Recently Diagnosed with GP

Hello,

I was diagnosed with GP just a few days ago. I have been having pain in my "right upper quadrant", essentially on my right side under my ribcage, for months now. On Tuesday I had an endoscopy, and was told that I have GP.
Part of me feels like everything adds up, and this explains all of my nausea and heartburn issues, and why over the last few months I have slowly lost my appetite, but I'm confused, because I can eat some solid foods, and even when I was eating normally, I never actually threw up.
Over the years I have had so many unexplained digestion issues, I have gone to restaurants and spent the whole night feeling sick. I have also eaten meals, only to throw them up that night or the next day, completely undigested. However, these things have not happened to me for awhile.
I kind of just started eating whatever, whenever, and dealing with the intense waves of nausea and heartburn as they came, because I love food, and I love eating, and honestly, eating is a huge social activity for me.
I feel kind of lost and so confused. I have started a GP diet, and I actually do feel hungry a lot, but whenever I eat, I feel nauseated. The food options themselves are just kind of unappealing. Noodles have always been a comfort food for me, and "dry" noodles with no oils or anything, have always been a staple of my diet when I feel a lack of appetite or sick. However, I now feel like I've been doomed to a life of starch, and I all of a sudden hate noodles!

Do any of you deal with this hunger/nausea cycle? I keep thinking that maybe since I am hungry, I can't have GP.

I guess I'm just trying to make sense of all of this, while I wait to find out the results of the bacteria culture from my stomach.

Are there others out there who can eat solid foods?
I'm honestly just so confused, and my GI specialist really didn't seem to have very many answers, other than his "strong suggestion to avoid raw fruits, veggies, fiber" You guys know, I'm sure.

Is it possible I don't even have this disorder?
Maybe I am just in denial...It's just a lot to come to terms with.

By my4heathens
Posted November 7, 2009 at 2:30 am
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Hello and welcome.

I do go through the hunger/nausea cycle you are talking about, and I am one of the ones who can generally eat one solid meal a day. In general my symptoms are mild, although according to the GES my GP is severe, As long as I stick to the diet, I do okay. Have you done any looking online for the GP diet? There are other things to eat other than noodles, that can get very boring after a while. Not to mention you need to get all you nutrients in, and you won't do that eating just noodles. A lot of us do drink a lot of shakes/smoothies to get the proper calories and nutrients in every day. I do at least 1-2 a day along with my solid meal. I do my solid meal early so I am up moving around and gravity will help move it down before I go to bed.

Any other questions, everyone is here to help.
It does get easier to deal with.

Diana

By NancyL
Posted November 7, 2009 at 9:02 am
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Welcome! You came to the right place. You will find alot of helpful suggestions here. Yes alot of us live on starch! My diet is a soy protien powder shake in the morning with Miralax, soy protien, frozen strawberries, and pineapple juice. Then at lunch time I have a V8 or a slimfast. I eat 4 gummy bear vitamins every day and 3 gummy calcium. Regular pills don't seem to absorb in my system and I don't like the taste of liquid vitamins. I can get away with 1/2 cup of dry cornflakes or cherios (fruit flavored is my favorite) or some no salt saltines. This helps to make up for the lack of crunch in my diet. The dry cereal I eat with my fingers, a couple of flakes at a time to stretch out the crunch and pleasure of eating. Otherwise I am temped to eat too much and will get sick. The saltines I usually eat at night in place of cookies for desert. When I started limiting my diet to liquids I started feeling better and that is when I got hungry. Which makes it much harder to not eat. It is all the pleasure and comfort of eating that is hardest to manage. In my case it got easier as I ended up going through intense suffering for days after I would convince myself I was all better and then would eat like a normal person. If I do cheat I have learned which foods will not make me pay as much as the others. Vegetables and salads will make me suffer more then cookies. I can do better with cake then pizza. And bagels are horrible. I find if I eat the crackers then help me stay away from all the other starches.
Then there is the huge obsticle of getting your friends and family to stop trying to feed you the wrong things for your body. this is one of the hardest things about dealing with this issue. everyone here gets it.
Nancy

By STOH
Posted November 7, 2009 at 9:10 am
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Hi - welcome to the site. I, too, was recently diagnosed and our situations are very similar. I was diagnosed a little over a month ago, after having been really sick at the end of the summer. I never have bouts of hunger and am still only taking a liquid diet. Whenever I try to eat more solid foods, the nausea intensifies.

I am still in denial, too. I keep wondering whether this will mysteriously disappear some day. However, like you, I have had a "sensitive stomach" for a long time - so somewhere deep inside I know this probably isn't going to go away.

I know what you mean about just being able to eat noodles. While I love pasta and bread, I also love to eat vegetables, whole grain bread and things that are actually healthy for you! Now, I rely on Carnation Instant Breakfast, Benecalorie and Mirilax. Is constipation an issue for you, too?

