Brain Fog: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

We all know that feeling; We try to talk to others and cannot find the words. We forget the words we want to say, or know the words we want to say but cannot seem to spit them out. We forget activities and memories. We forget what we need to do unless we write it down. It is VERY frustrating to everyone involved.

Source: Imgur



My husband will get very frustrated with me, because unless I religiously write things down, I forget things all of the time. He has a trip he's going on for work next week, actually, and I forgot the conversation we had about it when he told me he was going. Now, I write in my Gastroparesis Journal constantly and I use my Google Calendar to remind myself of appointments, when my husband has work out of town, birthdays, and everything that's important to me. I love Google Calendar because they will send you reminders like text messages, emails, and popups.

I have to make lists of things I need to do that day. My memory used to be amazing, but since I was officially diagnosed with Gastroparesis, my memory is NOT what it used to be. I could remember dates without issue, remember to go to the pharmacy, and that kind of thing. Now, it is like I have no short term memory and my long term memory seems blocked, most of the time. I cannot even tell you all of what I posted on Facebook yesterday, for instance.

I wanted to research into what causes memory loss, which I call "GP Brain," others call it "Brain Fog," and if there is any hope of reversal. I do know that I need to recognize my limitations, now that I have it, and try to adjust accordingly. I ask others to be patient with me and explain my situation a little bit to them. I carry notebooks and my journal in my purse. And, like I said, I use Google Calendar. It is hard to adjust when you had an excellent memory before, but life is about adjustments and it isn't always fair. You need to find what works for you.

Source: http://edoriumjournals.com/blog/brain-fog-get-rid/ They state, "When it comes to the brain, the urgency and importance of the issue increases manifold because life productivity takes a serious hit if the brain isn’t functioning at its optimal best. A muddled sensation though normal at occasional times, chronic forgetfulness or mental slowness is not and therefore, one should not take brain fog lightly at all."





What Is Brain Fog?


According to the Edorium Journal, they describe these issues at the cause for Brain Fog:

"With the progression of age the deterioration of memory is the norm, a part of the natural process of life. However, the slow fading of memory is sometimes aggravated in the prime of life and even young people at times, experience clouded feelings and momentary lapses in thinking. This phenomenon is commonly known as brain fog or brain fatigue. However, this is not a mental disorder or a medical condition in any sense rather it is a term to explain certain symptoms that can affect a person’s ability to think clearly.

Whenever someone experiences forgetfulness, feels utterly confused while tying up thoughts, or has disorganized thinking, or has inability to focus or is hard pressed to put their thoughts into words, they are experiencing brain fog. This fatigue of the brain can be caused or exacerbated by certain conditions or situations. An understanding of the common triggers that cause brain fog is necessary to avoid its occurrences as well as to maintain good health practices. A clear-thinking and healthy brain is the pre-requisite to a healthy living.

Whenever someone experiences forgetfulness, feels utterly confused while tying up thoughts, or has disorganized thinking, or has inability to focus or is hard pressed to put their thoughts into words, they are experiencing brain fog. This fatigue of the brain can be caused or exacerbated by certain conditions or situations. An understanding of the common triggers that cause brain fog is necessary to avoid its occurrences as well as to maintain good health practices. A clear-thinking and healthy brain is the pre-requisite to a healthy living."

Source: Imgur



What Are The Symptoms of Brain Fog?


Additionally, according to Edorium Journal,

"This mental fog or cognitive dysfunction as it is also known shows a number of symptoms.

1. low energy or tiredness, including chronic fatigue syndrome,

2. irritability due to inability in concentration,

3. poor working memory causing hindrance in executive functions,

4. decreased ability in memorizing or remembering things,

5. impaired or delayed information processing ability,

6. dwindling motivation due to mental confusion, etc."

Source: Located at the bottom of image.




These indicators point towards the clouding of consciousness whereby an inflammation of the brain due to certain underlying causes prohibits us from enjoying the benefits of a fully-functional brain. If these causes are ascertained then the affects of brain fog are reversible. The most important and also the most common causes of brain fog can be enumerated as the following:


1. A lot of women find it difficult to remember things or process information swiftly during pregnancy. Carrying and nurturing a baby changes the body in a lot of ways and certain chemicals, hormones, etc released during this period to nourish the baby may bring on problems associated with memory.

2. Poor diet is a major reason affecting the brain and there are certain food elements that are not brain-healthy and we should be aware of these. [See my article on Malnutrition here and what it can do to the body: http://www.emilysstomach.com/2013/06/information-about-malnutrition.html]

3. Eating for a healthy functioning brain is simple and should principally consist in avoiding excess sugar and extra calories. Also, half of your daily food intake should ideally include fruits and vegetables. Nutritional deficiencies such as, Vitamin B12 deficiency lower brain functioning ability. [See my article on Vitamin Deficiencies and what they can do here: http://www.emilysstomach.com/2013/06/the-impact-of-vitamin-deficiencies.html]

4. Neurological and vascular problems such as caused by diseases like, Multiple Sclerosis.

5. Medication induced after-effects and side-effects such as cancer treatment related or anti-cholinergic drugs, etc.

6. Autoimmune, infectious, psychiatric illnesses also debilitate brain performance.

7. Lifestyle factors including sleep disorders, alcohol abuse, depression, etc."

Source: Imgur





How Do You Cope With Brain Fog?

Like I said before, I carry around a GP Journal I write things in, I also have a smaller notepad to write things down, and I use Google Calendar. Everyone is different, so you will have to find a method that works for you. I will try to list as many ideas as I can to help.

Molly's Fund has wonderful ideas below on how to cope with Brain Fog.

Source: http://www.mollysfund.org

Edorium Journal suggests doing these things to cope with Brain Fog,

"Now that the causes are known, actionable steps to combat brain fog can be clearly undertaken. In case of diseases, symptomatic treatments and other alternative steps to naturally prevent the progression of disease can assist in preventing brain fog. Also, an overall strategy for a healthy brain should leverage diet, exercise, food and supplements together. There are a number of things that can be done to improve brain power even socialization helps in sharpening the intellect.

Although at times people experiencing brain fog are too depressed and poorly motivated to initiate changes or take up improvement steps. In such cases, first comes a proper sleep. Proper and plenty of sleep gives the brain time to clean up residual debris of the thinking day, consolidate the memories of the day and create new brain cells to replace the ones lost during the day. Thus, boosting cognitive function and performance, brain hormonal balance and resulting in a rested person. It’s not just a proverb when they say, you should sleep on it.

Lastly, exercise to release endorphins and eliminate the free radicals, and meditate to relieve stress. These gems should help you banish brain fog effectively."

"The Mighty," suggests seventeen phone applications that can help you with Brain Fog here: https://themighty.com/2017/08/apps-brain-fog-organization/.

One of my friends wrote an article in "The Mighty" regarding brain fog, which you can find here: https://themighty.com/2019/05/what-brain-fog-is-like/?fbclid=IwAR1hMd8mDYPscpINaUbDXsAYHO_qlVT_rN_18WdnF56LLILPNHB0Ui6RJfc


Here are some natural treatments regarding Brain Fog,

The source and for more natural treatments on how to help Brain Fog, can be found here: https://draxe.com/brain-fog/.



