Delayed Gastric Emptying (Gastroparesis)

I'm just wondering if anyone has developed this condition after surgery?

I haven't been here in a very long time, but I'm a little over 10 years out now. For almost two years I've been vomiting an average of 13 days out of the month. I'm no longer hungry, which didn't even happen to me right after surgery.

I was 350 before my DS, and I leveled out at between 250 and 240 (I know not the best results with the DS, but still so much better)....now suddenly I've lost 35 pounds in the last year.

I just had my labs done and I'm low on B12 and copper, for which I'm getting B12 shots and taking the supplements for. I haven't been back to my weight loss surgeon in awhile cuz they stopped taking my insurance, but I make a huge point to get the labs done every year.

I've had a barium swollow test and an Upper endoscopy last year, both came back pretty much normal. I'm waiting to see a new GI doc in August, and I've been put on the cancelation list trying to get in early. I'm hoping for a gastric emptying study and maybe an ultrasound.

thanks!

Jenny

I haven't developed this but I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble.

So, if the upper endoscopy came back normal do they have any theories on the cause of
the vomiting? Two years is a long time to be vomiting and not know why.

I'm a little surprised that your labs aren't a little more wacky with throwing up but
good labs are the gold standard so good for you.

Having no appetite after 10 years is a little odd but when that happened to me in the
first year post-op I ended up just eating on a standard schedule to make sure I got
in everything. That might be one way to handle it if you are having trouble.

New meds, anything that might have caused the loss of appetite?

I guess I wouldn't worry about the weight loss too much unless it keeps on going. I'm
5 years out and spent the last 2.5 circling 230. For some reason in the past couple of months I seem to have reset to 220. I'm happy but it did seem strange to me.

Sending good thoughts,

Pete

Thanks for the reply. New PCP thinks it's the gastroparesis, and I'm not sure what else it could be.

Previous PCP sent me for tests, they found nothing, weren't willing to think outside of H. Pylori and gave up. Last PCP actually wouldn't stop congratulating me on the weight loss...which could be implied as "keep up with what is essentially forced bulimia"!

its not just vomiting and lack of appetite. It's major acid reflux, I'm on 3 different pills that I take 4 times a day...and still eat tums and have heart burn so bad at night I've thrown up acid in my sleep.

its bloating and burping and gas, and if my belly could distend it probably would (plastics makes it hard for my belly to do that).

and I'm not sure if I've stopped pooping like a normal DSer cuz I've stopped eating so much or I'm now chronically constipated.

its just been so much fun ? ?

Not sure how insurance would handle this but you might ask the PCP if he would contact someone like Dr. Keseshian in California for a look at what might be causing the reflux. Sounds like that might be a big part of the problem. I know he has seen things in peoples VSG / DS that others might have missed.

Maybe they will be able to confirm the gastroparesis. I know I've seen a couple of posts over the years of people that had the problem I just don't remember what the solution was.

I hope things get better, not as much fun as it should be.

Pete

I'm sure you have more information than I do about gastroparesis but I coincidentally ran across this article in Diabetes Forecast about it.

http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2018/04-jul-aug/treating-gas troparesis-with.html?loc=morefrom

It doesn't have to be Diabetes related just one of those things that can happen.

Pete

Hi Jenny- I had gastroparesis before I had wls and I did not have reflux or any of the other symptoms you mentioned. It started with vomiting and having food in my stomach that I had eaten the day before. Eventually I would get full off of just a bite or two of food. It was very up and down- some days I could eat a little, some days almost nothing. I weighed almost 400 pounds when it started so no doctors took it seriously. I lost about 100 pounds and it just went away. I haven't had it since. I had RNY surgery, later revised to DS and have not had any gastroparesis symptoms at all during any of it (but wls was a breeze compared to gastroparesis- I'd take the surgery side effects over gastroparesis any day of the week).

I hope you figure things out soon- I know this is not fun.