Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Gastric empyting question???

My son had a gastric study done and found that 78% of his stomach contents were retained.  With this kind of failure (hi rate of food left) is it not imperative to dig for the cause of gasetoparesis.

AND does the stomach emptying delay have other causes beside gasetoparesis?  For a blockage is stomach distention always "necessary".

Thank you very much, Laura
14 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Joe
I recently had a resection of my small intestine.  My doctor says I have Crohn's disease.  I have recently been asked to have a stomach empyting test/xray.  Will this aggravate the irritation to my system?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
check out the post under "Severe Nausea"
"gastroparesis info" posted 3/28

Jeannine
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am suffering from this condition also along with acid relux
am helped by medication and lowfat strict diet.Medications have done some of the work but have had there side effects. THis was brought on a very bad virus this last christmas. Have only suffered afew attacks in last two weeks it has slowed down but still no appetite. Was wondering do you ever get truely better from this?? would like any info...You can reach me at ***@**** Please let me know your tought and comments this is such a hard disease to find info about.Thanks Sharon a different one then the last message
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have suffered from nausea for the last 2 yrs.The DR. gives me prevapac to take and it helps when I'm taking it for 14 days, then when I'm done with the persction the nausea comes back.I seen Dr. yesterday and he's sending me to a specialest.I thought I was the only one with this problem till I went online. I'll welcome any more info on the subject.
                     Thanks Sharron
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
These articles on gastroparesis are very interesting. My son had a gastric transit time done at Mayo Clinic last month, and after 7 hours, less than 26% of the food had made it to the small bowel. They also found that he has a malabsorption syndrome going on, as way too much fat, protein, calories, calcium, vitamins, minerals, etc., are going straight through him and into the stool. We know by testing he has had performed (we spent a total of 4 weeks there) that he suffers from autonomic dysfunction, which causes the gastroparesis, etc. He has lost 43 lbs. since September of 1999. However, none of the physicians have suggested anything other than things like Ensure, and "eat more." No mention of meds such as I have seen in your posts. He had EGD with biopsies of the esophagus, stomach and small bowel (5 total) as they thought sure they would find celiac disease or pancreatic insufficiency, etc., but nothing more than a fair amount of "inflammation."  I am interested in anything anyone has to add.

By the way, they have told us that either he is suffering from a "silent" pheochromocytoma (which would explain 100% of his symptoms, abnormal test results, etc.) or this was caused by the Epstein-Barr virus infection he came down with in August of 1998, which is when his blood pressure was elevated for the first time. An interesting website, if anyone is interested, is the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation at ndrf.org. The autonomic nervous system controls the blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration, pupils, bowel and bladder, and many other things over which we have no control. My son suffers from a multitude of problems with all of the things I have mentioned above except bladder. And he's only 15.

I hope all of you have luck in finding an answer. I realize what it's like to live in what we not so fondly call "autonomic hell."
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My girlfriend is 43 years old, has one kidney, had gestational diabetes, and had a disc removed from her neck (b/c of a car wreck).  She had a baby by c-section the 25th of January 2000.  The baby was and is fine, but his mothers stomach started distending 2 days after birth. Her first doctor (obgyn) said it was normal to have some swelling, that was fine. Then, two days later, she looked like she was 9 months pregnant.  We told him something must not be right, but he looked and felt her stomach and said it should go away in a few days. (24 hours after the baby was born, the nurses gave her solid food against the doctors orders). Dr. sent her home even when she was in severe pain and looked like she was 9 months pregnant.  That night, she was in so much pain that the next morning she went into the ER. They did blood tests and thought it was pancreatitis.  Well, 2 days later, the Dr. hadn't gotten a specialist and said she had an ileus. I looked it up in a medical book and I figured that she had peritonitis.  The dr. said NO. We figured he was giving us the run-around. We requested that he find out what the problem was or get a specialist. Well, 3 days later, after tryiung to call and get in touch with him, he gets one and he orders emergency surgery immediately. My girlfriend had 2 perforations on her large intestines and had two colostomies done on her that night. The sepcialist said she had peritonitis, septis, and a little pneumonia in her liungs. Her insides were full of fecal matter, they suck it all out. Five days later, they did another surgery to take pus from around her liver, pancreas and all around. They put her on a respirator and don't know when to take it off.  Another 4 days and they are wanting to do another small opening to explore her abdomen. They should have found out the first 2 surgeries. The specialist told me that she didn't have Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, or peptic ulcers, no hepatitis, no pancreatitis, no meckel diverticulum, non inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal polyps, fecal impaction, or fecal incontinence.  He said there might be intestinal obstruction, ischemia of bowel or proctiles but he does not think so.

