Mild gastroparesis, small polyps, possible Barrett's, oh my...

[Fluffysmom]

Had my upper endoscopy this rough morning (flat tire on the way there, sleepless night with neighbor playing loud music late, etc.), and it was interesting.

My gastro came in and told me that she had removed some small polyps from my stomach which was mildly irritated, most likely from my gastroparesis, and that she had taken a couple biopsies, the results will be back in a week or two.  I was kind of loopy from the meds, but got out the words "I  have gastroparesis?"  She said yes, that I should be on the gastroparesis diet she gave me after my colonoscopy.

The discharge papers list under findings:

1. mild gastritis, biopsis obtained to r/o h. pylori.
2. irregular GE junction, biopsies obtained to r/o short segment Barrett's esophagus.
3.small gastric polyps, excised.

Plan:  pending pathology

So, now I'm eating very little.  I don't have any white bread or saltines, so I've improvised with my whole wheat bread and english muffins, canned fruit, low-fat cheese; that's it so far today.  My tummy hurts; I guess she took plenty of biopsies.  I've been wanting to lose weight; seems like it happens every time I see this doc, lol!

I'm soooo tired.  I've taken one nap, and could use another.  I'm hungry but my tummy hurts, my throat is sore. Waaahhh!  Enough of that.

I am concerned about the suggested diet not containing proper nutrition. My hope is that just eating smaller portions of my normal food would be enough to calm things down.

So, would the gastroparesis (slowed emptying of the stomach) be related to my MS?  What are the chances that it will go beyond mild?  Will following this crazy diet keep it from worsening, or just keep my tummy more calm?

Always more questions....

Kathy

[kayley23]

this is strange...i just got home from having an upper GI endoscopy done. i've been having severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea whenever i eat even a few bites for the last month. i've lost 15lbs! my tummy's always been bad, since i was a kid, long before i was dx'd with MS in 2004. i didn't get much info from the dr. today, but apparently they found and removed polyps and irritation, did some biopsies, etc. i'll be waiting 2 weeks to find out more. until then, the dr upped my prevacid dose to 30mg twice daily. that's going to get spendy! they also mentioned gastroparesis...which i'd had a suspicion of. every so often, especially when i'd eat lots of whole wheat my tummy would just STOP...no movement. the food would just sit there like a brick and i'd end up with awful trouble....and other times, i would randomly start vomiting and have awful stomach pain and diarrhea just out of nowhere, as soon as food would hit my tummy. ....i think between IBS, MS and all the meds i'm on my tummy has always been in trouble....i'm just hoping it will start to get better soon. i can't take much more of this!!

[Nancy T]

Gosh, those comments about diet sure sound familiar... I've never had any stomach testing, but I can no longer eat any significant amount of fiber. I can eat one small serving of veggies OR one piece of whole-grain bread OR one pear, for example, but I can't eat two fiber sources on the same day!

Also can't eat too much fat, although, like Celery47, I do better with fat than fiber. And for some reason I can eat all the nuts I want with no problem.

I rarely eat out--any kind of unusual or restaurant/deli foods are bound to upset my system. Quite a few foods are gone altogether--how sad not to be able to eat corn on the cob, cornbread, or tortilla chips!!

I think my esophagus is not a happy camper, either--the slightest irritation (yawning, eating semi-dry foods without a drink following every bite, etc.) will often send me into a coughing spasm. The only things I can eat without very frequent drinks are things like soup and yogurt.

Hope your biopsies come out OK, Kathy! Fingers crossed.

[tonyad]

   Sorry to hear about your father.  I am so glad for you that you have a Gastrologist
who is so in tune to you and your hx. That is hard to come by :)

  I too worry a bit sometimes about the Barrett's because of how severe my GERD is.
Actually, like you, I will be having an upper and lower done soon to make sure all is still in pretty good shape ...(LOl )      WAIT....Did you have lower done (colonoscopy)?
or just upper?  I figure, what the heck while they are probing one end....might as well probe the other.....ha ha

Be Well,
~Tonya
ps..I love the frozen friut bars also.......

[Fluffysmom]

Hi Tonya, I was typing while you posted.

My gastro said inflamed, I just couldn't think of the word, and that its mild.  She said it was most likely from my gastroparesis.  We had discussed it as a possibility when I saw her late last year for my colonoscopy.  I think she's ruling out the h. pylori because that is a common finding with the polyps.  I'm sure she'll prescribe antibiotics if it's found, though I've been tested several times over the years to see if that's what's causing some of my problems and its always been negative.  I could have picked it up, though.

I've been on longterm Prevacid for GERD and formerly was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus (short segment).  In 2006 my old gastro said he didn't see any sign of it, and that he didn't really believe in that short segment Barretts, anyway.  My dad died from esophageal cancer that started as Barrett's, so I wanted to make sure, found a new gastro.

I appreciate your concern!  

Kathy

[Fluffysmom]

Hey, thanks!

I went for the "fun" already, a frozen fruit bar with strawberries, pineapple, coconut, etc.  :o)  

Oh, I love all the veggies; l love to visit the farmer's markets and buy fresh produce.  I love swiss chard, beet greens, spinach, basil, tomatoes, zucchini, crookneck squash,  baby turnips, those long radishes, sweet corn, mmmmmm!  Not to mention strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples; fresh, crisp, oh yeah.

