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294425 tn?1288528395

Quix - Gastric Emptying

Hiya... I don't know if any of you guys remember me - I haven't been on here much at all for a long time.  Been struggling alot, for quite a while now, it seems... :)  I asked Quix a question yesterday, and she wanted me to post it here on the main forum, so here goes, lol.

Have any of you had any issues with gastric emptying?  I had my stomach scoped a couple of weeks ago, because I was having ALOT of trouble with my food getting stuck at the end of my esophagus (I mean stuff like scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes) and having a great deal of pain in my central chest.  I had initially written that off to the MS Hug that started this whole nightmare, but then gradually the swallowing issues got worse and worse and I was forced to address them.

The EGD showed 2 ulcers in my stomach, and he had to dilate my esophagus, as it had developed a significant narrowing.  (For the record, if anyone suggests this procedure to any of you, my suggestion is to politely decline, lol.  It was not pleasant.)  He started me on meds for acid reflux (which I never knew I had), and I returned yesterday for the results of the biopsies.  No cancer (thank God!) and no infections - so now I have to get yet ANOTHER test to check if my stomach is too slow to empty.  If so, that would probably be causing the acid to hang around too long and bore holes in my stomach and irritate the esophagus to the point of narrowing.  I asked if MS could cause that and he got kinda cagey and finally said that yes, that was quite possibly the cause.

Have any of you had that particular issue?  I was just curious... :)  If any of you have any insight, I would much appreciate it...

Quix also wanted me to update you guys on how I'm doing - you know how I ramble, so I will try to keep it short, lol!  I am hanging in, but fighting on alot of fronts these days ... :)  Still on Tysabri ... had my 14th infusion last week.  Discussed the PML issues with my neuro, and we are tentatively staying the course for now, but the situation is very fluid at this point.  Lots of issues cropping up these days ... recurrent UTI's, skin issues, the stomach issues, frequent low grade temps, etc.  The fatigue is bad, the balance/swaying is ramping up again, there are numerous other old things cropping up, and some new, unsettling things as well, that we are keeping an eye on.  Both my neuro and my family doc are watching me very closely - I am so very blessed to be in such good hands.  I know I am very fortunate... :)  

But that is why I don't participate here much these days.  Most days, I am not on the computer much, either due to the fatigue, or to the issues I have been having with my hands.  I transitioned into long term disability a while back, and it looks like I should have a decision from Social Security in the next few weeks.  That has been a very difficult issue for me emotionally ... :)  Never in a million years did I think I would be in this position at this point in my life - but I truly feel that God has His plans, and He knows what He is doing.  

This journey is teaching me many things, so I can't really complain.  I am still blessed in so many ways in my life.  I am finding that the more complicated things get, the more at peace I become ... sounds crazy, but it's true, lol.  My faith keeps becoming stronger and stronger, and that has been such a wonderful thing.  

Hope things are going well with all my old friends here, and hello to all you new folks ... :)  And to you new guys - this forum is an awesome place, and these are some of the finest people you will ever come across.  This group is a wonderful family - it has helped me and supported me so many times and in so many ways ... so I want to say thank you to all of you once again....

Bye for now,
Rita
  
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294425 tn?1288528395
Hi Everybody... thank you so much for all your quick responses!  I appreciate any and all insights... :)

Deb - nice to hear from you, too!  Interesting that you have the spasms... I still wonder if that is also part of this, because when I get the pain it sometimes goes pretty high up into my chest - it isn't just low at the junction of my stomach.  Tell your sister I said Hi, and that I am sorry to hear that she is also battling infections and having to deal with the disability issue.  If you get time and don't mind, could you PM me with any other side effects/problems she has had since being on Tysabri?  I know I am very unusual in the difficult course I have had with it.  Thanks for anything you may be willing to share.... :)

Tonya - Nice to "meet" you ... :)  I did not know that the emptying issue could come and go.  What did they do to treat the problem when you had it?  The test you describe is exactly what my GI guy told me it would be like.  At least this should be alot less painful than getting my esophagus dilated, lol.

