Upper gastric pain due to food feeling stuck..

[Mumaforanswers]

Hello. May I ask if anyone has found anything that helps you cope with/address the pain of slow gut motility? My son is really struggling with upper gastric pain due to slow/no digestion. He has lost so much weight due to restricting his diet to try to keep the pain at bay. He often resorts to making himself sick after eating, because he says the food is ‘stuck’ at his breast bone and isn’t digesting which it’s so uncomfortable. The doctor and dietitian have not been very helpful. Dietitian said: ‘You’ll have to get used to feeling bloated if you want to gain weight’. The only medication given has been Omeprazole (initially for acid reflux) but I think has caused all these latest symptoms to creep in over a couple of years. I should mention, he’s been seen at the GI clinic and tests found nothing other than an inflamed duodenum. We have considered Chinese acupuncture and hypnotherapy, but have not tried it yet. Any thoughts/advice on anything that might help him would be welcome. Many thanks.

[Luisa22]

You could ask your son's doctor, but Metaclorpramide is a drug often used as a "pro-kinetic", as it helps stomach and digestive motility. (I hope I have spelled that right!)

[Mumaforanswers in reply to Luisa22]

Thank you, I will ask about that.

[b1b1b1]

Have you checked that he does not have GERD ( gastro esophagus reflux)? There are specific tests for this, including something called an esophogram, which is not invasive, and there is also an upper endoscopy. It is a common and treatable condition. It sounds to me like he has not had adequate and thorough testing.

[Mumaforanswers in reply to b1b1b1]

Hi b1b1b1. That’s an idea thank you , I will read up on that. He’s had an endoscopy, a barium meal x-ray and a 24hr wire ph stomach acid test. Initially, they said he had a weak oesophageal valve, but then they said that the 24hr wire test hadn’t been done correctly, so nothing is wrong. Without a diagnosis, all they give him is Omeprazole. I’ve been reading up on his symptoms and wondered about ‘functional dyspepsia’ - which is very hard to treat and I can’t really be telling the doctor my own ideas (which may be wrong)….its really hard to push back when they say he’s had tests and they found nothing. He’s so scared to eat now that he’s gone from loving food to not being able to sit down to a plate of food. He just grazes on beige foods & is so skinny. He’s had a recent blood test & been put a course of B12 infusions as he’s so low in vitamin B12. I’m so grateful for you taking the time to offer advice & hope you are well. Thank you.

[Pedrof1976 in reply to Mumaforanswers]

HiIf he has weakening it may be achalasia. The lower oesophagus is weak and baggy. If it is they can use botox injections. A soft liquid diet can help, if you look at oesophageal stent diets.

Metoclopramide is contraindicated in children unless extremes. Erythromycin may be a better ask as it's an antibiotic which increases gut motility as a side effect.

If they're saying the muscle at the top of the stomach then cyclizine tightens the muscle up

[711debbie]

Grapefruit seed extract should do the trick;

if you want a medicine, here in Slovakia we use Itocan (itopridiuchlorid) - it seems to be from Medochemie Ltd. in Limassol, Cyprus. There are also other companies in the EU making it or distributing it: Gastrix in Estonia and Itopride Supremex in Hungary.

I've been doing the GSE for many years (I still use it when I'm traveling and can't wait 30 minutes to eat a meal - 2 x a day - when you use Itocan) and using the Itocan for maybe 3 years. Good luck!

[Gardengirl20]

Hi, my son has something very similar. Had all same tests. Started with gastritis. Then thought had hiatus hernia. Has been referred to various consultants /hospitals. Taken by so many different PPI’s. He eats smaller meals, snacks but is also so skinny. Can’t bend down without it affecting him.

Diagnosed with Oesophageal motility disorder, a condition in which the oesophagus doesn't work normally and fails to properly deliver liquids and food from the mouth to the stomach.

He now takes Lanzaprole, Amitriptyline for pain in his chest/back. Gaviscon. Sleeps upright using a wedge.

Recently suggested by consultant to try Ziverel. Not available anywhere, but sourced similar called Esoxx One. Bought on Amazon. You take it after meals. over the counter and not cheap, but will try anything. Also using Gin gins from Holland & Barrett for nausea.

It has been trial and error to get this far. Doesn’t seem to be a cure just maintenance. ☹️

Hope this helps your son.

[Mumaforanswers in reply to Gardengirl20]

Thank you so much for sharing all this valuable information. I will certainly check it all out & May I wish your son good health.

