What is Slow Gastric Emptying?

When you eat food, the food moves from the stomach and into the intestines in a timely manner. This movement of food from the stomach into the intestines is controlled by a nerve called the vagus nerve. When this nerve is damaged, it can lead to slow gastric movement and emptying, a condition called gastroparesis.

Who Gets Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is most commonly seen in those who have diabetes, although it can also occur in those who have had part of their stomach removed or have other systemic diseases. Gastroparesis is also not uncommon in people who have brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease and people who have eating disorders like anorexia. In addition, certain drugs that affect the function of the vagus nerve can slow down gastric motility. In up to 40 percent of gastroparesis cases, no obvious cause occurs – a condition called idiopathic gastroparesis. Whatever the cause, it can be a tough disorder to live with and treat.

How do you know if you have slow gastric emptying?

Slow gastric motility or emptying can cause various digestive symptoms. The most common are feelings of fullness after eating only a small amount of food, abdominal bloating and distension, vomiting, and weight loss. And they are also common with various other stomach and intestinal problems that need to be ruled out as well.

When other conditions are ruled out, a gastric emptying test is called a study that can be used to diagnose delayed gastric emptying or gastroparesis. This test involves adding a tag to the food to track the time it takes to reach the stomach. If the tagged food moves more slowly, delayed gastric motility or gastroparesis is diagnosed.

How slow is empty gastric emptying?

This is part of the challenge. There is a prescription medication called metaclopramide that works well for gastroparesis, but it has serious side effects that end its use. . Metaclopramide condition can cause tardive dyskinesia – neurological a disorder characterized by abnormal, jerky movements that can be irreversible even after stopping the medication.

A newer drug called Domperidone does not carry this risk and is successfully used in Europe, but it has not been approved by our FDA . Two other drugs – the antibiotic erythromycin and the drug Tegaserod to treat irritable bowel syndrome – are also needed by some people. Some newer treatments include the implantation of an electrical gastric stimulator into the abdominal wall to stimulate gastric motility. Injection of botox into the part of the stomach that is the pylorus is the most researched treatment.

Is there Natural Ways to Treat Gastroparesis?

Eating less food and limiting fiber and fat intake – both of which slow gastric emptying – helps somewhat. Liquid diets are usually easier to tolerate than solid foods. Keeping a food-diary to find out what food is unhealthy can also benefit you. Unfortunately, no herbal or vitamin remedy has been consistently shown to work.

Slow Gastric Emptying: Bottom Line?

Gastroparesis can be a frustrating condition, but it is a condition that is being heavily researched in hopes of finding new and effective treatments.

Notes:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/460632_6

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