Delayed Gastric Emptying

[Libby]

I had a very nice, light salad today, about 8 hours ago, that my stomach has just started to empty itself of.

Now that I'm done wishing I'd just throw up and get it over with (and then two seconds later praying to God that I wouldn't, haha) I thought I'd ask you guys about your experiences with this aspect of POTS.

The nausea that comes with my stomach not emptying is so different from any other kind of nausea I've ever had. It's borderline painful in how intense it is...and I almost never end up throwing up because of it. But with how shaky and drained it makes me, it's almost as if I had.

I just wish I could pinpoint the exact causes. At least for the bad episodes where I'm basically useless for 2-4 hours. Slowed emptying, I can deal with. A few ginger chews or a glass of ginger beer and I can at least function.

I know for sure that very rich, heavy foods will full out delay my emptying. But this time it was a salad (with a small amount of light balsamic vinaigrette dressing). Not like the waffle (stupid, stupid me) that had me curled up in bed sobbing a few weeks ago.

Misery loves company, so I thought I'd ask you all about your experiences.

[puppylove]

Omg- salads are one of my worst foods!

I used to have them all the time, because like you said they are so light, but now they make me so sick! I tested negative for gastroparesis, but I still think I have it to some degree. Maybe it's just blood pooling in my stomach, but sometimes I can eat something at night, feel miserable, abd still feel like I haven't digested when I get up the next morning. It is so awful. I so know what you mean about not knowing what foods will make you pay later. One day I could be fine with a certain food, and the next day it rips my stomach up.

[Millerla]

I mostly have issues with getting the waste out, though I do get in trouble if I eat late at night.

Dairy actually gives me not delayed gastric emptying, but speeded up emptying, lol. The worst constipation I've ever had was when I hardly had a bowel movement for two weeks, then a month without anything, then another month with very little. After taking miralax twice a day every day, and taking 4 childrens' laxatives for a month, then finally two enemas(the doctor told me to, because she felt a big block of poo in my stomach and the xray showed the same. No wonder I wasn't eating and losing weight!)my body slowly got rid of it naturally and I gained some weight. Even now, I'm lucky if I'm able to have a bowel movement once a week.

It usually happens worse when I don't eat as well as I should, like eating processed, sugary foods. Oh, and meat. That likes to sit there.

[NMPotsie]

Like puppylove, salads make me sick. I tried to eat one a couple of weeks ago and it felt like it was stuck in my throat, chest, and stomach. I used to eat them all the time, and now even looking at one makes me nauseous. My body does NOT appreciate lettuce. Dairy is awful, as well.

I marked other because I get severely dizzy, even sitting down, when I experience delayed emptying. I feel like the room is spinning, and nothing helps except putting my arms over my head, which makes the pots worse. I can tell the difference between the pots dizziness and the stomach dizziness, though.

[Libby]

So the salad thing is common?

UGH. I really liked salads.

[Dizzysillyak]

Digestive enzymes help me with this. I've been experimenting with these for 6 years and found ones that work

for me.

Between creon, candidase (cellulase and high protease) and even virastop I

avoid discomfort with this. I still have pooling tho.

Mine's worse from over eating than anything. Still taking these digestive enzymes helps with that too.

Tc .. D

Ps. I've never seen a digestive enzyme that can counter the effects an allergic or immune system reaction to foods tho.

I have to ake benadryl or suffer thru my immune system reaction.

[misstraci]

I can eat and stay full foreverrrrrrr. Others can't believe that hours later, I'm still too full to do lots of physical activities. I tell them I'm too full and they laugh because we ate hours ago. I feel bloated and yuck for a long time, especially if i eat heavy foods or just a lot in general.

[E Soskis]

I have noticed that highly processed foods and sugary foods tend to bring on my symptoms quicker than other foods. Yet, it seems like the severity of symptoms is more related to the volume of food consumed - if I eat more than a hand-full of food at a time, then I find myself bloated and distended. I am just coming off of over a week of gastroparesis symptoms that only resolved when I resolved to stick to liquids and soft foods like puddings, jello, and other similar delicious treats (not)! It took about 3 days of a quiet diet and a nip of reglan to make my stomach "wake-up". Today is the first day in over a week that I actually ate some solid food - I sure wish I knew what exactly triggered the abdominal distress but, like most dysautonomia symptoms, there isn't always any rhyme or reason to the flares.....

[stacdliw]

Anything that is healthy for "normal" people is a BIG "NO-NO" for me! Fresh fruits and veggies- FORGET IT! Whole wheat, oats--- NEVER!! MEAT-- very little, maybe some chicken.

I've suffered with gastroparesis for 8 years and take 6 tablets of Domperidone daily. My diet is a mess. Some days I feel like eating, others I nibble like a bird. Some days my digestive system works, other days I get nauseous even looking at food. Such is life!

[Libby]

Thanks for all your replies! Dizzy - that enzyme info is really interesting. I'm definitely going to look into that.

but sometimes I can eat something at night, feel miserable, abd still feel like I haven't digested when I get up the next morning. It is so awful.

I totally meant to reply to you earlier on this. But I know EXACTLY what you mean. TMI (it's gross, haha) - there are some days when I'll burp and still sort of taste what I ate the day before. It doesn't taste like vomit - just like the food. Like it's just been sitting there, not being digested. It's revolting.

[Elenapap11]

I also have digestion issues.Green salads and raw vegetables make me bloated and it may last for more than 24 hours.Libby i feel the food too when i burp but i have noticed that when i follow a strict diet i feel a lot better even with food that can give me horrible symptoms(set meals with portions that a 4 year old would eat and have dinner before 8pm)When you mentioned the waffle thing i remembered a chocolate fudge cake i had at T.G.I Fridays two years ago which left me sleepless all night with pain,nausea,sweating and tachycardia.I swore i'd never eat chocolate again in my life....I never ate chocolate fudge since then.

My doctor suggested that i take a walk after eating to help digestion but because in POTS this can be difficult just make sure you don't lie down after eating.

[Sheila1366]

My motiltiy dr. said no raw fruits or veggies, red meat. But at this point my GP and coloninc inertia is so bad I can only handle some saltines,maybe mashed potatos,plain white rice(can't have soy because of intersitial cyctitis). I do tolerate lactose free fat free milk with some protein mixed in but even now it is giving me a terrible time. Everyone is different and at different levels of GP I have found. I miss salads and fresh fruits and veggies. More than I do red meat, or any meat.