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I'm 7.5 years out - bypass. Never dumped. I could eat a pint of ice cream and not dump (unfortunately...). Only affects about 30% of us, and for those who dump, they can control it by limiting how much sugar they eat at one sitting. never had issues with flatulence. I don't think that's too common - at any rate, I don't see a lot of posts on that. I would guess it's likely caused by eating certain carbs, though. If it happens to you, you'll probably figure out after awhile what it is that sets it off. I don't have issues with any of the "gummy" foods you mentioned, but I know some bypassers can only eat a limited amount of pasta, rice, etc. The only thing about them is that for some of us, those kinds of foods sort of sit in your stomach like a brick. They don't necessarily make people sick, but they just....sit there for a long time. Not sure if that's true for sleevers or not. I don't think you're going to find more lifestyle changes with bypass than you did with sleeve. Our clinic had everyone on the same regimen, regardless of surgery. The only thing is that with bypass, it's imperative to keep on top of your supplements because of the malabsorption factor. Slacking off on your vitamins has more consequences for bypassers than it does for sleevers. P.S. I spent two weeks in Italy in May. Had gelato every day and pizza probably five or six times. Never had issues. P.P.S. the only food that bothers my stomach is raw carrots. I find them very irritating. But I use that to my advantage. I'll start eating baby carrots when I feel a binge mood coming on. Usually they make me so uncomfortable that the last thing I want to do is eat anything else..

I think you're worrying too much about bypass issues. I never hear much about flatulence issues. I suppose some people have trouble with that, but I don't think it's super common. Same with dumping - happens to about 30% of bypassers, and if you're one who dumps, you can control it by limiting how much sugar you eat at one sitting (or fat - a minority of dumpers dump on fat). Nutritional deficiencies can be avoided if you keep on top of your supplements.

At my initial appointment with the surgeon I was 100% sleeve ready. We discussed my health, history, medications and personal goals. During which my severe GERD obviously came up. I was on 2 prescriptions and still always had TUMS on had. It was miserable and NOT controlled by the meds. This was a big concern for him (my surgeon) as sleeve patients already have a higher risk of developing GERD or is worsening. There was NO way I could deal with it getting worse. Honestly, I don't even know how it could. I was up a night vomiting fire, so bad my voice would be hoarse for the next few days. With that and the amount of weight I am aiming to loose he highly recommended bypass. I was scared, (to me) this was much more of a surgery. More risks, the whole vitamin thing.. etc. He said it was totally my choice, he would do either surgery but that was his recommendation. He provided some additional information and told me to think about it and next time we talk I could let him know. I read, and read, and read everything. Weighing the pros and cons. I decided that the GERD part alone was enough to make me move forward with bypass. Right away I stopped 1 of my GERD meds, I had to stay on the other one as directed by the surgeon to help heal and reduce the risk of ulcers. No issues with stopping 1 and didn't need TUMS. One the surgeon allowed me to stop the second medication (2 months post-op) I did. And still ALL GOOD! I am off all medications and have had NO sign of any acid reflux related problems! NO REGRETS! I don't know how to get you into the mindset, do research. Looking forward to the relief of GERD alone would get me there.

When I had my sleeve, I was excited for it. I wasn’t overjoyed - I’d rather have never been obese in the first place 😅 - but I wanted to have it, took it very seriously, made all sorts of commitments to myself that were destined to fail (I’ll never have a cookie again - yeah, sure buddy). I was in the right mindset to succeed. I’ve regained some weight, but what’s really motivating my revision is GERD. All I can think about is that I didn’t want a bypass the first time around for some specific reasons (dumping, flatulence, nutritional deficits). I’m not excited for this. I’m not eager to make certain lifestyle changes. In short, I’m not in the right mindset. Who else went through this? How did you prepare yourself?

