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5989418 tn?1377920198

Just diagnosed with Gastroparesis but symptoms are different

So I have been dealing with diarrhea issues for a majority of my life now.  Only recently have they gotten to the point where I just had to figure out what was wrong so I could hopefully get some help.  There was never really any rhyme or reason to what I ate and the effects of what I ate so I could never explain myself to my general doctor.  I finally went to see a GI and he has run a colonoscopy, endoscopy, hydrogen breath test and a gastric emptying study to see if he can figure it out.  The gastric emptying study showed my stomach digestion at 59%, which he said didn't quite place me in the category of gastroparesis but with the symptoms that I have he would find if safe to say that that's my issue.

I have been reading up on gastroparesis and also have a friend who was diagnosed with it a couple of years ago and my symptoms just don't quite match up.  I have no nausea or vomiting.  I have always suffered from diarrhea and lower abdominal bloating and cramping.  Recently the cramping has become more severe.  I have not lost any weight from the issue nor have I had any type of intestinal tract surgery to cause anything to happen.  I have also been reading up on dumping syndrome because my doctor had mentioned that as the possible issue a while back.  Those symptoms seems to match up a little better but I have had no surgery, and from whet I have read that tends to be the main cause of the dumping problem.  

My doctor has prescribed domperidon for me to start taking, but I am only 32 and would love to be able to have children at some point.  I have read that it can cause infertility in some cases and with my history of strange reactions to some medications I'm really worried that this will become an issue of it's own.  I really would love to know if I truly do have gastroparesis and that this medication will be safe and effective for me or do I have dumping syndrome and need to seek other medications and diets or is it possible to have both?  I am going back to see my doctor next week to see if I can get some answers but was wondering if there was anyone else who has the problems that I do.  Would love to hear!  :-) Thanks!
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Avatar universal
GooberDrake, I tend to agree with your assessment. The problem is when tests all come back 'normal' or near-normal, docs are hard-pressed to try to help and it can become a problem for you and your doctor to try to figure out what to do. He may be turning to the only thing he can find on your chart to try to offer some help.

You're saying you've always had problems with diarrhea, bloating, etc. Are there any other members of your family who have experienced digestive issues? Do you get any rashes or blotching? Any signs of 'brain-fog?' Or how about fatigue that is either lingering or can hit like a 'ton-of-bricks?'

I'm wondering if the problem you're experiencing might be related to any form of food intolerance. I know it seems strange to think that food could 'poison you,' but in many individuals it does and it can be hard to track-down the offending food group. But there are some tests you might want to consider.

With foods there may not be a one-to-one 'cause-and- symptoms-immediately-appear.' Sometimes the effects can take hours, days or weeks to show up. And with long-term exposure it seems like anything you eat can create low-to-high-grade misery.
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5989418 tn?1377920198
I had thought about food intolerance or even allergies and had talked with my allergist about testing for food allergies but he said he didn't want to test for those at the time. That's kind of what made me finally go to a GI. I don't have any rashes or blotching or brain fog.  I do experience fatigue most of the time and never feel fully rested. I had pretty much summed up that that was a side effect of whatever stomach/digestive issues I have. I do know I can't have milk though cheeses and yogurt don't generally bother me. Super dense rich foods tend to irritate the issue as well. I've also discovered that I have to stay away from anything that contains sucralose as it makes me almost violently ill. And recently I've started a no/low sugar diet eating low carbs and only whole wheats. I'm still having digestive issues after 2 months on the diet and am still having trouble loosing weight. I also carry very dark circles/bags underneath my eyes which I had also summed up as a side effect of my issue. I will definitely pose the food allergy question to my GI when I see him with all my questions and see what he thinks about that. Thanks for the thought!
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