I will say, I really am getting much better at avoiding solid foods and don't find myself craving "normal foods" nearly as much any more. I know what you mean about food being a huge part of one's social life. Going out for dinner with my husband is one of my favorite things to do. Our date last weekend was in a Borders Book Store!

Please know that you are not alone with your struggle. It has helped me immensely knowing there are others like you out there.

By naivelittlemiss
Posted November 7, 2009 at 11:25 am
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Hey Evalasvegas!
I have every symptom you do and I also was recently diagnosed with GP. It definitely is a lot to come to terms with, but you'll get through it. I can't eat any solids but i acan keep down some fatty foods like icecream. You're actually one of the first people other than myself who has mentioned pain for months in the right upper quadrant under the rib cage. Is your pain constant? or does it go away? just curious.

Bridget

By evalasvegas
Posted November 7, 2009 at 12:05 pm
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Thank you all so much! Your support and answers really are such a blessing. I'm so happy I found this site!

To answer some of your questions, and ask a few more of my own:

Diana:
Thank you so much for your reply.
I have been doing a lot of reading up on the GP diet, and since I've only been doing it a few days, I feel like I still have a lot of trial and error and stuff to learn. Can you recommend any good websites with a good comprehensive list of foods. My doctor gave me a list, but it wasn't very comprehensive, and it was also for someone who has diabetes, which I do not. It has some things built into it to help keep blood sugars regular, which for me isn't as big of a problem right now.

NancyL,

I really appreciate your kind words, and also the vitamin and shake suggestions. I will definitely be looking into those this weekend! It's so true about friends and family. I think some people think that I have magically developed an eating disorder. It's so far from true, I YEARN to eat chocolate, and cookies, and steak, but I do know that if I eat those things, I will feel sick, i used to just eat them and deal with the nausea, and sick feelings because i didn't realize they were connected, but I have my own comfort in my hands. In a way, it's a tiny bit empowering to know that I can control that sick feeling.

STOH,

Constipation has definitely been a problem, and it's only been a week on this new diet. Do you know of any ways to combat it? I also want to commend you for finding things to do with your husband that aren't going out and eating. I have a long term boyfriend and he and I used to spend all our time exploring the restaurants of our city. (it often had somewhat bad consequences for my stomach, but it was such an important part of our routine) Now he and I are trying to find other date things to do. On the bright side, we have more money to spend on fun dates, and we are going to get to explore different things.

Bridget,
I'm so happy I found someone with the RUQ pain too! I know how stressful it is to deal with. Mine is pretty constantly a dull ache, and then when I eat it often becomes a sharp stabbing pain. When I lie on my right side at night it feels full and almost swollen. At first all my doctors thought it was mu gallbladder but they ruled all gallbladder diseases out through various tests. How about you? Have you had an endoscopy by chance? I only ask because my doctor thought maybe the pain is being caused by bacterial overgrowth, so he took a biopsy of my stomach lining. I'll know the results soon.

Okay, just a few more questions for the group:

Broth is one of the things my doctor recommended, and I have been eating Swanson's broth, its 98 percent fat free. I feel like it makes me nauseated every time I eat it. DOes anyone else have this problem? Can you recommend another kind of broth?

Do any of you see dieticians? Do you find that they are helpful?

Lastly, I had only lost about 5 pounds before my diagnosis. (i was on weight watchers, and lost 10, stopped because I couldn't handle all the fibrous foods, and then lost another 5 due to lack of apetite.) but now, on this diet, this week alone, I have lost 5 pounds! Am I going to lose a lot of weight on this diet? I feel like thats a crazily unhealthy rate at which to lose. How do you guys keep from losing weight? Or is it inevitable?

By Einstein
Posted November 7, 2009 at 12:20 pm
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I can't have any animal broth of any kind, no matter how fat free it is, the best solution I have come up with is to make my own, heat water with seasonings, viola! Broth!

