Tag Archives: malabsorption

Gastroparesis: Intestinal Disorders Caused By Diabetes

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Chronic diabetes can cause various forms of nerve degeneration (also known as diabetic neuropathy). The digestive tract can be negatively impacted when the nerves of the stomach become damaged from chronic diabetes, a condition known as diabetic gastroparesis. Diabetic gastroparesis is the partial or incomplete paralysis of the stomach muscles, preventing the stomach from emptying properly and from absorbing nutrients properly (also called malabsorption).

Gastroparesis is most often associated with type 1 diabetes; however, it can also occur in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Symptoms of gastroparesis include:

  • Acid reflux and/or heartburn
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Feeling full quickly after eating

There are a number of complications that can be associated with gastroparesis. With food unable to travel away from the stomach, there is a possibility of a bacterial infection occurring if the food spoils. Food can also form into a hard mass, called a bezoar. Bezoars can then cause blockages and serious intestinal distress. Those with diabetic gastroparesis should always manage their blood sugar closely, as the condition can make it difficult for individuals to consistently control their blood sugar levels.

Self Help

Ultimately, the best self-care that you can practice if you are diagnosed with gastroparesis is to vary how and when you eat your meals. By experimenting with different portions and meal times, you can learn to better understand your body and to fine tune your meal plan to fit within your spectrum of treatment. As with most gastrointestinal ailments, food that is high in fat content should be avoided as high-fat foods are more difficult to digest.

Also if you are diagnosed with gastroparesis due to your type 1 or 2 diabetes, you should work with your health care practitioner to educate yourself on proper insulin administration and blood sugar maintenance. By addressing the underlying cause of your intestinal issues, you can begin to heal more effectively.

Western Treatments

There is a common pharmaceutical that is often administered to those suffering from diabetic gastroparesis. The name of the drug is Metoclopramide and its function is to increase gastric emptying and to alleviate nausea. Unfortunately, Metoclopramide does not work for all patients, leading many to seek out alternative treatments. If the patient develops a bacterial overgrowth, antibiotics are commonly administered on a cyclical basis in order to control diarrhea. There are a slew of other pharmaceuticals that can be prescribed, but as always, they all come with their own set of possible detrimental side effects.

Western medical procedures that help treat gastroparesis include gastric electrical stimulation for symptoms of nausea and vomiting and gastrostomy-tube decompression (also known as PEJ/PEG feeding), for symptoms associated with malabsorption and malnourishment.

A Case in TCM Treatment

There are a few ways that an individual can address their most acute symptoms. Based on the individual’s symptoms and constitution, treatment based in traditional Chinese medicine can be applied to help relieve many of the painful side effects.

  • Diarrhea can be treated using an herbal mixture containing bovine colostrum complex.
  • Tonify the blood by seeking an herbal formula with potential antibiotic properties containing isatis extract leaf & root, astragalus root, bupleurum root, laminaria leaf, codonopsis root, epimedium leaf, lycium fruit, and dioscorea root.
  • Help break down food by taking a mixture containing poria sclerotium, coix seed, barley shen qu, magnolia bark, angelica root, pueraria root, red atractylodes rhizome, vladimiria souliei root, and pogostemon herb before every meal.
  • Kidney tonics can be made from a combination of astragalus root & seed, ligustrum fruit, ho-shou-wu root, lycium fruit, cooked rehmannia root, eucommia bark, cuscuta seed, and ginseng root.
  • Circulate blood with a mixture of pueraria root, ilex root, salvia root, lonicera flower, eucommia bark, acorus rhizome, cistanche salsa herb, ho-shou-wu root, morus fruit, rose fruit, lycium bark, and zizyphus seed.

Examining Gallstones

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The gallbladder is a small organ located just under the liver. The normal function of the gallbladder is to store the bile created in the liver until it is needed to aid the digestion of fats in the small intestine. When there is an over production of cholesterol in the bile that cannot be dissolved, gallstones can form. Gallstones can range in size, some being as small as a grain of sand, with others growing to roughly the size of a golf ball. People can develop one or several gallstones at a time.

Gallstones can remain in a person without any obvious symptoms. However, if the stones lodge in an internal duct, symptoms can appear quite rapidly. Symptoms that result from a blockage caused by gallstones include sudden, intense pain in the upper right abdomen, center abdomen, and/or shoulders. The pain can last anywhere between a few minutes to several hours. Individuals experiencing symptoms of gallstones should seek immediate medical attention if the pain becomes so bad that one cannot find a comfortable resting position, or if one develops a fever or yellowing of the skin. A diagnosis of gallstones is typically preceded by years of symptoms of indigestion. Being female, overweight, and over 40 years of age are all potential risk factors for developing gallstones. Some cholesterol-lowering medications can also cause gallstones. After treating the acute symptoms, your physician can then better address the underlying cause of the stones.

Self Help

You can help reduce your risk of developing gallstones by eating healthfully and practicing good self-care.

  • Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases the risk of gallstones. For this reason, reducing the number of daily calories consumed may be the best option for those struggling with weight issues.
  • Avoid  yo-yo dieting. Fad diets may hurt you more than help you. Losing weight at a rapid pace may increase your risk of developing gallstones. The Mayo Clinic recommends losing no more than 1-2 pounds (or 0.5 to 1 kilogram) per week.
  • Eat regular meals. Skipping meals may increase your risk of developing gallstones. For this reason, it’s recommended to eat at regular intervals every day.
  • Manage your cholesterol. Gallstones can develop from an overproduction of cholesterol. This cholesterol is unable to be dissolved, causing blockages and painful symptoms. You can better manage your cholesterol through a healthy diet, exercise, and advice from your health care practitioner.

Western Treatments

Western treatments for gallstones range in scope from minor to extremely invasive. As always, the treatment plan that is followed depends on the severity and progression of the illness. There are a variety of ways that your doctor can test for gallstones. Blood tests may reveal some of the complications caused by gallstones (such as infection or pancreatitis), while a CT scan and/or an ultrasound may allow your doctor to view the obstruction better. There are also tests that can be done to assess the functionality of your bile ducts. These tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), or a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan.

While surgery is the most extreme medical intervention taken for individuals with gallstones, there are medications that your doctor can prescribe that may help dissolve the stones for easier passage. As always, these medications carry the risk of side effects.

A Case Study in TCM Treatment

An overweight, 40-year-old woman informed her physician of radiating pain in the upper abdomen, prompting him to conduct an ultrasound. The determination was that she had eight gallstones, averaging about four millimeters each. When examined, it was found that her pulse was a bit wiry, and her tongue had a yellowish coating. She was given a combination of two herbal mixtures and within four month reported that the stones had all reduced in size by approximately 50 percent.

The first mixture included curcuma tuber, corydalis rhizome, taraxacum herb, melia fruit, ji nei jin, and salvia root. The second mixture contained eclipta herb concentrate, milk thistle 80% extract, curcuma tuber, salvia root, lycium fruit, ligustrum fruit, bupleurum root, and schizandra fruit.