What causes an intestine to perforate?  Is it from being distended too long?  How long does it take to get septic when the abdomen is filled with stool and gas?  "Are the doctors missing something here?  have you ever heard of such a thing like this happening?

I think the first doctor had a bit of negligence and malpractice on his part.  Could an epidural have caused the bowels or paralize and not come back, or cause peritonitis?
Please answer me or send me to where I can get answers right away. PLEASE HURRY BEFORE THEY DO ANOTHER SURGERY!!
My email address is : ***@****
Thanking you in advance,
I am Greg LeBlanc
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hi I also have gastroparesis but have had bowel problems also . I just had a subtotal colemecty which is removing of the colon and large instestine.  But the trouble is my gastroparesis has gotten worst. I am on more medicine.  I hope to have a pacemaker put in my stomach one of these days.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
kim
Hi everyone...do any of you , or have any of you had problems with foul smelling, eggy burping and upper stomach cramping?  I have had my gallbladder out, but have a slightly narrowed pylorus (which I have no idea what that means!)  I get nauseated and am unable to work when I get these nasty "attacks".  It takes hours to get over them, and for the next 2-3 days I have to basically drink fluids for my poor stomach to relax.  No pathology like pancreatic cancer..I had a CT.  Any ideas?    Thanks so much.  Kim
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dear Laura,
I assume that the gastric emptying test was ordered because of symptoms that your son displayed e.g. poor appetite, 'filled up quickly', vomiting.  The study does indeed demonstrate substantail dysmotility.  I would think that looking for an underlying cause would be appropriate.  IF a treatable cause is found, then you would not have to consider symptomatic therapy with prokinetic agents.  

Gastroparesis refers to a condition in which impaired muscle contractility is the cause for the retained food in th estomach.  Alterations in motor function or neural innervation of the gastric muscle e.g. in diabetes, can cause gastroparesis  It is necessary to exclude mechanical obstruction e.g. strictures, congenital abnormalities, pancreatitis because these conditions have specific treatments which can prevent gastric stasis
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Pat:

Just read all the articles on the internet on gastroparesis, and it makes several mentions about vagus nerve damage and the coorelation to gastroparesis. I am living it.

Carol
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Pat
Carol,

I too am living it, and have been told it was due to damage done during a Laporoscopic Nissen Fundoplication done for GERD. I now have a motility and absorption problem also as well as the return of GERD.  Traveled to Mayo where they identified all of this and work closely with the doctor out there.  

I read all the time and wait for a "miracle" drug to hit the market.

Pat
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have recently had a gastric emptying study done and was told that it took 820 minutes for the contents to empty. I have recently had my gallbladder remover and the hida scan was abnormal to with an injection fraction of 5%.  I have been told that I have a motilty problem of the whole digestive tract. I am only 33 years old. Up till know I have only had problem with IBS.  I am know taking propulsid and am changing my diet but the pain is consent.  Is there anything else I can do to improve the way I feel?  Do I have to take this medication from know on.

Thank you
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Laura:

I am not a doctor but someone who knows quite a bit about gadtroparesis. Many things can cause the stomach to not empty properly. Yes an obstruction of some kind can cause delay in gastric emptying, diabetes, viruses, prior surgery around the area of the stomach that might have damaged the vagus nerve. etc....

If the standard prokinteic medications do not work for your son, then I would make sure I found a doctor who could do some further testing to maybe get more answers and maybe rule what is not causing the problem. Gastroparesis is a funny problem because often there is no found cause and remains a mystery. That is why many people have what they call idiopathic " of unknown origin" gastroparesis.

You are welcome to e-mail me at ***@****.

Carol
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Pat
Carol
You mention damage to the vagus nerve as a possible cause of gastroparesis.  Do you have any research to support this and if so would you please share the source/sources.

Thanks
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Digestive Disorders / Gastroenterology Forum

Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem