Q: My doctor told me I have diabetic gastroparesis. What is this?
A: Some diabetics develop damage of the nerves in the stomach, resulting in delayed emptying of food. Symptoms include vomiting of undigested food ("sour belching"), nausea, heartburn, bloating and loss of appetite and a feeling of fullness while you are eating. If not treated, the food can harden to what we call a bezoar, and this can cause ulcers, bleeding and obstruction. It is diagnosed usually with a nuclear scan or upper endoscopy. Treatment includes a change in diet by eating small, frequent meals and avoiding fatty foods and high roughage food. Drugs are available, but at this time they are not very effective or their side effects are too severe. ClinSearch is conducting a research study for the new treatment at no cost to you. If you are interested, contact us at 423-698-4584.
- Dr. Richard Krause, ClinSearch; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
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