Do you have gastroparesis? Introduce yourself here!

Andrew I am hypo-unaware also. The gastroparesis itself will cause lows when you have insulin working and the food is just sitting in your stomach. Testing frequently to find out when your food is starting to digest so you can get insulin working. If I recall, you have both a pump and a Dexcom? When I was using mine, I had my high alarm set at 120 so I could get insulin going before my BS got too high. As for the protein, that takes on average about 4 hours to digest in a normal stomach so that is not really helping with lows.

Michelle, it depends on the cause of the hypo-unawareness whether or not raising your
BS targets will help. Mine is caused by autonomic neuropathy so raising my BS would actually make it worse. Mine is not reversible since it is nerve damage. I always tell people to find out the cause before they raise their BS in an attempt to reverse it.

Proteins actually do raise BS but most people donā€™t realize that unless they are doing low carb. Danny started a group called TAG here that teaches how to bolus for protein & fat.

Well ok but it generally works for me

Kelly, I have never bolused for proteins and fats in my 17 years of pumping. This is the first I have heard of it. I would definitely have more insulin reactions if I added any more insulin in my meal boluses. Has the ADA changed to that recommendation as well? I have always just bolused for carb minus fiber allowance.

I, too, have autonomic neuropathy. Thatā€™s what diabetic gastroparesis is unless they have changed that in very recent years. Having my BG goal at 120 and running 6.0-6.4 a1Cā€™s does not inflame my gastroparesis. But trying to keep it around 120 does allow me more time until it drops into the critical levels. Since I check my blood sugar 10 times a day minimum, that 120 level gives me more opportunity to catch the drop with a regular glucose check. I guess I donā€™t have complete hypo unawareness. I just donā€™t get any symptoms until I am in my low 20ā€™s. If I kept my BGs around 80 with a1Cā€™s in the 5ā€™s, I would have to check hourly.

Question. I have very unpredictable BS because I have very unpredictable digestion. Thatā€™s a given - DUH. Has anyone tried the dogs that detect lows? Iā€™ve been wondering if there is something better than testing every time I turn around. Is it worth a look at? Any successes?

I havenā€™t been dx with gastroparesis, but can someone explain what it is? I seem to have stomach issues like nausea, belching, feeling full even when I havenā€™t eaten anything, and also weird blood sugars. For example, waking up with a sugar in the 300ā€™s! Right before bed I checked my sugar and it was 105. An hour and half before bed I had a little bit of cottage cheese and some no sugar added mixed fruit. About 11 carbs for 1/2 a cup.

I have NOT been diagnosed with gastroparesis, but have, for the last 6-8 months been experiencing symptoms that have some commonality with gastroparesis, so I thought I'd stick my nose in here. I have NO problems with liquids, but if I eat a large meal, I feel full for 12-16 hours after eating, and last time, a couple of days ago, I was nauseated as well. I belch up vile, vomitous flavors, although I have never actually vomited because of it, and my BG starts out low, and then rises about 3 hours after I eat, and if I take insulin, it goes down somewhat, but rises again after 3 hours, and this goes on all night long. I can't lie down while my stomach is full, because I have horrible reflux. So I thought I'd lurk around here, in order to see if I could find out hints to relieve the symptoms.

And, Gerri, I DID try ginger tea (had lemon in it as well, but that was all I could find), and it DID settle my stomach.

So, anyway, I might lurk, or I might ask questions, but thanks for being here!

Does anyone here have a GES (or gastric pacemaker) and a dexcom cgm? I got my GES last November and just went back on the dexcom last night. Is there any interference I should be aware of? I'm getting a lot of error messages and wondering if there is anything I should be aware of... thanks!!

Hi Katie,
I have a gastric pacemaker and a Dexcom and also am on the Omnipod pump. I don't have any problems with interference with the Dexcom CGM device. If you are also using a pump though, I heard that you need to have the Dexcom and pump at least 3 inches apart from each other to avoid interference with those 2 devices. If you just have the Dexcom and the gastric pacemaker, it should not be a problem as far as I know.

Hi Margaret,
Yes, I just have the dexcom and pacemaker... good to know, thanks for your response!

WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE EAT OR NOT EAT?

