Metoclopramide in the treatment of gastric bezoars.

The effect of metoclopramide as an adjunct to the conventional treatment of gastric bezoars was studied. All patients received conventional endoscopic treatment which consisted of mechanical fragmentation and the instillation of papain solution. Fifteen patients received only endoscopic treatment while nine patients were given, in addition, metoclopramide 10 mg orally before meals and at bedtime. The conventionally treated group required a mean of 1.9 courses of endoscopic treatments, while the metoclopramide treated group required a mean of 1.2 courses to resolve the bezoar. This difference was statistically significant. It was also found that long-term metoclopramide treatment reduced the frequency of bezoar formation in four patients with recurrent gastric bezoars.