And finally, if you have an invisible illness, some of these treatments for Brain Fog might be similar to the ones above but I wanted to share it anyway. This is from "Fibromyalgia News Today" and they recommend this: https://fibromyalgianewstoday.com/2017/05/25/9-ways-manage-brain-fog/.

Source: Imgur





In Conclusion:


I know that with an invisible illness, like Gastroparesis, it's really hard for us to eat as some of these helpful hints suggest. I would recommend talking with your doctor about Brain Fog, because we are all different. What works for someone else may not work for me. I have to come up with a mixture of suggestions that might work for me, personally. I usually write out questions for the doctor before I go, so I don't forget anything. I make notes as he talks to me as well. Also, I put a magnetic shopping list on the fridge so that my household can write stuff down as we use it, instead of making a list from scratch when we need to go to the store. That helps me so much and takes the pressure off of any of us if we did it as a mass list, because we would all forget things.

I hope this article will help you understand Brain Fog a bit better. It's frustrating to go through and hard to deal with, but it is something that can be dealt with. If you battle Brain Fog, just know that you are NOT alone. Just stay strong and keep your chin up. I will try to update this article as I learn more, so that you can keep updated on new treatments, symptoms, or any changes.

Disclamier

My friend Stephanie wrote this for her group and I figured it was applicable to this site as well.

DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this blog are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this blog is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Reliance on any information appearing on this blog is solely at your own risk. That said, I try to do research to support my claims but always check with a physician first.

Thank you!

From August Until Now

As of right now, my medication list is extremely long.

I'm taking:

Linzess 290mg - once daily
Phenergan 25mg - three times daily
Zofran 8mg - three times daily
Vicodin 10/325 - four times daily (for my lower back - I keep straining it vomiting and may have shifted the spinal cord stimulator out of place)
Xanax 0.5mg - four times daily
Celexa 20mg - once daily
Implanon - birth control I need to call and get replaced
Restoril 15mg - twice at bedtime for sleep
Trazadpne 50mg - three times daily
Protonix 40mg - twice daily
B-12 Injections

I feel like this when it's time to take my medications:

I saw my doctor in Augusta about what to do since none of the doctors here are listening to me. He was going to recommend a great GI doctor to me but I guess he got side tracked. I'll have to call him and find out the person. None of the ones up here seem to care and they've managed to convince my husband that this is all in my head due to anxiety. My Augusta doctor wanted me to go to the ER but I refused. Instead, he gave me medications and my sister took me to her house and made my comfortable.

I've been managing to eat small amounts here and there. Yogurt and maybe a bite or two of bagel. Nothing substantial.

I started my period on the 23rd - and it made my GP TEN TIMES WORSE! I'm not the only one who suffers this way. I wonder what the connection is between GP and hormones? I want to bookmark this to come back to it and research it later.

The doctor at Emory yesterday wants me to get an ultrasound for my liver. She's worried about my high liver enzymes. She switched around my medication and wants to see if that helps. I wanted to scream at her that my medicine has been switched around before with no relief! Ugh! But I understand conservative measures first. It just SUCKS. I have to follow up with her in six weeks.

I woke up yesterday and vomited directly into a trashcan. I wonder why I couldn't do that in front of the doctor? *sigh*

Oh well.

But, I have a new phone now so I'm easier to get in touch with. My old phone stopped charging.

Hang in there and keep fighting. I'm working on an article coming up about stress relief and how to manage stress. I just wanted to check in.

The top picture is before I ate, the bottom picture is after I ate.

A Doctor's Advice to those with Chronic Illness

My friend Tanya recently shared an article that I wanted to re-post. It's a great read! I was actually sitting in the middle of my floor, in my bathroom, crying, because pain and nausea keep hitting me in waves. I woke up gagging and vomiting from horrible night terrors that continued when I went back to sleep to round out my four hours of sleep last night. I saw this article and read it.

I forget sometimes that sometimes, as our own advocates, that we can come on too strongly to doctors. I definitely don't want to intimidate anyone, I just want help - as I imagine many chronically ill people feel. I think as someone who is chronically ill, we tend to give up on doctors before we even meet them because of past experiences with other doctors, specialists, etc. If you're like me, you've seen too many doctors to count. But, this doctor's advice brought me back down to Earth. I'm probably guilty of doing some of this so I wanted to share this article with everyone.

"A Letter to Patients with Chronic Illness
by: Dr. Rob BLOG LINK: HERE

Dear Patients:

You have it very hard, much harder than most people understand. Having sat for 16 years listening to the stories, seeing the tiredness in your eyes, hearing you try to describe the indescribable, I have come to understand that I too can’t understand what your lives are like. How do you answer the question, “how do you feel?” when you’ve forgotten what “normal” feels like? How do you deal with all of the people who think you are exaggerating your pain, your emotions, your fatigue? How do you decide when to believe them or when to trust your own body? How do you cope with living a life that won’t let you forget about your frailty, your limits, your mortality?

I can’t imagine.

But I do bring something to the table that you may not know. I do have information that you can’t really understand because of your unique perspective, your battered world. There is something that you need to understand that, while it won’t undo your pain, make your fatigue go away, or lift your emotions, it will help you. It’s information without which you bring yourself more pain than you need suffer; it’s a truth that is a key to getting the help you need much easier than you have in the past. It may not seem important, but trust me, it is.

You scare doctors.

No, I am not talking about the fear of disease, pain, or death. I am not talking about doctors being afraid of the limits of their knowledge. I am talking about your understanding of a fact that everyone else seems to miss, a fact that many doctors hide from: we are normal, fallible people who happen to doctor for a job. We are not special. In fact, many of us are very insecure, wanting to feel the affirmation of people who get better, hearing the praise of those we help. We want to cure disease, to save lives, to be the helping hand, the right person in the right place at the right time.

But chronic unsolvable disease stands square in our way. You don’t get better, and it makes many of us frustrated, and it makes some of us mad at you. We don’t want to face things we can’t fix because it shows our limits. We want the miraculous, and you deny us that chance.

And since this is the perspective you have when you see doctors, your view of them is quite different. You see us getting frustrated. You see us when we feel like giving up. When we take care of you, we have to leave behind the illusion of control, of power over disease. We get angry, feel insecure, and want to move on to a patient who we can fix, save, or impress. You are the rock that proves how easily the ship can be sunk. So your view of doctors is quite different.

Then there is the fact that you also possess something that is usually our domain: knowledge. You know more about your disease than many of us do – most of us do. Your MS, rheumatoid arthritis, end-stage kidney disease, Cushing’s disease, bipolar disorder, chronic pain disorder, brittle diabetes, or disabling psychiatric disorder – your defining pain - is something most of us don’t regularly encounter. It’s something most of us try to avoid. So you possess deep understanding of something that many doctors don’t possess. Even doctors who specialize in your disorder don’t share the kind of knowledge you can only get through living with a disease. It’s like a parent’s knowledge of their child versus that of a pediatrician. They may have breadth of knowledge, but you have depth of knowledge that no doctor can possess.