I could cook them a little more, eat smaller portions, experiment.  I have a friend that sometimes peels seedless grapes because she wants them so bad and has diverticulitis so shouldn't have the skins, lol.  I can't see peeling a cherry or seeding a strawberry!  

I've had less than 900 calories today; isn't that too little?  Hee hee.  :oD

Kathy

[tonyad]

  On your discharge papers it reads:
Gastritis??  That means inflamation in your stomach (gastro = stomach)
(itis = inflamation) which makes since because you said that the doctor had said
it looked irritated. And it looks like she is also trying to rule out Helicobacter pylori bacteria which is A bacteria found in the lining of the gastric system which can cause stomach infections resulting in conditions such as peptic ulcer disease, dyspepsia and GASTRITIS. If that were posistive then you would be on a long course of AntiBiotics.

   But, Gastroparesis is Not the same thing as Gastritis. Gastroparesis is a condition that affects the ability of the stomach  to empty its contents, but there is no blockage (obstruction).

  Just checking to make sure that your paper work was in order and saying the correct
verbage as this would be important for you to know.

Take Care,
~Tonya

[Celery47]

Hi!  Wow, you have gastroparesis too!  I am dx, and I know there are a couple other people on this forum who are wondering about it... huh!  

I am sorry about your stomach problems, and your gastroparesis :(  And yikes, sounds like a pretty crazy day!  Wow, a flat tire on the way to surgery?  Oh man.  I know the diet isn't so much fun sometimes - especially those crunchy green vegetables, I miss those the most - but I really think it can be worth it.  And everybody's different - maybe small amounts will be fine with you (I hope so!).  I have to say, though, I feel SO much better since I've worked out a gastroparesis-friendly diet.  Ha, the veggie cravings get kind of intense sometimes (for me, my weakness is lettuce), and then I figure out why veggies aren't a good idea all over again.  

Do you have a sweet-tooth?  Because, if you do, the good news is you get to eat a lot of sugary things!  Also, I don't know if this is just me but I find I can get away with fat way better than I can with fiber... so, you know, ice cream and pizza are still in :)  

Oh, another thing: I really recommend considering domperidone.  It's like Reglan without the side-effects, and it's awesome... a total lifesaver for me.  The trick is that you can't get it in the US, but actually filling the prescription abroad is actually quite easy.  I so wish I'd started this as soon as I was dx'd - but doctors don't tend to know about it!  Well, anyway, just something to consider.

Oh, one more suggestion!  If you need to add some fiber, Benefiber is gastroparesis-friendly.  Not Metamucil though - I think it's because Metamucil starts getting absorbed in your stomach, whereas Benefiber waits for your intestines, something like that.

And I hear you, about worrying over nutrition requirements! :(  

As far as the MS connection goes, I don't really know anything for sure either, besides that MS is sometimes listed as a cause of gastroparesis.  I think I've read that juvenile MS tends to manifest with stomach complaints - shoot, I think that was MS.  I am not diagnosed with MS, btw.  I've got clean MRIs but bands in my cerebral-spinal fluid, and the doctors seem to think something strange is going on in there...  I will definitely let you know if they tell me something re: the MS-gastroparesis connection.  

Here's wishing you well! :)

[michelleric]

Wow, that diet doesn't include too much "fun" foods! WIshing you luck on this...
Thinking of you,
Michelle

[Fluffysmom]

Sample menu from step 3 of the Gastroparesis Diet, the biggest meals:

Breakfast: skim milk, 1/2 cup, cream of wheat, 1/2 cup, sugar, 2 tsp., orange juice, 1/2 cup, white toast, 1 slc, margarine, 1 tsp., jelly, 1 Tbsp.

morning snack: low-fat yogurt, 1 cup, Sprite 1/2 cup

Lunch: tuna fish, 2 oz., low-fat mayo, 2 Tbsp, white bread, 2 slc, canned peaches, 1/2 cup, gatorade, 1/2 cup.

afternoon snack:  chocolate pudding (made with skim milk) 1/2 cup, gingerale, 1/2 cup

Dinner:  baked chicken, 2 oz.  white rice, 1/2 cup, cooked beets, 1/2 cup, 1 dinner roll, skim milk, 1/2 cup, margerine, 2 tsp.

evening snack:  ice milk, 1/2 cup, pretzels, 2

I guess the idea is to eat small meals, low fiber and fat, things that are easy to digest.  I think they throw in the pop and gatorade to make up the calories not consumed while eating such small amounts.

Still the calories are 1822, protein 75 gm., carbs 286 gm., fat 42 gm, sodium 2234 mg, potassium 2467 mg.  Nothing about fiber, since you don't consume much.  

Fruits have to be of the skinless variety, no seeds, (no tomatoes!), veggies of the soft cooked kind; no cruciferous veggies, no beans, legumes, whole grains, spicy food; the stuff I love.

I gave it up after a few days last time.  I have broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini in the fridge, onions and tomatoes on the counter, all of them no-nos.  I want to make this North African Chickpea dish with onion, garlic, ginger, diced dried apricots, yams, sliced almonds, all no-nos.  I might just have to say "no", and eat small portions.  Maybe leave out the red pepper flakes.  :o(

sigh.  

[Guitar_grrrl]

Hi, Kathy,

I've heard Gastroparesis has been linked to MS, but that's all I know.  

What's this crazy diet?  I tend to steer away from anything other than real food - nothing pre-packaged or prepared.  No "weird stuff" added.

Hugs, and glad to see you back here!
Guitar_grrrl