New Drugs, New Hope

I have been on two new meds for my gastroperisis. Relistor injections and Domperidone. The Relistor is to promote bowel movement (i.e. lower gi); the Domperidone is to promote stomach movement (i.e. upper gi).  I'm getting some relief and can eat better, but I still get into a pain situation if I eat too much.  At least I can eat a little more than before without setting off my pain. The Domperidone gives me lots of gas which can also set off the pain, i will bring that up with my gi doctor when I go back in a couple weeks. The Relistor gives me some energy and helps a lot with my general widespread pain. This is good news because I haven't felt this much relief from my Fibro pain since I got off of Cymbalta. The problem is, it doesn't really help in the bowel movement category like it's supposed to. So I need to bring that up to my gi doctor too. Relistor is not known to be effective after about four months use. What I wonder is, will it still be effective on m my widespread pain after four months? We'll see. Because it is so effective on my pain I want to keep taking it even if it's not helping with the lower gi issues.

Oh well, I know this post has TMI, but I wanted to document it anyway so I can come back and review at a later date. I'll post an update after I follow up with my Gi Dr.

Gastroperisis from Gallbladder Removal or Head/Neck Trauma?

Since my gallbladder was removed, I have felt like my stomach is stapled.  I feel full after just a few bites, I have a hard time swallowing water/liquids, and I have referred pain to my back every time I eat.  I went back to the surgeon a couple weeks after the surgery and she did a test to see if I had a bile leak.  I did not so she sent me on my way telling me it was phantom gallbladder attacks that would/might eventually go away.  I wasn't her problem any more. 

I bought that theory for a while until I re-read a comment from one of my blog posts.  This person recommended that I look into problems with the Vagus nerve.  So I did and that brought me to a possible diagnosis of Gastroperisis.  Basically, the stomach doesn't contract to digest the food.  It is paralyzed.  I read the associated symptoms and decided that this IS what is going on with me, not phantom gallbladder.  I made an appointment with my GI doctor and he said that sometimes after the gallbladder is removed the bile cannot move through the system fast enough and backs up into the stomach causing this condition.  He prescribed a medication that will take up to one month to work but said it should help.  If this doesn't help then it may be that I have damage to the Vagus nerve which probably won't be reversible.  The damage to this nerve could have been done during the gallbladder surgery.  I think it might also have been damaged when my neck was hurt in 2011, but the symptoms are just more significant/apparent now that I'm not having other symptoms from my diseased gallbladder.

In the meantime, I'm back on the narcotics because I have to eat and eating causes me excruciating pain.  I found that very small meals with no bulk (raw vegetables, fruit, whole wheat), no dairy, and no fat is tolerated the best. Yum, right?  I've been drinking Ensure's twice a day to help get the vitamins and nutrition I need. 

I've lost a total of 45 pounds since my head/face pain started in January, 2012.  I lost 20 of those pounds during the year of 2012 and have lost 25 more pounds in the last 6 months. I'm continuing to lose 2-3 pounds per week because I can't eat.  This isn't a problem yet, because I am overweight and can stand to lose about 30 more pounds, so this may be a blessing in disguise.  I just need to make sure that I get enough nutrition.