nutrition and other symptoms of gastroparesis

[kara686]

I am diagnosed with gastroparesis and finally found a GI who believes that you can be this heavy on only this much food and who is willing to work with me on liquid nutrition.  I have also been diagnosed with IBS, although the IBS diet made me sick for two years--gastroparesis was undiagnosed.  I am having ankle swelling, chronic fatique, and short-term memory loss.  I am allergic to reglan, and just came off a bunch of medications, so I am not willing to use any meds that only act short-term.  GI thinks ankle swelling is nutrition problem.  Take many vitamin supplements, and added potassium when leg cramps started.  Also chronically thirsty.  Even medications are affected--it takes an hour or more for anything to kick in, so sleep meds are out of the question.  I do take wellbutrin and ritalin for ADHD, which also seems to control depression and anxiety symptoms.  I was at a high dose of cymbalta for a couple of years, and have read that cymbalta is linked to GI problems and some other problems, such as continuous bleeding.  I recently had to have a hysterectomy for that--but my healing is slow, delayed almost a month.  Has anyone else had problems like this related to cymbalta?  I am not diabetic, but I was taking 120 mg for depression/anxiety.  Does anyone else have problems with medication absorption?  How do you manage this?  And has anyone found a way to get rid of the fluid retention and ankle swelling?  I am just glad to be out of chronic pain--crippling for the past two years--and to have a useful GI who can treat a non-surgical chronic condition.  I am supposed to return to full-time work soon, and don't know how I will manage with the chronic fatigue, but eating more is not an option.  I teach, so eating during the day will be more of a challenge--and getting off my feet is not an option.  Has anyone found any nutrional products that increase energy naturally?  I don't expect to be "normal" again.  I hate even thinking about eating, but there is still so much of my life that I don't want to lose to this stupid thing.  Miralax, probiotics, and Activia seem to help with bowel function.  Other than that, I am drinking ensure, taking vitamins, and trying to remember to eat.  However, I am still always tired.  Would be happy for any suggestions.  Walking is best exercise at the moment, so I do that whenever I can.  That's really all I can manage right now.  Would be grateful for any advice to prolong the worsening of this condition.
Thanks!


This discussion is related to Gastroparesis.