This week we started Stanton on erythromycin three times a day. It came in a liquid suspension and it’s grape flavored. So far, I’ve been able to hide it in his “milk” and he hasn’t seemed to notice. I already hide his Prevacid/BufferBabies combination in his milk and it too has a sweet, strawberry flavor. I guess the grape and strawberry flavors complement one another! Erythromycin is an antibiotic that can speed up stomach emptying. The team we met with in Cincinnati feels that Stanton has Delayed Gastric Emptying. While we wait to schedule the official test for this disorder, the team wanted us to go ahead and add erythromycin. The doctor assured us that there aren’t any major side effects and that if we don’t see a change in a month, we can evaluate other treatment options.
Delayed Gastric Emptying is also called gastroparesis. It’s a condition that affects the ability of the stomach to empty its contents even though there is no blockage. I’ve just begun to research this new diagnosis for Stanton and have stumbled upon some really fascinating information. The cause of gastroparesis is sometimes linked to the vagus nerve. This nerve is the only connection between the brain and the digestive system! The vagus nerve has the job of coordinating the movement of food through the digestive system. With gastroparesis, the food is retained in the stomach. Gastroparesis is considered a neuromuscular disorder and is the root of nearly half of all gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnoses!!!!! I find this point really interesting as Stanton has now been diagnosed with both gastroparesis and gastroesophageal reflux disease…..hmmmmm……
For those of you interested in reading more about families dealing with gastroparesis, click here for some more perspective.
The more I read and learn about how complicated our digestive systems are, and how closely the digestive system partners with the neurological system, the more I feel we should move the MRI up on our list of tests to complete. Stanton’s developmental pediatrician recommended it over a year ago, but for financial reasons, we didn’t proceed. At our last developmental pediatrician visit, the doctor mentioned it again. I asked if we could wait and have the MRI done in conjunction with another sedated procedure. Stanton hasn’t needed a sedated procedure since April, which I realize as I type this fact, is major progress! So, I’m just thinking I should call and get it scheduled.
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