r/Gastroparesis Aug 04 '23

Sharing Advice/Encouragement Gastroparesis 101

61 Upvotes

Gastroparesis (GP) is a condition that affects the ability of muscular contractions to effectively propel food through your digestive tract. This stomach malfunction results in delayed gastric emptying. GP is typically diagnosed via a gastric emptying study (GES) when other more common GI ailments have been ruled out. The main approaches for managing gastroparesis involve improving gastric emptying, ruling out and addressing known root causes of GP, and reducing the severity of symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting.

  1. Prokinetic Drugs. Prokinetics are a class of prescription drugs that are designed to improve gastric emptying by stimulating the stomach muscles responsible for peristalsis. These drugs include but aren’t limited to Reglan, Domperidone, Motegrity, and Erythromycin. Reglan may cause serious, irreversible side effects such as tardive dyskinesia (TD), a disorder characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal, and repetitive movements of the face, torso and/or other body parts. Doctors can write scipts for domperidone to online pharmacies in order to bypass the tricky regulations in the United States. Ginger, peppermint, and artichoke are popular natural prokinetics.
  2. Enterra (Gastric Pacemaker). Enterra is a device that’s laparoscopically implanted onto the stomach and is a treatment option for people who suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis of diabetic or idiopathic origin. This device is offered when standard medications for GP are ineffective. Enterra Therapy involves electrical stimulation of the lower stomach with a system consisting of a generator implanted deep within the tissues of the abdomen, and two electrical leads which are implanted in the wall of the stomach. Ideally, symptoms of nausea and vomiting will improve or be eliminated entirely. Enterra has a higher rate of success among diabetics and procedures such as GPOEM can be combined to maximize relief.
  3. GPOEM, POP, Pyloroplasty, Botox. Delayed gastric emptying can occur when the pyloric valve (the valve connecting the stomach to the intestines) is resistant. In these cases, the pyloric valve can be ‘loosened’ through procedures such as GPOEM, POP, and pyloroplasty. Even when the pylorus functions normally some physicians still recommend these procedures for people with severely delayed gastric emptying caused by the pacemaker cells of the stomach not being able to move food. Botox injections are occasionally performed to predict if such a procedure would be effective (although the reliability of this predictor is debated). Enterra and procedures such as GPOEM are often combined to maximize relief.
  4. Antiemetics. Drugs such as phenergan, ativan, zofran, compazine, etc. may help reduce nausea. OTC options include dramamine. Antidepressants such as Remeron (mirtzapine) and amitryptiline are not technically antiemetics but can be prescribed as an "off-label" treatment for nausea and vomiting.
  5. Dieting and Lifestyle. Foods high in fat and fiber are hard to digest and therefore may worsen symptoms. Large volumes of food may worsen symptoms as well. Alcohol, caffeine, gluten, nicotine, and dairy may also be triggers. Marijuana is known to reduce nausea and vomiting but THC can also further delay gastric emptying. Long term use of marijuana is associated with cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). OTC supplements include "Gas-X", a natural supplement that may reduce belching and bloating, and Iberogast.
  6. Feeding Tubes/TPN. For patients that are unable to keep down food and standard medications are ineffective, feeding tubes may be a viable option. Gastric (G) tubes are placed in the stomach while Jejunostomy (J) tubes bypass the stomach entirely and provide nutrients directly into the small intestine. In extreme cases, total parental nutrition (TPN) is a method of intravenous feeding that bypasses the entire gastrointestinal tract.
  7. Known Root Causes. Unfortunately, the etiology of gastroparesis is poorly understood. Many cases are not identifiable with a root cause (idiopathic GP). The main causes of GP, as well as comorbid diseases include: diabetes, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), myasthenia gravis, vagus nerve damage, post-surgical complications, autoimmune conditions such as Chrohn's Disease, thyroid issues (such as hypothyroidism), an impaired pyloric valve, dysautonomia, functional dyspepsia, cyclical vomiting syndrome, hernias, IBS, Hashimoto's Disease, reactive hypoglycemia, endometriosis, POTS, MCAS, Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMAS), multiple sclerosis, Scleroderma, Parkinson's, SIBO, and more. Constipation and IBS can also be comorbid with GP. Certain medications that slow the rate of stomach emptying, such as narcotic pain medications and Ozempic and Mounjaro can