What is recommended for patients experiencing GERD symptoms due to gastric dysmotility?

For patients experiencing GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms secondary to gastric dysmotility, prokinetic agents such as metoclopramide are recommended. These medications enhance gastrointestinal motility, increase the rate of gastric emptying, and improve the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. By doing so, they help reduce the frequency and severity of acid reflux episodes, alleviating GERD symptoms that may arise from delays in gastric emptying or abnormal gastric motility.

Prokinetic agents specifically target the underlying issue of dysmotility, making them particularly effective for patients where this is a contributing factor to their GERD. This is important because simply alleviating the symptoms of acid reflux does not address the root cause related to gastric movement. Therefore, the use of metoclopramide is a suitable approach for managing GERD stemming from dysmotility.