Gastroparesis Series - Part I: The Basics

What is gastroparesis?
Gastroparesis is a condition that reduces the ability of the stomach to empty its contents, despite the fact that there is no mechanical blockage. (1)  When you have GP, the stomach muscles don't work properly so food is not propelled through your digestive tract like it should be. In many cases, it's assumed that this results from damage to the vagus nerve. (2)

How do you get gastroparesis?
The vagus nerve can be damaged by stomach surgery, or diabetes.  Other causes or risk factors for developing GP include infection, eating disorders, sclerodoma, Parkinson's, hypothyroidism, certain cancer treatments and certain medications.  In many cases people develop idiopathic gastroparesis, meaning that the cause is unknown.

What are the treatments for gastroparesis?
The most common treatment for GP is the use of motility drugs, such as Reglan or Motilium.  It is also often recommended that GP sufferers eat a low fat/low fiber diet and consume several small meals throughout the day.

There are more invasive options out there that are usually reserved for those with the more severe cases of GP.  These options include surgery, botox injections, or the use of a stomach pacemaker.  Many GP patients also need anti-emetic drugs (to help control the frequent nausea that often accompanies GP) and pain management drugs (to help control the pain that frequently is associated with GP). (2)
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In part II of this series, I will be discussing some natural alternatives that can help to manage symptoms of gastroparesis.

*Note: I am NOT a doctor.  I am sharing information that I've found from my own research and/or personal experience.  Nothing listed here is intended to be or replace medical advice from your doctor.


Sources:
1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001342/
2) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastroparesis/DS00612

Healthy Shopping Online

I often use Vitacost as my site of choice for ordering vitamins & supplements.  Their prices are great and their free or low rate shipping is an added appeal.  In an effort to go "more organic" this year, I recently browsed their organic food selection.  I was pleasantly surprised to find some of my favorites, in addition to some new things I'd like to try out as well.

• Organicville Barbeque Sauce - naturally sweetened with agave (not sugar), you'd never even know this was a natural product.  The sweet and tangy flavor is delicious!
  
• Annie's Organic Dijon Mustard - add some zip to your favorite dish with organic mustard.  Our recipe of choice is mustard & maple glazed salmon.
  
• Organic Dried Apricots - Apricots are a great source of fiber and iron.  They're a great addition to any stir fry, or tasty on their own as an afternoon snack.  
  
• Eden Organic Juice-Sweetened Cranberries - Cranberries are a great addition to salads, snack mixes, and chicken or turkey dishes.  The great thing about these cranberries are that they're naturally sweetened with juice, so they don't have any added sugar.  
  
• Organic Sundried Tomatoes - are a great addition to any pasta dish. 
  
• Lavender & Lemon Scented Natural Hand Sanitizer (regular & travel size) - made with 62% organic ingredients and a blend of essential oils.  According to Women's Voices for the Earth, many commercial hand sanitizers contain hormone disrupting chemicals.  This is a great way to kill germs, while ensuring that you're using the purest formula to do so.
  

For Healthcare Workers: Vaccinations & Your Rights

For many healthcare workers it is now "required" that you receive the flu shot.  I personally believe that it should be one's right to choose what they put in their body and that no employer should require vaccination.  That said, here are some links that can help you object to the annual flu vaccine requirement:

• If you work in a healthcare facility, this page on the CDC website will tell you whether you are able to use a medical, philosophical, or religious exemption.  For Marylanders, the site lists the following info:
• For Maryland, for religious exemptions to the immunization requirements of MD. Regs. Code tit. 10, § 06.01.12 (regarding rubella) and MD. Regs. Code tit. 10, § 06.01.15 (regarding rubella), see MD. Regs. Code tit. 10, § 06.01.12 and MD. Regs. Code tit. 10, § 06.01.15. MD. Regs. Code tit. 10, § 06.01.12 and MD. Regs. Code tit. 10, § 06.01.15 provide that if a worker objects to the immunization on the grounds that it conflicts with the worker’s bona fide religious beliefs and practices, the hospital shall grant a religious exemption. 
• Source: http://www.vaccinerights.com/healthcareworkers.html