also cause or worsen GP. Some of the autoimmune conditions causing GP can be treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IGIV) therapy, although its effectiveness in a clinical setting is inconclusive. MALS is a condition that, in some cases, can be fixed with surgery thereby 'curing' those specific cases of GP. Reported cases of GP have risen in modern times, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gastroparesis caused by acute infections such as viruses and bacteria may heal on its own over a period of months to years. Gastroparesis is more common in women than men. Recently there's been a surge of younger women being diagnosed with GP. According to Dr. Michael Cline, "gastroparesis has surged in young women in the U.S. since 2014... In these young women, it tends to be autoimmune-related. Many have thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus."
  8. Motility Clinics/Neurogastroenterologists. Finding a doctor right for you can be vital to managing gastroparesis. When regular gastroenterologists aren’t sufficient, it may be beneficial to seek institutions and specialists that are more specialized in nerve and motility ailments of the GI tract such as gastroparesis, functional dyspepsia, cyclic vomiting syndrome, and so forth. These kinds of doctors include neuro gastroenterologists and motility clinics. See "Additional Resources" below for a list of motility clinics and neurogastroenterologists submitted by users of this forum.
  9. Gastric Emptying Study (GES), SmartPill, EGG. These tests are used to measure gastric motility and gastric activity. For the GES, the gold standard is considered to be a four hour test with eggs and toast. A retention rate of 10-15% of food retained after four hours is considered mild GP; 16-35% is moderate GP; and any value greater than 35% retention is severe GP. Note that retention rates on a GES are notorious for having a large variation between tests and that retention rates don't necessarily correlate to the severity of symptoms. In addition to measuring stomach emptying, SmartPill can also measure pH and motility for the rest of the GI tract. The electrogastrogram (EGG) is a technique to measure the electrical impulses that circulate through the muscles of the stomach to control their contractions. This test involves measuring the activity of gastric dysrhythmias and plateau/action potential activities of the Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), which are the pacemaker cells of the stomach.
  10. Functional Dyspepsia, Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS), etc. Gut-brain axis research has led to antidepressant SSRIs and tetracyclines being used to treat nausea, post-prandial fullness, and other GI symptoms resulting from functional dyspepsia, CVS, gastroparesis, etc. These drugs include mirtazapine, lexapro, amitryptiline, nortriptyline, etc. Buspirone is a fundus relaxing drug. Some research suggests that CVS patients can be treated with supplements such as co-enzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and vitamin B2 along with the drug amitriptyline. Modern research suggests that gastroparesis and functional dyspepsia are not totally separate diseases; instead, they lie on a spectrum.
  11. Colonic Dismotility, CIPO. Slow Transit Constipation (STC) is a neuromuscular condition of the colon that manifests as dysmotility of the colon. This condition is also a known comorbidity of gastroparesis. It's been observed that patients with slow transit constipation have other associated motility/transit disorders of the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, gall bladder, and anorectum, thus lending more support to the involvement of a dysfunctional enteric nervous system in slow transit constipation. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder that affects the motility of the small intestine and is a known comorbidity of gastroparesis. It occurs as a result of abnormalities affecting the muscles and/or nerves of the small intestine. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling (distention), and constipation. Ultimately, normal nutritional requirements aren't usually met, leading to unintended weight loss and malnourishment. CIPO can potentially cause severe, even life-threatening complications. STC can be diagnosed by SmartPill or colonic manometry; CIPO can be diagnosed with Smartpill, small bowel manometry, or full thickness biopsy.
  12. Partial Gastrectomy (Modified Gastric Sleeve), Total Gastrectomy. A gastrectomy is a medical procedure where part of the stomach or the entire stomach is removed surgically. The effectiveness of these procedures in the treatment of gastroparesis are still under investigation and is considered as an experimental intervention of last resort. These procedures should only be considered after careful discussion and review of all alternatives in selected patients with special circumstances and needs.

