A 63-year-old woman went to the emergency room at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital feeling intense stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. She had been dealing with these symptoms for a month, describing a burning sensation that spread from her upper belly to her back. Despite trying different remedies, nothing helped.

Her medical history was complex — she had Type 2 diabetes, stage 2 chronic kidney disease, opioid use disorder, and GERD. She also had been taking several medications, including semaglutide, a drug used for weight loss. Over the past year, she lost about 40 pounds, which is roughly 19% of her body weight.

Doctors ran tests to find out what was wrong. A CT scan showed her stomach was swollen and filled with a semi-solid mass, and her bile ducts were enlarged. An MRI confirmed a mass in her stomach with some air bubbles. These findings suggested she might have a gastric bezoar—a mass made of undigested material that can form in the stomach.

Gastric bezoars come in different types. The most common is phytobezoar, made from clumped fruit and vegetable fibers. One specific type, diospyrobezoar, forms after eating too many persimmons. Persimmons contain tannins that turn into a glue-like substance in the stomach, which can help form these tough masses. Other types include trichobezoars, made from hair, often linked to hair-pulling or eating disorders; lactobezoars, found in infants and made from milk and mucus; pharmacobezoars, from medications that don’t digest well; and polybezoars, formed from non-food items like plastics.

The doctors used an endoscope—a thin tube with a camera—to look inside her stomach. They saw a large, greenish, mucus-covered mass. It wasn’t blocking the stomach, but it was taking up space and causing her pain.

Getting rid of a bezoar can be done surgically or with an endoscopic procedure that breaks it into smaller pieces. Recently, doctors have started trying to dissolve it first, using chemicals. One of the most effective and surprising options is Coca-Cola. Its acidity and the presence of carbonic and phosphoric acids can help break down the fibrous material in bezoars. While the exact mechanism isn’t fully understood, Coca-Cola has become a common first step in treating these masses.

A 2024 study from China tested Coca-Cola’s effectiveness on patients with phytobezoars. The study involved 160 patients and found that drinking Coca-Cola resulted in complete dissolution of the bezoars in every case, with minimal side effects and lower costs compared to surgery.

In this particular case, the doctors suspected the bezoar was made from plant fibers, likely a phytobezoar. Since the woman was diabetic, they chose diet cola to avoid sugar spikes. She was initially instructed to drink about 8.5 cans (around 3 liters) over 12 hours, but she declined that much because she didn’t like carbonation. Instead, she drank about four cans (roughly 1.5 liters).

The next day, she felt a sudden tugging in her abdomen, and her nausea and pain decreased significantly. An endoscope confirmed the bezoar had dissolved. The doctors linked her condition to her use of semaglutide, a drug that slows stomach emptying and can promote bezoar formation. She made a full recovery and was able to return to a normal diet after she stopped taking the medication.

This case shows a surprisingly simple and effective treatment for stomach masses. It also highlights how certain medications can influence digestion and the importance of considering dietary and medication history when diagnosing gastrointestinal issues.

Inspired by

• https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/09/woman-hospitalized-with-pain-and-vomiting-a-diet-soda-cured-her/

Sources

• conde.digital
• cnevids.com
• nejm.org
• nih.gov
• medlineplus.gov