So when you approach a doctor – especially one you’ve never met before – you come with a knowledge of your disease that they don’t have, and a knowledge of the doctor’s limitations that few other patients have. You see why you scare doctors? It’s not your fault that you do, but ignoring this fact will limit the help you can only get from them. I know this because, just like you know your disease better than any doctor, I know what being a doctor feels like more than any patient could ever understand. You encounter doctors intermittently (more than you wish, perhaps); I live as a doctor continuously.

So let me be so bold as to give you advice on dealing with doctors. There are some things you can do to make things easier, and others that can sabotage any hope of a good relationship:


Don’t come on too strong – yes, you have to advocate for yourself, but remember that doctors are used to being in control. All of the other patients come into the room with immediate respect, but your understanding has torn down the doctor-god illusion. That’s a good thing in the long-run, but few doctors want to be greeted with that reality from the start. Your goal with any doctor is to build a partnership of trust that goes both ways, and coming on too strong at the start can hurt your chances of ever having that.

Show respect – I say this one carefully, because there are certainly some doctors who don’t treat patients with respect – especially ones like you with chronic disease. These doctors should be avoided. But most of us are not like that; we really want to help people and try to treat them well. But we have worked very hard to earn our position; it was not bestowed by fiat or family tree. Just as you want to be listened to, so do we.

Keep your eggs in only a few baskets – find a good primary care doctor and a couple of specialists you trust. Don’t expect a new doctor to figure things out quickly. It takes me years of repeated visits to really understand many of my chronic disease patients. The best care happens when a doctor understands the patient and the patient understands the doctor. This can only happen over time. Heck, I struggle even seeing the chronically sick patients for other doctors in my practice. There is something very powerful in having understanding built over time.

Use the ER only when absolutely needed – Emergency room physicians will always struggle with you. Just expect that. Their job is to decide if you need to be hospitalized, if you need emergency treatment, or if you can go home. They might not fix your pain, and certainly won’t try to fully understand you. That’s not their job. They went into their specialty to fix problems quickly and move on, not manage chronic disease. The same goes for any doctor you see for a short time: they will try to get done with you as quickly as possible.

Don’t avoid doctors – one of the most frustrating things for me is when a complicated patient comes in after a long absence with a huge list of problems they want me to address. I can’t work that way, and I don’t think many doctors can. Each visit should address only a few problems at a time, otherwise things get confused and more mistakes are made. It’s OK to keep a list of your own problems so things don’t get left out – I actually like getting those lists, as long as people don’t expect me to handle all of the problems. It helps me to prioritize with them.

Don’t put up with the jerks – unless you have no choice (in the ER, for example), you should keep looking until you find the right doctor(s) for you. Some docs are not cut out for chronic disease, while some of us like the long-term relationship. Don’t feel you have to put up with docs who don’t listen or minimize your problems. At the minimum, you should be able to find a doctor who doesn’t totally suck.

Forgive us – Sometimes I forget about important things in my patients’ lives. Sometimes I don’t know you’ve had surgery or that your sister comes to see me as well. Sometimes I avoid people because I don’t want to admit my limitations. Be patient with me – I usually know when I’ve messed up, and if you know me well I don’t mind being reminded. Well, maybe I mind it a little.

You know better than anyone that we docs are just people – with all the stupidity, inconsistency, and fallibility that goes with that – who happen to doctor for a living. I hope this helps, and I really hope you get the help you need. It does suck that you have your problem; I just hope this perhaps decreases that suckishness a little bit.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rob"

I think this is amazing advice! I am guilty of putting up with jerks and avoiding doctors because of it. But, I hope this helps you in some way. It stopped me from crying earlier. <3

You’ve Been Diagnosed with Gastroparesis, Now What?

I wrote an entry about advice to those who have just been newly diagnosed with Gastroparesis but I wanted to make an entry of my top five things, I believe, you should do after being diagnosed. It contains a lot of good advice from a few members of a Gastroparesis group I was in as well. The links will be in all caps and in bold. Just click on them and they will take you to a different link.



1. You Have Named Your Illness - How to Help Family/Friends Understand

First, it's going to be hard for other people to adjust to the fact that you have an illness and it has a name. It's no longer invisible. People see you and it is NOT all in your head. However, having an invisible illness can be tricky because people often don't understand what they can't see. It can be difficult with all of the extra stress an invisible illness can put on you, so, I am going to recommend two of my blog entries that you should read and maybe read over with again with friends and family.

Please remember that people react differently to different situations. If people seem angry with you or tell you that it's all in your head, just give them some space. I had a friend who was very angry with me before I was diagnosed because I kept blowing off going to the movies, going out to eat, even going to the theatre! She was angry with me and called me flaky. She stopped calling me. After my illness and after reading my blog, I got a message from her on Facebook. She apologized to me! She said that she knew I was sick but not how sick. So, be patient. The important part is that you found out what's been making you sick and that's a very big step!

The first entry you can find by clicking HERE. is, "How to deal with People Who Say, 'But You Don't Look Sick.'" It's going to happen quite a lot, and you'll need to learn how to be patient with those people. This entry will help you and prep you for when that time comes. I know it's not easy to deal with, believe me, I've dealt with an awful lot, but it will help get you through the worst of it. I did not write this article, but I wanted to share it because it was helpful.

The second entry you can find by clicking HERE is, "How to Talk to Someone with a Chronic Illness; What You Should and Should Not Say." Keep this one to give to people as well. When people we care about are in pain, we want to offer words of encouragement, help ease their pain and motivate them to stay hopeful. Unfortunately, our words of cheer can often be misinterpreted by those who live with chronic illness. Rather than feeling supported, our words can evoke the feeling of "she doesn't understand my life at all." This can permanently affect our relationships. There are some tips in that entry to keep in mind when talking to a friend living with an invisible illness. I did not write this article, but I wanted to share it because it was helpful.

I'm going to add one more entry that will help you as well. It's called, "Advice for Caregivers and Loved Ones Who Witness Loved Ones Suffering with Gastroparesis." You can read it by clicking HERE.



2. Look Up Resources For Support

It's really hard to get the diagnosis from the doctor telling you that you are chronically ill. When I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis in March of last year, I had never heard the word "gastroparesis" before then. After I got home from the hospital, I went online to see what I found find out about my new illness and find a support network. When you're told so many times that you make up your illness or that you look great when you haven't eaten in a week and barely have enough energy to take a shower, it hurts. It hurts emotionally and physically. You can talk to a friend, partner, husband, wife, or neighbor. It does help to talk and get those feelings out.

I've found what really helps the most is to talk to people with the same illness that you have. You don't have to explain yourself when you break down and vent, or if you burst out into tears because of a song on the radio. You don't have to hold anything back when you tell them how sick you got after eating something you shouldn't have. They don't push, probe, or anything like that. Most of all, they DO NOT judge! I have compiled a list of great online support groups and resources, and I update the list when I find new groups. The list contains Facebook pages, websites, blogs, and mailing lists. It's important to have resources to not only research GP, but to find people like you to talk to. You can find the list by clicking HERE. This ties in with my next point, you need to be your own advocate.



