Is Gastroparesis Causing Your GI Discomfort? Here’s What to Know
Is Gastroparesis Causing Your GI Discomfort? Here’s What to Know
From frequent stomach aches to feeling full after taking three bites of a meal, those living with gastroparesis may experience a significant impact to their quality of life. Since symptoms often mimic other gastrointestinal conditions, people may spend years looking for answers before they finally get the proper diagnosis and begin treatment.
Common Symptoms of Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder in which the stomach empties its contents into the small intestine more slowly than it should, even though there's no physical blockage.
“Normally, the stomach muscles contract in a coordinated way to grind food and push it forward,” says Daryl Ramai, MD, MPH, MSc, a gastroenterologist and director of the Third Space Endoscopy Program at University of Utah Health. “In gastroparesis, those contractions become uncoordinated, so food sits in the stomach much longer than normal.”
Food remaining in the stomach for too long can lead to unpleasant symptoms, including:
- Frequent nausea and vomiting
- Getting full quickly
- Staying full for a long time after eating
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Acid reflux
- Changes in blood sugar
While symptoms vary in severity, they can be debilitating and cause a person to not get the daily nutrients they need. This can lead to:
- Unintentional weight loss
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Potentially dangerous electrolyte imbalances
What Causes Gastroparesis?
In about half of all gastroparesis cases, doctors can’t identify a specific cause. This is called idiopathic gastroparesis.
When there is a known cause or contributing factor, it may include:
- Diabetes: About one-third of cases are diabetes-related, making it the most well-known cause.
- Post-surgical injury: Injuries after procedures involving the esophagus, stomach, or nearby organs are linked to gastroparesis.
- Medications: Opioids and some GLP-1 receptor agonists can slow gastric emptying.
Less common causes or associated conditions include connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma, Parkinson's disease, and organ transplantation.
How Doctors Diagnosis Gastroparesis
Doctors first need to rule out a blockage or other conditions that could cause similar symptoms. That may involve imaging or upper endoscopy.
A stomach-emptying test, called a scintigraphy, is commonly used to diagnose gastroparesis. During the test, you eat a meal containing a small, safe amount of radioactive material. Imaging then measures how quickly food leaves your stomach.
Diagnosing isn’t always straightforward. This is because:
- Symptom overlap: Gastroparesis shares symptoms with several other conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cyclic vomiting syndrome, and dyspepsia.
- Poor correlation between symptoms and test results: Some patients with significantly delayed emptying have mild symptoms, while others with modest delay may have debilitating symptoms.
- Test conditions: Certain medications, such as opioids and GLP-1 agonists, need to be considered or held before testing, as they can produce an unreliable test result.
- Fluctuating course: Gastric emptying can vary day to day, so a single test may not capture someone's typical experience.
If your symptoms are interfering with your daily life or you have any significant risk factors, such as diabetes, speak to your doctor about being referred to a gastroenterologist.
Gastroparesis Treatment Starts with Diet and Lifestyle Changes
Treatment depends on your symptoms and what is causing them. Your care team may first recommend changes to how and what you eat.
The following lifestyle changes may ease your gastrointestinal symptoms:
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of three larger ones
- Consume some calories in liquid or blended form, which empties faster
- Drink plenty of water
- Reduce fat and insoluble fiber intake
- Chew your food well
- Avoid alcohol, smoking, and carbonated drinks
- Get a level of exercise that is appropriate for your body and fitness level
If these changes aren’t enough, medications may help stimulate stomach contractions and control nausea and vomiting.
For patients whose symptoms don't respond to diet and medication, endoscopic and surgical options may be considered.
These include:
- Gastric electrical stimulation (a surgically implanted device)
- Surgical pyloromyotomy or pyloroplasty
- Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM)
Endoscopic Procedures at U of U Health
University of Utah Health’s Third Space Endoscopy Program started in September 2025 and offers a advanced, minimally invasive procedure that can evaluate and manage complex gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroparesis.
“What sets our program apart is our combination of specialized training, high-volume procedural experience, and active clinical research and innovation."
One treatment option is G-POEM, a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure performed through the mouth without external incisions. It involves cutting the pyloric muscle––a valve at the outlet of the stomach––to help food pass more easily into the small intestine.
About 70% of patients who undergo G-POEM report that their gastroparesis symptoms have significantly improved or resolved entirely.
“If G-POEM is determined to be appropriate, we discuss the procedure in detail, including how it is performed, its potential benefits and risks, expected recovery, and what patients can realistically expect after treatment,” Ramai says. “We believe that informed patients are better prepared for treatment, and we make shared decision-making an important part of every patient's care.”
Because gastroparesis symptoms can look like other digestive problems, getting the right diagnosis is an important first step. A gastroenterologist can help identify the cause of your symptoms and determine which treatments may help you feel better and get the nutrition you need.
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