Gastroparesis is a chronic (long-lasting) condition. This means that treatment usually doesn’t cure the disease, but you can manage it and keep it under control. People who have diabetes should try to control their blood glucose levels to reduce the problems of gastroparesis.
Some people may benefit from medications, including:
Reglan: You take this drug before you eat, and it causes your stomach muscles to contract to help move food out of your stomach. Reglan also helps cut down on vomiting and nausea. Side effects include diarrhea and, rarely, a serious neurological (nerve) disorder.
Erythromycin: This is an antibiotic that also causes stomach contractions and helps move food out. Side effects include diarrhea and development of resistant bacteria from taking the antibiotic for a long time.
Antiemetics: These are drugs that help control nausea.
Surgery for gastroparesis
People with gastroparesis who still have nausea and vomiting even after taking medications may benefit from surgery. One type of surgery for gastroparesis is gastric electrical stimulation, which is a treatment that sends mild electric shocks to your stomach muscles. In this procedure, your provider inserts a small device called a gastric stimulator into your abdomen. The stimulator has two leads that are attached to your stomach and provide mild electric shocks, which help control vomiting. Your provider can adjust the strength of the electric shocks. The device runs on a battery that lasts up to 10 years.
Another surgery to relieve gastroparesis symptoms is gastric bypass, in which your care team creates a small pouch from the top part of your stomach. They divide the small intestine in half, and attach the lower end directly to the small stomach pouch. This limits the amount of food you can eat. This surgery is more effective for a person with obesity and diabetes than either medication or a gastric stimulator.
