Understanding Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis (GP) is delayed gastric emptying. GP is a disease that basically stops or severely slows down the movement of food and liquids from your stomach to the small intestines. There is no blockage in either place that can be fixed or removed. At times GP can be the complete paralysis of the stomach where nothing moves through. Basically, the stomach doesn’t empty properly or at all. There is no known reason for GP, although it can sometimes be attributed to diabetes, damage to the vagus nerve, or some medications.

The symptoms of GP can range from nausea, to vomiting, to abdominal pain. Most people feel full long after a meal, acid reflux can be extreme and last longer than usual. Weight fluctuations are associated with GP as well. There is no cure at this time as with most autoimmune diseases. There is only a hand full of medications that are on the market to help manage GP, most of the time it is the symptoms that are managed. If GP is bad enough a feeding tube will be placed to help with getting proper nutrition.

I was diagnosed with GP several years ago and it is had been within the last little while that I have had such a flare up of GP that I have had to have a feeding tube placed to help me get the proper nutrition. I have high hopes that I won’t be on a feeding tube forever because my stomach does have some movement still. I am able to eat some softer foods to help with the motility of the stomach so that is a good sign that things are progressing in a forward motion.