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(NewsNation) — A soda reportedly played an unexpected role in treating a rare abdominal blockage for a Massachusetts woman.
The 36-year-old patient went to the emergency room after experiencing about a month of nausea, vomiting and decreased appetite while taking a GLP-1 medication.
Doctors performed an endoscopy and discovered a large gastric bezoar — a hardened mass made up of partially digested or undigested material inside the stomach, according to Live Science.
The mass was not blocking the opening to her small intestine, but doctors said it was taking up significant space and making it harder for food to move through her digestive system.
Physicians believe the bezoar formed due to delayed gastric emptying, a known effect of GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide. These drugs slow the movement of food from the stomach into the intestines, helping patients feel full longer and improving blood sugar control.
The patient was taken off the medication after being admitted to the hospital, and doctors began treatment to dissolve the mass.
Their unusual solution: Diet Coke.
Soda has been used in some cases to help break down gastric bezoars because carbonation and acidity may help soften the material. Because the patient had diabetes, doctors chose Diet Coke instead of regular soda.
She drank about 1.5 liters of Diet Coke — about half the recommended amount for this type of treatment — because she did not like the carbonation, Live Science reported.
The next day, she reported feeling a “tugging” sensation in her abdomen, followed by relief from her nausea and discomfort.
A follow-up endoscopy showed the bezoar had dissolved and was no longer trapped in her stomach.
Doctors say gastric bezoars are rare, affecting only a small percentage of people, and the case highlights a potential complication linked to delayed stomach emptying — as well as an unexpected treatment involving a familiar beverage.
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