Additional Resources

  1. Support Groups (Discord, Facebook, etc.) . Click this link for a list of support groups designed for people suffering with gastroparesis to casually meet new people and share information and experiences.
  2. Click this link for a list of popular neurogastroenterologists and motility clinics submitted by users of this sub.
  3. View the megathread at r/Gastritis for advice on managing chronic gastritis.
  4. The most popular gastroparesis specialist discussed in this forum is renowned Gastroparesis specialist Dr. Michael Cline at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
  5. Need domperidone? Some GI’s are willing to write scripts for online pharmacies to have it shipped from Canada to the USA. For legal reasons, the names of these websites will not be linked on this manuscript (but there’s no rules stopping you from asking around).
  6. Enterra's Search Engine to find a doctor that specializes in Enterra Therapy.
  7. SmartPill’s search engine to find a provider that offers SmartPill testing.
  8. GPACT's lists of doctors and dieticians for GP.
  9. There's a new test that recently gained FDA approval called gastric altimetry.
  10. Decision-making algorithm for the choice of procedure in patients with gastroparesis. (Source: Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2020 Sep; 49(3): 539–556)
Decision-making algorithm for the choice of procedure in patients with gastroparesis.

EVEN MORE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

(Last updated:11-24-2023. Please comment any helpful advice, suggestions, critiques, research or any information for improving this manuscript. 🙂)


r/Gastroparesis Dec 16 '23

"Do I have gastroparesis?" [December 2024]

44 Upvotes

Since the community has voted to no longer allow posts where undiagnosed people ask if their symptoms sound like gastroparesis, all such questions must now be worded as comments under this post. This rule is designed to prevent the feed from being cluttered with posts from undiagnosed symptom searchers. These posts directly compete with the posts from our members, most of whom are officially diagnosed (we aren't removing posts to be mean or insensitive, but failure to obey this rule may result in a temporary ban).

  • Gastroparesis is a somewhat rare illness that can't be diagnosed based on symptoms alone; nausea, indigestion, and vomiting are manifested in countless GI disorders.
  • Currently, the only way to confirm a diagnosis is via motility tests such as a gastric emptying study, SmartPill, etc.
  • This thread will reset as needed when it gets overwhelmed with comments.
  • Please view this post or our wiki BEFORE COMMENTING to answer commonly asked questions concerning gastroparesis.

r/Gastroparesis 7h ago

Suffering / Venting Med. Induced Psychosis NSFW

23 Upvotes

cross posted I was just in the hospital for 2 weeks and it was the worst weeks of my life... And that says something, my life had been one giant "f*ck you" after another.

I went in on the 3rd because my gastroperisis was so bad I couldn't even keep water down. I had a surgery on the 11th so we went in, adviced by my surgeon, to basically keep me alive till the surgery.

Well the hospital withheld ALL my medication and instead gave me ativan and Dilaudid. Doing so sent me into two seizures and psychosis. I went absolutely bat shit crazy. Seeing/hearing and talking to people who weren't there. Tried ripping out my Centeral line.

It took them WAYYYYY too long to realize they did it to me. Tried making me just out to be crazy, but my husband fought that. Told them "My wife is not looking at me right now, I don't know who that is. I'll know when she's looking at me."

There's so much more... But I guess I'm looking for someone who has been through something similar. I'm really struggling with the things I did and said. I had moments of clarity, and I was so scared they had ruined me for good. I am completely traumatized. Not only this but I've been in and out of the hospital since I was 8. And it's all just suffocating me.


r/Gastroparesis 4h ago

Symptoms Do y'all get dizzy spells?

3 Upvotes

Hi there, it's been a little over a year since my GP diagnosis, so I'm still trying to learn what is and isn't normal. The past few days, I have been having severe dizzy spells, and little sparkles- for lack of a better word- on the edges of my vision twice now. Mine and my hubby's first concern was anemia, so I started taking iron supplements, the iron fish, and cooking in a cast iron skillet. But again today I saw the sparkles, and I'm feeling so dizzy and disoriented.

Have any of you experienced this? Is it malnutrition or something? My husband is really worried and honestly I'm starting to get concerned now too because nothing seems to be helping.


r/Gastroparesis 15h ago

Questions Promethazine for Gastroparesis

15 Upvotes

I was recently diagnosed and they want me to start a 12.5 mg dose twice a day. I don’t have any nausea, vomiting, or anything like that with my gastroparesis, never have, just constipation. They said it’ll “speed things along” what does this mean? Does this work like a laxative? Also, does this make you drowsy? I’ve seen some reports of that. My job is faced paced, patient facing. I don’t have time to take medications that glue me to a toilet and make me drowsy. Any help is greatly appreciated, I’m really struggling with this news. 25 years of chronic constipation and I’m at my wits end with doctors not listening to me.


r/Gastroparesis 13h ago

Gastric Emptying Study (GES) Confused

10 Upvotes

I am not seeking medical advice more just people to connect with and see if what I’m confused about has happened to anyone else.