Quix - interesting about what your neuro said.  The GI guy thought MS was the probable underlying cause, and when I last saw my neuro, he had said that the MS wouldn't have caused the stricture, but that it usually causes problems with motility in the esophagus or stomach.  I will have to do some reading and ask some more questions, I guess, lol.  Thanks for the kind words about the SS issue ... :)  I am gradually coming to terms with it all.   Once I know their decision, one way or the other, I think I will feel like a weight is off my shoulders, you know?  The waiting makes you crazy - I applied at the beginning of August!  And I will do my best to stick around here more, I promise ... :)

LuLu - Hiya... :) - hmmm... wouldn't it be weird if you were having emptying issues also?  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!  Cameron got in last nite from Michigan, and I get to keep him till Sunday, so that is wonderful... :)  And I will make him work while he's here, lol!  But he's always such a wonderful help, anyway.  Looks like Josh and his wife and the baby will be here for a week over Christmas - I am looking forward to it, but I know it will be very hard on me, you know?  As far as lunch, email me ... is there anything that looks good for you after this week?  Sooner or later, it's gotta work for us, LOL!!

Talk to you all later,
Rita
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
Hi Rita,
Its so good to see you out and about in public!  :-)

I'll have to think about that gastric emptying and talk to my gi doc in January when I go in to see him - it sure would help to explain why I developed these problems in the past couple years.  

Have a happy thanksgiving with your DH and children - let them do the cooking and cleaning up!

lots of love to you,
L

PS lets do lunch, ok?  LOL

Helpful - 0
378497 tn?1232143585
Quix, you remind me of a question I have: Wouldn't the CNS nerves leading to those unmyelinated fibers have myelination? They're above the lumbar, right?

Cosmo...thanks for updating. I'm sorry that you're having so many things on your plate and processing the long-term disability situation. And what Quix said. There is no failure. There is only one day at a time.

Bio
Helpful - 0
147426 tn?1317265632
Slow emptying of the stomach is called gastroparesis (stomach weakness).  It is actually very common and my neuro said it was due to unmyelinated nerve fibers and would not be due to MS.  My gastro said it is incredibly common.  It occurs easily in people with small fiber neuropathy such as diabetics, but in otherwise normal people, too.  It can come and go.  I have it from time to time, but when I had my gastric emptying time study it was normal.


Things that increase the gastric emptying time are fatty meals and sweet meals.

Don't feel that getting SSD is any kind of failure.  The program exists because this $h** happens.  No, it is never how you envision your life turning out, but here we are.  that's why we need each other!

Now stick around!

Quix
Helpful - 0
560501 tn?1383612740
Hi Rita,
I was dx with Gastric Emptying problems several years ago.

They called it "Idiopathic Gastro Paresis".  Not so fun!  I can relate to how you feel.
For the test, they gave me some scrammbled eggs w/ some radioactive stuff in it?...then I was put under a machine that watched to see how long it took for those eggs to get around.

Hope all goes well with your test and you do not have Gastric Emptying problems.
Take Care,
~Tonya

Helpful - 0
429700 tn?1308007823
It's good to hear from you!  I have esophageal spasms at times which is really painful.  My food also will get stuck at times.  I'm on Nexium for this, as my GI told that it was mostly likely caused by reflux; however, I haven't seen a GI since I've been diagnosed with MS (prescription is through my regular doctor).  I wonder if the GI would still have the same opinion as to the cause . . .

My sister has also been on the Tysabri, I'm pretty sure she's past the 20th infusion.  She is also battling infections.  Her neuro kept her off of it when she couldn't rid of a bad upper respiratory infection.  She's also going on disability and will be applying for for SSI.  

I'll pray for you, Rita!  I know God answers prayers.  Take care, dear heart.
Deb

Helpful - 0
294425 tn?1288528395
I've missed you too ... :)  I've missed this whole group more than you will realize, and think about all of you so often, even if I don't surface much.

Thank you for your kind wishes - I'm doing OK overall ... :)  Things could be a whole lot worse, you know?  I think maybe when you see it written down, it looks worse than it is, lol.  At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it, lol.

Take care - I am going to try to be around here more if I can.  Like I said, I really miss this group ... my 2nd family... :)

Hugs back to you,
Rita
Helpful - 0
405614 tn?1329144114
Hi there, I've missed you.

I don't have any insight; just wanted to say hello, and tell you that I wish things were going better for you. I was just thinking about you yesterday, wondering how you were.

Faith is a wonderful thing,and I trust that you will make it through whatever life has to offer with strength and humor.  Take good care of yourself.

Hugs,

Kathy
Helpful - 0
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