Research article

Gastric emptying is slow in chronic fatigue syndrome

Richard B Burnet¹ and Barry E Chatterton²

¹Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia

²Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia

author email corresponding author email

BMC Gastroenterology 2004, 4:32doi:10.1186/1471-230X-4-32

Published:	26 December 2004

Abstract

Background

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of these symptoms and explore their relationship with objective (radionuclide) studies of upper GI function.

Methods

Thirty-two (32) patients with CFS and 45 control subjects completed a questionnaire on upper GI symptoms, and the 32 patients underwent oesophageal clearance, and simultaneous liquid and solid gastric emptying studies using radionuclide techniques compared with historical controls.

Results

The questionnaires showed a significant difference in gastric (p > 0.01) symptoms and swallowing difficulty. Nocturnal diarrhoea was a significant symptom not previously reported.

5/32 CFS subjects showed slightly delayed oesophageal clearance, but overall there was no significant difference from the control subjects, nor correlation of oesophageal clearance with symptoms. 23/32 patients showed a delay in liquid gastric emptying, and 12/32 a delay in solid gastric emptying with the delay significantly correlated with the mean symptom score (for each p ≪ 0.001).

Conclusions

GI symptoms in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are associated with objective changes of upper GI motility.