A woman was told by doctors to drink 1.5 litres of soda a day to relieve her painful condition that left her with a large mass in her stomach.
A 63-year-old woman from Massachusetts had been suffering from type 2 diabetes and obesity. She had been taking semaglutide, a drug similar to Ozempic, that caused her to lose 40 lbs in a year.
She started suffering from a burning pain in her upper abdomen, right side, and back. She tried over-the-counter medications for acid reflux but the pain persisted, leading doctors to perform an endoscopy.
Large gastric bezoar defeated by Diet Coke
GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide cause gastric emptying to happen at a much slower rate, sometimes leaving a mass of undigested material known as a gastric bezoar. The doctors found one in the woman’s stomach, took her off the medication, and provided her with a prescription.
They suggested that she consume 1.5 litres of soda in an attempt to dissolve it. She agreed to, as long as it was Diet Coke, because of her diabetes.
As detailed in Live Science, the doctors said: “It is not well understood whether acidity, carbonation, or another mechanism accounts for dissolution of the bezoar.”
Regardless, it worked as intended and, after two days, she said she experienced a tugging sensation and her pain was relieved. An endoscopy confirmed that it had in fact been dissolved.
Radiology educational videos / YouTubeGastric benzoars are extremely rare, found in less than 0.5% of endoscopies, but they can cause immense discomfort or even result in life-threatening complications.
“Bezoars formed from food material may be initially managed with oral administration of cola in patients in a clinically stable condition,” the report read. “This intervention is generally cost-effective and is associated with a lower risk of complications than invasive procedures.”
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