Advice for Gastroenterology Consultation

[Rose1889]

Hello everyone,

For the record, I’m a 23 year old female with family history of gastrointestinal issues (mainly autoimmune diseases, Crohn’s and liver cancer).

I have my first Gastroenterology appointment coming up in a few weeks and I was wondering if anyone could give me advice/expectations for it.

For the previous five months, I’ve been experiencing difficulty swallowing, trouble eating (mainly stabbing pains in the upper right, upper centre and entire left side), nausea, vomiting, fullness after small meals and bowel movement changes.

For those that have had similar experiences, I was wondering what sort of questions may be asked or what the follow-up tests (if any) might be suggested?

Any help would much appreciated.

Cheers,
Courtney.

[Red_Star]

Fullness after small meal (early satiety) is usually due to gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying).  I had this condition from untreated Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune hypothyroidism). At my worst I was full for the rest of the day after one bite! I would bloat up and look pregnant after I ate. I remember vomiting 10 hours after I ate and bacon was still in my stomach. Bacon should be fully digested by around 4 hours.

One of the most definitive tests in diagnosing gastroparesis is a gastric emptying study. Excerpt from Very Well Health article What Does Gastroparesis Feel Like?…

“Gastroparesis is most often caused by:1

Diabetes (diabetic gastroparesis)
Postviral syndromes
Anorexia nervosa
Surgery on the stomach or vagus nerve
Medications, particularly anticholinergics and narcotics (drugs that slow contractions in the intestine)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (rarely)
Smooth muscle disorders, such as amyloidosis and scleroderma
Nervous system diseases, including abdominal migraine and Parkinson's disease
Metabolic disorders, including hypothyroidism

Signs and Symptoms
These symptoms may be mild or severe, depending on the person:2

Heartburn
Nausea
Vomiting of undigested food
An early feeling of fullness when eating
Weight loss
Abdominal bloating
Erratic blood glucose levels
Lack of appetite
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
Spasms of the stomach wall”