Gastroparesis diet???

jess1992uga

So today I was diagnosed with severe gastroparesis after years of stomach pain and a recent bout of pain that was unbearable. Due to work and soon school it is hard for me to eat during the day so eat at like 10 AM and then rest of calories after 6 pm. It is also because I am recovering from anorexia and have OCD so now that I am starting to eat late I am scared to eat earlier because scared of ravenous hunger at night. I don't know why I am scared of that, but I am.
Anyway, onto my question. Anyone with gastroparesis out there tell me the changes to their diet that helped the most? Right now I don't have a nutritionist as am not in a permanent residence so can't have a regular doctor (moving to permanent place in 2 weeks). I have my old meal plan and have been eating it and all, but now I am wondering if I need to drop my fat servings (18g almonds at b-fast, 2 T sunflower seeds at lunch, 2 T PB in evening) because heard need low-fat.

Maleficent0241

Hi there, I am so sorry you have to deal with this - it is a terrible disorder to have, and I sympathize with you.

Anyway, each patient is a little bit different in what are the worst triggers for them. Fat and fiber are the two things you need to go nice and low on - some people are really sensitive to both, and some to one more than the other. For me, I always tolerated fat much better than fiber. I still can't eat raw veggies without paying dearly and most fruits are out too. At my worst I did a lot of baby food - it was suggested to me as a way to get fruits and veggies without the fiber by my dietician. The fruits are actually quite tasty. A lot of the veggies need, well, a lot of salt

Here is a good link to the gastroparesis diet: http://gicare.com/diets/gastroparesis-diet/
It's a good jumping point and then you can modify based on your response. What was suggested to me was to start with the plan verbatim and then add things one at a time to see what I could get away with. Simple substitutions can get you to where you need to be fat and fiber-wise without making you feel like you're changing everything at once - for example, applesauce instead of fresh apples, low fat dairy instead of full-fat (though for some liquid fats are pretty well tolerated), leaner cuts of meat, etc. Personally, I could not handle much nut butter and still can't but many do okay with it.

Are you being managed with diet alone or medication too?

Advaya

I suffered from this for years and years. I had a ton of tests when I was little and I still remember the moment it was diagnosed after the radioactive oatmeal :P :P

The first time I noticed how much pain I was in was when I was about 6 and started riding horses (well .. a pony). The pain was severe and at first everyone thought I just didn't enjoy riding.. I wish I had kept riding, but for whatever reason, it didn't agree with my gastroparesis.

Anyway, I had a limited diet when I was a child that I rarely followed. Fats were the worst for me, no doubt. I would eat a fatty meal and then have to curl up into a ball in the floor. Lunches at school were killer too, the class after lunch I almost always was in pain. Simple was best for me. I could handle raw fruits and veggies, but not fats. Fiber I'm fine with. But when it would flair up really bad, all bets were off. Nothing would digest normally. Ironically, I'd often get diarrhea even though my food was slow to digest.

For whatever reason, it seems to have resolved itself now though I still get sick after a lot of fat/grease. The pain is gone though.