cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Hey everyone. Ever since I got sick when I was 16 I have constantly been underweight. I am a premie twin, and my parents arent really overweight so Im generally skinny anyways. Before I got sick I was at a healthy weight for my age and height. I am about 5'6", going to be 20 in march, and only weigh around 97 pounds. Lately it has been getting worse. I am nauseated quite a bit and eating makes me sick. I never really get hungry. Tonight my mom made some of my favorite food for dinner, so I was kinda excited because I might be able to eat it, but after a couple bites I started feeling really sick and the food didnt taste good. Immediately afterwards I was nauseated, had really bad stomach/intestinal cramps, bad acid reflux, and ( this may be too much information ) had diarrhea. Im concerned because I can hardly eat and have been slowly losing weight since this fall. My mom and sister think I should tell my doctor but I feel bad because he always has so much to deal with when it comes to me. Plus he went out of his way and volunteered to be my doctor. Right now hes trying to get me in at Cleveland. I dont want to sound like a hypochondriac. Plus I dont know what can even be done at this point. Ive tried anti-nausea medications before, about 2 years ago when I was nauseated all the time, but only one of the three I tried worked and it only worked for about a month. I am on 150mg of prescription Zantac morning and night, so I dont know why my acid reflux has been so bad. Sorry for so much info but I just really need some advice on what I should do. Thanks.Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 It sounds like you have a sympathetic doctor so I would tell him what you're going through. He may be able to come up with something to help himself but it may also give him more info to help him get you in to Cleveland.Lots of different things can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea so it might take a bit of experimenting to find foods you can eat at the moment. It may be worth trying having just one food at once rather than a meal and see how you cope - maybe try some chicken, or potato, or egg anything you like really (jut a thought of mine that your stomach may find just one food easier to handle). Are you managing to drink enough? If drinking is okay try soups or milkshakes for a bit of energy.Hope you get some answers and feel better soon,Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Have you been tested for gastroparesis? This could explain the nausea, feeling full, and reflux. Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzysillyak Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 This sounds so familiar. Have you heard of the elimination diet ? Basically you eliminate all common food intolerances (gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, shellfish, etc) + all spices and anything you know hurts ... from your diet. I'd go with plain baked chicken, baked potatoes with EVOO and salt, white rice, peas, asparagus, pears and apples ... if that doesn't help you within a few days, then I check with your doctor ... actually even if it does help, I'd contact your doctor for food intolerance testing. hope you feel better soon ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 It sounds like you have a sympathetic doctor so I would tell him what you're going through. He may be able to come up with something to help himself but it may also give him more info to help him get you in to Cleveland.Lots of different things can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea so it might take a bit of experimenting to find foods you can eat at the moment. It may be worth trying having just one food at once rather than a meal and see how you cope - maybe try some chicken, or potato, or egg anything you like really (jut a thought of mine that your stomach may find just one food easier to handle). Are you managing to drink enough? If drinking is okay try soups or milkshakes for a bit of energy.Hope you get some answers and feel better soon,FlopI think I will end up telling him. He is a really good doctor. Thats a good idea about trying just one food. I had some cereal a little bit ago and I seemed to be able to tolerate that ok. Thanks so much Flop Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenna Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 My 16 year old son, who has POTS, was always nauseated, feeling full as soon as he started a meal, and losing weight. He finally went to see a gastrointerologist. This doctor suspects that my son has gastroparesis, which is very common with POTS. We haven't put my son through the full battery of tests but the doctor prescribed Domperidone, a medication often used to treat gastroparesis. My son's nausea is at a much lower level now and his appetite has really picked up. He's gained at least 5 pounds in the 2 months since he's been taking Domperidone. PLEASE see a gastrointerologist. You don't need to be suffering like this, and the doctor you're currently seeing may not the expertise to help you with the nausea. Good luck!-Lenna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Have you been tested for gastroparesis? This could explain the nausea, feeling full, and reflux. RachelThe last day I was at Mayo I had a gastric emptying scan done and it showed some delayed gastric emptying. That was about 3 years ago. Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 This sounds so familiar. Have you heard of the elimination diet ? Basically you eliminate all common food intolerances (gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, shellfish, etc) + all spices and anything you know hurts ... from your diet. I'd go with plain baked chicken, baked potatoes with EVOO and salt, white rice, peas, asparagus, pears and apples ... if that doesn't help you within a few days, then I check with your doctor ... actually even if it does help, I'd contact your doctor for food intolerance testing. hope you feel better soon ...I think ive heard of that before. Ill have to give it a try. Thanks Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The last day I was at Mayo I had a gastric emptying scan done and it showed some delayed gastric emptying. That was about 3 years ago. CandaceGastroparesis can get worse over time, so it may be worth having another gastric emptying scan done. As far as tests go, it's one of the easiest (nausea aside). If you do have gastroparesis, then a low fat, low fiber diet would be very beneficial. Things like Ensure can help as well.Definitely talk things over with your doctor. I hope you can get the help that you need.Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 My 16 year old son, who has POTS, was always nauseated, feeling full as soon as he started a meal, and losing weight. He finally went to see a gastrointerologist. This doctor suspects that my son has gastroparesis, which is very common with POTS. We haven't put my son through the full battery of tests but the doctor prescribed Domperidone, a medication often used to treat gastroparesis. My son's nausea is at a much lower level now and his appetite has really picked up. He's gained at least 5 pounds in the 2 months since he's been taking Domperidone. PLEASE see a gastrointerologist. You don't need to be suffering like this, and the doctor you're currently seeing may not the expertise to help you with the nausea. Good luck!-LennaI have seen about 3 gastroenterologists since I became sick, but two of them was before I knew I had POTS and they didnt really do much for me. The last one was out at Mayo, but I was only able to see her twice. The last day I was there I had a gastric emptying scan done and the test results she sent back to me showed some delayed gastric emptying but I was never given any medication for it. That was almost three years ago. Ill talk to my doctor about it. Thanks so much. Hope your son continues to feel better. Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The last day I was at Mayo I had a gastric emptying scan done and it showed some delayed gastric emptying. That was about 3 years ago. CandaceGastroparesis can get worse over time, so it may be worth having another gastric emptying scan done. As far as tests go, it's one of the easiest (nausea aside). If you do have gastroparesis, then a low fat, low fiber diet would be very beneficial. Things like Ensure can help as well.Definitely talk things over with your doctor. I hope you can get the help that you need.RachelI didnt realize that it could get worse over time. I will have to talk to my doctor about it and go over my test results again. Thanks I hope I can start feeling better too.Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzysillyak Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I was diagnosed with gastroparesis in 2004-5 via the stomach emptying test and while too much meat can still be a challenge, it's mostly gone as are my other digestive problems. I was also diagnosed with GERD, hiatal hernia, colon polyps, diverticuli and possible Barretts esophagus the year before finding out I was gluten, etc intolerant. From what I've seen it's normal for celiacs to have other digestive issues. IMHO, GIs like to look at the organs along the digestive tract as if they were completely separate entities, but it's really just one long tube and what happens along that tube can affect the rest of it. So, if you have a problem with digesting certain foods it can affect the whole digestive tract. You may want to try some probiotics too. These help quite a few people ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ana_22 Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I'm having this problem too.....its not fun...im becoming tachy after eating, even when im lying down.i dont know what to do....call the gp? call the cardio? arghhhhh its sooooo frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jump Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Are you able to have plenty of fluids, or do they bother your stomach, too?Being dehydrated can really worsen nausea. If you are already undernourished and dehydrated, that could be why it's hard to keep food down.If this might be a contributing factor, perhaps a saline IV would help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjb Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The last day I was at Mayo I had a gastric emptying scan done and it showed some delayed gastric emptying. That was about 3 years ago.Gastroparesis is delayed gastric emptying.I have had these issues all of my my and am going through a flare right now.I agree in seeing a a GI again. I would think you do not have to go through another test .... just tell the GI doc you are having symptoms. He may give you meds and explain which foods can worsen gastoparesis.In re to diet, in general, high fiber and high fat foods slow down gi motility so the gastro may advise you to cut these foods out but I think it is best for each person to figure out which foods are triggers rather tan cut out all fats and fibers ... esp the good ones. For me whole grains, esp brown rice ...which is high fiber, actually is great for keeping my system moving along. Avoiding sugar & too much coffee also helps.One of the more common meds for gastroparesis is reglan. IMO, Reglan is the drug from ****! It certainly does work for some, but can cause severe side effects in others. It is a dopamine antagonist so if you have any issues w/ anxiety or any type of movement disorder tell the doc if he wants you to try this.Domperidone is a similar drug, but you have to have it compounded or order it from another country. It has a much better side effect profile and IMO works better than Reglan.Finally, exercise can help to improve motility as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvincent Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Are you able to have plenty of fluids, or do they bother your stomach, too?Being dehydrated can really worsen nausea. If you are already undernourished and dehydrated, that could be why it's hard to keep food down.If this might be a contributing factor, perhaps a saline IV would help?Most of the time I seem to do ok with drinking water, but its like my stomach just doesnt want anything. Like it wants to reject whatever I put in it. I havent thrown up yet, but usually I am only able to eat a small amount of something before I start feeling bad. I think that saline IV would really help but how do you get one? Do you just ask your doctor for it? Ive had them before but only in the ER. Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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