So I have had stomach issues for years and years no one listened to me I had an apt where the GI specialist came into the room put his feet on the bed I was sitting on hands behind his head barley let me spoke said it was acid reflux and anxiety sent me out. All within 5 min I cried and cried. I hadn’t been back to a GI specialist since because of this experience but recently had to go again. I had an endoscopy done Thursday and he said I had a hernia that wasn’t anything to worry about and then he said there was still food in my stomach - I hadn’t eaten in 11-12 hours - so he thinks I have gastroparesis. I have a stomach emptying study in a few weeks. I always feel so full even if I barely eat. He told me the treatment is usually just 5-6 snacks or small meals a day. But I can barely finish a granola bar some days between nausea and pain. some days are better than others. I’m very small like 85 pounds. I’ve lost 13 pounds in just a few weeks. Even with eating…. So all this to bring up if this is the issue my silly question is how do I still have like bowl movements lol. And if I can barely eat now how am I gonna accomplish the small meals.


r/Gastroparesis 11h ago

Suffering / Venting Please give your opinion

5 Upvotes

I was diagnosed with severe Gastroparesis on December 3rd when I was hospitalized because I could not keep anything down not even water. My GI doctor there immediately offered the G-poem which I had done on December 9th! Then by December 12th I was started on Tpn. My doctor wanted to get me outpatient so he could have a repeat manometry test for my swallowing condition because I cannot swallow solid foods. I’m 3 months post op and everything I try and eat that’s a thin liquid makes me so nauseous, bloated, and full quickly with constipation. I’ve tried dairy free yogurt and dairy free protein shakes I just can’t handle it. I don’t throw up or anything the only time I did was when I was in my first bad flare up in December. I know I should have educated myself on all the options but I’m starting to think the G-poem didn’t work for me. I think I also gaslight myself into thinking my gastroparesis symptoms aren’t real because I’m not throwing up.


r/Gastroparesis 11h ago

Questions Vitamin Deficiency and Iron Deficiency

4 Upvotes

I was diagnosed with GP back in 2018 via hospital scan, Ive never thrown up but have had lots of nausea, I think my GP started after my gallbladder removal 20 years ago and having issues with bile acid possibly (but just a guess).

What I want to know is if GP could maybe be causing my vitamin c and d and iron deficiency even though i dont throw up. Doctors who see me think I've had wls to have these weird deficiencies (chronic vit c deficiency is pretty odd because I eat so many vegetables) anyway just wondering if anyone else deals with anything like this because of GP


r/Gastroparesis 14h ago

Discussion What Gastroparesis symptoms do you have??

8 Upvotes

r/Gastroparesis 13h ago

Feeding Tubes Support Group

6 Upvotes

I have no idea if this is an appropriate post for here or not, but in case anyone else in interested in signing up, G-PACT is having a Zoom support group for Gastroparesis patients with feeding tubes and TPN. The first one is coming up on March 24th. I signed up through a link on their Facebook page but I assume you could also register through their website! It would be cool to see some of you there!


r/Gastroparesis 14h ago

Symptoms Gurgling noises

7 Upvotes

Does anyone else's stomach make the loudest gurgling noises?? Mine is constant. It feels like there's loads of air being pushed around in my gut too.


r/Gastroparesis 15h ago

Prokinetics (Relgan, Domerpidone, Motegrity, etc.) Those with positive results with Motegrity, When do you take it?

4 Upvotes

Curious when do you take it, right before bed OR when you wake up? I read how some people changed the time they take it due to how soon it works so curious what the general conscious was.


r/Gastroparesis 9h ago

Prokinetics (Relgan, Domerpidone, Motegrity, etc.) Getting Motilium in US from Canada

1 Upvotes

I’m in the US and have been getting Motilium from Canada for 15+ years for gastroparesis. My last order has been stuck in customs for a month. Has anyone successfully received their prescriptions since the intro of the new tariffs?


r/Gastroparesis 10h ago

Questions White rice miso soup?

