"Vomited After Drinking Milk... Thought It Was Just a Bad Meal, But Received a Terminal Diagnosis"

It Turned Out to Be "Gastroparesis"...
Symptoms That Were Overlooked

Milk image. Pixabay

Vomiting is often dismissed as a simple case of indigestion or temporary digestive discomfort. However, as cases have emerged where vomiting symptoms that began after an ordinary meal developed into rare diseases and posed life-threatening risks, awareness is growing. Experts advise that if symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and unexplained weight loss persist repeatedly, one should not take them lightly and should seek an accurate diagnosis.

"I thought I would feel better in a few days"… Ongoing warning signs

On May 5 (local time), the UK Daily Mail reported the story of Emily Cullum (36), who lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Cullum, a mother of three, experienced severe vomiting immediately after eating breakfast cereal last year. At the time, she simply thought the milk had gone bad. She had no fever or flu-like symptoms, so she did not think much of it.

However, the symptoms did not go away easily. The vomiting persisted for more than 10 days, and she was unable to properly digest food after every meal. At its worst, she suffered from excruciating pain that felt as if her ribs had been broken.

Initially, the hospital suspected inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease, but her condition did not improve after treatment. It was only after several months and specialized medical examinations that the exact cause was revealed.

Milk image. Pixabay

Diagnosis: Gastroparesis… A rare disease that impairs stomach function

Cullum was diagnosed with gastroparesis. This is a rare disease in which abnormalities in the muscles and nerves of the stomach prevent food from moving through the digestive tract normally. As the rate of digestion slows down abnormally, patients feel full after eating only a little and suffer from symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. In the UK, gastroparesis is known to occur in about 14 out of every 100,000 people.

Medical staff explained to Cullum that "her stomach is essentially unable to function properly." This means that the nerves controlling stomach movement have been damaged, causing food to barely pass through.

As a result, her weight dropped dramatically. From about 53 kg, her weight fell to just 29 kg in a matter of months. According to her medical team, "her current condition is essentially the same as forced anorexia," and they warned, "if she cannot regain her weight, her chances of survival are low."

Currently, Cullum has regained some weight through a procedure that delivers nutrients directly to her small intestine. However, she is still considered to be in a state of severe underweight and reportedly requires further nutritional therapy. She is running an online fundraising campaign to receive total parenteral nutrition (TPN), a treatment that delivers nutrients directly into the bloodstream.

Persistent vomiting and weight loss… "Should not be ignored"

Gastroparesis is also reported in Korea and is not exceptionally rare. It often occurs due to complications of diabetes, aftereffects of stomach surgery, or nerve damage. Some antidepressants and painkillers are also known to slow stomach movement and can cause similar symptoms.

Experts point out that there are not a few cases where the symptoms are neglected for a long time as mere indigestion. In particular, if symptoms such as feeling full after eating only a small amount, repeated nausea and vomiting, and persistent unexplained weight loss continue, they recommend undergoing a thorough examination.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.