Hello, I am 7 months post-op bypass. Really, everyone is different so I can only share my experience. Dumping is common in about 30% of bypass patients. There is risk of becoming lactose intolerant which is the most common intolerance. I tolerate everything, or at least I haven't had anything that I don't tolerate. I had a few hiccups very early out, for example I couldn't eat cold chicken (I think it was too dry) but I do now without issue. Otherwise I haven't ran into anything that I don't tolerate and LUCKILY I am just fine with all kinds of dairy. I was worried about that one because I just love all the dairy products. My team/ Dietician is very "balanced diet" they do not restrict any foods once you get back to your normal diet phase of the process. They stress that the point of the surgery is that you can learn to eat a well balanced diet so you do not "feel like you are on a diet forever". I love this strategy because I am and always have been against all the fad diets. Our bodies really do need everything, just at different levels. (I'm ranting, back to the point) Therefore we are allowed all foods, with the priority of proteins FIRST and then if we have room in out bellies and our plan for the day can go on to others. I eat carbs, fat, sugar..etc. Not in excess and in moderation and after or once I know for sure I will hit my protein goal. Some carbs like breads fill me up super fast so I limit them just because of that. I have had regular pasta, brown and white rice, breads, crackers all of which are fine but I have a little at a time. Again, mainly for filling up reasons. I eat regular sugar sweets without issue. Although, little bits at a time and not often so I may just not have hit my "maxed to the point of dumping yet" or I just may not be a dumper. I really don't know for sure and I don't intend to push myself to the point of trying to dump to find out. haha I do pay attention to the sugars so if I do dump I know at what point pushed me there. So far I have had a max of 15g ADDED sugars at a time. I do not have any issues with dumping from fats either. Or, again maybe just haven't hit the dumping point yet. I have had fried chicken breast once but pulled the skin off. I have had chicken tenders too with the breading. Maybe a few fries (5-6). I usually only eat these things in a pinch, usually out just because they are always so high in calories. I might be a special case, I have has a seamless recovery and transition back to "normal" eating. I am so grateful for that! Eating too much will kick my a*s but I learned from that quick and it only happened 2 times. Gas...yea... it sucks. I definitely have more gas. haha I do notice if I eat those "bad" foods as mentioned above that i have more gas. I hope I answered all your questions and this helped. Good luck on whatever you decide!

I had my bypass over 4 years ago. It really just depends on the day. One day I can eat candy corn & the next day it makes me sick. The only food that has given me any problem is almond milk. I have tried it 3 different times & it has made me sick. I do have problems if I eat too much. When I dump it’s throwing up or I don’t feel well for a couple hours. Just like pregnancy, everyone is different & my experience won’t be the same as anyone else’s.

Can folks tell me more about what they considered when deciding between a sleeve to mini-bypass versus sleeve to bypass? Why did you choose the mini? Thanks!

Hi all, I'm a sleeve patient needing to switch to a bypass due to GERD, and I'm hoping to hear from folks about foods they cannot eat because of their bypass. In particular: How tolerant are you of sweets/sugar? How do you do with "gummy" foods like pasta, rice, and bread? Are there other foods you find painful to eat? Separately, what is people's experience with side effects: Dumping syndrome Flatulence Others I should be aware of? For those who had there bypass 2+ years ago, do you become more tolerant of these foods and/or experience fewer side effects over time? For instance, I couldn't eat ground beef for the first year and a half after my sleeve; it hurt. Now I can. I ask because I've heard anecdotes about the severity of dumping syndrome (like, will I be able to have any sweets at all?) and that some people find pasta, rice, and bread painful to eat. I just got back from Italy; I like my sleeve because I can still eat my favorites like pasta and gelato but I can't go overboard. That's why I chose it over the bypass, and I did really well. Some weight regain, but I've kept off 70% of my initial weight loss. I'm 80% satisfied with my sleeve. Honestly, I'm a little scared of the lifestyle changes a bypass will entail. I made a lot of changes for my sleeve, but my understanding is the changes required of the bypass are more intense. I had a long time to prepare myself mentally for the sleeve versus just a few months for the bypass, and while I was so unhappy with my body pre-sleeve that I'd so almost anything, I'm not so unhappy today. If it weren't for my GERD, I'd likely get re-sleeved than convert to a bypass. Be honest, but, ya know, don't be afraid to say reassuring things 😅 Thanks so much!

I was hoping to get folks' opinion on the mini-bypass vs the bypass. Because I'm considering a revision, my thinking is I'd rather have the less dramatic revision. There are fewer adverse effects and nutritional requirements with the mini, and if in the future for some reason I need to convert to a full bypass, that option is on the table. On the other hand, I regret not going with the bypass 6 years ago. I didn't know how bad my GERD would get, but I also didn't think I'd regain as much weight as I did (40 pounds out of 140 lost). Who else has thought about these alternatives? What did you go with and why?