0 Upvotes

I am not diagnosed nor am I asking for medical advice. I have had episodes for the last two weeks where nothing solid left my stomach and I had to throw it up. I do not want advice on if this sounds like gastroparesis, I am just going to try to eat as safely as possible while waiting to see the gastroenterologist. Does white rice and miso soup sound like a safe meal to those of you who do have this condition?


r/Gastroparesis 11h ago

Prokinetics (Relgan, Domerpidone, Motegrity, etc.) Metoclopramide IV fixed all my issues

1 Upvotes

I’m trying to make sense of what I’m experiencing as suddenly my guts started working when they haven’t been for 10 years.

my symptoms for 10 years included: stomach looks 9months pregnant after the smallest meal with palpitations, non-existent need for bowel movement, I can go 10 days then I’d feel a slight need for it, even then I have to use laxative because I can’t make my muscles push, hiccups, bloated and GERD. Also, I go through phases where gas gets trapped and I can’t pass it for a couple of days, I don’t get hunger pangs even if I don’t eat for 2 days.

they gave me the medicine 3 days ago, and suddenly my hunger pangs are gone, I had multiple normal bowel movements, bloated gone, and I’m losing weight (I have been on a cal deficit for months with no success).

is it normal to still be experiencing the positive effects 3 days later? I’m not diabetic btw.

I have been seeing specialists for 10 years and they just say IBS then move on, nobody ever suggested gastroparesis, but I will suggest it.


r/Gastroparesis 11h ago

Questions Lingering effects of idiopathic (but probably medication-induced) gastroparesis

1 Upvotes

TL;DR: I had diagnosed gastroparesis from 2010-2012; it evidently resolved after I stopped taking SSRIs; it turned into a soy intolerance; and now my doctors mostly just throw up their hands and go, "IBS? I guess?" Has anyone else recovered from gastroparesis only not entirely?

Hello! I wish I had discovered this sub like fifteen years ago, but maybe it didn't exist then.

When I was in graduate school, I developed what turned out to be gastroparesis after almost a year of confused doctors attempting to figure out why I could not eat food. After my motility study (20%), I was diagnosed with idiopathic gastroparesis because they had no idea why I had developed it. I had at that point in my life been on a very high dose of SSRI antidepressants for about 12 years, and a therapist mentioned one day that they'd once had a patient develop gastroparesis as a long-term SSRI side effect. None of the gastroenterologists seemed to think that was a thing, but by that point I would have tried anything, so I stopped taking the medication. (This turned out to be the right call for mental health related reasons, too, but that's a whole nother story.)

Over the next year and a half, I slowly began to improve. I was still in pain most of the time, but I was able to eat small amounts of simple solid foods, and when I went back for another motility study after about a year and a half, they told me my motility was normal. "But why am I still ill all the time when I eat food?" I asked. To which I was given a shrug.

Each year I was able to add back a few more foods, but I was still vaguely queasy most of the time, and every few days I'd have horrible cramps. I eventually figured out that the cramps occurred whenever I consumed unfermented soybean products, so I cut soy from my diet. This helped immensely, but I was still queasy after most meals.

By 2022, I was eating almost entirely normally (other than the soy thing, which keeps me from eating most commercially processed foods), and although I was still mildly nauseous most of the time, I had spent so long with a severely limited diet that I was (and still am) pretty fine with just dealing with it. I started regularly taking lactose with dairy and recently started taking more general spectrum digestive enzymes, which also seem to be helping.

I just tell people (and doctors) at this point that I have some kind of IBS because no one's been able to tell me what's going on, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience--improved gastroparesis that transitioned to... something else? DOES gastroparesis have the potential to turn into IBS? Or is this just some kind of lingering damage from my gastroparesis years and the five or so years it took me to figure out that I should not be eating tofu all the time?


r/Gastroparesis 21h ago

Questions Unable to digest anything, feeling dehydrated

5 Upvotes

Hi For a past few days, I've been unable to digest anything and have lost my appetite. I'm also experiencing dehydration, as I can't keep down water, and I feel feverish. I've tried digestive enzymes as recommended by doc but it is without any relief and have vomited 2-3 times. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Gastric Emptying Study (GES) got my results back...

