Gastroparesis

[beachbel]

Hi! I am just wondering what anyone else has tried to treat gastroparesis. I have celiac disease and gastroparesis which is a tough combo. I just spent a week in the hospital trying to get the gastroparesis under control. I am on Reglan again which has some bad side effects for me so it is just a temporary solution. I have tried the gastro diet, domperidone, and erythromycin. I am wondering if anyone has tried the botox injection in the stomach for gastroparesis. Before going back on the Reglan, my diet consisted of gatorade because that is the only thing I could tolerate for a month. I am also being treated for refractory celiac disease right now. Thanks for any suggestions.

[ShayFL]

If you are open to it, I would suggest Acupuncture. It can open up energy blockages to different organs. I know many people who have benefited from it. And there have been many studies done on it and it is recognized by the AMA as a valid therapy. My insurance even covers mine.

At this point for you, it would be worth a try.

The needles are sooooo tiny. I dont feel a thing and I find it relaxing.

[Jaimepsalm63]

Sorry to here you have both of these. I do as well. I tried all the meds too with no success. Botox is the one thing I haven't tried because I can't afford it. My insurance won't pay for it. My doctor said it really wasn't worth it either and I would trust him more than my own mother with my digestive tract.

The one thing about gastroparesis is that there are periods that you are able to eat...in the beginning. Talk to your doctor about what you should be doing for diet because staying on gatorade for long periods of time will throw off electrolytes even though that's what it's meant to help.

How bad is it? Did your doctor tell you what "stage" you are at with the gastroparesis?

I've heard that the pace maker is really good for people who are at a higher risk. If you're that bad....talk to your doctor about that. Again, I'm not able to do it because of the finances, so I deal with my periods of not being able to eat etc.

Hope this helps

[beachbel]

Thanks to both for your suggestions. I have tried acupuncture but haven't in a while; it helped a little. Maybe I will give it another go. I don't know what stage of gastroparesis I am in. After the hospital stay and with meds I am now able to tolerate soft foods. Some days are good and some not so good. I just found out today I do have hypothyroidism too. Maybe getting it treated will help. Have you found anything in paticular that helps you out with your gastroparesis?

I am also lactose intolerant so there just isn't much food left to choose from. Thanks.

[Juliebove]

I have gastroparesis but not celiac. My diet is pretty much the same all the time. Ian's gluten-free chicken nuggets, rice, potatoes, canned green beans, hamburger. I can eat some other veggies but I have to be careful. I am on a small dose of reglan.

[ShayFL]

Getting your thyroid levels up can only help. Since you have trouble with digestion, beg beg beg your doctor for Armour thyroid because you can put it under your tongue sublingually so it dissolves and it goes right in. It tastes kind of sweet.

[mjhere69]

Hi! I am just wondering what anyone else has tried to treat gastroparesis. I have celiac disease and gastroparesis which is a tough combo. I just spent a week in the hospital trying to get the gastroparesis under control. I am on Reglan again which has some bad side effects for me so it is just a temporary solution. I have tried the gastro diet, domperidone, and erythromycin. I am wondering if anyone has tried the botox injection in the stomach for gastroparesis. Before going back on the Reglan, my diet consisted of gatorade because that is the only thing I could tolerate for a month. I am also being treated for refractory celiac disease right now. Thanks for any suggestions.

Hi, My name is Mary, your symptoms sound like what I have been going through the past 3 Years. I was diagnosed with celiac, after 30 years of IBS and Hypoglycemia. I got wose suddenly with BAD IBS, chronic diah. within the next 8 months, I lost 47 lbs, had malnutrition and dehydrated. The Dr. wrote in, FAILURE TO THRIVE. That scared me. I had read about celiac, I had the symptoms, ask her to take a blood test for it. It came back positive for celiac. I read all I could, got in a support group and stayed strictly on the gluten free diet for over a year. I went to a gastroenterologist for other GI problems I was having, he wasnt aware of my gluten free diet or past history. He did a lot of tests, I had gastroparsis, BUT he said YOU DONT HAVE CELIAC. go on regular diet, just eat small meals. I did that. In my heart I knew I had celiac, but he isnt a Dr you disagree with. HE IS RIGHT, andd doesnt like it if I disagree. The past year, symptoms ared worse, He has diagnosed me with C difficile, took 3 months of different anti biotics to get rid of, I requested a colonoscopy, He did some biopsys inside and diagnosed me with collagenous colidtis.(its a immflamtion swelling INSIDE of your bowel) He put me on a steroid to reduse the immflam. The only symptom you have is watery non bloody diahr. I wonder if all these bowel problems are origanally from celiac. I have been on only 8 ensure nutritinal drink for over a year. so I know Im not getting gluten. I have tried the same things you have tried, and not much help. I had reactions to the reglan also. I think, something needs to be found, for people that are very sensitive to a lot of things. The liquid diet helps some. But I still get bloated, and pain I am going up to OHSU (a big hosp. with the newest things out there. Ad team of professionals work with you. At this poing, after a CT scan and Xray, showed, small bowel loops, partial blockage in the small bowel and some other things I dont understand. After a lot of research, I am beginning to think, that gastroparesis and other bowel problems point back dto undiagnosed celiac, before we even knew we had it. I have rambled on, Im sorry, I didnt help you with any answers. If all the celiacs started stomping feet for answers MIGHT HELP. I am so thankful for this site tho, I get a lot of info. Please take care of yourself, I know what you are going through, and Im so sorry. If I find any answers that are helpful, I will get back to you. Mary

[ShayFL]

I found this tonight will surfing around and thought it might help someone:

You first have to determine what caused this problem. The Vagus nerve, according to doctors, is what causes the food to move through the intestines. This is a reaction diabetes can cause.

The primary reason food does not move quickly is low HCL. When you have low HCL, the pyloric sphincter will stay closed because it is waiting for the chyme in the stomach to reach a low pH of 3.0 or less. Eating lots of veggies and fruit and no meat will contribute to this problem because meat is what the stomach primarily is designed to break down with pepsin that stimulates HCL production. Our bodies were not designed to eat high carbohydrate diets. Primitive man ate huge amounts of animal fats and little carbs Also try:

Betaine HCL --- take 2 if you weigh less than 150, 3 if you weigh more than 150 AFTER each meal

Probiotic -- take 1 in the a.m. and 1 in the p.m.

When you get enough stomach acid in the stomach, you should find that your digestion will move more quickly and you won't get that bloated feeling. Unless you had a severe trauma or a severe diabetes reaction, the vagus nerve issue is most likely a bad diagnosis. The low HCL should solve the problem when you take the above goodies.

Stay totally away from ALL vegetable oils, except Olive Oil. These very unstable, polyunsaturated oils are rancid when you buy them and they polymerize when slightly heated from the "cis" configuration to the "trans" configuration to form trans fats and your body cannot make endocrine hormones if you are deficient in good fats.

The correct food ratio should be: 40% carbs, 30% fats, 30% protein for each meal. The 30% fats should be broken down into: 60% monounsaturated fats (olive oil); 30% saturated fats from (butter made from raw cream - not pasteurized, coconut oils, beef from grass fed animals only, not commercial grain fed from feed lots), 10% polyunsaturated oils that have a 1:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids.

You can get raw, fermented vegetables that are very good for you at the following site: www.healingmovement.net or call them at: (310) 829-4283. They sell organic vegetables that have been fermented. Very, very good for you. 1/2 cup with each meal and you will see a great difference.

Also, avoid ALL HYDROGENATED OILS and ALL SOY products unless they are fermented like soy sauce and miso.