Early satiety/bloating/stomach distention

#1

Has anyone experienced "early satiety". I eat a little and my stomach is full/bloated. This is recent. I mentioned to the endo, she did not comment. I mentioned it to the PCP, he suggested Zantac and Pepcid and referred me to a Gastroenterologist (he said, likely an endoscopy). Who wants that?

Is it related to diabetes? Would damage to the vagus nerve cause early satiety? Within the last 2 weeks my BG have been better (mostly between 80 and about 160, occasionally higher, but back down quickly), but for the past 2 months, very poor lots of numbers in the 200's, fasting mid 100's. Who knows before the 2 months. I wasn't feeling bad. But around late May/June- thirsty, waking up to pee at night.

I don't eat a lot of dairy...just yogurt for breakfast (I don't think it's lactose intolerance). I've been eating "more" bread (51 g) v previously when I hardly ate any bread. Since I've been on insulin (injection, not pump), I have to find food to total 15g.

Most recent A1C 7.2

#2

Early satiety could be gastroparesis (GP), a secondary complication of diabetes. GP is a neuropathy of the autonomic nervous system, related to slow gastric emptying.

Bread may be easier to digest but it will likely drive your BGs northward. Even if you dose for it, many people find the insulin is not fast enough to keep up with the BG rise it causes.

The best thing you could do for GP is to keep your BG numbers in range. Some people report (including me) that GP symptoms diminish with a sustained run if good BGs.

I use a lower carb diet (< 75 grams CHO) to keep my numbers down. I also try to eat my last meal of the day at least three hours before bedtime. A little walking after dinner helps, too.

Good luck.

#3

Thanks Terry. I currently eat anywhere between 40 to 65 grams of carbs daily, I don't mean that it's all from bread....I guess I ought to cut back the bread. Is pasta better than bread? What are some of your carb choices? I would have to eat massive quantities of broccoli to find close to 10g to 15g of carb.

#4

Have you considered gluten intolerance?

#5

No I haven't. that may make sense.....At times, I get a headache when I eat pasta, or bread. I do have corn syrup sensitivity. One thought would be to Eliminate the food or reduce the quantities and see if I feel better?
Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley. Is there a definitive test for gluten intolerance/sensitivity?

#6

Some of the carbs I eat are small servings of pasta (1/2 cup max), berries, tomatoes, onions, applesauce (1/2 cup), and Kind bars. I'll also eat small servings, 1/4-1/2 cup, of lentils, pinto and black beans. I'll also eat a small slice of bread from time to time, preferably bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. When I eat at an Indian restaurant, I like a small piece of naan. With Mexican food I'll eat one six inch corn tortilla. Nuts also contain carbs. I like to eat an ounce or two of macadamia nits, almonds, cashews, pistachio, or walnuts.

#7

It could be gluten sensitivity. I usually have the opposite problem of feeling hungry a lot on isulin but I have cut out gluten for the most part and I think I have something like gp too, but it could be other issues like ibs.

#8

You could try getting your carbs from 1/4 cup sweet potato (yams) instead of bread/pasta...

It was suggested to me to try going grain free vs just gluten free... kind of like the Paleo diet but not necessarily as strict. Lean primary protiens, good fats, lots of non-starchy veg, low on dairy, and your carbs from a small portion of starchy veg... no grains. I still have the occasional Steel Cut Oats or piece of fruit with breakfast though - but always balanced with protein/fat. If you use an app or website like fitday.com or myfitnesspal you'll find that the actual carbs add up way faster than you think without any bread or pasta, and the more you get your carbs from veg the more fibre you'll get too which also helps.
#9

Hi lh378. There is an inexpensive blood test for Celiac Disease, which is an autoimmune disease. The treatment for Celiac is to avoid all gluten. I have Celiac and also a sensitivity to soy and corn.

#10

I'm sensitive to corn too; I don't know about soy....hmmm...I've been drinking soy milk (6-8 oz daily) instead of milk (milk has lactose).

#11

Well, we're all individual, so you maay not have a problem with soy. I find I must avoid all gluten including avoiding cross-contamination. As for corn, I can handle a bit of cornstarch, but not much, and no corn protein.

Now as for lactose, it's all bound up with gluten. If you have Celiac, and probably if you are sensitive to gluten, the gluten will destroy the villi in your gut, which then causes lactose intolerance. I need to go one step further--I need a good probiotic capsule in addition to NO gluten in order to eat lactose. Every once in a while I make a mistake and confirm this to be true! For me, anyhow. (I drink a little milk, eat cheese and ice cream, so I am careful.) It takes time, but you will figure out what works for you. I do recommend taking a blood test for Celiac.

#12

which specific blood test do I request for Celiac? This one seems to have 4 different tests

Deamidated Gliadin Peptides (DGP)
IgA and IgG Antigliadin Antibodies (AGA)
IgA Endomysial Antibodies (EMA)
tgG Tissue Transglutaminase Antibodies (tTG)

source:
http://glutenintoleranceschool.com/gluten-intolerance-test/#3

#13

My Mom, who has Celiac Disease has a lot of tummy bloating, a lot may be from the many food allergies she has as well as the GI upset from the disease itself.
If my BG goes over 150 then I am running to the bathroom a lot due to the kidneys working overtime. I sleep a lot as well.

15g of carbs for a meal? A person needs more than that I think as I am restricted to 45 per meal. Too many protein foods are hard on the kidneys too I hear. There must be balance in all things...perhaps your insulin needs adjusting?

#14

I am going to rant a little bit, my A1C has been around 6.5, 6.6 for the past 6 years and recently it rose to 7.2. My endo keeps stating that "your sugars are good", your diabetes has been under control. "good" or under "control" is relative. Gluconormal folks are below 5.5 (4.5 to 5.5?) When I mentioned

Isn't the doctor doing me a disservice by stating that my diabetes is in good control, especially if the A1C rose from 6.6 to 7.2 within the past 3 months? I understand the risks of hypoglycemia. this is also the doctor who asked me "Why are you checking for ketones?" to which I replied that because I wasn't feeling well, so it made sense for me to take a precaution and check. The doctor also recommends that I only need to check my blood glucose once or twice a day only if necessary.

#15

Hi ih378. Sorry, I can't answer your question. Maybe your doctor will help on this; if not, maybe he could be persuaded to refer you to a gastroenterologist. Reading further in your post, maybe you need a new doctor! One who values your trying to get better control by testing, etc.