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Abdominal fullness prematurely after meals

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Early satiety

Home Care:

Follow your health care provider's recommendations. A liquid diet may be helpful. A detailed diet log (recording what was eaten, how much, and when) may be needed. Small, frequent meals may be more tolerable than large, less frequent meals. A diet high in fat may worsen the feeling.

Call your health care provider if:

• The feeling lasts for days to weeks and does not get better.
• There are associated symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, or bloating.
• There is fever, chills, or weight loss or gain.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The doctor will examine you and ask questions such as:

• Time pattern
  • When did this symptom begin?
  • How long does each episode last?
• Associated symptoms
  • Is there vomiting?
  • Is there abdominal distention ?
  • Is there excessive gas (flatus)?
  • Is there a lack of appetite ?
  • Is there abdominal pain ?
  • Has the patient gained or lost weight?
  • Is there fever or chills?

The physical examination will include emphasis on the digestive tract.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:

• Blood studies for anemia , such as a CBC and blood differential
• Endoscopy (EGD)
• Stool tests for bleeding
• X-rays studies of the stomach, esophagus, and small intestine (abdominal x-ray and an upper GI and small bowel series )
• Stomach-emptying studies

After seeing your health care provider:

You may want to add a diagnosis related to early satiety to your personal medical record.

• Review Date: 1/23/2006
• Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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