medicine to help push food through

[Ufrustrated2]

what is the general medicine doctors prescribe to MS patients that have the issue of food not passing out of stomach in a normal time. {whatever normal is}

i take miralax for constipation but over the yeras when i eat i get really full quickly and "seems" like it takes forever for the food to move on from the stomach.

[Ufrustrated2]

wonder if a med like Nuvigil would help with the gastroparesis ?

[Ufrustrated2]

hey Louey, deborah, twopack and all,

>>Domperidone (brand name Motilium)
  
i will ask the VA neuro about it. i will add that i have brought up gastro,intestinal issues once or twice before and he made it clear he didn't want to discuss things. that that was for gastro doctors. i have some friends in other country's, an option to aks them to get it for me if i can't here.

in the past on some AD's i noticed for a few weeks my gastro issues seemd to go back to normal --- but never did it last. those AD's were the kind that "up'd" you a bit, know what i mean? i only take the AD cymbalta now for irritability and pain.

i remember a non-VA gave me zelonorm to try. at first i felt like i was normal in the gastro area. loved it. but it was short lived and they took it off the market for good reason.

i have had gastro problems ever since my CSF became infected after a back injury, then inflammed with o-bands, then dx with ms. i'm just a lay person but i have an analysis background and those dots connected are quite pervasive to me.

i will be asking my VA neuro for a fatigue medicine soon. the brain numb is getting to me. maybe the med he gives me will help with the gastroparesis?

i'll be seeing one of the non-VA neuro's soon too. at least i get answers from him and i'll ask him about the gastroparesis.

this part of MS has been an extreme "socially inteference" for me. like eating is just something i do to exist, the enjoyment of eating left me years ago.

and deborah, that happens to me frequently about the meal taking so long to get itself moving.

i didn't make it today due to the gastro pains and fatigue. maybe i ate something. but i've had these pains before that come out of nowhere.

many thanks to you all. your insight is helpful and helps me to remember i'm not losing my mind.

[twopack]

Zelnorm was taken off the market in 2007 because it was found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Interesting discussion.  Thanks for everyone's input.

Mary

[deborah0904]

I came to the forum today especially to ask how many MS'rs experience gastroparesis.  I don't remember the Dr. telling me I had this however; when the radiologist was doing my upper gi 10 years ago, they told me that my stomach didn't empty as quickly as it should.

Also, at that time I was experiencing a myriad of ms symptoms and just didn't know I had ms.  Actually, I wasn't diagnosed until almost 2 years ago.  This past weekend, I suffered miserably because my friday night dinner didn't seem to digest until late Saturday afternoon.  

Last night, it all of a sudden dawned on me what the radiologist told me 10 years ago and I realized that it may have been a very important and overlooked symptom of my ms.  I just wonder how common gastroparesis is in ms patients.

thanks for posting your question

[Celery47]

Hey there Ufrustrated2!

I hope I can help.  I think you're describing gastroparesis?  

I got diagnosed with gastroparesis at 17, and here are some of the medicines I've tried:

-Reglan (metaclopramide), worked pretty well on my stomach, but gave me Parkinsonian symptoms and this horrible, horrible internal restlessness... I don't know how to describe it exactly.  It was one of the worst sensations I've ever felt.  I gave Reglan a good honest try (for about a month?) but quit because of the extra symptoms; ugh, I was not happy with it.  The scary thing - apparently if you take it long enough, the parkinson's stuff can get permanent!!  I said, nooooo thanks.  Oh, and Reglan also makes you pretty darn sleepy, which is HORRIBLE in conjunction with the restlessness.  It's like, you'll be laying there half-asleep, and wanting to crawl out of your own skin at the same time...  

-Erythromyacin (spelling?) is I think a general anti-biotic, and for some reason, a month-long course seems to help gastroparesis, although the effect is short-term (weeks to months, I think).  Also, I think it only works a couple of times on most people, or at least its effect decreases with the more courses you take.  Like, you only get a couple go's with this in your lifetime.

-Domperidone (brand name Motilium), I looove this stuff.  I should mention that it can give you short-term belly cramps for the first couple days that you're on it (or even for the first two weeks or so) but this side-effect goes completely away with time.  Also, it can make you lactate (yikes!).  Otherwise, though, no side effects!  You have to get it from out of the country, so you probably can't get it covered by insurance (I'm afraid I don't know too much about the workings of the VA), but it's only about 30 cents a pill.  This stuff has been a huuuuge help for me.

Oh, I haven't ever taken it, but I think the drug that tonyad mentioned is Cisapride, which got pulled for causing (I think) strokes?  Or maybe heart attacks?  I think it got pulled in 2003.

Unfortunately, that's pretty much the entire gamut of drugs they can prescribe for gastroparesis.  There's experimental work with stomach pace-makers, which is exciting!  Oh, also, I read a study that found that stimulants (amphetamine, Ritalin, and meth-amphetamine) helped out with gastroparesis, and I believe in this study Ritalin worked the best (I am currently on Ritalin - for fatigue - but I like to think it's helping out my stomach too!  Ha, and noooooo way I am getting a Rx for meth, yikes!!)  

I've also heard of using Zelnorm (which is usually for IBS, I believe?) and Viagra, although I've not tried either of these.  Oh, I've also read about a drug called Mestinon?  I think it's actually for myasthenia gravis, but I read about some research that shows it might be good for gastroparesis.  

Okay, those are all of the specifically-gastroparesis-related drugs that I know of!  The doctors might try to throw some other basic anti-nausea drugs at you - like compazine.  But I don't think these actually help your stomach speed up - plus, as far as I know, all of the anti-nausea drugs that DON'T cost the earth have horrible side effects.  Haha, at least in my experience!  I can't actually even remember what happened when I tried compazine... I just remember it was HORRIBLE :P  

Okay, well, I hope you find something that works!  :)  Good luck to you!

-Louey

[Ufrustrated2]

i ran out of my Levsin (Hyoscyamine) that the VA gives me. it is more for cramps and stuff i think -- but i could be wrong.

my intestinal issues are usually consto though it can alterante when ever it gets a mind to.

that drug you mentioned about being pulled, yeah that is along the lines of what i was thinking about. thought there may be a new one i could try.

like my food just moves too slow or something. and it isn't medicine as i had this issue before i stated taking meds for my symptoms.

thanks all

[tonyad]

   Hello, I have Gastroparesis and have been givin the rx of Levsin.
This is also used in people with Myasthenia gravis (a disorder in which muscles become weak and tire easily). However this is not an rx you would use if you
had diarrhea.

    I was givin something else amny years ago...can't think of the name of it
but it was pulled by FDA.

   Hope this helps
~Tonya

[Wobbly]

I don't know the answer to this question, but I hope someone here can give you an answer.. it seems to be a problem with some people here.

take care
wobbly