3. Be Your Own Advocate

Research your illness. Sadly, doctors don't know everything. You should research your diagnosis. However, with all things on the Internet, make sure you're researching reliable sources. It's important for you to stay on top of all of the latest news about GP/DTP because most doctors aren't very familiar with GP or how to treat it. I usually go into the doctor armed with knowledge he doesn't have. Most people with GP, I've found, know more about GP than the doctor. I was asked today, actually, by the nurse at an urgent care clinic near my house what Gastroparesis was. I explained it to her and she looked a bit bewildered. But hey, I'll be happy to spread awareness any way I can. If you find a doctor you know, like, and trust, keep them!

Ask Questions about your illness! I can't stress this enough. After you do your own research, compose a list of questions that you have for the doctor and bring them in with you. If you write down what you need to ask, you won't forget. I've given my doctor a list of questions that I've written down before. He addressed them all. If you have any further questions after seeing him, write them down and call his office to leave them with the nurses. Your doctor will get to answer them when he has time.

Make sure the medications are helping you, not harming you. When I went to the Mayo Clinic, I was on about twelve different medications. The doctor stripped me off of almost all of them. Two of the medications actually did the same thing as well as could paralyze my stomach! The other medications had side effects that were just awful. You can find out more about Reglan by clicking HERE has irreversible neurological side effects! I was never told stuff like this! Be sure to check with your pharmacist and your doctor to make sure the medication you have is right for you.


4. The Gastroparesis Diet Plan

You want to make sure that you lower your risks of getting a GP attack. I wrote an article containing the diet plan from Mayo that I received from there, plus it links to Pinterest Boards with GP friendly recipes - like smoothies, juicing, and friendly food. Be careful though, everyone is different. What works for someone may not work for you. It's trial and error. It can be found by clicking HERE.

The diet is important because it will also help you determine what you can eat and what you can't eat. Again, no two GPers are the same. I can tolerate Yogurt on good days and most people with GP can't tolerate dairy. My advice is to keep a food journal. Log what you eat, what time you eat, and how much you ate. Also, record any GP attacks you have and the time they start and end. This will help you identify patterns and triggers in your diet. It's helpful and it cuts back on testing at the doctor's office.


5. Don't Give Up!

This is by far the MOST important point! You are NEVER alone so don't give up! Find someone to talk with, to help you through those rough times when you need it most. I have had some really rough days when I wondered what kind of life I was going to lead with this illness. What kind of life can you have if you vomit six to eight times a day? But, it IS a life. My life. I'm lucky to have it, so I plan on fighting for it. I'm excited to pass off a pair of boxing gloves to you so that you can fight along side me, fellow GP Warrior. <3 For more advice from our Gastroparesis Facebook Members on how to cope with being diagnosed with GP, please click HERE.

What Can be Done when Gastroparesis Treatments Don’t Seem to Help

What can be done when Gastroparesis Treatments don’t Seem to Help

Many people with gastroparesis will respond to medical management with some dietary modification. However, medication failures or side effects are common. Many physicians have little knowledge or experience with treating gastroparesis.


Some practical things to consider when treatment does not seem to help include:

• Check the diagnosis
• The cause matters
• Review the diet
• Consider other medications
• Treat the pain
• Manage the psychosocial aspects
• Know when to consider surgery
• Be persistent and be careful




Check the Diagnosis

Nausea is the hallmark symptom of gastroparesis. Other medical problems should be considered when nausea is not a prominent symptom.

Dyspepsia is characterized by pain/burning in the mid-upper abdomen and/or bothersome fullness following a normal sized meal and/or inability to complete a meal (early satiety). People with esophageal diseases such as GERD or achalasia can have abnormal gastric emptying studies.

For more about these conditions, please click in the links below in all caps and in bold:

ACHALASIA
CYCLIC VOMITING SYNDROME
DYSPESIA
GERD
INTESTINAL PSEUDO-OBSTRUCTION
RUMINATION SYNDROME (as a side note, I have this as well and the doctor told me to do DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING to control it).

Nausea may be a secondary symptom in people with countless other medical problems. Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a disorder where otherwise completely healthy people have stereotypical intermittent episodes of severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. People with intestinal pseudo obstruction have prominent symptoms of bloating and severe constipation. Rumination syndrome is characterized by constant regurgitation and either vomiting or re-swallowing food or drink soon after eating. Small bowel obstruction should be considered in people who have had previous abdominal surgery.




The Cause of the Gastroparesis Matters

In diabetic gastroparesis it is important to control the blood sugar, as intestinal motility is impaired when the blood sugar is elevated. Intravenous erythromycin should be considered in hospitalized patients with diabetes. Unfortunately, erythromycin seems to be beneficial for only a few days at a time.

Patients with idiopathic post-viral gastroparesis usually improve over the course of time, ranging from several months to one or two years. During that period it is important to consider that any irreversible surgical procedures not be performed in these patients to treat idiopathic post-viral gastroparesis.

Identifying and treating any underlying systemic disorder may rarely help, and is worth the effort.




Review the Diet

Many physicians tend to skip dietary recommendations, although it is the area of most interest to patients. It is important to review the low-fat, low-fiber diet and to discuss nutritional supplements.

Rarely, feeding tubes and total parenteral nutrition are necessary. Enteral feeding tubes should be placed in the jejunum, not the stomach. These should not be considered early in the course of the patient’s illness, as they are not without risk. They must be carefully managed to avoid serious complications like infection.

You can review the Mayo diet and recipes that are GP friendly in another one of my articles by clicking HERE.




Consider Other Medications

The utility of the prokinetic agents is often limited by their side effects. There is a good bit of anecdotal evidence that medications like amitriptyline or nortriptyline can decrease the sensation of nausea. The typical dose is 25–50 mg at bedtime, which is well below the dose that is required to treat depression. A doctor can check blood levels, and modify the dose accordingly. Side effects, including blurry vision, urinary retention, sleepiness and constipation are uncommon because of the low dose.

Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may accompany gastroparesis. The main symptom is bloating. Judicious use of antibiotics and probiotics may be helpful in the management of these symptoms.

It is difficult for patients with nausea and vomiting to tolerate oral medications. Obviously, hospitalized patients should receive intravenous medication. Outpatients may do better with medication that dissolves in the mouth.

Reports from highly specialized (tertiary) medical centers that often see people with severe gastroparesis suggest that bloating is a common symptom. Bloating impairs quality of life. Bloating severity appears related to intensity of other gastroparesis symptoms but is not affected by gastric emptying rates. Antiemetics, probiotics, and antidepressants with significant norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor activity may help.

Here are some natural remedies recommended by friends:

This one is for gas and bloating called GAIA.

The second one is for PEPPERMINT OIL. It combats indigestion, bloating, gas, IBS, and skin irritations. I usually drop a few drops into my tub and soak in it as well.

Leanne suggests IBEROGAST as a natural remedy to help with Gastroparesis. You can find it on Amazon HERE.