• According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), under the heading "Reasonable Accommodation & Religion", it indicates:
• The law requires an employer to reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause difficulty or expense for the employer. This means an employer may have to make reasonable adjustments at work that will allow the employee to practice his or her religion, such as allowing an employee to voluntarily swap shifts with a co- worker so that he or she can attend religious services.
• Source: http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/index.cfm

• Title VII
• Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act requires employers to reasonably accommodate their employees' religious beliefs, as long as it does not cause undue hardship.
• Source: http://answers.flu.gov/questions/4766

• MD Health General  Code Ann. § 18-403:
• HEALTH-GENERAL 

                   TITLE 18. DISEASE PREVENTION                    SUBTITLE 4. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
                   Md. HEALTH-GENERAL Code Ann. § 18-403 (2007)
                   § 18-403. Religious exemption

• (a) In general. -- Unless the Secretary declares an emergency or disease epidemic, the Department may not require the immunization of an individual if:
• (1) The individual objects to immunization because it conflicts with the individual's bona fide religious beliefs and practices; or
• (2) The individual is a minor and the individual's parent or guardian objects to immunization because it conflicts with the parent or guardian's bona fide religious beliefs and practices.
• (b) Rules and regulations. -- The Secretary shall adopt rules and regulations for religious exemptions under this section.
• Source: http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements/maryland.aspx

Additional Resources:

• For additional information, see Maryland Immunization Exemption Information.
• For a doctor that will not judge you for choosing to opt out of getting vaccinated, check out http://novaxdoctors.webs.com/
• National Vaccine Information Center
• The Canary Party
• Dr. Tempenny's Website

Japanese Knotweed (Resveratrol)

After reading Stephen Buhner's book, "Healing Lyme", I've decided to give some of the recommended herbs a try.  My first herbal trial will be with Resveratrol.  Stephen recommends that the herb comes from Japanese Knotweed (and is not the red wine source).  After searching and searching to find the right product, I've settled on Japanese Knotweed from Dragon Botanicals.  What I like about Reseveratrol is that it has immune modulating properties, which can be helpful for a variety of conditions.  It's also good that it can regulate the immune system if it was over on under active.  What I didn't like about the antibiotics is that the idea there was just "kill, kill, kill".  The problem is, they were killing everything.  The bad bacteria, the good bacteria, and my immune system.  As someone who has been on and off antibiotics for over two years, I am definitely not against antibiotics for Lyme, but I feel that at this point in my treatment it is necessary for me to take a step back from the antibiotics.  I will definitely post my progress and my experience with the new herbal protocol.  You can read more about this protocol on Stephen's website.

According to the book, "Healing Lyme", Buhner indicates that the actions of Japanese Knotweed are as follows: antibacterial, antiviral, antischistosomal, antispirochetal, antifungal, immunostimulant, immunomodulant, antiinflammatory, angiogenesis modulator, central nervous system relaxant, central nervous system protectant and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiathersclerotic, antihyperlipidemic, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, antineoplastic, vasodilator, inhibits platlet aggregation, inhibits eicosanoid synthesis, antithrombotic, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, oncogene inhibitor, antipyretic, cardioprotective, analgesic, antiulcer, hemostatic, and astringent. (1)

Reference:
1) Buhner, Stephen. (2005) Healing Lyme. Silver City: Raven Press.

My Favorite Products for the Cold & Flu Season

These are my must-haves during the cold and flu season.  In my opinion, they cut your healing time in half!  Zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C are all essentials for boosting the immune system and helping to protect against free radicals.

Gypsy Cold Care by Traditional Medicinals - uses pharmacopoeial quality herbs to create a healing blend.

Nature's Way Zinc Lozenges - tasty, sweetened with stevia, and a great way to protect yourself against free radicals during the winter.

Zand Echinacea & Zinc Herbalozenge - these taste great and have no cane sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Trader Joe's Organic Raw Honey - mix with tea or eat it raw to coat your throat.

Solgar Esater-C (500mg) - Ester-C is more easily absorbed by the body, so it increases the chance that your body will get the most from this vitamin.

Detox & Disease

Detoxification seems to be such an important component in battling Lyme disease or any chronic illness.  If your detox pathways are blocked, then you are essentially "spinning your wheels".  You want to make sure this is not the case, and that your body is functioning at max capacity.  Here are some suggestions for implementing detox into your regimen.

