Gastroparesis

[GROVER1227]

I am a 41 year old woman.  A couple of months ago my stomach became extremely distended. I look pregnant and have difficulty eating. I have nausea, a little vomiting and a feeling of fullness after only a little food. I feel much better when I have only liquids. I have seen a GP two GI's and a gynecologist. I have had blood work, abdominal x-rays, an ultrasound, a barium swallow x-ray, an EGD and a gastric emptying scan. All have been normal. Before the emptying scan my doctor told me he was certain I had gastroparesis. After the normal scan he called and said I must be feeling better. I told him I wasn't and now he wants to order more tests. I really believe I have gastroparesis. Could the scan have been wrong? Could I have it and still have normal results? I am exhausted and frustrated. I just want to know whats wrong. Please help.

[c90]

hi, my girlfriend is 48, and what you've gone through sounds like what we are going through right now. she can eat ok but can't pass it though. she get very distented mostly air, some bowel and is very painful. she also deals with migraines. her migraines meds were changed, so the dr. think this change just shut her bowels down and maybe caused and obstruction. shes been in the hosp. for about a week now still distended. barium enema was done giving her some relief but still distended. this is her third time in the hosptial in 6 mo. she hasn't been diag. with anything yet. she's going through a rough time mentally as well as phyically. but we will beat it. hang in there.

[CalGal]

While you're trying to figure out what's going on, you may want to follow a gastroparesis diet it might allow you to feel a bit better. You can find an example on www.gicare.com.

The idea behind it is your stomach empties different food groups at different rates. So liquids move through fairly easily. Fats are retained the longest.

[toonzee]

Hi Grover.....my daughter was diagnosed in Oct.2007 with gastroparesis and she was diagnosed with that based on the outcome she had following a 90 min. gastro emptying test.  She was referred to a specialist who did a 4 hour gastro emptying test and after 4 hours she was "normal".  We were frustrated because she was not normal.  She still couldnt eat, vomited and felt sick every single day.  On a repeat office visit my daughter asked why she would vomit 6 hours after a meal and bring up her dinner, if her stomach was "empty" after the 4 hour test.  He told us that on the day of her test, she was not having many symptoms and that the "guidelines" for abnormal emptying tests had changed and based on the old guidelines, she would have been diagnosed with gastroparesis.  So the emptying tests can vary day to day and that is only a tool and not the only means for diagnosis.  The GI doctor put her on "dom peridone" which is not approved in the US, but is in Canada and that has helped her tremendously.  She finally gained some weight back and although she still has gastroparesis, but that medicine reduces her symptoms drastically.  Hope this helps/.