[doris22]

Omeprazole caused me to have terrible upper gastric problems. It felt like I had bricks there after i had eating. I could only eat small amounts and lost weight because of that. After speaking to a gastro specialist he changed me to an H2 blocker. I was being treated at the time for a erosion of the esophagus due to acid reflux. That was a game changer for me. So many people can't tolerate ppi's please look into this. All the best.

[Mumaforanswers in reply to doris22]

Hi doris22.

Ooh, that’s really good to know. We will definitely ask the doctor to switch him onto H2 blockers. Thank you so much for sharing what’s worked for you, it’s so good to hear a positive outcome.

[Viklou]

Has he been tested for ceiliac

[Mumaforanswers in reply to Viklou]

Ahh, yes, he was tested for celiac’s a while ago - negative - but I think you can have false negatives, esp. if you’ve been avoiding gluten, so I will ask about it again. Thank you for your advice!

[Skyline4]

this must be very difficult for your son. I may be of no use to you, but as a 77 year old woman I have struggled with that horrible pain in my chest after eating. Having been told it was acid reflux and hiatus hernia I struggled with the usual omeprazole and also the ppis to no benefit. I’ve since been told I don’t have either of those issues. My latest diagnosis was ibsc and my gastro said to ensure I deal with the constipation daily. I have recently improved somewhat by reducing my fibre intake. Quite simply I no longer have gf bread or gf oat biscuits, which are high fibre -and they had been my “staple diet” (I’m told I’m not gf but over the past 6 years I’ve tried to determine what helps me, which at one time seemed. to be gf). At present I avoid brassicas etc (which I love) and I am careful with fruit. I also eat white rice instead of the small “new potatoes” which my husband enjoys. There can be a sensitivity to “nightshade” veg. I definitely do not seem to suffer with the intestinal spasms nearly as much and I’m delighted that I no longer seem to need the ppi (I was on cimetidine latterly). I seem to manage with just one laxative dose maybe every 3rd day - mebeverine is good, or movicol (I have cosmocol) or my gasto also recommended duosate. I try to have a daily banana. The only other med is the occasional rennie or gaviscon tablet. I am convinced that medication can create more problems than it resolves.

I have no idea how old your son is, but I would think it must be very difficult for him to be able to monitor what triggers his problem - it has taken me a lot of years to finally find some respite - and I don’t know yet if this will continue for me. However, I reiterate that the side effects of medication need monitoring and I seem to be one of those people for whom increased fibre intake is not the answer to constipation because of the effects of bloating and intestinal spasms. ,

I wish you and your son all the very best and try to find a way to reassure him that he will improve but I have certainly found it needs time and a relaxed attitude is more beneficial. Do not despair.

[Mumaforanswers in reply to Skyline4]

It’s so kind of you to take the time to reply with all the things you have discovered on your health journey. Actually, my son is 33 but has cerebral palsy and dyslexia so he’s not best placed to research all this stuff on his own. I know there is a link between CP and gastrointestinal issues, but I also strongly agree with you that the over-prescribed PPIs (Omeprazole) is doing him more harm than good - he has got far worse since he started on them. He was fine until his early 20s - loved his food and ate well. But 10 years on, he’s a shadow of his former self and suffering with anxiety and feeling hopeless. His doctor has agreed he should try gradually reducing the PPIs until he’s off them (over a few weeks) but we are dreading the acid production rank up that typically ensues. I will make a note of your triggers and ask my son to carefully monitor what he’s eating and how he feels as he comes off these awful drugs. Thank you again. All the wonderful people on this website are so kind & helpful. Best wishes.

[Skyline4 in reply to Mumaforanswers]

thank you for your response. Just to clarify, the meds suggested for me were docusate (not duosate)… he said it’s a gentle stool softener and can be taken up to twice daily. …. and buscopan OR mebeverine which is best taken 20mins before a meal. At present I seem to manage with one mebeverine every second or third day and I don’t bother with docusate. The gastro was emphatic that the ppi would not be helping me with the symptoms I described and it was a relief to stop taking them, though I do resort to occasional antacids.

My experience is that omeprazole is often the first med anyone is offered if they have any gut issues and many people tell me they can’t seem to take it

There is plenty of info about low fibre diets on line.

A good friend who has Parkinson’s and, presumably reduced motility of his intestines- partly because of medication- seems to manage well will a low fibre diet but taking fybrogel to supplement. That is under medical advice.

Good luck and I do hope things improve for your son.

[Mumaforanswers]

Hmm, all interesting points & avenues we might explore in the coming weeks and months. Thank you again.