So while I can deal with schizophrenia a lot easier now than I used to, I feeling absolutely hopeless when it comes to Gastroparesis. I don’t want to leave bed because my stomach hurts so bad, I’m afraid to take my medicine for my stomach, and I just want to cry because this disease isn’t fair. I don’t know what to do. Nobody has any answers for me. The Gastroparesis Forums do not help me. There is literally nothing anybody can do to stop the physical pain besides cart me off to the E.R, but I haven’t even started throwing up yet.
If you have a second disability, how do you get through it?
I feel like I’m dying every single day and I don’t know if I can live the rest of my life like this.
I think Gastroparesis sounds truly horrible. I don’t know what to say but my heart goes out to you. It seems unbelievable that you are not able to take any other medicines!
I have COPD but it is not end-stage at this point. I do know from my experiences with breathlessness that having a schizophrenic mind multiplies the difficulties in handling the feelings caused by physical symptoms. It’s so easy to magnify them beyond reason.
@locamotion has had some really horrific physical problems to deal with on top of Sz for a long time now. She may join the conversation or you could go back, even on the original forum, and read some of her posts…
I can imagine so that the pain must be excruciating… and that coping day to day is difficult…
It’s almost cruel that you have to choose between medicines…
I hope that you are feeling a little bit better.
Big hug in support x
Thank you everyone. @Becca Unfortunately my only options are taking psychotropic medications and dying or dealing with my schizophrenia without meds. @Twang Thank you for the kind words. I will deal with it the same way my family deals with our slew of medical issues. By just pushing forward and hoping things get better.
that really sucks carley, idk what i would do in that situation, we have to just keep going and just deal with it i suppose, i had an ulcer once and that was horrible and i was throwing up every day and i couldn’t eat properly either or smoke etc luckily the doctors helped me so i really hope they can help you as well,
Yes that is why I have to go to the E.R so often. When you are consistently vomiting non stop for eight hours its hard to keep a pill down. When I go to the E.R they give me my regular stomach meds through IV and pain medicine through IV as well as fluids, because obviously you get very dehydrated from this.
I have anklyosing spondolitis - an autoimmune disease where my immune system is attacking my spine as well as other joints and internal organs. There is constant pain, but I try not to take the pain killers except at night. But there is constant debate about whether the AS or the schizoaffective will knock me out first. It sucks.
I can relate to having a second disability as I have schizophrenia in addition to a type of “learning disability” that is only mathematics related but effects me in many other ways. I can’t make change without a computer telling me what amount to give…I can’t play poker or any but the most simple card games…I can’t think alphabetically without going from A on down in my head…all kinds of things that make life in this world next to impossible.
It’s funny though as there are a lot of people who assume that “learning disability” is just a politically correct term for being stupid. But this is not in fact the case. I test in the high 90th percentile in verbal IQ and I hate taking tests period…verbal and general knowledge is where I ace but when it comes to math I am still right here in third grade
I am SO sorry to hear you are suffering with gastroparesis. I was also diagnosed with it in February of 2013.
It’s a terrible illness. And I KNOW how bad it hurts. I feel like my stomach is being crushed by a 1,000 lb weight. Just stabbing, blinding pain.
When I first developed it, I lost over 40 lbs in just about 1 month. Because I couldn’t eat ANYTHING without either terrible pain, or horrible vomiting.
But thankfully, I found a terrific gastroenterologist who’s helped me tremendously. It took a long time–almost a full year–but my symptoms are mostly under control through a combination of strict diet and medications.
I take Reglan 10 mg four times per day, Nexium 40 mg once per day, promethazine as needed, and hydrocodone for pain when I have flare ups.
I have to say though, diet was the most helpful for me. I eat VERY small meals around 5-6 times per day. It really relieves the intense fullness and pain from eating.
I hope that you keep working with your doctors on your meds and diet. I can tell you, it CAN and DOES get better.
Good point… my psychiatrist has basically dropped me due to the gastroparesis, only prescribing me klonopin.
But his gastroparesis could have been caused by something else, mine was specifically caused by a psychotropic medication.
Or at least that’s what they think. Nobody knows, of course.
Yes, I am on antipsychotics, but they did not cause my gastroparesis.
I actually had to stop taking ALL of my meds, for an entire month, to rule out the cause of my gastroparesis. It was not caused by meds, and was ruled to be idiopathic (occurring naturally, by itself).
I totally missed the part about her psych meds causing her condition. I’m sorry about that!
I’m sorry CarleyGee…I know what it is to live with constant pain. I have three autoimmune diseases all of which cause joint destruction and severe pain…I’ve had both hips replaced and one shoulder replaced so far…My spine is a mess and I also have severe asthma. The autoimmune diseases have given me glaucoma so will be losing my sight. I rely on pain meds to get me through a day. I hate that it is necessary but I really have no choice. There is some pain that is intolerable without assistance. I mostly sit in my two recliners or in my hospital bed. I rarely go out as it is difficult for me to walk. I look forward to this life ending and getting the new body that the Bible promises for those who believe in the Lord Jesus. The past six years (heck the past 30 years) have been very difficult. The first fifteen years were hell from SZ and the next 15 were hell from physical pain. You have my prayers CarleyGee…I hope that they find something that can help you.
sorry, I just now saw this mention of me.
Yes I have three autoimmune diseases where my immune system attacks my joints, skin, and organs. I’ve had a lot of surgeries for joint replacements. And because of one other diseases I also am going blind from glaucoma and have peripheral neuropathy where you have terrible nerve pain in your legs and hands and they become paralyzed. (can still move but cannot feel them)
I also have very severe asthma/COPD
no matter what you have…anything on top of SZ just sucks.
