HISTORY: A 75-year-old woman who had undergone a hysterectomy with adnexectomy followed by radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma complained of postprandial nausea with vomiting after eating solid foods and of cramp-like abdominal pain, but her appetite was good. She had lost 25 kg in weight over 13 months. EXAMINATION: Physical examination, laboratory tests, radiology and gastroscopy were unremarkable. Gastric scintigraphy showed abnormally prolonged emptying. TREATMENT AND COURSE: Nausea and vomiting stopped at once after erythromycin (a motilin agonist) had been administered. It was at first given intravenously after meals (50 mg three times daily for 5 days), then orally for 10 weeks (250 mg three times daily before meals). Subsequent examination revealed normal gastric emptying. The symptoms did not recur after erythromycin had been discontinued. CONCLUSION: Erythromycin is an effective drug against gastroparesis caused by radiotherapy, because it acts even when the enteric nerves are damaged.
HISTORY: A 75-year-old woman who had undergone a hysterectomy with adnexectomy followed by radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma complained of postprandial nausea with vomiting after eating solid foods and of cramp-like abdominal pain, but her appetite was good. She had lost 25 kg in weight over 13 months. EXAMINATION: Physical examination, laboratory tests, radiology and gastroscopy were unremarkable. Gastric scintigraphy showed abnormally prolonged emptying. TREATMENT AND COURSE: Nausea and vomiting stopped at once after erythromycin (a motilin agonist) had been administered. It was at first given intravenously after meals (50 mg three times daily for 5 days), then orally for 10 weeks (250 mg three times daily before meals). Subsequent examination revealed normal gastric emptying. The symptoms did not recur after erythromycin had been discontinued. CONCLUSION:Erythromycin is an effective drug against gastroparesis caused by radiotherapy, because it acts even when the enteric nerves are damaged.
Authors: Pierre Annede; Caroline Prieux-Klotz; Thomas Dubergé; Cyrus Chargari; Olivier Gisserot; Jean-Pierre de Jaureguiberry Journal: J Gastrointest Oncol Date: 2017-08
Authors: Marc A Ritz; Marianne J Chapman; Robert J Fraser; Mark E Finnis; Ross N Butler; Patricia Cmielewski; Geoffrey P Davidson; Deborah Rea Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2005-06-07 Impact factor: 17.440