This is working for me!

After my GP diagnosis the dr prescribed Reglan. The side effects were too risky for me so I went ama. I didn't know what to do, but my symptoms, like those that so many of you are sharing, needed treatment.

After lots of research into alternative therapies for GP I found Betaine, aka HCI with Pepsin. It's a natural version of hydrochloric acid made from beets, and I take one or two tablets whenever I eat. After bloating for eight LONG years, I don't bloat now. The Betaine digests my food for me.

Granted, I have changed my diet dramatically. I gave up carbs in addition to taking the Betaine. It made sense that if GP is often an off-shoot of diabetes, then perhaps foods that trigger insulin would trip the vagal nerve and cause the bloating/nausea reaction. To make up for what I don't eat in carbs I take supplements that are pure form in gelatin capsules. (Cellulose doesn't digest.) So far so good too, as the dr says my blood work and cholesterol, etc., are perfect.

So this is what's worked for me. Of course I'm not assuming it will be the case for everybody, but I can't help sharing because the pain and debilitating impact of GP was so awful. Maybe my simple suggestions can help someone else.

I also found out that gelatin helped coat the gut and eased up digestive irritation. Now I eat it every day.
If I do happen to go into a flare (stress is a trigger), I stick to meat and eggs until it goes away.

I feel like I've tamed the beast!

Cheering for all of you,
Cath

By winterbride07
Posted January 23, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Report post

It's so good to hear GOOD news from someone!

This is so intriguing to me! I believe that my digestive problems were made a lot worse by the acid suppressing medications that I was on for 10 years. Since I stopped taking Nexium one year ago, my symptoms have improved slowly but noticeably. I've had testing for stomach acid since then and mine is very low.

I still have daily nausea, bloating, pain, and fullness though and am interested in supplementing acid. What brand of HCl do you use? Do you take any other supplements, such as digestive enzymes? How long did it take for you to notice a difference?

Thank you!

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 23, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Report post

Hello Winterbride. You have a lovely name.

I get my HCI w Pepsin, aka Betaine, from Vitacost.com,
and it worked for me almost immediately. I do take Phazymes (next to the GasX at WalMart), and I must confess, I cut out carbs.

I'm sending you a link to Dr. Cowan's post that has changed my life (I found it on another gp forum):

http://www.westonaprice.org/askdoctor/gastroparesis.html

Cutting out carbs made so much sense! If you think about how diabetics get gp, it figures that insulin would be involved. It sure does! Carbs produce insulin and insulin trips the vagal nerve, our culprit ini gp flares. I also take Dr. Cowan's advice and have about a cup of sugar free gelatin every day. I make smoothies with the jello and almond milk and ice, and it really hits the spot when my sweet tooth acts up! (I make my own almond milk - an easy thing to do - because I can't get it without sugar in it).

Please let me know how you're doing. We're all in this together and I would so love to see you victorious!

Your friend,
Cathy

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 23, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Report post

WOW! And read this article I found in my archives! It's just about what you said - low stomach acid.

http://www.modernherbalist.com/betaine.html

You may be on to something here.

Cathy

By winterbride07
Posted January 23, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Report post

Thank you! I just read the info from Dr. Cowan. It's completely opposite of what I've been told and what I've been doing for the past five years (almost all carbs, low-fat, low-fiber, almost no protein). When I eat protein, I usually get nauseous, but I always eat it with carbs, so who knows!

I am willing to try anything at this point and this certainly sounds promising. Thanks again! I am going to start with the gelatin immediately and start working towards changing the diet.

I will keep you updated!

Thanks again,
Crystal

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 24, 2009 at 8:15 am
Report post

Hello Winterbride,

Pardon me if I'm giving you more information than you wish, but there's one more thing I'd like to share:

http://www.lowcarb.org/stillman.html

This is a link to the Stillman diet, a zero residue (zero carbs) diet that I use when:
1. I go into a flare. Sometimes I flare and can't track the culprit, tho often times it's from stress or something new I decided to "try."
2. if my candida levels are up. Since we have food sitting in our guts for so long, it ferments and increases our candida (yeast). That exacerbates the problem and for me, makes the whole situation go from bad to dreadful.

The Stillman diet has been around since the 1960's, and it breaks the flare cycle every time.

Just let me know if you'd like me to stop sending things!

Cathy

By winterbride07
Posted January 24, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Report post

Thank you, I check this out as well. I'm really grateful for any info that you want to pass along! After following the prescribed GP diet for the past 5 years and getting nothing but worse, it makes sense to try something else.

By Gajudy
Posted January 25, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Report post

Hi Cathy! I'm interested to know--how bad was your GP when you began your diet? What were your symptoms? Did you have weight gain or loss with your GP? You aren't diabetic, are you? I copied your web sites to my favorites, but haven't read them entirely yet. I have one concern--as a diabetic, I'm on limited protein. I guess it's hard on the kidneys. Just wondering if it would work for me. You know, I've been on proton inhibitors for about 12 years & have gotten continually worse. There just may be a connection there. We may all be throwing away our meds, & wouldn't that be a shame! Our pharmacies will go bankrupt! I really believe too many of our meds are actually poisons in disguise. Thanks Cathy.
Gajudy

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 27, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Report post

Hello,
Sorry - I missed your post until tonight.
My gp was caused by excessive surgeries and not diabetes. What's yours from? And do you have kidney damage?

I really hope you'll read through Dr. Cowen's article because he's so common sense about gp. I KNOW that insulin in my bloodstream causes my acid to increase, causing the vagal nerve to trip, causing a flare. I can't help but wonder if it might just work for you to try Cowan's way.

