stomach emptying study

[itchyandscratchy]

due at hosp in the morning for this test to see if I have gastroparesis along with the achalasia. any one else had this test?

[Bernadette]

sorry I have not had this test, but hope it went well, let us know what happened.

[Hidden]

Gastroparesis means, I think, that the stomach does not empty properly, leaving stomach contents to hang around too long rather than progressing past the pylorus sphincter into the rest of the digestive system.

I know that some people have had this kind of problem when the stomach has altered shape and the pylorus sphincter is no long at the bottom of the stomach. I think it can also be something to do with how well the pylorus sphincter lets food through (pylorus sphincter being the valve at the bottom end of the stomach) - hence the discussions about botox or the sphincter being stretched, and it might also be something that the vagus nerve (cut during oesophagectomy) affects. Having achalasia might bring other causes into play, possibly.

I hope it goes well, and gives the medical team an insight into your problems and how they can be fixed.

[yorkshirerose]

HI

I had a problem with food staying in the stomach too long, had an endoscopy to stretch the pylorus sphincter and all has been well ever since.

Hope it works for you too

Edwina

[itchyandscratchy]

hi, thanks for you replies.

all went ok, was a long time there, not sure if that means anything?

i think /hope the stomach emptying problem was aggrevated after a hellor myotomy i had a year ago for the achalasia (I tore in theatre.) I'd had a few failed balloon dilations and know there is scar tissue present, i do wonder if the vagus nerve is damaged....can that be repaired?

I guess I'm quietly worried though that maybe this could be yet another autoimmune problem, I'm realy struggling with food and weight loss and think this isnt going to help me with my other health problems.

[Hidden]

Scar tissue might be a complication but it would depend on the details.

If you have had an oesophagectomy then the vagus nerve will have been cut. The system is a whole set of nerve pathways, and, over time, the body does often find alternative ways of getting the right signals to and from the brain. I think it is true that otherwise nerves do not normally repair themselves. Having achalasia suggests that you originally had some sort of problem with your motility (ie progress of food through the digestive system).

If you cannot cope with a 'normal' quantity of food you might consider vitamin / mineral supplements to ensure that that side of things is reasonably taken care of. Your body can often cope with being lighter provided that you are absorbing the nutrition. How you look and the size of your clothes is less important health-wise.

Anxiety does not help, but it is not all that helpful to state this. But perhaps there may be some sort of counsellor who could suggest ways of coping mentally with things in a way that works for you? There are some examples of leaflets and so on that might be helpful, notwithstanding that they tend to be cancer-related

opa.org.uk/regional-shop/lo...

I often think that a lot of medical conditions have a parallel route to recovery that involves the mental side of things as well as the physical.