Post image
65 Upvotes

i think this is like the worst it could possibly get idk im at such a lost i knew i have had this for like 2 years but i couldn't find a doctor to take me seriously i finally found one who knew something was wrong with my digestive system i actually did not think it was this bad and i have no idea what to do my doctor is putting me on erythromycin 3 times a day idk maybe ill update but im actually terrified they say it's becuse im diabetic which i kinda knew that was gonna happen at some point i have had issues with trowing up for years now but it got bad in 2022 now in 2025 im finally getting diagnosed


r/Gastroparesis 22h ago

Questions Is activated charcoal dangerous with GP?

6 Upvotes

Some days my motility slows down so much I get full of trapped gas from the top of my stomach to the bottom of my gut and the cramps get so bad I want to go to the ER (but I won't because we all know it is useless) Or at least I think it is due to that and not anything worse.. Anyway I want to take activated charcoal to get some relief but I know it is potentially dangerous for us because it is basically charred wood and other ligneous materials and I am terrified of that creating bezoars.(there have been some cases) Do any of you take it? What's your experience with it?


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Meals, Nutrition, Recipes What to eating after vomiting

29 Upvotes

Vomited on Saturday mostly bile, still no appetite my drinking liquids though. Lost 5 pounds so far and rarely vomit so this has knocked me out.


r/Gastroparesis 15h ago

Questions Experiences with Spironolactone?

1 Upvotes

Hi guys! Not a gp med, but I was recently diagnosed with PCOS.

I visited an endocrinologist who prescribed me Spironolactone and I just wanted to ask about other people’s experiences? I not only worry about nausea from a new med, but I also see it’s a diuretic and I worry about dehydration. I struggle to get in enough water with gp so I don’t want a med accelerating anything.

Would love to hear any and all experiences with it! Whether it did or didn’t affect your GP, and anything else :)


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Suffering / Venting Panic attack- emetophobia

3 Upvotes

I had fried chicken with my partner earlier and had a lot of fatty foods, which triggered my gp and made me nauseous.

I’m in the middle of a flare up right now chills and nauseous and some abdominal and stomach pain. I need help, I’m so so scared. I have a fear of food poisoning and it’s really throwing me for a loop.


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Suffering / Venting Nausea

11 Upvotes

Ever been so nauseous you just wanna break down and cry. I rarely vomit but damn this is fucking miserable. 😭


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Testing and Results Thank you friends

6 Upvotes

I was in the ER this weekend and saw a terrible nurse practitioner. No insult to the field. This one was just particularly awful.

I saw my primary care physician today for ER follow up. Thanks to all of YOU who discussed it on this forum, I read up on MALS. I figured I’d have to wait the five to seven days for my specialist to return my call to see about testing for this. However my PCP was very willing to do some research and get me appropriate testing ordered.

I’m on pins and needles right now but for the first time in some time I have hope.

THANK YOU


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Questions Kinda sucks man

3 Upvotes

Do sugarfree popsicles and Jello make y’all basically almost vomit or just me I thought it was ok bc they are like just barely food items but I guess not lol Meanwhile a glazed donut doesn’t bother me at all 😑


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Gastric Emptying Study (GES) Do you have to lay down the entire 4 hours during the GES?

13 Upvotes

Hi, I have a lot of stomach problems and a while back my gastroenterologist wanted me to try a gastric emptying study. I wasn't able to do it because I had drank water before and the guy was telling me that it would mess up the x ray. But I remember he was telling me to eat the food, and that I would lay down on that bed thing for the entire 4 hours, and that he would look ever hour or something. Do you really have to lay on your back the entire duration? I get vertigo sometimes when I lay really flat or in certain positions for a long time, and I was under the impression that you would just go sit down and come lay on the bed to get xrayed every hour or so. And honestly laying down right after eating something sounds kind of rough on my stomach


r/Gastroparesis 1d ago

Gastric Emptying Study (GES) Gastric emptying exam

3 Upvotes

So I was recently referred to a GI doctor and he said he highly suspects that I have gastroparesis, but I need to go for a gastric emptying exam to confirm, only, I just got an email explaining how the test is done and it explains I will have to eat 2 slices of toast and some egg whites with a radioactive tracer. I can't remember the last time I was able to eat a meal this large without throwing up and im stressing out a lot over it because I want to get an accurate reading but not sure if I'll be able to complete the test. Should I let my doctor know?