Treatment Options For Gastroparesis

Medications

Gastroparesis may respond to several drugs to reduce the impact this condition has on patient’s lives, however, it is important to note it may take some trial and error to see which drugs are most effective in individual cases. For some patients, more than one medication may be needed to decrease their symptoms. Metoclopramide may be prescribed to help stomach emptying and to encourage muscle contractions in the stomach, and it might also be helpful for alleviating vomiting and nausea. Erythromycin is an antibiotic, but it may be used to help patients with gastroparesis due to its ability to promote stomach emptying, which it does by increasing stomach muscle contractions. If patients have certain especially bothersome symptoms or complications associated with this condition, medications that target these may be prescribed. For example, for vomiting and nausea, patients might benefit from an antiemetic medication. Medicines may also be injected via endoscopy if the patient has a bezoar in their stomach due to food building up and creating an obstruction.

Continue reading to understand when surgery may come into play with this condition.