Gastroparesis

Find out about gastroparesis, including what the symptoms are, what the treatments are, how it's diagnosed and what causes it.

Gastroparesis is where food passes through the stomach more slowly than it should. It's a long-term condition that can be managed with diet changes, medicines and other treatments.

Symptoms of gastroparesis start after eating and may include:

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

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

If you have symptoms of gastroparesis or a similar condition, you may need medical help.

See a GP if:

  • you often feel full quickly when eating
  • you often feel sick or vomit after eating
  • you have tummy pain that will not go away or keeps coming back
  • you have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more
  • you feel bloated all the time, or feel bloated regularly
  • you have a lump in your tummy, or your tummy looks swollen

These may be symptoms of gastroparesis or another condition with similar symptoms, so it's important to get it checked.

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

  • you have sudden and severe tummy pain
  • your sick has blood in it
  • your sick is dark brown or black and looks like coffee grounds or soil
  • your sick looks and smells like poo
Find your nearest A&E

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

If you have symptoms of gastroparesis, you'll usually have blood tests and an X-ray or ultrasound scan of your stomach to rule out other conditions first.

If these tests do not show other causes for your symptoms, you may need:

  • a gastroscopy (where a thin, flexible tube with a camera inside is passed through your mouth and into your stomach)
  • tests to find out how long it takes for food to pass through your stomach

If you have gastroparesis, making changes to your diet may be recommended.

This may include:

  • eating 4 to 6 small meals a day, rather than 3 large meals
  • reducing the amount of insoluble fibre you eat – this is a type of fibre that cannot be digested (for example, wholegrain bread, beans, and some vegetables and fruits)
  • having a liquid diet (for example, foods like soups or meals blended in a food processor)

You may be referred to a healthy eating specialist (a dietitian) to help you make sure you're getting enough nutrients.

Medicines

You may be given medicines for gastroparesis that can:

  • help food move through your stomach faster
  • stop you feeling sick and being sick
  • help with pain

If your gastroparesis is linked to diabetes, you may also be offered ways to help you manage your blood sugar levels, such as using an insulin pump.

Other treatments

Depending on your symptoms, you may be offered other treatments including:

  • a feeding tube, if you have malnutrition, to help you get nutrients
  • botulinum toxin injections to help relax the valve between your stomach and small intestine
  • gastro-electrical stimulation, where an electrical device is placed in the abdomen to help your stomach muscles work (this may not be available on the NHS)
  • surgery where your stomach may be reshaped to help food pass through it more easily

Gastroparesis is thought to be a problem with the nerves and muscles in the stomach. It's not always known what causes it.

It can be a complication of long-term conditions such as diabetes.

Gastroparesis can also be a complication after some types of surgery.