August is Gastroparesis month

by SEDSConnective dietitian adviser Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD

Fairfax, VA, USA

Gastro paresis—

Let’s break down the word: gastro (stomach) paresis (weakened movement). Food and/or liquid take longer to empty from the stomach, and that can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, early fullness, bloating, reflux, pain, etc. Gastroparesis (GP) is common in both people with hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, or hEDS, and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), and it’s also seen in people with classical EDS, too.

The symptoms of GP are definitely a spectrum. Some people have mild symptoms that can be easily managed with a few minor diet and lifestyle adjustments. Severe GP can cause life-altering symptoms. Symptoms can also change over time, based on pain levels, medications, mobility, stress, and based on how well-managed other conditions are, like dysautonomia & mast cell.

Diet:

While many doctors recommend a low-fat, low-fiber diet for GP, it’s actually never been studied by itself. Lower fiber foods can be helpful, but that’s only one option. A small particle diet has been studied for mild and moderate GP. Essentially, this means mashing a food to the texture of mashed potatoes. Fruit becomes a smoothie, veggies are pureed. Softer proteins, like yogurt, eggs, tofu, and fish are the most digestible options.

For the worst days, foods that will move with gravity, like shakes or liquids are generally going to be the best option. This gives the option of leaving fiber in your diet, even if the form changes. Fat tolerance is individual; some people find that fat is well-tolerated, especially when it’s in softer or liquid forms.

It’s also often helpful to slow down when eating, reduce stress and chew food, even if you’re only having semi-solids. Chewing is important to help enzymes in your mouth start digesting food. If eating is a challenge because of nausea, pain, or sensory overwhelm, find a way to make meals easier. That may be limiting sensory overwhelm by eating alone, dimming lights, using a weighted blanket or using earplugs. Or maybe it’s finding something distracting to focus on during meals, like music, a video game, or any type of stimming that helps you self-regulate and get through the meal.  

Between nausea with eating, pain, sensory issues and/or body image concerns, sometimes people get anxious about what to eat with GP. If you’re concerned about food, or feel like you’d benefit from guidance, look for a qualified/registered dietitian or nutrition professional or therapist for the support you deserve.

We are so delighted to let you know we will be doing special webinars with Cheryl in the future and Jane Green MBE from SEDSConnective. We know many of our members with symptomatic hypermobility and/or neurodivergence have these issues even without a formal diagnosis of EDS or HSD.