Annie62

Thank you for responding to my answers.  The thing is Im bloated and Im frequent urination. I don't know if this comes together or 2 different things.....Im so skinny and Im bloated 24 hours a day. I urnites every hour.  Its annoying....   I have no infections.  You said you have gastriphied.  Can't spell the word     lol

[bip]

Im sorry for keep posting Im just nervous........I do have a bad case of GERD.  I know that doesn't help.  Im going to see my primary care doctor she what she thinks.   Did you ever get sick with this?
The urination do you do that pee every hour just don't know what is wrong with me? Im afraid its stomach cancer?

[bip]

One more thing is this something serious?

[Annie62]

You must have posted at the same time I did-our posts crossed paths.  I'm glad you are planning to go to your doctor soon.  If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.  I don't mind sharing what I know at all.  

[Annie62]

Have you gone to a doctor to tell them about your bloating and your frequent urination?  That is the first thing you should do.  No, frequent urination is not a symptom of gastroparesis.  Gastroparesis involves the stomach (and sometimes the small intestine).  It is usually caused by neuropathy/nerve damage or sometimes stomach muscle damage, and the causes of the nerve/muscle damage can be numerous.  

You asked if gastroparesis is serious.  Well, it depends what you mean by serious.  It can be serious (though not deadly except in very rare circumstances) if it is severe on scan and your symptoms are severe-meaning significant pain and bloating or vomiting.  People who have lots of nausea and vomiting and can't keep down their food are at risk of becoming anorexic/malnourished.  Do you throw up as well?  Some of those people have to go on tubes into their small intestines that bypass their stomachs.  They are the EXCEPTION, though.  Most people who have gastroparesis don't have severe GP and even if they do have severe GP, like me, they can keep their food down, so becoming underweight isn't an issue.  Mine is severe on scan and I have pain every day from mine and bloating/pressure, especially after eating, that feels like my stomach is shoved up into my chest-very uncomfortable.  I also have chronic reflux from mine, especially if I eat late at night.  There are drugs for gastroparesis to move the food through more quickly if you do have it.  Also, change in diet helps.  It is best to eat small meals more often (like 5 times a day) and eat low-fat (fat slows digestion) and low-fiber (it's hard for a nerve-damaged stomach to grind up food).  But low-fiber is unhealthy, so one can cook foods down to make them softer or puts raw foods in the blender.  

The best test to diagnose it is the gastric emptying scan, but they might want to do an endoscopy (EGD) first (put a scope down your esophagus and stomach)-if you haven't already had that-to see what is going on (make sure there is no blockage) before doing the scan.

One more thing.  You might not even have gastroparesis, but I'm writing this only in case you do.  One of the MAIN causes of gastroparesis is DIABETES.  Type in "diabetes and gastroparesis" and you will come up with tens of thousands of articles (it's called "diabetic gastroparesis").  I am mentioning this because you said you have frequent urination and that is a major symptom of diabetes.  Also, losing weight can be a symptom of diabetes as well (you mentioned you were thin and can't gain weight).  I might be way off the mark, but please go to a doctor and tell him/her that you have chronic bloating of your abdomen, have to pee every hour, and can't seem to gain any weight.  They can easily test you for diabetes.  Regardless, you should go to a doctor and tell them of ALL your symptoms-including the frequent urination.  

[lizziecee]

Annie is on the ball. You can get a diabetes urine test kit from the local pharmacy. Saves the cost of a visit to your PCP initially.
Love, your old friend Liz.