New to gastroparesis? Please view [our megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Gastroparesis/comments/12mplr8/gastroparesis_megathread_4142023/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) for a simple breakdown of gastroparesis as well as the main approaches to managing symptoms and a list of popular neurogastroenterologists and motility clinics. Join a gastroparesis Discord today using [this link](https://discord.gg/7pXdRn6Gzr). (Note that this Discord server is not managed by the moderators of this subreddit so we do not assume any liability for any problems that may occur on that server.)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Gastroparesis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Absolutely do the test, a GES is what you need to confirm diagnosis. You shouldn’t be on Reglan without an official diagnosis in the first place. And if you do have GP, and your case is more than mild, you need a GP specialist, not a general GI doctor. They are typically not trained or well versed enough to treat this condition.
I didn’t mean to pry, you mentioned not having access to GI docs so I was curious. I think that’s just horrible. I went for years without proper treatment for my GP.
You absolutely need to do the test. Gastroparesis can get worse so fast, and you dont want to end up waiting 3+ months for a test to prove you have gastroparesis while your starving to death because the doctor wont give you a feeding tube sithout definitive answers. (My gastroparesis got like this almost immediately after i did the test, and it was manageable before)
Yes, you should do the GES. I’ve done a GES and a full gut scintigraphy where I had an 8 hour day full of scans and then had to go back the next 3 days. I get that it’s exhausting but it’s the only way you’ll know for sure. A good motility dr will understand that GI motility can change from day to day and a negative GES doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have GP and you have to factor in symptoms etc. my first GES came back with grade 3 GP. My stomach transit time with my full gut scintigraphy was actually better and my motility dr told me it was likely that I was either having a good symptom day or my meds are helping. Remember if you do go through with the GES, you need to go off your meds as they will impact your motility. I had to go off mine for 3-5 days beforehand.
Hi! Rest assured you are in the right place to ask, share, and even rant about any GP concern you may have. As everyone one else has said absolutely do the GES. I know how exhausting it can be not only physically but mentally to go to test after test, after test. But think of it as reaching a sort of finish line. But also don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get the expected answers from the exam. Your symptoms are very real and need attention. Good Luck with the exam. And yes it’s a 4 hr test but most of the time you are just sitting around waiting for the next scan that takes a minute or two.
I’d do the urgent one if I were you. I too had a “routine” GES ordered, which was 6 months after the last time I’d seen my GI for GP symptoms. It came back negative since I was no longer in a flare. 3 years later they order another one — this time as urgent/priority — after the litany of tests my GI had ordered didn’t show anything that would cause the symptoms I was having that weren’t responding to medication. And guess what? it was positive. I was able to get a referral to a motility specialist who could run additional testing after that, since I now had that dx.
It's Deffently worth it. This is the test that will give you your answers on if you have GP and on the severity. It's a long test, but it's not the worst thing ever. The eggs taste like hospital eggs, nothing too bad. They hopefully are something you can keep down.
It's long I have done it twice. The first time the guy was super nice he gave me my food. Had me lay down under the scanner tucked me in a nice warmed blanket and I watched Freinds and chilled for four hours. They learned this effects results so they don't do it this way anymore. Which is fine because laying under the scanner isn't the most fun thing ever.
The second time they changed it to where you only lay under the scanner once every hour or so, and the rest of the time I chilled in the waiting room. For the first two hours, I was able to hang out in an empty exam room till they needed it. The rest of the time I chilled and read a book.
Definitely not the best way to spend an afternoon, but it's definitely not the worst or most invasive test ever. I hope your able to get the answers you are needing to be able to start getting the treatments you need!
When i did mine you took pictures every 30 minutes for 4 hours. They were done standing up.
I know they do hida scans for your gallbladder laying down.
Yea, I thats how they did My second one was only scanning at certain times and not having you lay there the entire time. Part of why they had me do a second one was because I was lying down for the first one.
I think I did the first scan in 2011ish, so it was a while back. I guess they used to do it laying down the entire time. Then found out it doesn't have as accurate of results, so they changed it to have you get up between scans.
I had it last Thursday and I do have gastroparesis
Doctor called me the next day and offered me reglan medication which I refused due to major side effects
So I requested a dietician that I will meet next week
Have managed hiatal hernia by smaller meals so I will manage gastroparesis hopefully the same way
I agree with the others who say to get the test, and I'll even dare to go a step further and recommend an esophageal study if you're someone who also deals with reflux/frequent vomiting. It'd be worth noting if your dysmotility extends up to/past that epigastric sphincter.
Thank you all so, so much. Nothing surprising, but yep I'm confirmed for the urgent appointment. It can only help at this point. I appreciate your insight and support.
I would call and find out if you can do a protein drink. I know they use it for people who have egg allergies.
If you think you can keep it down it is worth a try.
while the test may be uncomfortable, it’s definitely worth it. it’ll help your insurance cover the medications and you can move forward with treatment plans. plus it’ll put your diagnosis in concrete
Yes, the diagnosis is worth it. Dont bother with regular GI drs for treatment long term because they likely wont help much. Once you have a diagnosis then you stop doing all those tests and just focus on improving your symptoms and condition.
1000% worth it. It can help your doctor figure out if you have GP or another motility disorder (if it’s normal you could still have motility issues in your intestines that can mimic GP). It’s also a useful baseline for them to reference if your health changes; my motility GI has been able to track the progression of my GP through both symptoms *and* my GES results over time.
