Gastroparesis can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, early fullness while eating meals and heartburn and can lead to weight loss and poor absorption of nutrients. Some studies have shown that women are as much as seven times more likely to suffer from gastroparesis than men, but the reason is unknown. It is also suspected that more people actually suffer from the condition because symptoms may overlap with other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and GERD.

Some people can manage their symptoms with diet or medication, while others may suffer so severely they may require hospitalization. Patients are usually instructed to avoid high-fiber foods, and others may require switching to a liquid diet to maintain hydration. Medication offers only temporary relief at best. For example, long term use of a popular treatment for gastroparesis, Reglan (metoclopramide), can result in a serious involuntary movement disorder called Tardive Dyskinesia.

The best defense to keep symptoms at bay, says Dr. Linda Lee, board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center, is following a low-fiber diet, taking medications in moderation, and addressing anxiety and depression, which can exacerbate symptoms.

SOURCE: Reglan Side Effects › Women more likely than men to suffer from gastroparesis

Some patients with gastroparesis don’t respond to treatment and some may experience severe adverse events from the medication. For example, Reglan recently fell under a black box warning after reports of a serious movement disorder called Tardive Dyskinesia in some patients who took the medication. Given the risks of medication, alternative therapies like the stimulation device seem more attractive. 

During a six-month study of 34 patients with the meal-activated nerve stimulators, researchers also found that patients lost about 10 pounds and two inches from their waistline, suggesting the device may also aid in weight loss.

The device, Tantalus, manufactured by MetaCure, is made up of three electrodes that attach at one end to a pulse generator and at the other end to the distal stomach. As the device senses food intake, it transmits an electrical current to the stomach to stimulate gastric contraction.

“The minimally invasive approach combined with a low incidence of adverse events presents a potential benefit that may position this system as a valid treatment for type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Arthur Bohdajlian, of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. “Additional clinical benefits on conditions related to metabolic syndrome are currently being analyzed.”

The device is approved in Europe for the treatment of obesity and the management of type 2 diabetes in obese patients.

SOURCE: Reglan Side Effects › Device offers alternative treatment for gastroparesis