Gastroparesis

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Table of Contents
What Is Gastroparesis?
Causes Of Gastroparesis
How Common Is Gastroparesis?
Gastroparesis Diagnosis
Gastroparesis Treatment
When To Consider Gastroparesis
Further Reading And References

What Is Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is when food moves more slowly than normal or stops moving from the stomach into the small intestine without there being a blockage in the stomach or small intestines (1).

Symptoms of gastroparesis start after eating and may include:

feeling full sooner than usual – you may be unable to finish meals
feeling sick and being sick
tummy pain
heartburn
bloating

If you’ve had these symptoms for a while, you may also be losing weight.

(2)

Causes Of Gastroparesis

Causes are not always clear, but may include vagus nerve damage since this controls the stomach muscles.

Risk factors include:

Diabetes – the most common cause (1)
Abdominal or esophageal surgery
Infection, usually from a virus
Certain medications that slow the rate of stomach emptying, such as narcotic pain medications
Scleroderma — a connective tissue disease
Nervous system diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis
Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Women are more likely to develop gastroparesis than are men

(3)

How Common Is Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is not a common condition. The number of people diagnosed is 14 per 100,000 people in the UK, which is rare. (4)

Gastroparesis Diagnosis

There are tests to see how well your stomach is emptying:

A gastroscopy (a camera inserted into the stomach with a thin tube)

Abdominal x-rays – to rule out a small bowel obstruction

Breath testing – involving consumption of a solid or liquid food that your body absorbs in the small bowel and can be detected in your breath over a few hours to indicate how quickly your stomach empties

Gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) – including the consumption of a solid meal, which contains a small amount of a radioactive substance, called an isotope, which disappears from the body rapidly, with external cameras tracking the progress of the meal

(4)

Gastroparesis Treatment

Treatment may include:

dietary changes including:
- 3-6 small meals instead of 3 large meals per day
- reducing insoluble fibre
- liquid foods such as soups
- dietitian referral from your GP
medicines to:
- speed the transit of food
- stop you being or feeling sick
- assist with any pain
gastro-electrical stimulation to help stomach muscles work
injections to help relax the valve between your stomach and small intestine
reshaping of the stomach through surgery to enhance the passage of food

(2)

When To Consider Gastroparesis

Discuss the possibility of gastroparesis with your GP if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of gastroparesis including chronic nausea, vomiting, feeling of fullness during or after meals, abdominal pain, heartburn or bloating. (5)