Products, services, & Things to try at home:

• Infared Sauna - These saunas warm the body in the same manner as natural sunlight, but without the side effects of the sun.  This heat therapy increases circulation and stimulates the sweat glands that cleanse and detoxify the skin.  These saunas have also been reported to reduce pain and speed up the healing process.  Read about the 7 benefits of using an infared sauna.  Looking to buy one for home use?  Check out these portable devices [link 1, link 2] (I am in no way endorsing these, they have just been recommended by others).
• Lymphatic Drainage - This is a type of massage that helps to stimulate the lymphatic system.  Many people with Lyme and other chronic illnesses (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc.) have found it to be very helpful in their recovery.  Read more about lymph drainage.
• Skin Brushing - our skin is responsible for 25% of our detoxification each day.  Body brushing stimulates the lymphatic system so the lymph can circulate through out the body and travel back to the large vessels for excretion.  Read more about skin brushing.
• Epsom Salt & Baking Soda Baths - These help to remove toxins from your skin.  Add 1-2 cups of salts or 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda and soak for 20-30 minutes.
• Lemon Juice Tea - A lemon has 3x the amount of vitamin C as an orange.  Juice one lemon and pour it into a mug.  Add boiling water and a pinch of stevia.  Drink up!
• Smilax - Many naturopaths and herbalists report that Smilax assists in binding neurotoxins to help remove them from your system more quickly and efficiently.  I use the formula from RestorMedicine, although I'm sure there are plenty of other formulas out there.
• Green Drinks - a green powder with chlorophyll is great for helping your body to cleanse itself of toxins.  I really like Nanogreens, they've even got 10 servings of fruits & veggies mixed right in.

Some Helpful Articles (Thanks to the MDJunction Community for bringing these articles to my attention) about Lyme disease and detoxification:

• Detoxification is a vital part of the Lyme cure
• Detoxification is important during Lyme treatment
• Cleansing Neurotoxin Overload

In A Treatment Rut

I've been going back and forth as to what the next move in my treatment plan should be.  It seems that my body is getting sick of antibiotics- or perhaps it's just getting sick... I'm not really sure.  Since my recent bout of gastritis is really limiting the amount of healthy food I can consume, I get nervous about adding too much to my regimen.  As I see it now, here are my options:

1) Detox.  My naturopath recommended a 30-day gentle homeopathic regimen by Heel.  My body has been through a lot and has had a lot of medicine (antibiotics, antiparasitics, etc.) going into from a long period of time.  It might need a thorough cleaning....

2) Go natural.  I've been reading more about Stephen Buhner's protocol.  I've been on Cat's claw in the past and seemed to have good results.  I'm also interested in trying Teasel root after reading some of the literature on it's healing properties.  I've been on Smilax for a while now, and it seems that these three herbs combined could be quite a nice cocktail.

3) Resume the hardcore meds.  I feel that I prematurely stopped taking antibiotics before, and I relapsed...  Therefore, I'm scared of the same thing happening again.  Some experts say that you should remain on antibiotics until you are symptom-free for three months.  I am most certainly not symptom-free, and I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable taking antibiotics for as long as it may take to rid my symptoms.  BUT- I will say that my fatigue and upper back have improved since being on the antibiotic injections.  The other reason I am considering this option is because I have yet to take a cyst buster (which is necessary to kill Lyme in it's cyst form, which it often morphs into to "hide" from the body or antibiotics) while on the injections.  I think this would be a very potent, but potentially useful treatment combination.  I would need do it for at least a few months for it to be effective (since the borrelia life cycle is every 3-4 weeks).

So.... those are the options I'm left with.  For now, I think I will let my stomach call the shots.  Hopefully as that continues to heal, I'll be able to decide which one of these avenues I'm ready to take.  Ideally, I'd like to incorporate all of the above, my main concern for now is where to start.  One reason I'm leaning toward the antibiotic route is because I'd like to just power through it for a few more months and then be done with it.  Not that it will be the end of my treatment, but I'd like to be done with antibiotics.  I think my body will need to be rebalanced once I'm done killing off all of the good and bad bacteria in my body, and I'm anxious to start doing that.  It's my true belief that the body must be balanced to heal itself, and I'm looking forward to getting "balanced".