Weird last couple of days- I am continuing Iberogast and started also acidophilus at mealtimes. I feel like I might reflux right after the acidophilus but so far no regurgitation thank goodness.
Last night burping was much improved I sorta felt that my food was GOING DOWN ALL THE WAY into intestines.... but hard to tell I took a laxative too- do laxatives help empty the upper stomache? like the area above my wrap? that always feels so full and unnnnn empty after meals
If I do have stomach emptying problems, what can they do about that/?????????/
If you have gastropareisis (delayed emptying) like me and some of our other GERD forum members, docs will need to 1) find out what the cause is or if it's idiopathic, and 2) most likely prescribe meds to "kick start" your digestion. Delayed emptying can be caused by diabetes or hypothyroidism; however, usually MD's can't tell you the root cause (could have been the body's response to a past viral infection, etc.).
Have you considered doing a natural colon cleanse rather than using laxatives? It's my opinion that laxatives offer only short term relief. I am starting a colon cleanse tomorrow -- Colonix (not sure if moderator will find it necessary to edit). I'll let you know how it works. Do you feel it's time to request that your GI doc order an emtying study for you? I didn't know you had a wrap. Does your doctor think the bloating and burping could be related to the wrap?
Oops, sorry, BBG. I just went back and read your prior posts. I saw that you already addressed some of the issues I mention.
What can I say? I've been in a lot of pain and on doctor-prescribed Vicodin, so I was a little out of it when I read your previous messages.
Hope the Iberogast is working. My own doc, who prescribed Zelnorm for motility, said it usually takes 5-7 days to start seeing results. Hey, do you experience "early satiety," meaning a feeling of being satisfied after just a few bites? Another marker they use to determine motility issues . . .
Nope I eat like a horse and could still be hungry after I eat- and maybe I eat too fast although I am always the last one finished. And I quit the Iberogast- that stuff was 31% alcohol and I thought it may have been burning my stomach.
When I saw my gastric emptying study- not the results mind you, but the tech let me have a few peeks on the last pictures and we talked about a few things - maybe you can help me out here
ate the glow in the dark eggs- took first set of pics (3 mins) 8:00
rested in nlobby till 9:45- took 2nd set of pics 9:50
ok so that is 110 mins
from what I understand 60- 70 mins is good emptying time...... he shows me pics and food had not yet even made it into my stomach- still in the esophogus- I guess you would say not even past my wrap- so maybe I need esophogus dilated....? Isn't that when the eggs should have been out of the stomach area?not even on the screen mostly? There was tons left......
I walked right out of there when I was dismissed and took my Zelnorm- continuing Pevacid 2x day.... .having some relief last two days- then I ate salad last night and burped like old times waking early this AM and writing yoiu for advice- wonder if they can dilate when I am in to have GB removed Tuesday AM?- results will be in Monday but they will go to the GI doc not surgeon..... sigh- I think both of them are taking a holiday too......
I don't want to misinform you, however, it is my understanding that the duration of the gastric emptying test (in my case 90 min.) correlates to the time it takes a normal stomach to empty 50%. My former GI doc -- Mr. Personable -- kept saying I was "at 33%" w/o explaining what he meant. I kept prodding until he laid it out. "It would probably be more over time," he added. Which makes sense if you consider the following analogy: You and I take off from the same point at the same time, except you're driving a car and I'm on a skateboard. We stop after 1 min. You may have already reached the end of the block, while I'm only partway down the street. This gap would widen if we gave ourselves more time.
