Causes of gastroparesis

In many cases of gastroparesis, there's no obviouscause. This is known as idiopathic gastroparesis.

Known causes of gastroparesis include:

  • poorly controlled type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes
  • a complication of some types of surgery such as weight loss (bariatric) surgery orremoval of part of the stomach (gastrectomy)

Other possible causes include:

  • medication such as opioid painkillers likemorphine and some antidepressants
  • Parkinson's disease a condition in which part of the brain becomes progressively damaged over many years
  • scleroderma an uncommon disease that results in hard, thickened areas of skin, and sometimes problems with internal organs and blood vessels
  • amyloidosis a group of rare but serious diseases caused by deposits of abnormal protein in tissues and organs throughout the body
Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018