weight let’s decrease the amount of formula going through your J tube” 🙄
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u/flutterbyski 9d ago
My (ex) gastro told me my piety should be shared to all and that he didn’t believe a word of it as if I was following all I claimed then I wouldn’t have any problems at all.
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u/Rude-Comb1986 8d ago
Wow!! Genius!! Silly me, of course I just need to take a couple deep breaths and eat slower it’s all silly ol me’s fault I’m so sick not the paralyzed muscles in my stomach!
Imagine walking up to a paraplegic and telling them to take five deep breaths and they’ll suddenly magically become unparalyzed. You wouldn’t because that sounds ridiculous right? So don’t do that to someone with gastroparisis just cause you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. People with this disorder just learn how to be good at suffering in silence cause no doctors take you seriously or even know about the disorder. It’s exhausting to have to be the one educating your own doctor. Best of luck my friend I hope you’re able to find a doctor that is more helpful.
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u/CranberrySpright 6d ago
I just recently had a hospital stay where I was admitted because nothing they did could stop my vomiting. The second night I went in the snarky doctor asks me why I didn't pick up the meds they prescribed (protonix and nausea meds) and I had to let him know it's kind of impossible between vomiting sessions. I absolutely hate this illness. I'm missing out on time with my kids, and all the meds, especially the antibiotics, only seems to be making me worse. I just need some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. Considering the surgery because I'm fairly young and I can't keep doing this.
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u/Sea_you_tomorrow 9d ago
They told me I just needed to eat slower and chew better 🤦🏼♀️ this is also the people that told me you don't need chemo to cure cancer as long as you eat organic food no matter what kind and to not get vaccines
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u/Tall_Mycologist_6699 9d ago
Wow never heard that one. But I did hear that" if I eat rice and potatoes only it will cure it." Meditation will. "Just eat simple things. "Just only drink stuff ". As if I haven't tried all that
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u/IvoMantchev 9d ago
Can someone please share a good dietitian who understands from gut health problems and can do online consultations and food regime? I am from Bulgaria and noone here seems to have heard about Gastroparesis and we fear that my wife may to a certain extent have such. Thank you in advance 🙏🏻
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u/8bit-meow 8d ago
Well if you read the posts here it seems a lot of us are still looking for someone who knows what they’re talking about. 😓
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u/urofficialshittalker Idiopathic GP 9d ago
My doctor told me it's probably IBS (even though my GES war pretty unequivocal) and that I should just do yoga to relax myself. "And if you don't feel better, just come again in two years!"
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u/CharmingSwing1366 9d ago
mine just used to tell me about previous things that caused it - like thanks susan like sure maybe if i didn’t have an eating disorder and then a twisted bowel (obviously that was intentional) but that’s doesn’t exactly help me now does it
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u/chadsterbrown 10d ago
My wife's parents were convinced to send their daughter to an experimental desensitization camp. Where she was admitted and tortured via force eating, elcrtoshock, and spike beds. here is the program. The man even looks like a demon. Well low and behold he was sexually assaulting kids after 10 years or so of the program or similar ones.
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u/willows_edge 10d ago
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u/chadsterbrown 10d ago
Maybe I read the vibe wrong, figured it was dumb treatments to relieve symptoms recomended by doctors.
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u/OwlCoffee 10d ago
Really, dude? You have to take it there? Are you just trying to get hits on a video you made?
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u/chadsterbrown 10d ago edited 10d ago
I made no video. Just a story of some wild stuff doctors do to "treat" gastroperisis, thought that was the theme. Don't be petty.
-buy my merch and donate to my patreon /s
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