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Anyone have Gastroparesis

Posted , 9 users are following.

libralady13
libralady13

Hello  I am 70 years old and have IBS, Diverticulosis,plus some other health issues including Anxiety for which I am having some counselling.  

I have had a stressful 18 months or so including a house move, various medical tests for both myself and husband all of which has not helped with my longstanding anxiety.

About 2/3 months ago I went to the gp has I had pressure and pain down the breastbone and pain going through to the back.  After examining me she said everything seemed inflamed and it really was sore as she pressed down down the back and breastbone.  She put it down to anxiety and lack of exercise plus degeneration of the spine which I already knew about.  I had to return as it seemed to me that the pain was digestive related.  She gave me ranitidine (I can't take ppis).  She also arranged an appointment at the gastro clinic.  I have seen the consultant and am due to have a upper endoscopy in 3 weeks time.  He seems to think I might have a lazy stomach which on googling I believe is Gasgtroparesis.  My symptoms are awful bloating worse than usual IBS type which seems to go through to the back and belching.  Funnily enough it seems to come on after empyting bowels liking filling up with wind. I have read of a few people with IBS who have this problems but doctors have not been able to help.  It seems to come on mid/late morning and last the afternoon and gets better after evening meal.  It does not really keep me awake at night although I wake early feeling anxious which probably does not help.  I have read about Gastroparesis and the outlook seems gloomy if that's is what I've got.  I have no sickness or vomiting, no weight loss and good appetite.  Blood tests were all ok and tested negative for gluten intolerance.  Can anyone help with what I might do in the meantime to help myself.  I have finished the course of ranitidine which I don't think helped much.  Whether I will get any rebound symptoms I don't know but as I have to come off them 2 weeks for the endoscopy it is not worth getting an other prescription just for a week.  Sorry to go on but this is making life very miserable and finding it hard doing housework etc.  I don't feel like going out much but have made myself do things which has at least made me feel a  bit better.  Thanks for reading this. 

0 likes, 20 replies

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  • taylor15497
    taylor15497 libralady13

    Posted

    Hi, I have gastroparesis some people don't experience nausea and vomiting also some people experience weight gain rather than weight loss but if you feel that this is what you have you should ask the gastro for a gastric emptying scan, many GI conditions are misdiagnosed as IBS due to doctors not fully understanding these other complex conditions, I think you should get your next set of ranitidine because after the endoscopy you'll probably be back on it anyway, you can try eating smaller more frequent meals but this probably won't  do much, you can also try taking things like peppermint, ginger, fennel and lemon it's suggested they might help some symptoms but whether they do or not depends on the individual! Hope you get some decent help from your doctors soon

    • libralady13
      libralady13 taylor15497

      Posted

      Thank you for replying to me. Will ask about a gastric emptying test but so far they only want to do an upper endoscopy. I had a colonoscopy earlier this year which was fine except for a diagnosis of hemmeroids and diverticular. With regard to the ranitidine I don't think it made any difference may be it made the bloating worse as one of the side effects is abdominal pain. I certainly don't want to go Down the ppi route as I had them a while back and the rebound symptoms were awful.I just hope I can find out what is wrong soon. Thank you for suggestions on peppermint etc. Will try them I already find that peppermint tea helps a bit with bloating. Hope you are coping ok it does sound as this Condition is hard to treat.

    • taylor15497
      taylor15497 libralady13

      Posted

      Yeah me too I had the endoscopy then the colonoscopy to rule out all the other things like ibd but I pushed for a second opinion after being discharged and the new consultant ordered the test and I got the diagnosis.. I understand that totally sometimes if it's not working then you should chat to the doctor about it before stopping just in case they can up the dose or there's something else that's not a ppi! hopefully they give you a little relief until you get seen! and to your response below I got the test done on the nhs it's not a problem to get them to order it and if your not happy with the consultant or if they refuse just go back to the GP and get re-referred in I know that'll take a while but it's worth it, hopefully you won't need to do that though! Thank you!  It's really difficult to get some of the symptoms under control but my doctors seem to be really helpful so far 

    • libralady13
      libralady13 taylor15497

      Posted

      Hello again,   I have been off the ranitidine 48 hours and only slight feeling of indigestion once or twice.  The bloating though does seem better but early days.  I do have some 300 strength ranitidine which my gp gave me first of all but then decided to go for 150 twice a day.  So I could take those if really necessary however since I have to come off them 2 weeks before the procedure I might as well stop now and hope that any rebound effects happen in the next week or so.  I do remember that after coming off omeprazole I had rebound symptoms which took over a month to clear despite tapering the dose down.  I am really trying to sort out my anxiety which is mainly health anxiety and keep going out and about with  all this and continuing pain from arthritis.  I am sure if I try to keep busy the next 3 weeks will go quickly as with Christmas coming up and 5 grandchildren there is a lot of shopping to do.
  • Lindy1234
    Lindy1234 libralady13

    Posted

    i,too, have Gastroparesis. I agree with taylor15497 about getting the Gastric  Emptytng Test done.  That is the sure-fire way to find out.  Some symptoms can be that you feel full after just a few bites of food or even much liquid.  Fried foods or foods heavy in fat may bother you and complex carbs may feel like they just sit in your stomach forever.  Several posters suggest keeping a food diary to find the offending foods.  One said to start with rice and tinned pears then add foods one at a time and see how yo do.  Hopes this helps!
    • libralady13
      libralady13 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply.I will mention about gastric emptying test when I have the endoscopy. Not sure where you are but am having it done by the NHS not privately. I don't think you can ask for a particular test if they do not think you need it but I will ask about it.I don't feel full after eating a few mouthful and can eat a normal size meal. The bloating comes between meals most of the time. My concern at the moment is not changing my diet too much as I am really worried about becoming constipated again not just for the ibs and all that entails but for my diverticulosis as it could cause an infection and antibiotics etc. Am feeling a bit better this afternoon. In all honesty I don't think the ranitidine make any difference. Just hope I can find out what is wrong soon.

