Is there a Gastroparesis Community?

[lightsinthecity]

I have found out that I have Gastroparesis - has anyone else had this diagnoses after having had Esophageal Cancer/surgery?

[SurreyGuy]

Hello there. I had an oesophagectomy 14 years ago but not for cancer. I have been diagnosed with delayed gastric emptying too. After some tests and a lot of head scratching they now believe that SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) is either causing it or making it much worse. After having one course of antibiotics I totally believed them as the result was amazing. Nine months later i needed another course and they tried a less dramatic antibiotic and the impact was rubbish. I have a GP appointment next week to try and get another course.

But, the delayed gastric emptying is possibly also causing me to aspirate at night as i wake up every morning a little chesty (which i do worry about).

On the grand scheme of things I am able to get on with things and carry on as normal but it is uncomfortable and as I say irritating.

But, it may be with you talking to your doctor to see if they believe SIBO could be contributing as it is now a known side effect of upper GI surgery.

[Mauser1905]

Hello there,

Its mixed feeling when you have a confirmed diagnosis post Oesophagectomy. Good in one sense that you managed to get a clear direction for the focus of treatment due to finding a correct diagnosis, sorry to have got that in first place. There are many of us who suffer a lot of symptoms but struggle to get a accurate an d precise diagnosis post treatments. A separate topic altoghter.

I found below two groups on this website close to your search.

healthunlocked.com/bowel-di...

healthunlocked.com/theibsne...

Oesophagectomy is known commonly to cause the Gastroparesis. Often then not the term may not be used directly within the clinical environment int he NHS for obvious reason of not stating until and unless confirmed. I would suggest searching through this forum to find some treatments in similar cases and what worked for them. Reason being Gastroparesis can be caused by variety of different things and treatment and its outcome also depends upon what caused it in first place.

Typically 'stretch' is carried out at the pyloric sphincter and often a multiple times to 'induce' it to work as expected, medicines (although not effective ad comes with its own side-effects) or sometimes botulinum injections, gastroelectric stimulation (not widely offered in NHS trusts but you may see if available in the USA), there are other long-term surgical interventions on case by case basis.

The least invasive (permanent) treatments like strecthing, medicines (ultra short duration), eletrical stimulation and injections may work without significant collateral damage.

[Mauser1905 in reply to Mauser1905]

I did a quick keyword search in the Healthunlocked community and copied the links for quick read for you below:

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

healthunlocked.com/oesophag...