Gastroparesis

[lamazon]

I had an EGD for my acid reflux and after fasting all night, I still had food in my stomach. My doctor ordered a "stomach emptying" test that lasted 4 hours. After 4 hours, I still had food in my stomach, but I don't know how much. I'm waiting for my doctor to call. I don't have the usual symptoms (nausea, vomiting, weight loss). In fact I have no symptoms at all. I take Omeprazole for acid reflux/hiatal hernia, and I take Synthroid for hypothyroidism. I also take Zetia every other day for cholesterol. All of these are working well, but I hope they are not the cause of my Gastroparesis. I don't want to take anymore medications, especially the ones that are given for Gastroparesis. Since I don't have the usual symptoms, do I really need medication for it?

[lamazon]

Thank you for the information you gave me. I'm never off my Omeprazole, except when I took the Gastric Emptying Scan, and I got heartburn, not nausea. I'm going to work on my diet first, instead of depending on medication and I won't eat/drink before bed. I had no idea you shouldn't eat 4 hours before bed, or drink anything 2 hours before bed. Again, thanks!

[GhostOf1901]

Correction: "(avoiding all food 4+ hours before bed, and LIQUIDS 2 + hours)"

[GhostOf1901]

Heartburn/GERD can be a symptom of gastroparesis, so don't discount it. And if you're off your Omeprazole, do you get any nausea? A lot of people with Gastroparesis don't get many of the symptoms. In fact, the most common symptom is bloating.

If I were to put money on anything I'd say that the gastroparesis might be caused by the hypothyroidism. (It's not an uncommon association.) An adjustment to these meds may show improvement in the condition.

As far as medication is concerned, a lot of people--particularly those without many symptoms--get by with simple dietary changes like avoiding fatty meals, and eating 6 smaller meals during the day. Some do better with liquid meals in the evenings (avoiding all food 4+ hours before bed, and 2+ hours). Every person is different, so it's all a matter of experimentation.

Even without symptoms you want to treat the condition by trying to find the root cause. Failure to do so may lead to the condition worsening, even though GP is often a self limiting condition. Alternative treatments for GP, in the meantime, could be things like Yoga and acupuncture. Some herbal supplements (shatavari, iberogast) have been reported to help with gastric emptying time, but your results here may vary.

Good luck.