Gastroparesis and fundoplication

[Choeckel]

My 6 year old was diagnosed with gastroparesis last December, she has frrequent bouts of vomiting and gets frequent stomachs. Her upper GI showed no empting of her stomach after 30 minutes, at 45 minutes it had started to empty. Her intestines are covered with a "snow" like lumpiness that through biopsy showed no specific cause. She has been on Bethanochol 5mls twice daily and Previcid 30 mg once daily. This has helped her symtoms and so she is doing ok. My problemis that her gastro dr wants to get her off her meds by Febuary of 2010 and all attemps this far have failed(symtoms returning with a vigor) He has sugested to do Nissen Fundoplication to inhibit her ability to throw up, but studies have shown that this proceedure can inhibit motility of the stomach. I am very confused and have not been able to find another DR for a second opinion. Any suggestion welcome- a;ternate treatments?????

[Lastmarshall]

Do not get the wrap. I was fine taking PPI after having the wrap I have gastroparesis because they damage the vagus nerve. I have a law suit filed

[FurballsMom]

I agree about avoiding the fundoplication as far off into the future as possible.  You could end up regretting it if you put her through this too soon in her young life.

[CalGal]

If you want to wean her off of the PPIs you have to do it in a VERY slow manner and it could take a number of months to slowly get it down to the point that 'pulling' her off of it doesn't provoke rebound reflux. People on PPIs have known for years that it's hard to get off the stuff, and a recent study in 'control' subjects - persons without reflux to begin with - documented that even those without reflux would suffer rebound reflux when they try to come off of PPIs.

Please don't move to the fundoplication, if possible, until all other underlying causes of the problems are fully investigated. That 'snow' HAS to have a cause. Get the biopsy reports and read them. I don't mean to malign your doc, but you'd be surprised at the number of things that are on reports that patients are never told about. If your doc can't find a cause for the 'snow' get other opinions. Also check out issues like food intolerances or eosinophilic esophagitis. I'm not saying that these issues cause what's going on, but the symptoms can be similar.

But first of all, get all her written records - doc's reports, biopsies, lab results etc - and read them.