Gastroparesis And Fluids Question

[pickledfairy]

I am struggling lately with eating and drinking as a result of gastroparesis (lost 9lbs in 8 days). If I push to get my fluids in for the day, then it is impossible to eat anything. My daily intake usually consists of 1L of Gatorade and/or water, 8oz skim milk, and a piece of toast, some plain mashed potatoes, 2 cans of peaches or pears, and 4oz of clear broth. Gatorade is making me gag so today I bought Smartwater, but I don't think it has enough sodium/potassium. Any suggestions on how to get in enough electrolytes? Any liquid meals favorites I can add to my menu?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Sheridan

[jlmahon]

Do you like yogurt? When my gastroparesis gets bad I can usually tolerate yogurt. My doctor told me to drink Ensure or Boost. I use my blender to make shakes containing a scoop of vanilla protein powder, a banana, 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tsp honey, and 1 cup chocolate almond milk. I blend this all together with ice. I like to make fruit shakes too. I'll freeze fruit (or buy frozen) and blend it with juice, or juice and yogurt. I hope your gastroparesis gets better soon. Do you think your doctor can give you IV fluids if you can't drink enough?

[jlmahon]

I forgot to add that I really like using Electromix. It's a powdered mix you can add to water or fruit juice or whatever you like. It's made by Alacer, the same company that makes EmergenC. You can find this stuff at health food stores and some drugstores and grocery stores. I buy mine online at drugstore.com as I don't really shop much in stores lately.

[Guest tearose]

To deal with this at my worst times I try to nibble about 1/2-1 cup of something every two hours. Try to find what foods appeal to you that aren't going to sit and ferment in your tummy. I find the more cooked the better, warmer foods are easier to digest, mashed, squished...get it into a mushy consistency. Read up on the foods to avoid. I was surprised to learn that peas and corn are not good foods since they will sit longer in the gut!

I stay away from large amounts of plain water and use a tasty supplement shake mix, mashed fruit and maybe a bit of dairy product or rice milk and blend it up and drink some of it slowly. (refrigerate the rest) Look at the choices for supplement shakes in any good health food store or ask your pcp or gastro doctor to recommend a shake that will help you get through the rough times. The protein and sodium in the shake will be noted on the package. You can add more electrolytes if you need these too, electrolyte supplements are in the pharmacy. I tended to be low on potassium so, I take a magnesium supplement as recommended by my pcp because apparently you need magnesium to absorb potassium.

Please get this under control or you will become very weak!

I hope you feel better soon. Have you had gastroparesis a long time? What does the doctor want you to do?

best regards, tearose

[Sunfish]

i could add lots of ramblings but am too wiped at the moment. definitely make certain though that any liquids you drink are full of calories & other goodies (when you're struggling to get everything in, that is.)

here are a variety of "gastroparesis diets" from various sources to perhaps give you some ideas:

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/inter...sisDietTips.pdf

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/inter...ARESIS-DIET.pdf

http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/pd...stroparesis.pdf

http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs08.htm

http://www.g-pact.org/diet.htm

they vary greatly in terms of detail.

hope this helps,

melissa

[cardiactec]

sheridan, so sorry to hear that you're having such a hard time with the gastroparesis...........i'm not sure what to tell you, but that you may need to get IV fluids, as another here has mentioned. dropping that much weight in that little time can be dangerous - and if you arent taking in enough fluids, dehydration is going to make your auto symptoms ten times worse...........i know you already know this, i just dont want to see you get sicker.

i hope the symptoms start to subside for you............have you tried any new meds for the paresis? seeing a specialist for further options?

take care, i'm here for you if you want to talk or meet up!

***HUGS****

Angela.

[pickledfairy]

Thank-you so much for your replies. I first started noticing symptoms of gastroparesis in Oct. and was dx'd in December. Up until a couple of weeks ago I could eat clear soups and drink my fluids during the day and then I would try to eat small portions of whatever meal my parents were having. I have tried Reglan, E-mycin and now am waiting for my order of Domperidone to arrive. I am hoping that will do the trick. I have been about 20lbs overweight since I first got sick. When I was first dx'd with the GP I didn't have any weight loss, which actually prompted them to look at my thyroid, which was found to be hypo and I started Synthroid....so now that the GP is getting worse and I am taking in less the weight seems to be falling off. I'm glad I am getting lighter....but this is NOT the way I want to do it!

Hanna: I don't love yogurt, but mixing it in a shake sounds good. I guess I have got to get out of the mind set that milk shakes are fattening now that I need the calories. I have tried smoothies and shakes before, usually I can get in about 4oz at a time. Thanks for the Electromix idea...I would welcome anything other than gatorade!

TeaRose: Thanks for the suggestion of having something ever couple of hours, I need to get out of the routine of 3 squares a day!

Melissa-I had found a couple of those web sites, but not all...thanks so much for the links, they look like they will be a godsend!

Angela-thanks for the support...we should get together again some time!

Off to search for smoothie/shake ideas.....thank you all again for your suggestions and thoughts!

Sheridan

[Roselover]

I had a GI doc tell me that I could live on Boost or Enurse if I had to too. He said that Instant Breakfast is almost as good. You might try adding a little instant breakfast to your milk. It adds a lot of sodium and vits.

I have several different stages of eating.

When fairly normal I drink a lot of gatorade (rain only - it's the least sweet) and I eat little bits all day - staying away from seeds, nuts, whole grains, all fresh veggies and any cooked veggie with a skin. So no peas, corn, beans. I do cook beets and sweet potatoes and freeze them and put a little in my smothies. I also have a protein powder I add to my smoothies.

When I can tell things are slowing down or the pain starts I move to mostly mashed and liguids - smoothies, boost, instant breakfast and maybe mashed potatoes with no skin.

Then when nausea and pain are real bad, I move to two-four days of NOTHING but Gatororade and Ginger ale. On the second day if I'm doing OK.. I might add some soda crackers. Then if I'm doing Ok I move up to the next level of eating. If I'm not doing better or I get worse during this time, I call my doctor for IV fluids and give my stomach a complete rest. I now have orders for home health care so they come out to my house, put in the IV and leave me the bags to change. Nothing in mouth (except meds)for 24-48 hours. This usually does the trick and while still on IV' fluids I begin taking in ginger ale and gatorade and then move back up the steps.

So far, for the past year, this process has kept me out of the hopsital!