[Catch]

Finally followed up on my chronic nausea after more than 2 years. When I found myself buying a size 3 pants I figured I had better do something or I'd literally disappear!

I don't know for sure, but all the signs point to a condition where my stomach no longer digests properly and food just sits there. Causing several problems including weight loss and nausea. Not sure yet what caused the condition--it's usually related to diabetes, but thank goodness I don't have that. It is caused by damage to the vagus nerve, so I'm wondering if it could be caused by the MS. Probably unusual, but then nothing about me is usual. Even my Gastroenterologist didn't really think I'd come up positive for gastroparesis, since I'm missing a couple of key common symptoms.

Just Monday I found out my thyroid is working slowly and I need to take meds for that for the rest of my life. There is a med for this gastro issue, but from what I've read about it, it's something I can't take since I have a history of severe depression, which leaves me with nothing to do about the problem, except what I have been doing, which is eating small meals and losing weight. This news has really depressed me. FIrst I was bummed thinking I'd add another life-long drug, then bummed to find out I couldn't take it.

[hollym]

When I looked up possible causes for gastroparesis, nervous system disorders is on the list, so MS could very well be the culprit. I do hope you can find some relief from this as it sounds quite miserable.

It looks like there might be new treatments on the horizon. You might want to look into the last two on this page to see if they might be right for you and whether you can find a local doc who performs these procedures:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gas...ents-and-drugs

[Catch]

After doing more research last night, I found sites that mention neurological and autoimmune disorders can cause this, so MS might be the culprit. I will have to do more checking on the new treatments as they do sound hopeful. Now I'm wondering though, if MS has caused this might steroids reverse or minimize the damage to the vagus nerve?

I get tired of going to the doctor all the time. It would be so nice just to be able to call someone and ask a few questions instead of taking hours out of my workday to visit the doc's office to ask the question. I've got to go back and see the gastro doc, I've got an EMG coming up, then my mammo and annual, another visit to my GP to follow up on the thyroid meds in a month, and then back to the Neuro. I've been really positive about the MS until now. I'm starting to feel like a sick person and I really don't like it.

[legzzalot]

Originally Posted by Catch

After doing more research last night, I found sites that mention neurological and autoimmune disorders can cause this, so MS might be the culprit. .

It very well may be. I cannot comment on the symptoms you are having, but I can tell you this much. I was diagnosed in 1999 as having an oeractive thyroid/ graves disease which is an autoimmune disease that effects your thyroid. My thyroid had gone into such overdrive that I lost 70 lbs in one year and my routine visit for bloodwork to test my thyroid resulted in an overnight stay in the hospital hooked up to monitors bc it had made my heart beat so fast and so long that they thought I was on the verge of a heart attack. This was long before the MS diagnosis.

I did radioactive iodine which was supposed to kill my thyroid and make me dependant on meds for the rest of my life. Stopped taking the meds after a year, continued to monitor my levels... 10 yrs later, they are still normal. After the MS discovery last year the doctors are questioning if it was actually an MS attack I was having and not a hyperactive thyroid.

I do know that my case is not "normal". And I apologize for the lengthy response, but yes, I believe MS can and does cause thyroid issues.

[hollym]

Originally Posted by Catch

Now I'm wondering though, if MS has caused this might steroids reverse or minimize the damage to the vagus nerve?

That sounds like a reasonable idea to me. It is certainly a fairly benign thing to try compared to other things I read about. Ask your neuro about trying a course of IV Solumedrol. I've had things improve with IVSM that my neuro thought were permanent damage. Could be worth a try...

[pud's friend]

Very interesting thread for me.
Nausea rules and thyroid issues have always been around. or were they ms issues after all?
I too am dissapearing fast and find that people are very rude about my weight loss. you wouldn't go up to a fat person and say Gosh, you've put on so much weight! Why is it ok to tell me I'm wasting away?

[braingonebad]

Okay, brain freeze, can't remember how long ago this was. I used to have chronic kidney stones, and with that the infections. At times the infections could be raging but I would not feel the kidney at all, just some weird stomache thing. I did not relate that they were somehow part of the same issue.

One time, my dd - just a tot - got pretty sick. Took her to the doc and felt awful to find she had a serious fever. I did not know because I had a pretty good temp of my own.



We were both around 103! DD got antibiotics, and I ended up going to the ER. DD stayed with my mom and as I was getting dressed, I realized I could see every rib. I was just too busy to note I'd lost so much weight. Then, I noticed how ashen I was, eyes sunken. I looked like a skeleton.

Huh. All I knew was every time I ate - even a couple crackers - I'd get a nasty piching feeling in the pit of my stomach. I thought it was a drag but would go away. Never figured it was due to the kidneys stones and infections.

I was just over 80 lbs by the time I caught on.

so you never know with weight loss, but DO get this figured out. It is never okay.


*Pud - lol! You should say something... "OOH! Aren't you beefing up nicely!" ~poking at their belly~

[Catch]

No one seemed to notice my weight loss, so I'm assuming the rude comments were said out of my hearing at least. lol

I didn't realise how thin I was either, until I saw a picture of myself. I thought Wow woman, you have got to watch your weight. I don't know if the thyroid and this are related. My GP felt my thyroid quitting now was because I was near menopause. She didn't have this info then, though. Here I go back to the docs A, B, C and ? ....Ain't it interesting when life gets cruddy?

Just give me the steroids and cross your fingers, ok? Wouldn't that be simpler?

[braingonebad]

Well, while you're trying to figure this out... peppermint is good for nausea and digestive issues, and shouldn't interfere with anything else you have going on. Try a cup of peppermint tea once or twice a day, not too close to bedtime though, because it can keep you awake.

I use it for anyhting, and I mean anything, that's bothering my stomach from heartburn to constipation. Love love love it. Maybe should try it for my bottomless hunger? lol

[NurseNancy]

i'm sorry to hear this catch.
don't give up. keep seeing the docs and keep searching for answers.
i wonder if seeing (sorry, another person) a registered dietician could help you find nutritional answers in the meantime.

i hope you find answers and feel better.