By GinaB
Posted November 7, 2009 at 12:39 pm
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Dear Evala, Sorry to hear you have GP, Welcome to the forum I hope you can find info and other people who you can relate to. I am one person with the ablility to eat food but only on the gastroparesis diet list. When I get constipated I have to go on smoothies, Lots of info on smoothies here. Constipation is another biggie here too. Many take miralax, or magnesium citrate, stay away from strong laxatives, prune juice is good daily, if not your taste try V8 or fusion for juices. Stay hydrated by using Gatorade at least one per day. Our diet is limited and we often miss out on the high potassium and minerals that are part of a healthy diet. They have G2 for diabetes, lower suger but you still get your
electrolytes. I still get the pain in my upper abdomen too but also get worse pains from constipation. Go on line see the GP diet, it has 3 stages, when you are sick do the liquids, Then we'd love to share our smoothie ideas with you. Many have ice cream in them and your tummy will digest it fine. I too went for years with digestive disorders, IBS, gerd, diverticulitus, etc. This one is hard in that you have to deal with it by eating a specific diet. Eating Carbs only, will make you fat, and bloated. You also need protein and the dreaded veggies. Protein can be obtained two ways by whey in muscle drinks, milk protein shakes, and then the old fashioned way, grinding meat, and cook it with a little oil, I like olive oil. I think no oil, no lubrication so then constipation. Veggies, I have always loved but now I can't eat them cooked either, the little seeds bug me too in summer squash?? We will talk later about something called dumping, not now. So I went and bought a bunch of baby food already cooked and strained. No $200 mixer/ that takes out the fber to buy and clean. So far so good, I needed the veggies like air, I feel better now. Please feel free to write, someone here will be glad to help you because they have probably done it already. I have been so blessed by the people here, learned more from them than a team of doctors and dieticians and nutritionist. You will do fine, try to accept this illness and learn to the point where you can master it. Please remember many times we will get depressed but don't go there, go for a walk, do something that makes you laugh, or warms your heart. Warmest Wishes Gina ><(((*>

By busyteacher
Posted November 7, 2009 at 7:04 pm
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I do a balanced liquid diet all day, and then a solid meal at night. With portion control, I can eat a variety of foods--although some stay off the list.
Once you start feeling better and figuring out the nutrition, it gets easier. It can also come and go. Some days are better than others.

By my4heathens
Posted November 7, 2009 at 7:48 pm
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Eva,

I have had to adjust a lot of the diet lists since all the ones I have been able to find are pretty much bent towards diabetics GP patients. I am not diabetics either, but hypoglycemic, the other direction. I am at work, but give me a little while and I will post some sites with diet lists. They pretty much apply to everyone, non-diabetics and diabetics.

Diana

By Novagrad
Posted November 7, 2009 at 7:48 pm
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Welcome to the group!

If you fasted for a long while before your endoscopy, and there was still some food in your stomach, then you probably have GP. Your doctor was right to have you avoid fruits and veggies.

I never feel hungry. I'm on tube feeds (via a j-tube) right now and tend to alternate between tube feeds and TPN (IV nutrition).

Good luck with the GP diet. A lot of people on this site are still able to eat solids and I believe they follow the GP diet as well.

Mimi

By my4heathens
Posted November 7, 2009 at 8:17 pm
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here's some sites:

http://www.gicare.com/diets/Gastroparesis.aspx

the g-pact site (some other useful information)

http://g-pact.org/gpdiet.html

For bad days

http://www.freemd.com/gastroparesis/home-care-liquid-diet.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastroparesis/DS00612/DSECTION=treatments- and-drugs

http://www.digestivedistress.com/main/page.php?page_id=26

I hope these help. There are also some in pdf format that the computer at work won't open. Just remember, anything soft and small should work for you. And if all esle fails, order a shake ;)

If I'm going out for breakfast, I get one, maybe 2 pancakes. For lunch or dinner, it is usually a soft type of meat, either meatloaf or some kind chicken, and mashed potatoes, mac & cheese or rice.

It does get easier once you figure out what your stomach will tolerate.

Diana

By evalasvegas
Posted November 7, 2009 at 8:23 pm
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Thank you so much everyone for all of your help and support! It is so great to find a community of people who not only can help, but also understand!

Thanks Diana for those links, they are really helpful.

best regards,

-Eva

By gpgirl5
Posted November 7, 2009 at 9:12 pm
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Hi evalasvegas. Yes - there are a lot of us who can eat solid foods. There are varying levels of GP - from mild to severe. Many of us have also noticed that within ourselves, the severity of our GP varies from day to day. There are times when I can eat pasta, pizza (with mushrooms!), PBJ sandwiches, eggs, toast... but then there are days that I can only do liquids like Ensure. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the change in severity - it's just random. It stinks.

We all feel your pain about not being able to eat out. That really puts a cramp in our social schedule. I have tried going out with friends while they eat, and I don't - just for the social company. But I found that it made them uncomfortable that I didn't eat. Silly, really - but that's how they felt. So now I at least get a cup of decaf coffee or something. You & your family / friends will adjust in time. They wouldn't want you to eat, only to get sick later - would they? They should be encouraging you to stick to the GP diet so you stay feeling healthy.

About being hungry - yes, I get hungry too. The trick is not to over-eat when you're hungry, like you might be tempted to do. It can be hard - for me, I have to really focus on what my stomach is telling me, and not just eat mindlessly. When I feel the least bit full - I stop.

Also, please consider taking a daily probiotic so you don't end up with bacterial overgrowth. We are prone to getting it, and it's awful. Acidophilus, Align, or any probiotic will work.

