Gastroparesis -- does anyone have it? I need support and advice.

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AtlantaWriter
AtlantaWriter Posts: 91 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I recently was diagnosed with gastroparesis. It is NO fun. If there's anyone on here who can give me advice, I'd be most grateful! I'm also trying to lose weight.

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  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
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    I don't have it, but read a little on it. It seems what helps the most is anything that doesn't require your body to make a lot of effort to digest. Liquid diets being a biggie, but any food that digests gently (low fiber especially) seems to be good for this condition. I wonder if you can get recommended to a dietician who has some knowledge of your condition, and could advise you about what and how to eat.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,168 Member
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    GP is the worst, I'm sorry to hear you're suffering. I'm glad you got a diagnosis, though. Getting one can be tough! I had a bout of ideopathic GP several years ago. My symptoms ultimately resolved, but it was a long couple of years! Did your doctor recommend a low FODMAP diet? That would be a good place to start. It was starting to be recommended as my symptoms were improving, but it makes sense. Just don't assume that all low FODMAP foods are going to be digestible! Popcorn is on the list, but I still can't eat more than a couple of cups of popped corn at once.

    I used a lot of protein powder when I was unable to eat. I liked the Syntrax Nectar line. Those powders make a more juice-like drink as opposed to a thicker, milkshake like drink. I would actually mix Gatorade and the Roadside Lemonade protein powder together and drink that when I wasn't able to eat solid food. I was often at a point where I was dozing off whenever I sat and starting to fall a lot if I was on uneven ground, so that mixture became a lifeline! Once I started getting better, I added various green juices and eventually smoothies to get better nutrition. From there I gradually added soups and solid foods (low fat, low fiber).

    I lost a LOT of weight with GP. I lost 35 pounds in about a month and a half, which is what got me to a doctor! I gained pretty quickly once I could eat again. I think that was partly because my metabolism got trashed with all the muscle mass I lost when I couldn't eat at all, partly because food was such a novelty by that point, and partly because at first I was really only able to eat simple carbs, low-fat protein and low-fiber produce.

    I hope you get things resolved sooner than later--are you going to do meds? Let me know if you have other questions. I had to pretty much figure things out as I went along, so I'm happy to share my experience so that others can hopefully get some answers sooner than I did!
  • davidylin
    davidylin Posts: 228 Member
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    Can you tell us a little about what your symptoms are - how it makes you feel and etc? Depending on what you are going through, we may be able to give some advice.

    First and foremost: do you have a love of sour or spicy foods? I would reduce or eliminate vinegar and vinegar based hot sauces from my diet, as they have been shown to actually delay the movement of food from your stomach.
  • kschwab0203
    kschwab0203 Posts: 610 Member
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    My mother was recently diagnosed with this. It has been very difficult for her to eat at times. What has worked for her is eating very small meals/snacks every 2 hours. She also has diabetes which complicates things more as she can also have a difficult time regulating blood sugar.
  • hyIianprincess
    hyIianprincess Posts: 302 Member
    edited October 2017
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    I have GP. It's advised to eat a low fat, low fiber diet since those slow digestion. Avoid nuts/seeds, and the skins of fruits. Raw veggies usually cause symptoms in most, so opt for cooked veggies. I find it a lot easier to get most of my caloric intake through liquids. (If you can tolerate solids, 6 small meals instead of big meals) Although everyone's GP is different. When I was first diagnosed I lost a significant amount of weight. Got down to 89 pounds and the next step was a feeding tube. I highly recommend talking with your GI doctor about getting on a mobility drug if you aren't already. Personally, the only thing that helped me was Botox injections every few months and finding out what foods agree with me. I'm now weight restored and have learned what works best for me. It's unfortunately trial and error for most. What works for some might not work for others.
  • HobbitSithLord
    HobbitSithLord Posts: 34 Member
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    My husband was just diagnosed this morning - though he's generally on the low end of normal weight, so keeping it on is a problem rather than losing. Following along for the food suggestions!
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I don't have gastroparesis per say but I have gastroduodenal crohn's which has caused a narrowing of the bottom of my stomach beginning of my duodenum which delays my gastric emptying/ causes partial obstructions so I get very similar symptoms. I find eating small meals and easily digestible foods helps a lot.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
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    my mother has this as well, it can be really difficult to get her to eat anything at all.

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