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Forgot to say hope you are coping ok with you gastroparesis. It does seems that you have to find out what helps you by trial and error.
  • Lindy1234
    Lindy1234 libralady13

    Posted

    Yes constipation can be a problem with the GP diet, as it is no or low fiber.  I, too, am at the mercy of a network of doctors, so I do have to have referrals as well.  I'm in Houston, TX. I do hope your endoscopy goes well.  Have you had one before?

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Lindy1234

      Posted

      No I have not had an endoscopy before. I had a lower one earlier this year which is when they diagnosed the diverticular following a bout of constipation. Can't say I am looking forward to it but I will be having light sedation.

  • Lindy1234
    Lindy1234 libralady13

    Posted

    With the light sedation, you won't feel a thing, and it's over before you know it. You will be alert, but won't remember a thing about the procedure.  Some people tough it out and use the throat spray, but I always opt for the light sedation.  If they take any biopsies, you might be uncomfortable for a few days and may have a bit of a sore throat, but that should b the worst of it.  Hope you are able to get some answers soon.

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Thanks for your kind words.  Yes I remember my husband had a sore throat after his as they took a biopsy to test for H pylori.  I had an H pylori breath test around  years ago and it was negative.  I had similar symptoms at the time so that's is why I think anxiety is involved but best to make sure with testing.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Lindy1234

      Posted

      Sedation of any kind should be avoided.  It is not as simple as you describe.  A throat spray causes less complications and you have a quicker recovery.  I had light sedation and I remembered everything about the procedure and I had severe depression within 24 hours and it lasted three weeks.  I felt the tube going down my throat which made me panic and I would have loved to have screamed and asked for the procedure to be stopped had I not been sedated.  I was not informed about the side effects which was unprofessional in my view.  I would have opted for the throat spray instead had I known.
    • libralady13
      libralady13 pippa58442

      Posted

      Hello Thanks for your reply.  Sorry you had a bad experience with sedation.  I had light sedation with a colonoscopy as I suffer from anxiety and was a nervous wreck before I went in.  The sedation kept me relaxed and alert and able to talk the the doctor and nurses through out the procedure.  I rested afterwards but was fine.  I do realise thought that it is different when it is your throat.  Two year ago I had my throat examined by ENT I had a throat spray which made me feel like I couldn't breath for a short while and I had a tube thing down my throat to check my throat and vocal chords it was uncomfortable but not painful.  My husband had an upper endoscopy and he was completely out of it and did not know it had been done apart from the sore throat afterwards. My son in law also had it one with sedation and was fine.  I have been told though that I will have the throat spray and it be offered a light sedation which is lighter than they offer at a hospital as I am having it done in a mobile gastro clinic which is NHS but they use this I think for non urgent cases as  I know from my colonoscopy urgent one are fast tracked through the to the hospital.  It was wrong they did not warn you about the side effects.  Everyone is different but I will certainly bear what you say in mind although I would think my anxiety might make it impossible with out sedation of any kind.  I hope though that they found nothing or if they did were able to treat you. Best wishes to you.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 libralady13

      Posted

       I have have had this kind of reaction before.  For some reason, sedation increases my anxiety. I am an anxious person anyway so this medication on top makes everthing so much worse.  In fact, any type of invasive procedure even those that don't require anaesthesia, causes a huge immune reaction  which triggers an inflammatory response which either takes a long time to settle down or doesn't heal up at all.  My mum had the same kind of reactions. 

      Luckily, nothing was found on my endoscopy and all they could suggest was a weak oesophageal sphincter.  Over the counter antacids and milk help as well as avoiding foods that trigger reflux.

  • iqbal_45667
    iqbal_45667 libralady13

    Posted

    I think best is always to see a Doc and comply with his prescriptions which you are already doing. I just read a notification on this Forum where some one had been suffering from Gastritis/abdomen problems and he benefited with a supplement called Slippery Elm. I heard this name for the first time and thus googled it. You may also see if at all it is worth trying in your case. Good luck.
    • libralady13
      libralady13 iqbal_45667

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply.  I think I remember replying to you some time ago about glaucoma or high eye pressures but I may be wrong so apologies if this is the case.  I have seen references to slippery elm a few times on forums. I will look into it.  Hope you are well yourself.
    • iqbal_45667
      iqbal_45667 libralady13

      Posted

      Thanks. Yes, you did give me your views which were very helpful. By the grace of Almighty, my Glaucoma/ dry AMD still remain in early stage since I was diagnosed 2 years back. Once again, many thanks. Wishing you the best.
    • libralady13
      libralady13 iqbal_45667

      Posted

      So pleased to hear that you are still in the early stages with your glaucoma /Dry AMD. Long may it continue. I wish you the best as well.
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