A 36-year-old woman with a known history of muscular dystrophy for several years and ventilator dependence suffered 5 days of nausea and vomiting. No evidence of gastric or duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, vagotomy, diabetes, hypothyroidism, bulbar poliomyelitis, electrolyte abnormalities, anticholinergic medications or morphine-like drugs was present. The gastric emptying study performed on this patient revealed a t 1/2 of more than 4 hours. A diagnosis of gastroparesis associated with muscular dystrophy was made by exclusion.