As August starts in full, we felt it was a good time to discuss gastroparesis (GP) as it’s also Gastroparesis Awareness Month. While GP is a physical illness, its chronic nature tends to have lifelong mental health effects on those suffering with it, as well.
What is gastroparesis (GP)?
GP is a chronic illness affecting the stomach. Gastroparesis literally translates to “paralyzed stomach”. In this disorder, an individual’s stomach nerves do not work properly, resulting in delayed gastric emptying. When a stomach is working properly, the stomach will churn food with stomach acid into a mixture called chime and then this chime is passed into the small intestines where nutrients are absorbed as it passes through to the large intestines. In a healthy person, the stomach will empty fully about every four hours. With GP, however, gastric emptying can be slightly delayed or extremely delayed depending on the severity of the disease. In some cases, the stomach does not work at all.
What are the symptoms of GP?
When someone has gastroparesis, common symptoms are a feeling of constant fullness, lack of appetite, nausea, bloating, and vomiting. Those are the physical symptoms. The mental toll that having GP can have on someone can also vary significantly.
There is a fear around food (Will this food trigger symptoms?), a fear around making plans (what if I’m feeling too sick to go?), the fatigue and mental exhaustion that comes with a physical illness, and a feeling of isolation.
Often, when someone has a chronic illness, they can feel isolated, misunderstood, or judged by other people in their lives. Other times, they may be afraid to confide in others in order to not seem “like a burden”. This is complicated by the fact that it is often difficult to obtain a diagnosis of gastroparesis, especially if one does not fit the “stereotypical looking” patient. Many doctors still believe that GP patients are very thin, if not emaciated, and cannot tolerate food at all. However, these are usually the most extreme cases. Body size and shape can vary wildly between gastroparesis patients, along with severity of symptoms.
How does someone get GP?
The exact mechanisms behind developing gastroparesis are not fully understood. In many cases, an individual develops “idiopathic gastroparesis” which means there is not a known reason for why the disease developed. It could have been a reaction to a severe illness (like norovirus, for example) or it could have been genetically triggered. For those who do have a known cause, it is often a result of type-1 diabetes that has been difficult to manage. Consistently high blood sugar damages the blood vessels to the stomach, which in turn damages the ability for the stomach to function properly. Type-2 diabetes is another known cause of GP, along with some types of medications, and complications from surgery to the stomach.
Is there a cure?
No. Gastroparesis currently does not have a cure. This is one of the reasons it can have such a negative mental effect on individuals who have it. The knowledge that this disease will never go away is something that can be difficult to bear. There are treatments for GP, however.
The first line of treatment is diet change. If GP can be successfully managed with diet change, no further treatment is needed. It is worth noting, that even with diet management, it is not possible to entirely get rid of symptoms. This can make some days very difficult for individuals and can add to that fear of making plans or spending time outside of the time, which adds to the isolation many people with chronic illness tend to feel.
There are medications that can be used to try and treat the symptoms and some medications can also stimulate the stomach to empty more frequently. Surgery is sometimes used to try and treat GP, either by inserting a pacemaker or by altering the stomach in some way to encourage proper functioning.
As a last resort, some people will need a feeding tube surgically installed to allow them to get proper nutrition if all other methods fail.
Therapy is something that can be very helpful with dealing with the mental health effects of GP, as well. You can get help with navigating the emotional aspects of diet changes, upcoming procedures, or just the day-to-day experience of having a chronic illness.