Please don't try to read too much into what the tech showed you. It's not your responsibility to be trained to do so, and what you saw could mean a lot of things. I know it must SUCK to have the burping back after a year of improvement since the wrap. My GI doc advised that I lay off raw veggies, fruit w/skin, nuts, and red meat (other than ground beef) for a while. High fiber foods are more difficult to digest for people with emptying probs. Personally, I think the idea is half-crocked b/c it's hard for me to believe that raw veggies are "bad" for anyone, but okay, I'll try it for a while. It might explain your salad issue. Since you're having the GB surgery this week, the natural reaction is to take care of it all -- including the dilation, if necessary -- in one fell swoop. However, you can always address that, if need be, sometime in the near future. Just make sure everyone is on board first, with all of the necessary tests performed. Have you ever asked point blank, "Look, Doctor, I want to know why I am burping. I thought it was the hernia but that's been taken care of so, please, tell me why or determine why ASAP"? From personal experience, I know it's sometimes easy for the physicians to dance around the issue. Maybe just keep asking, "Why am I burping and how can we fix it?" until someone gives you a straight answer.
If it turns out your emptying is delayed (let's hope not), make sure you get a percentage and evaluation of severity. At 33%, my problem is considered mild to moderate. It sure didn't feel moderate when I was lying on the floor, completely bloated and uncomfortable after 1/2 a piece of toast. The Zelnorm, thankfully, appears to be working now. On the alternative front, there is a Chinese herb mixture used by acupuncturists and such that is supposed to speed emptying. The name escapes me now. It's my belief that digestive enzymes prescribed by a naturopath (see Logan's recent post) would help as well. I always keep an eye out for possible alternative treatments, b/c I truly hate being on these meds, which make me feel toxic.
I know what you mean- that's why I tried Iberogast- I tried enzymes from a capsule and they did little or nothing- now on Zelnorm and acidophilus chewables-
Youre right I'll wait for results from doc and make him explain it to me-
For sure- in the surgeons office I asked over and over what is the burping - have you ever heard of it lasting so long? He wondered about delayed gastric emptying and said he was very glad I was having that test....also mentioned he has never heard of anyone having these 4 hour long burp attacks in his life- I asked him not to give up on me as I didn't think too much of my GI Dr at this point and he said _ I wish you wouldn't look at it like I am giving up- it's just that I am not the specialist I do the mechanical end of treatment" my gut tells me- forgive the pun- that I have esophogeal strictures or at least spasms and it has been getting a little help loosening the muscles and such with Zelnorm. I don't think my hiatal hernia is back and there is a good chance what is coming back up on me is something that never made it to the stomache yet
A far as fresh uncooked fruits and veggies- I was just careless- the lettuce I usually eat is shredded much better...... and I haven't had raw fruit in years- I would to pick up a juicy apple and eat it- I do try to eat raisins every day with breakfast, and enjoy cooked veggies very much- I almost crave them. I started laying off uncooked fruits and veggies when went thru something very similar to this in my 20's luckily- crazy burping ----I quit drinking alcoholic beverages at the time and I healed completely but remembered the no uncooked fruits rule.... I have maybe 1 steak a year! I do good with ham, fish, cheeses, and chicken
I also wonder what to do as far as my missing out on the vitmains of no fresh fruits- vitmains are a nono - they always make my stomach go wonky- must be the iron and/or the vitamin B- any ideas here? My husband takes a fruit and veg supplement with acidophilus built right in- not sure of the company- maybe I can try thos after GB surgery....
pray for me
In a previous post you said I might ask for meds to kick start my digestion? I am on Prevacid 2 times a day- for acid- and ZZelnorm 6mg 2 times a day
what meds can kick start digestion? I am interested
Zelnorm, Erythromycin (antibiotic, in tab or liquid form) and Reglan are some of the meds currently used to speed emptying. I am staunchly anti-Reglan, as some of my other posts convey. Mosts docs are very free and easy with this drug, which can cause permanent tics, tongue thrusting, twitching, etc. If you do a web search, you'll see numerous sites devoted to law suits against its manufacturers. I allowed it to be administered to me once -- through IV -- when I went to the ER for horrible heartburn, vomiting, and bloating. I woud personally only take it in worst case scenarios.
Your GB sugery is going to go fine, I just know it.