Melony suggests ACUPUNCTURE. She writes, “I had been using acupuncture for treating my Gastroparesis for about a 6 month period and received great results, it requires twice weekly visits usually, unfortunately it is something that must be continued to continue getting results. Once you stop treatment you will no longer see the benefits. Also insurance usually will not cover it, the clinic I was going to was about $50 a visit. Acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely thin needles (about half the size of a strand of hair) through your skin at strategic points on your body (usually back stomach arm chest and top of feet however every acupuncturist might do it slightly differently, you then lay on a bed after needles have been inserted, they remain in and you are covered by a thin foil like blanket, relaxing sounds will be put on a radio and you lay there for about half an hour) Acupuncture is a key component of Traditional Chinese medicine, a few small studies have been done regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for GP. One small study published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2004 looked at the effects of acupuncture on the symptoms of Gastroparesis in thirty-five people. One group received only acupuncture, a second group received a Gastroparesis medication called domperidone, and a third group received no treatment. The results were encouraging. The group who received acupuncture experienced more Gastroparesis relief than either of the other two groups. Even though domperidone is one of the more effective medications for treating Gastroparesis, in this small study, acupuncture outperformed it. I agree with those results as it was the best I had felt since getting sick, it is not for everyone due to the price (that is also why I stopped) but I feel it is worth looking into for anyone not finding good success with managing their GP!”

Margaret writes, "I buy over the counter NAUZENE CHEWABLES for Nausea and they are awesome. They work for me most of the time when I have nausea and are quick, usually work in less than 5 minutes. I have never had to go on a prescription medicine for nausea. They are cheap too, about, $5.50 for a box of forty. Also, I like CRYSTALLIZED GINGER CHEWS. They are good for stomach upset and nausea. Love ginger tea too. I drink about two cups everyday."

Annie writes, "A couple of things my daughter Faith does: DGL from a health food store is good at keeping mild acid reflux under control and it doesn't slow down motility. DOTERRA has a couple of essential oils that are helpful: Deep Blue for pain and Frankincense for nausea. She mixes a drop or two with coconut oil and massages them where ever needed. Though it's not a medicine per se, Faith also uses MEDITATION to help with the pain."

Personally, I recommend QUEASE EASE and PREGGIE DROPS. Quease Ease is a blend of peppermint ginger lavender spearmint oils. You inhale it and the feeling of nausea subsides. It was recommended to me by my good friend Melony and I carry it with me everywhere. The Preggie Drops are Kosher, Vegan, and Gluten Free. They help morning sickness and are given to cancer patients to ease their nausea. In addition, the Preggie Drops alleviate dry mouth and provide quick calories and energy when you need it.

Shannon writes, "Pro-biotics, Super Digest away, Green Smoothies, and Epsom Salts baths, to deal with the constipation drink a glass of warm water with Epsom salts, also ice down the stomach for pain, Earth Fares Stomach comfort tea for the cramping and pain. It has chamomile, licorice and ginger. Lemon water to help with digestion of foods. Just a few that I have used and truly work for me."

Sabrina writes, "SUPER PAPAYA ENZYME for motility, PROBIOTICS, and HYPERICUM for pain cramping. I also take sublingual B12 complex, vitamin gummys [note, you may want to use chewables like Flinstone's vitamins because gummy vitamins have a hard time with digestion] and have tried ginger tea."

Julie writes,"Sipping dill pickle juice will fix the nausea. Also, LEMON MINT EMETROL is also a miracle worker for nausea."

Mary Ann writes, "I recommend ALL-ZYME. This focused formula delivers the plant-sourced enzymes amylase, protease, lipase, and cellulose to aid in the digestion of protein, carbohydrates, fats and dietary fiber, especially for those with diets high in processed or refined foods. All-Zyme Double Strength™ can also support occasional indigestion, gas, bloating, and constipation."

Kristin writes, “I use Coke-a-Cola for my upset tummy. It helps me after I have a really bad vomiting session so that I won't have a repeat attack.”

Jennifer writes, "I take DIGESTIVE ADVANTAGE probiotics."

Kristen writes, "I take ginger and peppermint for nausea (I usually do this in tea form). Fever-few, turmeric, devil's claw, St. John's wart, and Valerian root for pain. Fennel, ginger, parsley, garlic [side note, garlic is against the Mayo GP Diet List, so be careful], dandelion, and dill pickles work for gas and bloating, believe it or not."

Millie writes, "Epsom Salt Baths & Castor Oil Packs!"

Wyld Heart writes, "Sniffing spearmint helps my nausea sometimes when the rest of the house is cooking something nasty and smelly, like REAL food."

Shannon (Page Creator of One Million Likes for Gastroparesis) writes, "Pro-biotics, Super Digest away, Green Smoothies, and Epsom Salts baths, to deal with the constipation drink a glass of warm water with epsom salts, also ice down the stomach for pain, Earth Fares Stomach comfort tea for the cramping and pain. It has chamomile, licorice and ginger. Lemon water to help with digestion of foods. Just a few that I have used and truly work for me."

Windy writes, "Crystallized ginger is the only thing I use."

Pauline writes, "Snap Windy I only use ginger as well, but I also don't think I have it as severely as some others. Before I discovered ginger I would make myself throw up to empty my stomach and have a really warm shower to deal with it. Within an hour of this I would usually feel hungry again, but for the next two days I would only eat smaller amounts of really safe foods. Now if I have a slight feeling in the GP direction or have had a meal I'm worried about I'll take some ginger and it almost always works."

This is a medication that has been subscribed by GI doctors all over the US but you should research the side effects first before you take it. The medication is Domperidone and I will have to keep updating the information on it because it constantly changes. As it stands right now,

"WHAT THE FDA SAYS ABOUT DOMPERIDONE

Domperidone – How to Obtain

Domperidone is not currently a legally marketed human drug and it is not approved for sale in the U.S. On June 7, 2004, FDA issued a public warning that distributing any domperidone-containing products is illegal. FDA also issued an Import Alert instructing FDA field personnel to detain shipments of finished drug products and bulk ingredients containing domperidone, and refuse admission into the US. FDA took this action because of the concern about the potential serious health risks associated with the use of domperidone by lactating women to enhance breast milk production.

The risks of cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and sudden death outweigh any potential benefit of domperidone in healthy lactating women. In addition, the concurrent use of certain commonly used drugs, such as erythromycin, could raise blood levels of domperidone and further increase the risk of serious adverse cardiac outcomes. In several countries where the oral form of domperidone is marketed, the drug's labeling specifically warns that nursing mothers should not use it. Furthermore, domperidone is excreted in breast milk, exposing a breastfeeding infant to unknown risks. However, FDA continues to recognize that there are some patients with severe gastrointestinal motility disorders that are difficult to manage with available therapy for whom domperidone’s potential benefits may justify its potential risks.

While there are currently no pharmacies that are authorized to compound domperidone under the Expanded Access program, domperidone may be obtained under certain circumstances, as described below.


