Questions about Gastric Emptying study

Hi all,

   Yes, I'm still having problems with nausea.  All my tests so far were normal, including inner ear testing.  I finally got into see a new GI doc today, and he wants me to have a gastric empyting study.  He said you just eat some eggs and they take a few pics and that's all there is.  But I've been reading up on it and it sounds like I have to lay there for about and hour and a half.  Is that true?    I had a HIDA scan, and almost had to stop because my hips starting hurting so bad.  Is it going to be the same thing??  Do you have to lay flat the whole time?  Will I feel claustraphobic??   Thanks for your help.

I think it's kind of like the hidascan, in terms of having a big camera head positioned over you. My stepfather used to do these tests (did the barium on my mom, I remember), and I know he never had any sort of MRI-like tube thing in his office. Of course, it could all depend on the machine; they may have new ones that look different now, or bigger hospitals might have something fancier.

If you have a problem with your hip hurting, make sure you tell the tech beforehand and let him or her get you propped and padded up with pillows and blankets and the like.

No, I'm not on it but my mother is. She basically says that she can't live without the stuff so it's working for her. She has been on it for many years.

I've used the reglan, but not on a constant basis--just as needed. My mom had a prescription for it too for her stomach problems. She had a slow-dumping stomach, but I think it wasn't slow all of the time. I've only used it a few times when food would set on my stomach and refuse to go anywhere. One of the things that would sometimes happen in connection with the bad gall bladder for some reason (has happened a couple of times since then too). My mother's only complaint about it was that it made her sleepy. I tended to have my stomach problems at night anyways, so I couldn't tell. I'd wake up ravenously hungry, though. I don't know why, but she doesn't take it anymore--not reguarly, anyways. Don't know if her stomach straightened up, or if her acid reducers cut the nausea that she was having enough that there's no need for her to empty her stomach faster.

You might want to check www.askapatient.com.

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=17854&name=REGLAN

I have some Pamine Forte which I've never taken and maybe will consider taking that instead of the Reglan.

I take Motilium which is very safe and available over the counter in most countries. It does the same thing Reglan does but they give it to pregnant women to increase milk supply in larger doses. I buy it over the net and it is super cheap. If Reglan helps, this will help. My Doctor is familiar with it and says it is very safe but there is no money in it to bring to our FDA. It has been around for years. You might want to google it and read about it. Cathy, I don't believe your Dr about the PPI's all being the same. There are some that some people can't take. Aciphex is one of the harder ones to take. Did you try just plain Pepcid or Cimitidene instead of a PPI? Did you try Prilosec. I find a big difference in them in side effects. There are 4 to try and you have done the Acidphex, not sure what other one you tried.

And Protonix gave me terrible stomach pains but Prevacid and Nexium are fine for me usually. sometimes I go thru periods where Nexium gives me some nausea but then it seems to go away after a while. I have had every Dr. I have been to say they are all the same when WE know they are not.

Thanks everyone!
I did try Protinex and Nexium, and got a headache. That was only 1 pill each, but I hadn't had headaches in awhile, so just the 1 headache afterwards made me quit. He did suggest Zantac. Pepcid just doesn't do much for me. Do those PPIs and H2 Blockers help with gastroparesis?
The only reason I'm thinking I might still have reflux and don't know it, (no heartburn), is that I get ectopy every time I eat, and I'm thinking my vagus nerve is irritated in my lower esophagus.
Canyonbabe............when I asked the doc if there were some supplement I could take instead of Reglan, he did mention a German made supplement. I wonder if that's the one you're talking about.
Why do I have to have this test? Why can't I just try the supplement, and if I feel better, then I must have gastroparesis? I really don't want to be exposed to more radioactive stuff.
I'm just getting very discouraged. I've been having tests for 3 months now. Each specialist only looks at his own little area and not at the whole body. I'm having tons of irregular heartbeats, and now the muscles in my legs hurt so bad I can't sleep at night. I just know all this is connected, but when the docs only look at their one little specialty........no one is seeing the bigger picture.
My legs have started hurting so bad that I'm not sure I can go through this long test on a hard table. I might have to postpone it. In fact........I'm thinking I could postpone it and try that supplement you're taking Canyonbabe. Did it have any side-effects for you?

I'm bumping this up, hoping Canyonbabe will see it and tell me where you get your Motilium.
Also.....the GI doc told me about "Iberogast". Its a German produced supplement that is supposed to be really good for all kinds of digestive problems. I'm having trouble finding it online in the states. I might have to order it from Germany.
Anyhow Canyonbabe.......did you find Motilium locally?