Mirtazapine for severe gastroparesis unresponsive to conventional prokinetic treatment

Abstract

Gastroparesis is a condition of abnormal gastric motility characterized by delayed gastric emptying without evidence of mechanical outlet obstruction. The authors describe complete remission of recurrent postprandial discomfort, nausea, and vomiting within 1 week of starting mirtazapine in a gastroparetic patient who had failed to respond, in 7 months, to conventional prokinetics (erythromycin, metoclopramide, domperidone, perphenazine, itopride, bethanechol, and/or tegaserod) and pyloric injection of botulinum toxin. This is the first report to show that mirtazapine may be an effective alternative when gastroparesis is refractory to conventional measures.