Submit an IND

Patients 12 years of age and older with certain gastrointestinal (GI) conditions may be able to receive treatment with domperidone through an expanded access investigational new drug application (IND). These conditions include gastroesophageal reflux disease with upper GI symptoms, gastroparesis, and chronic constipation. Patients who are eligible to receive domperidone have generally failed standard therapies. Expanded access INDs facilitate access to investigational drugs (such as domperidone) for patients with serious diseases or conditions for which there is no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy to diagnose, monitor, or treat the patient’s disease or condition. In addition to other applicable requirements, an IND must be in effect prior to the importation, interstate shipment, and administration of domperidone.

Contact Us
Physicians interested in submitting an expanded access IND for domperidone can obtain more information by contacting DDI (below) to request the Domperidone Packet which contains the required forms, instructions, and answers to most questions.

Division of Drug Information (DDI):
toll free at:
(855) 543-3784 FREE or
(301) 796-3400
email: druginfo@fda.hhs.gov
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/HowDrugsareDevelopedandApproved/Appro valApplications/InvestigationalNewDrugINDApplication/ucm368736.htm

FDA Talk Paper: FDA Warns Against Women Using

Unapproved Drug, Domperidone, to Increase Milk
Production
June 7, 2004

In response to reports that women may be using an unapproved drug, domperidone, to increase milk production (lactation), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning breastfeeding women not to use this product because of safety concerns. Today, FDA also issued six letters to pharmacies that compound products containing domperidone and firms that supply domperidone for use in compounding.

The Agency also is issuing an Import Alert which alerts FDA field personnel to be on the lookout for attempts to import this drug so that it can be detained and refused admission into the U.S. if appropriate.
FDA took these actions because it has become aware that some women who breastfeed and/or pump breast milk are purchasing this drug, domperidone, from compounding pharmacies and from sources in foreign countries to increase breast milk production. Domperidone may increase the secretion of prolactin, a hormone that is needed for lactation.

Although domperidone is approved in several countries outside the U.S. to treat certain gastric disorders, it is not approved in any country, including the U.S., for enhancing breast milk production in lactating women and is also not approved in the U.S. for any indication.

The agency is concerned with the potential public health risks associated with domperidone. There have been several published reports and case studies of cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and sudden death in patients receiving an intravenous form of domperidone that has been withdrawn from marketing in a number of countries. In several countries where the oral form of domperidone continues to be marketed, labels for the product contain specific warnings against use of domperidone by breastfeeding women and note that the drug is excreted in breast milk that could expose a breastfeeding infant to unknown risks. Because of the possibility of serious adverse effects, FDA recommends that breastfeeding women not use domperidone to increase milk production.
The FDA recognizes the immense health benefits that breast milk provides for a nursing infant and is taking these actions today not to discourage women from breastfeeding but rather to warn them not to use this particular drug while they are breastfeeding.

The letters issued by FDA today stated that all drug products containing domperidone (whether compounded or not) violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) because they are unapproved new drugs and misbranded. In addition, distribution within the U.S., or importation of domperidone-containing products, violates the law. FDA informed the warning letter recipients that further violations of the Act may result in enforcement actions including seizure and injunction.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm173886.htm"

Treat the Pain

If you have never seen a Gastroparesis Attack, then check out my friend Tanya's VIDEO. It's something all of us with Gastroparesis suffer with on a day to day basis.

Abdominal pain may be overlooked in gastroparesis. However, controlling abdominal pain can be the key to success in the management of many patients. Pain does not correlate with gastric emptying. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help. Low dose tricyclic medications, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, and desipramine, have been shown to reduce pain in other functional GI conditions and may reduce pain associated with gastroparesis. Other drugs found useful in treating neuropathic pain may be tried. Opiates, or narcotics, should be avoided.
Manage the Psychosocial Aspects

Not surprisingly, anxiety and depression are very common in people with chronic debilitating illnesses. The physician and staff need to have compassion and patience. If necessary, psychological consultation should be considered. Low dose tricyclic medications do not treat anxiety or depression. Real emotional disorders require real psychological treatment. Appropriate treatment can lead to improvement in the GI symptoms.

Patients with an eating disorder may be given a diagnosis of gastroparesis. However, it is probably more common for patients with gastroparesis to be accused of having an eating disorder, rather than actually having one.




When to Consider Surgery

Patients failing medical therapy should have a thorough evaluation before considering surgical therapy. Surgical procedures all have inherent risks that need to be carefully weighed and understood. Most surgical treatments are irreversible, but work in carefully selected patients, having the correct surgery done, by an experienced and accomplished surgeon.

Be Persistent and Be Careful!

Most medications work only less than half of the time. Nonetheless, most people will respond to some therapy. If a medication causes side effects, consider a lower dose. If it doesn’t work, try something else. Combining medications can be helpful. Keep hydrated and as nutritionally fit as possible.

When treatment is failing and there appear to be no other options – whether you are the patient or the physician – get another opinion. Persistence pays off, as most people with gastroparesis ultimately will do well.

Source of the Article is HERE.

Mayo Clinic - Day Three. EKG & Endoscope

I reported for my 10:35am appointment this morning for my EKG. The appointment was in Davis Building 2 East.

I didn't have very long to wait. As soon as I sat down, the nurse appeared and called about four of us back. The nurse led me to a dressing room in the back and gave me a gown to change into to. She told me to leave my stuff in my dressing room and to take the key with me. Then, I went around the corner and laid on the table in the room while my EKG was done. The tech doing my EKG talked to me about the Falcons and how disappointed he was that the Ravens won the super bowl. We started talking about UGA games, since I have to deal with the drunk people after the games. He was telling me how horrible the UGA and Florida games were. The other tech behind the curtain working on someone else was also commenting on our conversation and chiming in on what he felt strongly about. They told me that I was their favorite patient for the day. That made me smile. I think they were amused that I love football.

So, the EKG was normal and I was released. My next appointment is at 1:30pm today for my endoscope and my Bravo test. I'm going to take a nap until then.

I started a new page last night based on humor. When I went to sleep last night, it only have fifteen likes. Now, it has over 100. The page is LAUGHTER THROUGH GP. I figured that Gastroparesis needed a little humor to cheer members up and it was a niche that hasn't been carved out yet. =)

At 1:30pm I reported to the patient registration desk in the Mayo building to register for my endoscope.

The receptionist sent me up to Mayo 5 North to check in for my procedure.

Before I did anything else, I stopped and looked at the views from the fifth floor. They were amazing, so I took some pictures of that as well.

I sat down and went over my medication list. I crossed a bunch out that the doctor took me off of and answered a questionaire about past surgeries and medical issues. I sat with papers in hand waiting for the nurse to call me back.

The nurse called me back and had me put on a gown. The attached me to a blood pressure cuff (my BP was high, no changes there), and got my IV in my right hand on the first try. She asked me a lot of questions and then I met the doctor. He was nice. Then, I met the anesthesiologist who was nice as well. They didn't waste any time and they wheeled me back in my bed for the endoscope. They had me lay on my side and bite down on a green plastic ring. The anesthesiologist pushed the drugs to make me sleep. I remember looking at the screen and then waking up in recovery. I cracked jokes with the nurse after I woke up.

