

Standards for such testing have been set by the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine. With refinements over the years, this technique has become the standard for assessing the rate of gastric emptying. In 1966, other investigators began using radioactive substances to measure gastric emptying. From 190 experiments, the doctors calculated the average emptying time to be about 2 ¼ hours. By repeating the experiment at various time points, the doctors were able to determine how long it took for their stomachs to empty. Then, the contents of their stomachs were sucked back out. Each subject ingested a test meal of gruel. In 1951, they published findings on 21 volunteers. Gastric emptying time is the length of time required for the stomach to return to empty after a meal.

A more accurate answer depends on the drugs you are taking and your medical conditions.ĭoctors began studying gastric emptying times in the 1940s at Guy's Hospital in London. Two hours after eating is a crude rule of thumb. How do you know when your stomach is empty? Q: Many medications should be taken on an empty stomach.
