Understanding Gastroparesis: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Gastroparesis

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Delayed Gastric Emptying - Diabetic gastroparesis

General

Gastroparesis is an impairment in gastric motility without any anatomical obstruction. In most cases it is not known what causes gastroparesis. Common causes include diabetes, viral infection (a more common cause in children), neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and immune diseases such as scleroderma, as well as diseases such as chronic kidney failure, thyroid dysfunction, pituitary gland damage and certain types of cancer. Gastroparesis can be a part of a broader motility problem of the entire gastrointestinal tract, a condition known as Chronic Intestinal Pseudoobstruction - CIP. In this disease there is an impairment in the motility of the intestine along its entire length which causes a bowel obstruction-like appearance, although in practice there is no anatomical obstruction. Gastroparesis can disturb normal digestion, cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can also trigger problems with blood sugar levels and nutrition

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Signs & symptoms

Gastroperesis symtpoms may include abdoming pain and bloating, vomiting, nausea, early satiety, reflux, lack of appettite, weight loss, malnutrition and imbalance in blood sugar levels.

Diagnosis

There are a few diagnostic tests that can help diagnose gastroparesis and rule out conditions that may cause similar symptoms. Tests may include gastric emptying tests such as breath tests or a scintigraphy where the patient eats a light meal that is marked by radioactive material that later is read by a scanner and indicates the rate at which food leaves the stomach. An endoscopy of the upper gasto intestinal tract can be performed in order to visualize it and can rule out other conditions.

Treatment

First, it is important to address the underlying problem. It is also recommended to make lifestyle changes such as a menu of small and frequent meals, low in dietary fiber and fat. There are medications that can increase the activity of stomach contraction like the antibiotics erythromycin and motilium. Rarely, a surgical solution is required and may include inserting a jejunostomy. Patients whose entire bowel movement is impaired sometimes need to be fed intravenously. Gastric electrical stimulation which is implanted beneath the skin andhelps control the chronic nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis* by stimulating the smooth muscles of the lower stomach

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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Struggling with Gastroparesis: Need Nutrition Advice

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I don't think anyone know how to treat...

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Struggling with Gastroparesis: Need Nutrition Advice

I don't think anyone know how to treat **gastroparesis**. They just hand you a paper and say read this. Navigating that with diabetes is difficult.

Struggling with Medical Pain, How's Your Day Going?

Nope, and I love food. **Gastroparesis** so have difficulty eating to begin with and now I don’t care if I don’t need.

you wrote me about a month ago. Things haven’t gotten much better. I’m in PA. I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. It’s ridiculous around here. You can’t get an in person appointment. Through ALL OF THIS I’ve seen a someone in person maybe once. No weight checks, nothing. So u can understand why I’m feeling so alone. I eat the same old things because I’m afraid of sickness. My **gastroparesis** Doctor isn’t much better. I’m ready to tell them all to take a long walk down a short alley. Thank you for writing back because I’ve had it with all this. I don’t run fevers so they NEVER catch infection until I’m VERY sick!!!! I just don’t know how we’re going to do anything w/o anyone taking any interest in me or what’s happening with me.

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