Major Dumping Syndrome

[bellabloom 2,467]

As it turns out, I have a pretty bad case of dumping syndrome. And I'm not entirely sure what causes it and how to manage it as it had started up rather suddenly.

I wasn't sure it was dumping syndrome but I have confirmed it with my surgeon that it is.

After I eat I become severely nauseated for about an hour, 30 minutes if I take zofran. It's so bad all I can do is lay there and groan. I can't talk or walk.

It seems to be set off by anything sweet- ice cream, evens glass of milk, yogurt, etc. It also seems to happen at other times- just after any meal. I'm not sure what's triggering it.

Can dumping be triggered by portion size alone?

What foods trigger your dumping if you have it? What can be done to help with the symptoms?

How do I avoid this from happening?

Any advice appreciated. It's pretty awful.

[AvaFern 3,516]

I had this problem the first few months after surgery. I would get hot, sweaty, nauseous, and lay in bed for about a half hour while my heart pounded. It was triggered by anything remotely sweet- even ketchup would get me. I am two years out now and while I still can't eat anything super super sweet like pie or cake, I just had oatmeal with honey and I feel fine, which 18 months ago would have had me curled in a miserable ball feeling like I might die. The only thing I did to make sure it didn't happen was to be really careful about any kind of sugar in food and it gradually stopped happening the further I was out from surgery.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Avoid dairy and sugar... at a least for awhile. Journal your consumption so you can pinpoint the triggers. My Protein Drink of choice is chocolate premier and yet it sometimes does not agree with me. When that happens I have to take a 2-3 month break and then I can tolerate it again . Weird.

[AngelaWilliamsMD 290]

I agree with @@CowgirlJane completely. Unless I avoid dairy and sugar altogether, I usually trigger an episode. Some of it is trial and error but I have to be careful.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

My NUT said that dumping syndrome

Is caused because the part of the intestines that are bypassed, that first section, is responsible for absorbing sugar and fats. Not all sugars, but like sugar used in things commercially and table sugar and baked goods and the alcohols made from them. If it has sugar listed as an ingredient pass on it same for any sweetener ending in -ilitol like malitol, xylitol, etc. they all will cause dumping syndrome, because it doesn't belong there and the body doesn't know how to process it, so it treats it as a dangerous substance and tries to flush it out by flooding your intestines with extra Water to move it on out. Over time-somewhere between yr 1 and 2, your body will adapt and be able to process sugar again, but only in little amounts like in something like ketchup, but you may never be able to eat ice cream or cake again except for 1 bite. Same with greasy foods. Things sweetened with sucralose(Splenda) or fructose get absorbed in a different place in the intestinal line, so you can safely eat things sweetened with these sweeteners, because the area where they are absorbed was not bypassed.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

@@bellabloom your profile says you are bypass but you posted in the sleeve forum. Sleevers are not supposed to experience dumping, but I have had a few incidents of "something" so my advice still stands!

I am nearly 4 years out now and it doesn't seem to happen anymore.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@bellabloom did you have the sleeve or the bypass? You always post in the sleeve forums but your profile says bypass.

[bellabloom 2,467]

I have had both bypass and the sleeve so my situation is a little different. I currently have a sleeve. My surgeon confirmed it is dumping. it's awful.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Did you have the sleeve then a revision to the switch? I didn't think the bypass and the sleeve were compatible because of the way they are cut.

[bellabloom 2,467]

I had a bypass. Had to have it reversed and converted to a sleeve. I had complications with the bypass and my awful surgeon chose to take care of it that way. I ended up with major scar tissue and had to deal with a stricture for 6 months. Anyway I'm good now but just experiencing this dump ing. My surgeon said sleeve patients can have dumping. Basically I have an intolerance to sugar and dairy and carbs and also get sick from too much at once

Today I haven't had any carbs and have had no issues. It's rough to not have any carbs though because I drop weight super easy and I definitely can't lose much more!

Edited October 20, 2015 by bellabloom

[cal2okl 37]

It's anything that contains sugar and greasy foods. They tell you this prior to surgery.

Mine was set off by Starbucks this weekend when I ordered a Decaf sugar free vanilla drink which they obviously used regular sugar and it caused me to go into dumping syndrome that was horrible.

If all else fails return to liquids and make sure they are sugar free.