
Suggest Treatment For Gastroparesis In An Elderly Person

I am a 59 year old RN that has had lupus for 20+ years and developed gastroparesis last year. Also, last year had a splenic artery anuerysm that caused spleen to require removal. Iam having left upper quad. pain that radiates to left shoulder. Any ideas?
Can be Angina due to autoimmune plaques formation
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
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I've gone through your details.
History of lupus and autoimmune disease for 20 years,
(Option 1)
If (Left upper quadrant) just can be confused by pain radiating from thorax. Pain is left sided abdomen is radiating to left limb can be cardiac in origin Better termed as stable angina. Immediate stress thallium or 2D-echocardiography should be one by the cardiologist to rule out possibility of angina.
Advice:
Stress test- To rule out any possibility of plaque in blood vessels causing myocardial ischemia leading to pain.
2D Echo-Heart muscle and wall can be seen.
If both tests are normal the pain is noncardiac and can be because of acid peptic disorder, Gases etc.
An ultrasound spleen to be done to rule out gastric cause.
2) The organs found in the upper left side abdomen include the spleen, a portion of the bowel or large intestines, part of the pancreas, a portion of the stomach and the left kidney as well as the skin, muscles and left lower ribs that cover these organs. Pathology of any one of it can be involved therefore ultra sound should be done to find the root cause and treat it. Earlier pathologies with abdominal organs also favor diagnosis towards it.
However, a pain in limb should always be checked for cardiac pain at first. Once cardiac event is ruled out he can be treated and investigated for abdominal problem.
Thanks


Follow up answer.
Detailed Answer:
Hi again,
Gastroperesis is a general term which means the nerves controlling muscles of stomach are damaged.Abdominal pain can be one of the presenting symptoms of gastroperesis.A history of splenic artery anuerysm and spleen removal is also suggestive of it.
So answer to your question is yes it can be due to gastroperesis But as pain is left side and you have autoimmune disease,a cardiac check up should be done to prevent any emergency siuation.
Once cardiac cause is ruled out the pain can be treated on guidelines of gastroperesis.
Thanks.

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