Gastroparesis in adults: oral erythromycin

What is gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is a condition where the stomach does not empty itself of food as quickly as it should. This can lead to symptoms like feeling full very quickly when eating, feeling bloated, having pain or discomfort in the upper part of the tummy, and feeling or being sick.

It is thought that gastroparesis happens when there is a problem with the nerves or muscles that control emptying of the stomach. If the nerves are damaged, then the stomach doesn't work properly which means that food isn't moved out of the stomach as quickly as normal. Most of the time, it isn't known what has caused the nerve damage (this is sometimes called 'idiopathic' gastroparesis). However, gastroparesis is sometimes seen in people with diabetes, where the nerves to the stomach are damaged by high levels of glucose in the blood. Gastroparesis can also happen in people who have had surgery on their stomach.