The nurse told me that I would feel like there's something stuck in my throat because of the BRAVO TEST. The capsule attached to my esophagus will fall away by Friday. I came back to the hotel, ate a bit, and then went to sleep. I'm about to go back to sleep now because I still feel exhausted.

Mayo Clinic - Day One. Bloodwork & Barium Swallow

I woke up bright and early this morning around 5am - and by woke up, I mean, just stayed awake. I got up and made it to Mayo for my 6:30am blood draw.

The doctor wanted to check my CORTISOL LEVELS as well as do a complete blood panel - CBC, liver enzymes, etc.

When I walked in, I checked in at the desk in the front after reporting to Davis Building 1 East. I gave them my name and birthday. Then, I sat in a waiting room with five doors. Each door had a lab tech come to it and call people back. It was very efficient. This is what I saw in the waiting room.

The lab tech called my name. She was a small, Asian lady who was extremely nice. She sat me down in the blood drawing chair that we're all familiar with. She looked at my arms and applied the tourniquet. She thumped my veins a few times, clucking and telling me that I didn't have anything to really work with. I've been REALLY dehydrated but yesterday, I sucked down about half a case of Dasani with Pedalyte powder to hydrate myself. It wasn't enough. She went into the first vein and got a bit of blood out for the tube for the CBC, but almost let the tube clot because she didn't shake it slowly back and forth the way I was taught to do in high school. Mrs. Gray would be proud to know that I still remember how to do that. And, she kept digging the needle in and out of the vein, which resulted in that vein blowing. That was in my upper right arm.

Next, she tried my left hand. She pulled the needle back too suddenly while trying to change vials and blew that vein too. Then, she tried my upper left arm. That was probably the worst vein blow I've ever felt. It still hurts. She managed to blow that one pretty good without even really getting a good blood return in the butterfly needle that she used. The Mayo Clinic doesn't put bandaids on the site. Instead, the put gauze over it and then wrap it with gauze. After the tech blew another vein, she called a colleague over.

The other tech scanned my arms and I finally just presented my wrist to her. She told me that she didn't like to use the wrists because they were usually painful places. At this point, I knew my wrist would work and told her that I was used to it because that was the go to place for my doctor. She listened to me, got a butterfly and got blood on the first try. Instead of messing up the site by switching vials, she didn't want to lose the vein so she took blood into two syringes. She then took the syringes and put them into each different tube for the blood panel. After that, I was free to make my way upstairs to Radiology.

This is my left arm:

This is the blown vein in my right arm but it doesn't hurt nearly as badly as my left arm:

I then left the lab to go to the Mayo building and find Mayo 2 South for Radiology.

I checked in at the desk, noticing that they had a policy that you can't check in more than 30 minutes ahead of your appointment.

The waiting area was closed off.

After I checked it, I was told to go through the double doors and down the hallway until I got to the substation waiting area. I was at another, smaller check in area. The nurse gave me a bag and a dressing gown. The dressing gowns are new, so she had to give me a demonstration on how to wear them. They have three arm holes. You put the tag in the back and put your arm through the two holes, and then you wrap the gown around you, putting your arm through the final hole. There were no ties or anything like that. I had a seat in another waiting room, waiting room B. Unfortunately, it was packed so I wasn't able to take a picture. I didn't want to violate anyone's privacy.

After sitting there for about ten minutes, a tech called my name along with three others. He walked us down the hall and swung a left. He led us to an even smaller waiting room and told us that the techs would come and call us soon. I sat in the cramped waiting room. An older man was kind enough to move over on the bench so that I would have a place to sit. They called about three people before it was my turn.

The tech took me back to this cold room and told me to have a seat and that the doctor would be with me shortly. My appointment was at 7:45am and I noticed it was 8:18am while I was waiting for the doctor. I will say that Mayo is very efficient and the staff I have encountered so far has been extremely nice.

The x-ray tech was pouring barium into a cup and also placed a cup of water next to that. When I saw the barium I was a bit scared. The x-rays I've had in the past, I was always told to drink two big things of barium before I took pictures. However, this test was different. I had an emesis bag, just in case. It's better to be safe than sorry and I tend to vomit up barium.

The doctor came and and then the test was started. I took in this enclosed space, with the x-ray machine in front of me and the screen to the right of me. I could see my skeleton and organs in the screen. It was extremely neat! The doctor gave me the cup of barium and told me to take three big gulps. As I did, he took screen shots at the screen to my right so that I could see what was happening. I got to watch myself swallow the barium, which distracted me from how uneasy my stomach was becoming.

He then told me to turn facing left, facing the wall. I drank a few more gulps of barium as he took pictures. The doctor told me to stand with my back against the wall of the machine. Then, the x-ray machine I was halfway inside, standing in, started to rotate and I was on my back. I was told to lay on my stomach (which is hard for me to do because it makes me even more ill) and was told to cross my left leg over my right, making a triangle. I had my right arm down by my side and my left arm up by my head holding the cup of barium with a straw. I had to drink it while the doctor took pictures that way, and he instructed me to turn on my left and right sides, also while taking pictures.

Then, I was instructed to lay on my back again and the machine started to straighten back up and I was standing again. The tech gave me a cup of water and a barium pill. The doctor instructed me to swallow the pill but it got stuck halfway down, like everything has been lately because my esophagus is burnt and swollen.

He said, "interesting."

He instructed me to drink more water and finally it went down as he was taking pictures. Then, he informed me that my test was done.

Honestly, that's the best barium test I've ever taken because I didn't have to down two huge things of barium. I barely had a cupful. And, that's all I really need. It's fighting to come back up, even now.

That was the end of day one at Mayo. Tomorrow, I get to look forward to the gastric emptying test at 8am. Four hours of pictures after I eat radioactive eggs. That's the test that I'm scared of because if I get sick, I have to repeat it all over again.

I will try and take more pictures and let you know what I think of tomorrow.

As for today, I am very pleased with the treatment I received today. My only complaint is that I have one blown vein in my upper left arm that really hurts. She blew it good. It's going to bruise something horrible. I just hope for my scope that they'll be able to find an IV site. I'm going to be chugging Pedalyte from here until Wednesday. I hope it hydrates me enough for that.

Other than the blown veins, everyone here has been extremely nice and helpful. My wait times weren't long at all. I am very happy that I didn't have to swallow more barium than needed and the doctors here are truly the best at what they do. However, they don't just treat me like a diagnosis, they treat me like a person. I really do appreciate that.

The lab tech this morning told her colleague that I was a fantastic patient because I didn't flinch once while they were poking me. =)

Detox - Day 3

I've been off of most of my medications for a few days now. The only ones I'm taking are Zanaflex 4mg, Phenergan 25mg, Ambien 5mg, Zofran 4mg, Xanax 0.05mg, and I'm weaning myself off of the Zoloft and Nortriptyline, since I can't just stop those cold turkey.

I need to ask the doctor for something stronger for insomnia. The Ambien 5mg just doesn't really work for me. I also need to ask the doctor if he could up my dose of Xanax for this month because just thinking about the future gives me a panic attack. I am so anxious that they aren't going to find anything or if they do, it will be horrible.