My symptoms were of course delayed gastric emptying (not in the severe range tho), but I also had severe Candida and Celiac disease. The Candida was a result of heavy antibiotics and steroids and food just sitting for days in my gut, growing bacteria in that anabolic condition. Yeck.

I was actually overweight though I hardly ate, but some dr's are theorizing that when your candida is high, it takes it's own share of starches and stores them, plus your insulin locks up a share in your fat cells. So, my body stored double the sugars/fat. Great. When I finally stopped eating carbs to combat the Candida, I lost 15 pounds in two weeks, and that's where I've stayed. Now I'm at my correct weight.

Flares for me consist of vomiting and nausea and of course, bloating. I go from 32" waist to 41" within an hour. And with an abdomen full of adhesions, it's extremely painful because scar tissue doesn't have any elasticity in it. I lived like this from 2000 until August of 08! Woo hoo!

Please send me an update...

Cathy

By winterbride07
Posted January 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Report post

Hi Cathy,

A few more questions for you! Hope you don't mind. Can you give me an example of what foods you ate in the beginning? Do you follow an Atkins-type plan? I eat primarily oatmeal, applesauce, bananas, potatoes and granola bars now, so this is a totally new diet for me. When I've tried proteins in the past, they usually made me nauseous but I am willing to try anything! Maybe that will pass as I follow this diet and start to heal things.

Do you still have symptoms on this diet? On my current diet, I still have daily nausea, pain and bloating, which all gets worse during "flare ups."

Also, when you say you eat gelatin, do you mean like flavored Jello or do you eat plain gelatin or what?

Thanks so much!
Crystal

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 28, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Report post

Hi Crystal,

I follow the Stillman diet for two reasons: 1. Because it's low residue, which means that there aren't carbs sitting in my gut fermenting/breaking down my immune system further, and 2. because low-carb eating doesn't trip my insulin-which-trips-the-vagal-nerve reactions. Here's a link that gives the low-down on the Stillman diet. Warning - it'll make you lose weight if you've been eating carbs. Make sure you can afford to lose some weight before going for it:

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/stillman-s/433959-dr-stillman-s-quick-wei ght-loss-diet.html

Were you able to get some Betaine/HCI? If so, it will digest the protein for you and that helps a LOT. If not, it is tough to break down the protein. If you have the Betaine and feel up to it, try having an all protein breakfast and see how you do. Personally, the thought of oatmeal, bananas, potatoes and granola just makes me cringe for what I know those foods will do to me. Yikes.

Yes, I eat regular old sugar-free jello. I should get something more natural, meaning without the Aspartame, but plain jello needs something for flavor and I can't take fruit juice. Plain jello is out.

But I am most happy to report that NOW I do not have the gp symptoms I've had since 2008. I do when I waver from my supplements or meal plan. btw - I highly recommend vitamins/supplements on this diet because the diet won't supply what you need. Potassium is an absolute must, but get it without stuff in it that feeds candida, namely, rice based potassium, etc. I found a good one at Vitacost.

As to what I do eat, I eat ground turkey (cooked in stainless steel pans, not teflon) about three times a day, plus eggs about three times a day, and I have a jello smoothie once a day. I also eat Farmer's Cheese for a snack (it's a lot like cottage cheese). It's pretty plain, but I have a life this way.

On the weekends I have vegetables when my candida is down. Candida feeds on saccharides in your food, so I'm sticking low carb in order to starve it to death. Vegetables are made of tri-saccharides so I can't have much without going into a flare.

Yes this is a severe way to live but if we can't make the gp go away, we still can master it. For me, it's this way or the couch. LOL.

Your Georgia friend,
Cathy

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 28, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Report post

I'm anxious to see how you do. May I assume that you have the Betaine?

Oh - and you may detox when you start this diet. That means you may feel yukky for a few days while you starve the candida. (everybody has a certain amount of candida.)

best wishes,
cath

By winterbride07
Posted January 28, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Report post

Yes, I have HCL tablets. I've actually tried them in past but didn't notice a difference with my high-carb diet. I am thinking they will be helpful for the low-carb diet, though!

By Gajudy
Posted January 28, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Report post

Nobody has ever really told me what caused my GP. I've had heartburn for about 10 years. Then I took an anti-seizure med in an effort to tame my horrible headaches. That seemed to trigger the GP. Nobody else has ever mentioned meds as a cause of GP, but I read somewherethat it can. I have type 2 diabetes, but no kidney damage that I'm aware of. Just had an ultrasound, so I'm pretty sure I'm okay there. I'm very lucky that I don't have the vomiting. I don't even get nauseous very often. The gerd, bloating, fullness, and stomach pain are the only symptoms I have. I'm sooooo lucky. Everything you said makes so much sense. I have a constant awareness that there is something sour. Hard to explain. Guess it's part of the gerd. If I could get rid of that, I sure would be happy.The diet is worth a try! Thanks again Cathy. Gajudy

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 28, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Report post

Maybe we should start an elastic waist club?

The way we all experience periodic bloating, it'd be nice to see some svelte fashions with expandable waistlines!

smile.

By winterbride07
Posted January 28, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Report post

I started wearing maternity jeans on my bad days. You can't tell at all and they come in hand when my belly is so bloated that my "real" clothes won't fit!

By GeorgiaCath
Posted January 28, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Report post

I tried maternity jeans but the saggy bottom gave them away. :)

According to these directions, you gradually increase the HCI tablets per meal until you get relief. Here's the link again:

http://www.modernherbalist.com/betaine.html

cath

Welcome to Inspire!

Explore topics in this discussion:

72 replies

Add to the discussion

AGMD on Twitter

Group leaders

You