Gastroparesis can be caused due to diseases of the stomach’s muscles or the nerves that control the muscles. Often no specific cause is identified. However, the most common disease causing gastroparesis is diabetes mellitus.
Gastroparesis also can result from damage to the vagus nerve, the nerve that controls the stomach’s muscle. Also caused by reflexes within the nervous system, other causes of gastroparesis include imbalances of minerals in the blood such as potassium, calcium or magnesium, medications (such as narcotic pain-relievers), and thyroid disease.
However, for a substantial number of patients no cause can be found for the gastroparesis.
