Hi I tried to do a search on this to help save someone from having to post but didn't find anything. My teen daughter has this issue and has lyme...is this something seen with lyme?
thank you!
Pattiecake
Posted by beths (Member # 18864) on :
Very common-I had it-went away with treatment.
Eat very small meals frequently
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
Do a search on here under gastroparesis for more info.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Yes, I too have gastroparesis (and also dysphagia, pelvic dyssynergia, and probably also small bowel dysmotility) all as a result of Lyme.
Posted by tick battler (Member # 21113) on :
How did you all get this diagnosed? Did you need an upper/lower GI? Scope in the stomach? Some other diagnostic tool?
My poor 6 year old son has nausea and abdominal pain constantly. I know he has candida and food allergies and gastritis...I wonder if he has gastroparesis too.
How did you all heal yours...did you have to take pharmaceuticals? If so, which ones? If you took something else that helped...please share.
Thanks,
tickbattler
Posted by WhitneyS (Member # 25666) on :
could you describe the actual symptoms? Is there constipation? Bloating after meals, gas? Any trigger, etc?
Most Lymies have GI trouble, but the more specific you are the more we can help.
Unfortunately getting a lot of GI tests doesn't usually help much unless he has something like Celiac. Most GI dr's no nothing about lyme related GI troubles, so it might not be worth it, especially if money is a problem.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Gastroparesis is diagnosed via a Gastric Emptying Study. The person eats a specially tagged meal that shows up on x-ray, then x-rays are taken every 15 minutes for 2 hours. The stomach should be half emptied after 90 minutes. My stomach took 211 minutes to get to the half-empty point.
Endoscopic evaluation can reveal causes, IF the doctor doing them is a skilled biopsy-taker, and IF the pathologist is savvy. Sometimes, reduced stomach contractions and/or bezoars (wad of undigested food) are seen during the endoscopy in those with Gastroparesis.
Symptoms can include any or all of the following: nausea, sensation of fullness after eating only a few bites of food, vomiting (can be food eaten long ago), constipation, indigestion, difficulty tolerating fats and/or high fiber foods, weight loss, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances (blood tests can show this), etc.
Causes of Gastroparesis are many and not all are known, however infectious causes usually don't cause permanent Gastroparesis - viral gastroparesis usually goes away after a year or two, and other causes of infectious gastroparesis can be treated effectively with treatment of the infection (e.g., Lyme/Bart. treatment). Bartonella and Lyme both can lead to Gastroparesis.
Other causes for Gastroparesis include Diabetes, weight loss surgery, pyloric stenosis, Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis, Crohn's Disease in the stomach, Anorexia Nervosa (effects of inadequate intake of nutrition = nerve damage to the stomach), connective tissue disorders (such as Lupus), etc.
Symptomatic treatments: Prokinetic medications help the stomach empty faster (Reglan, Domperidone, Prepulsid -- Domperidone is not available in the US, and Prepulsid is only available through a special compassionate use program because of the potential for severe heart-related side-effects).
Digestive Enzymes - help break down fiber & fats that otherwise would slow down digestion even more.
Probiotics - help to combat infectious causes of Gastroparesis and are generally a good way to avoid further complications of gastroparesis (gastrointestinal dysbiosis is a known side-effect of gut dysmotility).
Anti-emetics - help reduce nausea/vomiting and can help improve a person's ability to get enough nutrition; examples of anti-emetics include Reglan, Domperidone, Phenergan, Compazine, Zofran, and antihistamines like Visteril, Benadryl, Dramamine, etc.
Other things that can help:
Ginger root - for nausea & promotes gut motility.
Exercise (not too soon after eating; gastroparesis can cause a person to be more likely to vomit if they exercise too close to eating) - promotes good gut motility.
Water - sufficient water intake helps lubricate the lining of the gut and can help encourage motility (via osmotic pressure).
Low fiber, low fat diet - easier to digest foods are usually tolerated more easily by those with gastroparesis, and thus can lead to better symptom control. One way to get the nutrition of vegetables is to drink vegetable juices. Fiber supplements that only contain soluble fiber are generally tolerated better by those with gastroparesis because it is the insoluble fiber that slows down stomach emptying.
Some people with gastroparesis do better on a liquid diet, and some of these individuals may need a feeding tube that goes into the small intestine to bypass the stomach and thus bypass the stomach emptying problems. I do not think feeding tube use in someone with Lyme is a common occurrance, though I myself do have a G-tube (tried the G-J tube and could not handle it) that I use for medications and some other things due to difficulty swallowing liquids (caused by severe herx from japanese knotweed, but that's a whole 'nother topic).
See also http://www.g-pact.org/ for more info about Gastroparesis and associated gut dysmotility issues.
Posted by tick battler (Member # 21113) on :
Thanks Whitney. My son was on 2 years of abx and at the end took flagyl for a couple of months on and off, which started the stomach pain/nausea. It has been a year since he stopped abx. We took herbs for a year and now we think the lyme/coinfections are gone but are still healing from the candida, which we think is causing bloating when he eats the wrong foods.
He was never allergic to foods until he had been on abx for a long time. He is not constipated. He gets pain (which I think is gastritis) in the stomach area and I think it is more nausea in the lower part. He does not seem to have too much gas. Just constant nausea, which can get worse after exercising.
We think he recently had a bladder infection and the pain has been worse but antibiotics (again!) seem to have helped that. But now the yeast will be even worse. An endless battle it seems.
tickbattler
Posted by tick battler (Member # 21113) on :
RAzzle - looks like we posted at the same time! Thank you for this detailed information. My son does not have vomiting so that is good. Hopefully he doesn't have this but it will be something I will be asking his doctor just in case.
Best,
tickbattler
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
I don't usually vomit either, but have come close when I do things like lean over to tie my shoes after a meal, etc. So it can cause a need to make lifestyle adjustments...
Most doctors are poorly educated about gastroparesis...it is hard to find a good gastroenterologist who knows and understands this stuff.
Posted by pattiecake (Member # 6424) on :
Thanks everyone! sorry I didn't find this topic under search when I tried ...its because I put it in the wrong slot(oops) so after finding it I have gotten some useful information.
I purchased some betaine HCI today and started her on one before each meal. Hopefully it will work as she has lost too much weight.
Posted by marypart (Member # 27012) on :
I'm having GI problems, too. I've had an endoscopy and I have a hiatal hernia, GERD and bile reflux. I'm constipated all the time.
I didn't have this before Lyme treatment... and I keep wondering... is it the Lyme and Cos or is it the treatment?
It's hard to tell. I'm going for a Gastric Emptying Test in a couple of weeks.
I have terrible pain at the middle of the back, and stomach pain and nausea. It's all there most of the time.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Marypart,
Yes, your symptoms may be from Lyme. But it is a good idea to get checked out to make sure there isn't something else going on as well that needs to be dealt with.