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Gastroparesis: the signs, when to get help right away, the causes, the tests, food, and treatment
For anyone who feels full after a few bites, or has nausea and vomiting that keep coming back; anyone with diabetes whose stomach or blood sugar has been acting up; anyone waiting on a stomach emptying test; and anyone just told they have gastroparesis. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a disorder that slows or stops the movement of food from your stomach to your small intestine, even though nothing is blocking it; that diabetes is the most common known cause, though in most cases doctors cannot find the cause; and that what you eat can help. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs and when to get help right away, the causes, the tests, what to eat and drink, and treatment. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- Severe pain or cramping in the belly, sudden sharp stomach pain that does not go away, vomiting for more than an hour, blood sugar that is too high or too low, feeling extremely weak, or a fever? NIDDK says to seek a doctor’s help right away. Ours: if you cannot reach your doctor, go to the emergency room.
- Trouble breathing, fainting, vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, someone with diabetes who is confused or cannot swallow, or no safe way to get there: call 911 (ours). Do not drive yourself.
- Very thirsty, urinating less, dark urine, dizzy, or losing weight without trying? NIDDK says to seek a doctor’s help for signs of dehydration or malnutrition. Ours: call your doctor today.
More help
- The belly, on this site: Heartburn and acid reflux (GERD) · Peptic ulcers · Pancreatitis · An upset stomach: find the right page.
- The conditions that go with it: Diabetes · Blood sugar log · Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage) · Underactive thyroid · Heart, blood and hormones: find the right page.
- Day to day: Food help · My medicines list · When eating has become a fight.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When you can’t afford your medicine · When a medical bill is too much · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 17, 2026 on NIDDK’s Gastroparesis pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed January 2018). Ours: going to the emergency room if you cannot reach your doctor for the signs NIDDK says need help right away; calling 911 for trouble breathing, fainting, vomiting blood, someone with diabetes who is confused or cannot swallow, or no safe way to get there, and not driving yourself; calling your doctor today for signs of dehydration or malnutrition; not stopping or changing a prescribed medicine or your insulin on your own; asking for a dietitian and for the plan in writing; that no one deserves to be judged for how or how much they can eat; health centers and food help when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the names of medicines (NIDDK names some), brand names, doses, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.