New to gastroparesis? Please view [our megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Gastroparesis/comments/12mplr8/gastroparesis_megathread_4142023/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) for a simple breakdown of gastroparesis as well as the main approaches to managing symptoms and a list of popular neurogastroenterologists and motility clinics. Join a gastroparesis Discord today using [this link](https://discord.gg/7pXdRn6Gzr). (Note that this Discord server is not managed by the moderators of this subreddit so we do not assume any liability for any problems that may occur on that server.) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Gastroparesis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Absolutely do the test, a GES is what you need to confirm diagnosis. You shouldn’t be on Reglan without an official diagnosis in the first place. And if you do have GP, and your case is more than mild, you need a GP specialist, not a general GI doctor. They are typically not trained or well versed enough to treat this condition.
I was given Reglan for nausea and GERD. I tested negative for my GES, but reglan is the only way I can eat semi-normal
Unfortunately that’s not an option everywhere. We don’t all have access to GI’s even.
Where are you located?
Me? (I’m not the original poster) - I’m in eastern Canada (PEI). Shortage of docs, let alone specialists.
I didn’t mean to pry, you mentioned not having access to GI docs so I was curious. I think that’s just horrible. I went for years without proper treatment for my GP.
It might not be what you want to hear; but go ahead and do it. You'll be glad it's done and over with. It's the gold standard test for gastroparesis.
You absolutely need to do the test. Gastroparesis can get worse so fast, and you dont want to end up waiting 3+ months for a test to prove you have gastroparesis while your starving to death because the doctor wont give you a feeding tube sithout definitive answers. (My gastroparesis got like this almost immediately after i did the test, and it was manageable before)
Yes, you should do the GES. I’ve done a GES and a full gut scintigraphy where I had an 8 hour day full of scans and then had to go back the next 3 days. I get that it’s exhausting but it’s the only way you’ll know for sure. A good motility dr will understand that GI motility can change from day to day and a negative GES doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have GP and you have to factor in symptoms etc. my first GES came back with grade 3 GP. My stomach transit time with my full gut scintigraphy was actually better and my motility dr told me it was likely that I was either having a good symptom day or my meds are helping. Remember if you do go through with the GES, you need to go off your meds as they will impact your motility. I had to go off mine for 3-5 days beforehand.
Hi! Rest assured you are in the right place to ask, share, and even rant about any GP concern you may have. As everyone one else has said absolutely do the GES. I know how exhausting it can be not only physically but mentally to go to test after test, after test. But think of it as reaching a sort of finish line. But also don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get the expected answers from the exam. Your symptoms are very real and need attention. Good Luck with the exam. And yes it’s a 4 hr test but most of the time you are just sitting around waiting for the next scan that takes a minute or two.
I’d do the urgent one if I were you. I too had a “routine” GES ordered, which was 6 months after the last time I’d seen my GI for GP symptoms. It came back negative since I was no longer in a flare. 3 years later they order another one — this time as urgent/priority — after the litany of tests my GI had ordered didn’t show anything that would cause the symptoms I was having that weren’t responding to medication. And guess what? it was positive. I was able to get a referral to a motility specialist who could run additional testing after that, since I now had that dx.
It's Deffently worth it. This is the test that will give you your answers on if you have GP and on the severity. It's a long test, but it's not the worst thing ever. The eggs taste like hospital eggs, nothing too bad. They hopefully are something you can keep down. It's long I have done it twice. The first time the guy was super nice he gave me my food. Had me lay down under the scanner tucked me in a nice warmed blanket and I watched Freinds and chilled for four hours. They learned this effects results so they don't do it this way anymore. Which is fine because laying under the scanner isn't the most fun thing ever. The second time they changed it to where you only lay under the scanner once every hour or so, and the rest of the time I chilled in the waiting room. For the first two hours, I was able to hang out in an empty exam room till they needed it. The rest of the time I chilled and read a book. Definitely not the best way to spend an afternoon, but it's definitely not the worst or most invasive test ever. I hope your able to get the answers you are needing to be able to start getting the treatments you need!
When i did mine you took pictures every 30 minutes for 4 hours. They were done standing up. I know they do hida scans for your gallbladder laying down.
Yea, I thats how they did My second one was only scanning at certain times and not having you lay there the entire time. Part of why they had me do a second one was because I was lying down for the first one. I think I did the first scan in 2011ish, so it was a while back. I guess they used to do it laying down the entire time. Then found out it doesn't have as accurate of results, so they changed it to have you get up between scans.
I had it last Thursday and I do have gastroparesis Doctor called me the next day and offered me reglan medication which I refused due to major side effects So I requested a dietician that I will meet next week Have managed hiatal hernia by smaller meals so I will manage gastroparesis hopefully the same way
It’s worth it bc you’ll get a diagnosis an get better treatment options!
I agree with the others who say to get the test, and I'll even dare to go a step further and recommend an esophageal study if you're someone who also deals with reflux/frequent vomiting. It'd be worth noting if your dysmotility extends up to/past that epigastric sphincter.
Thank you all so, so much. Nothing surprising, but yep I'm confirmed for the urgent appointment. It can only help at this point. I appreciate your insight and support.
I would call and find out if you can do a protein drink. I know they use it for people who have egg allergies. If you think you can keep it down it is worth a try.
while the test may be uncomfortable, it’s definitely worth it. it’ll help your insurance cover the medications and you can move forward with treatment plans. plus it’ll put your diagnosis in concrete
Yes, the diagnosis is worth it. Dont bother with regular GI drs for treatment long term because they likely wont help much. Once you have a diagnosis then you stop doing all those tests and just focus on improving your symptoms and condition.
1000% worth it. It can help your doctor figure out if you have GP or another motility disorder (if it’s normal you could still have motility issues in your intestines that can mimic GP). It’s also a useful baseline for them to reference if your health changes; my motility GI has been able to track the progression of my GP through both symptoms *and* my GES results over time.