Gastroparesis

What is gastroparesis?

A 'lazy stomach' – the failure of the stomach to empty as it should – is caused by the muscles of the stomach failing to work properly. They contract too little or too irregularly. As a result, food is left in the stomach for longer than normal. Usually, the cause is unknown. It can also be a side-effect of medication (such as benzodiazepines or medication for Parkinson's disease and high blood pressure), and it may be seen in diabetes, in people with poor renal function, poor thyroid function, and narrowing of the exit from the stomach. Gastroparesis is the delayed emptying of the contents of the stomach in which the cause is not a narrowing.

What are the complaints associated with gastroparesis?

Nausea and sometimes vomiting after meals are common complaints. There is also a feeling of pressure on the stomach, a highly swollen stomach, a bloated feeling, belching and/or burping, feeling full quickly, heartburn, or a painful or burning sensation near the breastbone. Severe gastroparesis may be associated with vomiting.

People with intellectual disabilities sometimes find it impossible to communicate these symptoms. The people around them may then notice only a change in behaviour.

How common is gastroparesis in the general population?

Gastroparesis is more prevalent (5%) in people with type I diabetes than in people with type 2 diabetes (1%) and healthy people (1%). ⁵⁵⁵

Other research found a prevalence rate for gastroparesis of 0.024%. Overall survival was found to be significantly lower than in people without the condition. ²⁸⁵

How common is gastroparesis in people with intellectual disabilities?

It is not known how often gastroparesis occurs in people with intellectual disabilities. There are indications that children with spasticity are more likely to have the condition. ²⁸⁶

A small survey of children with spasticity found that 67% of the children with both spasticity and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease also had gastroparesis. ²⁸⁷

There are also indications that gastroparesis is more common in people with certain syndromes. For example, a study of 13 women with Rett syndrome found that more than two thirds (69%) of them had gastroparesis. ²⁸⁸

In addition, the condition should be considered as a side-effect of medication and as a comorbid condition with another physical condition (see above).