I also have really, really intense stomach spasms. They come in waves and all I can do is double over and not move. I try to breathe through them but that doesn't really help. It's almost like having a charlie horse in my abdomen. All I had today was a tiny bit of chicken and a small helping of rice. After I ate that, it took about thirty minutes for the gastric spasms to start.

The headache is also still lingering but I'm not sure if that's from dehydration or if it's from detoxing from all of the medications I'm not longer taking. I'm so exhausted and so weak. I've been sleeping a lot in the past few days because I'm just worn out. I thought about trying to finish some of my short stories and send them to publishers as a collection to see if anyone would publish them. I have great vivid dreams that would make amazing stories but I'm out of practice in writing. I've been writing research papers the past few years, so I am out of practice with creative writing. It would make me happy to have something of mine published. When I was a kid, I remember wanting to be a writer. It seems now that with all of the social media, my writing has dumbed down and I need to fix it.

I also need to write down my personal GP story for a book my friend LaShelle is putting together on GASTROPARESIS PAGE. She wants to make a Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul but with Gastroparesis. It's been a long time since I've written like that. The last time I was published, I was in high school and wasn't so out of practice.

I feel like I never want to eat again. That rice keeps giving me spasms every hour. It hurts so much and the pain is intense.

I have been thanked for my blog, which makes me happy. It's actually helping people! I'm glad because that's part of the reason I started this. I didn't want people to take unnecessary medications or tests that people may not need. My blog has had over 6,000 views. I mean, that's amazing! Thank you all for reading my blog!

Another thing that's bothered me a bit. People keep telling me how strong I am. I don't always feel so strong. I feel so weak compared to the other admins on the GASTROPARESIS FACEBOOK PAGE. I mean, I try to be my own advocate but most of the time I just feel like I'm being whiny or annoying my friends with my blog posts. This is how I cope with the added stress. I need to write and get it out.

Update from this Weekend to Today

I woke up this morning with horrible stomach pains. I started crying. Then, the vomiting started, which I'm glad I had a bucket beside the bed. I just feel miserable but let me catch you up on my weekend.

This past weekend, I had a Leadership Retreat with my fraternity. It's a tradition to have one of these, in the woods off of the grid, to bond together. I was quite proud of myself for surviving the car trip without vomiting in front of my friends, although I loaded up on all on of my medication (which means I couldn't drive). I got to the cabin and picked a bunk close to the restroom. I made sure to bunk with my brothers who wouldn't mind vomiting. I brought a bag of baby food for eating.

While talking to one of my little brothers, I vomited in my mouth. But, I was able to swallow it down, because I was no where near my bucket or the restroom. My little looked at me, knowing what I was doing, and fist bumped me for not getting sick on the floor. She knows how bad I feel but my brothers feel bad that they can't help me. I was amused by the fist bump though. That's not the first time that I've swallowed vomit down. I did that in the car yesterday too. My throat is sore and burnt from all of the vomiting.

Anyway, I actually got sleep on the trip. I don't know if it was because I was in the woods away from electronic devices or what, but I actually got some sleep. Usually, I'm a light sleeper but I didn't hear anything. When I woke up, I felt bad, because apparently, I was snoring. That ran some of my brothers out of the room. I apologized but they were just so happy that I finally was able to sleep that they didn't care. I have really nice brothers.

I ate some lentils during the retreat because I thought they might stay down. I think I ended up vomiting four to six times during the retreat. I wanted to take a shower, because that always makes me feel somewhat better, but it was too cold for me to stand in the shower. The ride back wasn't too bad, I didn't get sick because I loaded up on phenergan and my other medications.

I talked to my doctor's nurse yesterday because I was tired of not being able to sleep. My stomach keeps me up by vomiting all night. The doctor called me in some Ambien to help me sleep and told me he was following up with the Mayo Clinic because they should have scheduled me by now. He's sending me to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL.

Honestly, I just want some kind of relief without vomiting. I don't like carrying a bucket around or embarrassing myself in front of my friends, even though they understand. I can't even do anything simple like going to someone's house to hang out because I spend most of the time in the restroom. This is just no way to live. I'm eating baby food but that's hit or miss with my stomach too.

So, I'm waiting patiently to hear back about the Mayo Clinic. If I don't hear back today, I'm going to call both my doctor and the Mayo Clinic tomorrow. I need some sort of relief. Until then, I'm going to take my medication and hope that one day, food will be in pill form.


Something did make me laugh yesterday. Every time I hear about the Mayo Clinic, I think about the scene from Airplane:

After Surgery - Day 2

Well, surgery went well on Monday. I was amused because the anesthesiologist had to come in and place my IV because the nurses were too scared to poke me. The nurses said they didn't see anything so they didn't want to poke me 8 times. I agreed with them and thanked them for not doing so because I've had some horrible nurses who have stuck me up to 18 times, no exaggeration.

The IV went into my right wrist, so it was in an odd place. The anesthesiologist gave me the medicine to put me to sleep while the doctor was injecting numbing medicine into my back. I yelled ow a few times and he injected more. The anesthesiologist asked me if I felt the medicine yet and I shook my head no. She gave me two small syringes of something plus versed. Then, pushed the Propofol, twice. The doctor realized that my IV wasn't working and went over to my wrist and pressed down on it at a funny angle...and then ALL of the medicine hit. I don't remember anything after that, not even being woken up to see if the spinal cord stimulator (SCS) was working properly in the right area. I woke up and the anesthesiologist moved quickly to unhook my IV because the Propofol was still in there heading to my vein, trying to make me sleepy again. I was amused. The staff at this place are great. I would recommend them to anyone who needs pain management. Their bedside manner is fantastic and it's hard to find a doctor who will actually listen to you first.

After they taped me up, I went into recovery where they fine tuned the SCS with a computer. They gave me a remote where I could control the amount of stimulation myself or turn it off while driving.

I laid down when I got home from surgery and laughed so hard because the stimulation was turned all of the way up. I had to wait for my husband to bring the remote inside.

Last night, I slept without tossing or turning, which is something I haven't done in a long time because I couldn't feel pain in my left knee. I was able to walk around more. It was nice not to have that constant sharp pain along with aches. It was all gone.

Then, I went to sleep the wrong way with my back brace on and moved the leads. Now, they will only work if I'm sitting a certain way or if I lay down. So, I called the doctor and asked them to pull the leads out and that I would like to have the permanent implant done. The Rep for Boston Scientific (who represents this machine I'm using for the SCS) will call the doctor and put me on the schedule to have the leads pulled out tomorrow, which is good because I'm allergic to this tape. It itches like crazy!

So, I will be put on the schedule to have this one permanently and I'm excited about it. If I can get this under control, maybe I won't vomit as much because vomiting is my pain response too.

Then, I can just focus on my stomach. I need to get that taken care of. I have an appointment with the GI doctor on Monday and an appointment with the Nutritionist to go over a diet plan later next week. I'm still severely nauseated, but not as bad as I have been. That could be wishful thinking on part of the temporary implant but we'll see.

I'm just excited to finally have my knee taken care of and to have finally found someone who will help me. Then, I can focus on my stomach.

Pictures of my back are below: