My daughter has been symptom free of gastroparesis for three months now. She has gained weight and can even occasionally eat vegetables and fruit without discomfort. I researched all I could find on natural digestive aids plus ways for her to receive nutrition as easily and quickly as possible. Here is the three prong approach I devised:
Breakfast: Ensure liquid nutritional drink every morning. It gives her proper nutrition first thing in the morning without putting strain on her stomach. You can buy the Plus which offers an extra 100 calories.
Morning and night: A vegetabale enzyme capsule after every meal. This is a dietary supplement that works to break down the food so it doesn't sit and rot and give her all that pain. It does for her what fiber does for eveyone else but it does not cause her any discomfort. We use a wide spectrum enzyme that supplies Amylase for digesting starches, Protease for digesting proteins, Lipase for fats, Cellulase for cellulose, Lactase for lactose, Invertase for sucrose, and Glucoamylase for breakaing down maltose into glusose. It also contains microflora L. acidophilus to support healthy intestinal flora.
Peppermint Oil: This has been used for thousands of years for digestive problems. Peppermint oil causes the liver to excrete more bile, helping to break down and digest the food. Altoids are the cheapest and easiest source of Peppernmint Oil (that is why they are curiously strong-they use REAL oil). My daughter got tired of everything tasting like peppermint, so she simply swallows one before each meal.
Not only has she been completely symptom free, she is now going to the bathroom regularly for the first time in her life. She has always been constipated but now goes very normally once a day (no diarrhea).
Before all of this was put into play, my daughter was loosing weight rapidly, had already lost one job because of illness, could barely eat, and was in constant pain. She is a new girl, that is for sure!
