Lightheadedness, Fatigue After Food Enters Stomach

[joelee]

Had a feeding tube put in a month ago and have been experiencing bizarre symptoms ever since. Within an hour or so after feeding myself, I feel lightheadedness, overheatedness, and often numbness in my feet. There is also a sense of mental fatigue. I have also lost weight, despite a calorie intake above what is required to maintain my weight. The symptoms grow worse during the day with each meal and are lighter if the gap between meals is longer. From my reserach, I suspect this has something to do with stomach emptying, but have been unable to convince my gastroenterologist to do anything more than an Upper GI. Neurologic tests have not provided a clue either. These symptoms did not occur during the period in which I was unable to eat normally due to a complicated swallowing issue, though I am not blaming the tube, since my stomach was seldom full previously. Am wondering if others have experienced such symptoms or have stomach problems affecting other parts of the body. At this point, I feel like I am being written off as a lunatic.

[dmongking]

Dear Joelee,

You may be suffering from what is called 'dumping syndrome." This particular syndrome typically occurs after a meal, generally evidenced by the following symptoms:

Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain, cramps
Diarrhea
Dizziness, lightheadedness
Bloating, belching
Fatigue
Heart palpitations, rapid heart rate
Sweating
Weakness, fatigue
Dizziness, lightheadedness
Shakiness
Feelings of anxiety, nervousness
Heart palpitations, rapid heart rate
Fainting
Mental confusion
Diarrhea

Try to bring this up with your Gastroenterologist. I suspect your symptoms are related to this particular syndrome. You are not a 'lunatic," and these symptoms are real. Find another Gastroenterologist who will listen to you if you cannot get a satisfactory answer.

[joelee]

My new gastroenterlogist sent me for a gastric emptying test, which showed severe gastroparesis. My stomach took 260 minutes to empty. I think 90 is normal. Various medicines have been tried, but the symptoms remain and the mental fatigue has become constant. I am in a mental fog 24/7 and need stimulants to help me through each day.

I am not sure if someone can have delayed emptying , then dumping when it happens. Both my doctor and I suspected dumping because my symptoms mimic that disorder and I do not have nausea or vomiting.

Part of the confusion is a neurologic disorder, which may be decreasing motility, though the disease generally does not affect this part of the body. But my colon and bowels are already affected; so this may be a another neurologic complication.

Thanks for the feedback. I'd appreciate any other suggestions.

[Maria RN]

I also thought that it was dumping syndrome. I am just curious, have you been taking anticholinergics or some medicines that may have that effect? If you are, maybe you should ask your doctor if those medicines could be causing the decreased contractions in your intestines. Diet should also be addressed, I have read that patients with gastroparesis should avoid high fat and high fiber food. Your doctor may also recommend 6 small meals a day.

[joelee]

I am doing my best to follow a gastroparesis diet. But 6 meals a days means 6episodes of increased symptoms. The mental fog gets more intense with each meal and I actually feel sensations of heaviness in my head. I also have tingling in my feet and either hot flashes or chills. So the best I can do is 4. I am using canned formula for 2 meals and soups and soft foods for the rest with quite a bit of liquids. I have been able to maintain my weight for a few months now on about 1800 calories, after a long period of steady decline. I keep searching for a solution to this. But nothing has had any effect yet.

I am not taking any of the medications you mentioned. I took Reglan for a brief period, but the symptoms became more intense. So I stopped taking it. It also made me incredibly sleepy.

[bobtisoy]

Hello joelee,

I suggest that you take second opinions from other Gastroenterologist and neurologist.

Try to read these links also it might have some answers to the things that bugs you::p

http://askdoctorjoshua.com/2006/12/27/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-symptoms-or-something-else/

http://askdoctorjoshua.com/2006/12/03/stomach-pain-after-eating/.

http://askdoctorjoshua.com/2006/11/27/shortness-of-breath-bloating-hot-flashes/.

http://askdoctorjoshua.com/category/family-doctor/,