I don't ever eat red meat. It sits in my stomach like a lead brick forever. I was diagnosed with a 20% digestion rate - I only digest 20% speed compared to a regular tummy. I eat 'soft' = I do well with fish and I always cut tiny my chicken when I go that direction. I was told to go easy on fiber but I find I do ok with veggies and salads where I understand that those can be problematic. Moderation is important. ALSO very important, I never eat more than 300 calories at a time -- small portions, frequent meals instead of three big meals a day. A regular size portion twists me in knots. For me, that is more important than what I eat. I am on a Mediterranean diet for a more particular shopping list. I have my list of 'do well' foods (like yogurt). You'll find what works for you -- good luck.

I was just in the hospital Wednesday night and until Thursday night. I was told them that I have gastroparesis and it is why I have been getting very sick every three weeks. We just thought I was relapsing from the flu. Well Wednesday night I got so sick that my husband ended up calling an ambulance because I was almost comatose. My glucose levels weren't really high either so he couldn't explain what was going on. They said that some of the food got backed up in me and it started growing bacteria and that is why I was vomiting, dizzy and just could not keep anything at all down. Though the stupid hospital 1)forgot to give me a referral to a GI doctor. My primary care is going to do this for me and 2)didn't say anything about diet changes or anything. I've been doing everything on research. I still am having issues with things that I really love to eat like the raw fruits and vegetables thing really sucks for me.

Well, I have developed another symptom that may be a sign of gastroparesis. That is, if I eat until I'm full, and after the meal, I bend over to pick up something, or pet my pups and kitties, my mouth fills with saliva, and if I don't stand up fast enough, I can't hold it, and have to spit it out. I found out that it's called water brash, and OK, now I know it's not vomit (doesn't taste like vomit) but still kind of disgusting. I wish I could squat instead of bending over, but I wouldn't be able to get up. So I'm trying to figure out what and how to eat so as to avoid getting full and still not be hungry. I'm sleeping on a slant pillow now, but still getting vomit taste in my mouth when I belch, although it's getting increasingly hard to belch, and I think soda needs to be a thing of the past because I can't swallow it, and even if I can get it down, then I feel like I need to belch and I can't. This is no dang fun, even though I know that others have it a lot worse!!

Im not sure if i have gastroparesis but i seem to have all the symptoms except for the vomiting i also find even if i have a sugary drink my sugar doesnt raise at all or very slowly :frowning: i had these symptoms all of a sudden in last 6-7 months does anyone know if this is reversable or has anyones here condition improved?.

I have multiple digestive motility issues including gastroparesisā€¦I have exhausted all medications and treatmentsā€¦the last medication Golytely, which I have been living on for over 8 years has just been discontinuedā€¦I am seeing a GI for the first time in over 3 years since they botched up a GES and wiped out my diagnosisā€¦I was supposed to be put on a j tube , g tube, and ostomy but thanks to this mess I have been without any kind of help for over 3 yearsā€¦its been a very rough time ā€¦look forward to meeting others hereā€¦ :slight_smile:

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I think I might have it but Iā€™m not sure. I see my doctor tomorrow and am going to ask for a test. The thing is, I just looked up all the common medications for gastroparesis , and some of the possible side effects for all these meds is really scary! Iā€™m so stressed. :worried:

Hi, Ms. Maria. I have idiopathic gastroparesis and have been on one of the available medications for a little more than 2 years now. I know the listed side effects can be pretty frightening, but I assure you that not everyone experiences these side effects. I know many people in my support groups who experience none at all and who have been helped significantly by the medications. Also, there are dietary changes that you can make that help some people, so it is not a foregone conclusion that you will need medications. If I can help you in any way, please let me know. I would be glad to! Take care!

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Thank you Melissa :slight_smile:

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I had it about 6 yrs agoā€¦ Probably mild but enough to scare me. Low blood sugars directly after eating a meal, sitting up to sleep so my food didnā€™t reappear, that kind of thing. I was already low carb via Dr Bernstein, so I followed his advice. Over time, it has gone. I still follow his suggestions, but others I donā€™t need to anymore. Among the ones I still followā€¦ Take papya pills with every meal. Only take glucose when low. No alcohol. No coffee for me. (Tea is ok) No fibre - at least not much- I have flaxmeal with eggs for bfast) Drink lots of fluids when eating. I also have different protein depending on sugars. If I have been a bit high recently I tend to eat eggsā€¦ Then itā€™s fish on my ā€˜eating scaleā€™ then white meat then red meat, which I hardly ever have. Oh I also eat tofu. Sugars are now between 4 and 7.7, and I donā€™t have any symptoms. I am starting to take myself off the pills, however last time I tried I became really run down and had a terrible cold
Hope this helps! Em

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