Who Gets Gastroparesis?
Gastroparesis most often occurs in people with diabetes, especially in those who have had diabetes for a long time. But diabetes is not the only cause of gastroparesis. Other possible culprits include the following: • postviral syndromes • anorexia nervosa • surgery on the stomach or vagus nerve • medications that slow contractions in the intestine, particularly anticholinergics and narcotics • smooth muscle disorders, such as amyloidosis and scleroderma • nervous system diseases, including abdominal migraine and Parkinson s disease • metabolic disorders, including hypothyroidism What Are the Symptoms? The symptoms of gastroparesis include a feeling of fullness early after a meal, bloating, heartburn, upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms may be constant or may flare up from time to time with periods of relief in between. Some patients have no overt symptoms of gastroparesis, and, in people with diabetes, the only sign of gastroparesis may be difficulty controlling blood
