digestive enzymes anyone?
 

I have trouble with gastro paresis or a stopped stomach due to MS and its awful side effects. My stomach will literally take 24 to 30 hours to push water past my tummy. I get very full after only tiny bites and its a mess.

I am thinking of adding digestive enzymes, and wanted to know if anyone else uses them. My tummy is a come and go kinda thing, so its not a constant worry, but when its broken, I figured I could help things along by helping provide the enzymes needed to break down my food. Perhaps I will get more nutrition from my food??? :confused:

Most of the enzymes your body uses to digest, come from the pancreas. That is past the stomach.

If you have a poor stomach lining and take enzymes (proteases would be in them), they could digest your stomach!

I wouldn't do it.

People with gastroparesis are sometimes given erythromycin or metformin to stimulate parestalsis. Metformin stimulates serotonin 4 receptors in the gut and moves things along for some people. The erythromycin dose is lower than the antibiotic dose.
This also moves things along. But these do not work for everyone. I would search the net for gastroparesis solutions.
The recalled drug Propulsid was very good for this problem, but it is only available now by emergency request from your doctor.
I'd discuss this with your doctor to see what could be done for you.

Sometimes people get spasms of the pylorus. When that clamps down food cannot leave the stomach either. So it would be a good idea to see if you have that problem causing your issues. If so using an anticholinergic like Levsin or Bentyl, would help relieve that spasm.

In addition...

There are RX only enzymes designed for cystic fibrosis patients and those with pancreatic issues, that are enteric coated for breakdown outside the stomach. However, if you are low in stomach acid, they will dissolve in the stomach somewhat depending on how long they are present.

The most common is called Creon.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000279/
These are lipases however, and not proteases.

My doctor suggested a product called "Digestzymes" made by Designs for Health, Inc. It has a combination of digestive enzymes.

papaya
 

papaya is tastey and has enzymes naturally.