What is Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis, literally translated means "paralysis of the stomach" however, a more accurate description would be delayed gastric emptying.

In reality this means food sits in the stomach with no place to go, often leading to nausea, bloating and vomiting. 

On this page you will find information on Signs and Symptoms, Possible Causes and the Treatments that are available. 

"The better we can understand ourselves the easier it is to cope"

 
 
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Signs and symptoms:

 

  •  Nausea & Vomiting

  •  Pain in the abdomen

  •  Weightloss / Weight Gain

  •  Bloating

  •  Feeling full very quickly

  •  Loss of appetite

  •  Fluctuations in blood glucose

  •  Heartburn

  •  Constipation

 

Pre-disposing conditions:

  •  POTS 
    (Postural Orthostatic  Tachycardia Syndrome)

  •  Diabeties

  •  EDS/HEDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or Joint Hypermobility Syndrome)

  • Post surgical complications

 

Causes:

 Gastroparesis is thought to be caused by damage to the Vagus Nerve. The vagus nerve is one of 12 cranial nerves. It extends from the brain stem to the abdomen, and is responsible for controling gastric impulses.

The 3 main causes of GP are:

Diabetes: Poor blood sugar regulation can lead to long term nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). 

Surgical: Some people get Gastoparesis after surgery in which the Vagus nerve is damaged or cut.

Idiopathic: When they have no definitive answer as to why the Gastroparesis started. Loosely translated "We have absolutely no clue!"

These are the typical answers you will get from google but in reality there could be any number of causes which go unexplained due to lack of research, we know from personal experience that everyone wants an answer, but few are likely to get one....

This is something GIFT wants to change!

 

Treatments:

At present, most treatments are aimed at symptom management because there currently is no cure.

astroparesis is a very variable condition and treatments need to be tailored individually :

Nutritional Support: