An injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) into the stomach is a safe method of relieving the nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain that occurs with diabetic gastroparesis, findings from a small study suggest. Diabetic gastroparesis is when the stomach becomes dilated and gastric secretions are retained, causing pain, nausea and vomiting. A previous study has shown that pressure in the lower portion of the stomach is elevated in patients with diabetic gastroparesis, lead author Dr. Brian E. Lacy, from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, told Reuters Health. “So, we were interested in testing Botox as a way to bring down these pressures and, hopefully, improve gastric emptying.” The study, which is reported in Diabetes Care, involved eight patients with type 1 diabetes and gastroparesis that had not responded to standard therapy, and eight healthy matched controls, who received a Botox injection to the stomach. Seven of the patients completed the 12-week follow-up period.
