Gastric Stasis Lawsuit

Lawsuits have been filed by people who developed gastric stasis after taking diabetes medications, such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and others.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting gastric stasis induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with gastric stasis after taking a diabetes medication, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Disease Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Lawsuits Blame Diabetes Medications for Gastric Stasis

Lawsuits have been filed by people who claim that certain diabetes medications caused gastric stasis (also called stomach paralysis) and other digestive issues.

What is the Problem?

A new group of medications for type-2 diabetes and weight-loss have been shown to delay gastric emptying, which could lead to gastric stasis, stomach paralysis, and severe complications.

These medications mimic GLP-1, a hormone that tells the body to release insulin in response to food. These GLP-1 medications may also help people lose weight by reducing appetite and slowing down digestion. Unfortunately, many patients are developing gastric stasis.

The medications linked to gastric stasis include:

What is Gastric Stasis?

Gastric stasis is a digestive problem that occurs when the stomach empties food too slowly into the intestines, or stops completely. It is characterized by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, and feeling full very quickly after eating a meal (early satiety).

What Causes Gastric Stasis?

Gastric stasis is caused by problems with the stomach nerves and muscles. It is most commonly caused by long-term problems with uncontrolled type-2 diabetes, in which high blood-sugar permanently damages the nerves that control the stomach muscles.

Gastric stasis can also be caused by certain neurologic conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, scleroderma, medications (such as narcotics, certain antidepressants, etc.), surgical procedures, or viral infections. Some people with gastric stasis have no underlying cause.

What Happens?

The stomach is too slow to empty food into the intestines, so partly-digested food begins to accumulate in the stomach. Patients feel full very quickly, lose their appetite, and may not be able to finish a meal.

As the condition progresses, people suffering from gastric stasis may develop nausea, vomiting, bloating, acid reflux, and stomach pain. In very severe cases, this can cause problems with dehydration, weight-loss, and malnutrition that may require hospital visits or even surgery.

How Common is Gastric Stasis?

Gastric stasis is estimated to affect up to 5 million people in the U.S., but the rate is not well-defined because it does not always cause symptoms, and many people with gastric stasis have not been diagnosed, according to data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Other Names for Gastric Stasis

Gastric stasis may also be called:

Stomach paralysis
Gastroparesis
Delayed gastric emptying

How Is Gastric Stasis Diagnosed?

Gastric stasis must be diagnosed by a doctor, who will perform a physical exam and other tests, such as an upper endoscopy. This involves inserting a long flexible tube with a camera and a light on the end through the patient’s mouth and into the stomach and intestine.

Another test is a gastric emptying study (scintigraphy). This test involves eating a meal with a small amount of a radioactive substance, which allows images to be taken during digestion to determine how fast the stomach is emptying food.

The diagnosis of gastric stasis is confirmed if 10% of the meal (or more) is still in the stomach after 4 hours.

How Is Gastric Stasis Treated?

Mild cases of gastric stasis can usually be treated with dietary and lifestyle changes, such as gentle physical activity after eating a meal. Moderate to severe symptoms of gastric stasis may be treated with medicines to stimulate the stomach to empty. Doctors may also prescribe other medicines to reduce nausea and vomiting.

What Are The Signs of Gastric Stasis?

The symptoms of gastric stasis may include:

feeling full very quickly after eating only a few bites of food
feeling full for hours after eating a meal
nausea
vomiting
vomiting undigested food hours after eating
bloating
belching
stomach pain
pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen
heartburn
acid reflux
poor appetite
malnutrition
weight-loss

Do I have a Gastric Stasis Lawsuit?

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