:)

By gpgirl5
Posted November 7, 2009 at 9:15 pm
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Oh - Benefiber has worked for me regarding the constipation issue. It's not a bulk fiber like Metamucil (which you should NEVER take!!). Benefiber dissolves completely in liquids so it's nice to your stomach - but then it works like fiber in your intestines. Others on this site take Miralax, which I haven't tried.

By naivelittlemiss
Posted November 8, 2009 at 12:45 am
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Hey again, Eva,
My pain is the exact same way and like you, is always there and worsens after eating (sharp pains). I had a regular endoscopy and also had an ERCP to further check the gallbladder. I've had every test imaginable and everything except my gastric emptying scan came back negative. Even though that was positive, it was not severe only a mild/moderate case of GP. You had mentioned feeling swollen/full lying on your side for sleep, I know for me, I cannot do that, I must be on my back and usually prop my knees up with pillows. Not only is this more comfortable but it also takes away a little bit of the pain.
As far as soup goes, I stick mostly to pureed campbells chicken noodle or plain chicken broth by college inn, as other broths are too greasy for my taste and my stomachs tolerance. As far as a dietician goes, I do not have one, however I do have an Endocrinologist who helps me stay on track with nutrition and weight management. Just so you know, I have lost a lot of weight from GP between june and now (almost 25 pounds). I'm not sure myself if weight loss is inevitable but unfortunately I'm starting to believe it is.
I forgot to ask before....but do you ever find yourself belching? (esp. after eating) Do you ever find that the pain moves around? and. or radiates to your mid-lower back?

Thanks so much!
Bridget

By evalasvegas
Posted November 8, 2009 at 1:02 am
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Hi Bridget,

I am so sorry that you have these side pains, but at the same time I am really thankful that someone else has the same symptoms. I too had a lot of tests on my gallbladder, and they all came back negative. I haven't had an ECRP, because my bloodwork and imaging were all normal. I have yet to have a gastric emptying scan, and I don't know if my doctor will order one or not.

I have found that sleeping positions are such a catch-22. I was told that lying on my right side after eating would aid in stomach emptying, but that ranges from very painful, to the full feeling I told you before. I often sleep on my left side, because I snore if I sleep on my back. Do you ever have twitching/popping or spasms on your side? I sometime have them and they are very painful, they feel like they come from underneath my ribs, not like a muscle cramp.
The pain does radiate to my back, sometimes under my shoulderblade, but more often under my ribs, near my kidneys. This is usually shortly after I have eaten. All of my organ functions are completely normal though.
I have found that I burp a lot more than usual, or I was before my diet change. I have never had loud or powerful burps, but they actually had started being kind of loud, and unpredictable. I would also get a jolt of pain every time I burped.

I'm sorry you have lost that much weight, I hope your endrocinologist can help you find a way to get that under control. I was a bit heavy before this whole thing. (slightly overweight is how my doctor coined it.) My mom keeps saying the silver lining to this is how much weight I'm losing. I'm just kind of freaked, because I dropped 5 pounds this week alone, and I know that is not a healthy rate of weight loss.

Anyways, I know this post was very long, but I hope I got some of your questions answered. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and please do not hesitate to talk more!

-eva

By my4heathens
Posted November 8, 2009 at 1:45 am
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oh, sleeping positions. I know that sleeping on the right side is supposed to help empty the stomach. I am one that cannot sleep that way. I usually end up either in a lot of pain or in the middle of the day (I work nights) I end up waking up choking and gasping. I have aspirated a couple of times from it, surprisingly I have not ended upo in the hospital with pneumonia from it. I usually end up on my back or more often on my left side.

By GGCPTEACH
Posted November 8, 2009 at 9:58 am
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Evalasvegas,

My mother was diagnosed with GP this summer. She is able to eat some solid foods and that is a good thing as she won't touch drinks like Ensure. When she is having a hard time, I put Carnation Instant breakfast in the blender and add fat free frozen yogurt and fat free milk. She loves the milkshakes.
She eats a lot of shredded chicken and rice and baked fish( haddock). She loves baked potato with Promise. She just eats the insides. She also has yogurt, Mrs. Grassfields soup ( strain the pieces of celery out), and lowfat or fat free cheese. Kraft fat free white cheese slices and shredded cheddar are really good. She likes Pepperidge Farm Original White bread and makes grilled cheese with the Fat free slices. We have really found a lot through trial and error. She really loves junk food. So, I buy her fat free frozen yogurt and plain cones, and she can eat the Stella Dora Egg Drop and Toast cookies. That with a cup of tea and she is in heaven. She is also a fan of custard and puddings. She recently found that she can eat butternut squash which adds another vegetable. She also can eat beets. Pasta is not bad, but she has to be careful with the sauce as she has GERD and it sometimes bothers her. There is a cookbook coming out in April, so I am hoping that it will provide me with other options as despite my best efforts, she eats a lot of the same things.

Good luck and this website has been a great support.
We just pray for those good days!

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