There doesn't seem to be a lot of studies regarding this, but I found one that claimed the pharmacodynamics of dextromethorphan in bypass patients was not really any different from the general population. I think the moral of the story is don't take too much and don't take an ER version and you're probably fine.

I was actually approved for the sleeve but am switching to bypass. In my own research, and much reading of this forum, I just see too many people experiencing GERD after the sleeve. Sometimes it takes years to show up or it can happen right after surgery, but there are many, many revisions because of this. I just couldn't risk living with the kind of medication resistant GERD people describe for a couple of years then go through a revision. I see much more satisfaction from the bypass side. I realize there are people perfectly happy with their sleeve and I hope that continues for them. This is my best decision for myself. I would just encourage you to search the sleeve forum for GERD and also stroll though the revision forum to see why they changed. The kind of GERD we are talking about makes living difficult. If not for this one issue, I would go with the sleeve, though the bypass is still considered the gold standard. Good luck with your own decision. Your surgeon can help with this.

Hello Angel2018 how is it going since the MGB? I am due to have my sleeve revised to MGB in 2 days and I'm excited!

I had a higher starting weight (My highest was 382 - down to 330 by the time I saw my surgeon) … I initially wanted sleeve because of many of the reasons you stated, but was prepared for my dr to recommend bypass because of my starting weight and reflux. After meeting with my surgeon I asked her opinion- based on my medical history and her experience of outcomes. I have IBS and for about 8 months prior to surgery was dealing with reflux. I also took a daily (2x a day) NSAID pre surgery that she advised that I stop until my post-op follow up, but that I could resume if needed after she saw me. I was really surprised when she told me she didn’t recommend bypass for me and why. She was a surgeon who had extensive experience with all of the surgery options, so I was confident she wasn’t steering me towards what she was comfortable with routinely doing. She actually recommended sleeve (with a hernia repair) and told me if I wanted a revision later - she’d recommend going with a duodenal switch. She mentioned to me that because of the extended length of the DS surgery time, she prefers to do that surgery in two stages. I was honest and told her the second phase of that surgery scared me a little. She was very understanding about that and told me that the sleeve and bypass had very similar outcomes in the 2 yr mark, reviewed the benefits and drawbacks of each and discussed with me that she has had quite a few patients have the sleeve (at my starting weight and higher) as the 1st phase who lost enough they decided not to go on to the DS, but knew it was an option if they wanted it. She was impressed with my weightloss up to that point and was confident with my history and medical conditions, I would be happy with the progress I would make with my surgery. I was 324 on the day of my surgery and at 10.5 weeks post op I’m down to 291. It’s definitely a slow progress, but I’ve had a few unrelated challenges in that time (being sick and dealing with issues from a car accident that occurred several years ago), but I’m headed in the right direction. At my followup she was very pleased with my progress and told me that she felt very good about the track I was on. I’m still very early in the process, but I’m glad I asked her what she recommended and why, based on her experience and my medical history. My husband and I were both comfortable with her explanations and very confident in our decisions because I felt like we had sound information to make a decision on. I’m hoping that I don’t decide to go in for a revision, that I can get down to a weight I’m comfortable with (I’m not sure what that number is yet, I’m hoping I know it when I feel it, lol), but if not - I know what my options are. Right now I’m still having some issues with being able to eat enough. I’m only able to eat very small amounts at a time, but other than that everything is going well. With the weight loss I’ve had - I have been able to stop my NSAID at this point. I had also stopped my PPI meds (but recently restarted it temporarily because a sinus infection stirred things up again… hoping to stop it as soon as that clears up). My IBS is still something I’m working with but so far it has been manageable. Best of luck in whatever you decide!

I had sleeve because I was worried about medication absorption. Since then I have read about tons of bypasses who are on meds, even the psyc meds I worried about and they have had zero issues. I am a year and a half out and so far no gerd issues but I have not lost all I weight and I struggle with regain. In all fairness one of my meds does clearly state is causes weight gain and with the depression I don’t exercise like I should but I still can’t help but wonder if I would be in a different boat with bypass. Don’t get me wrong I don’t regret my choice. I am glad I chose something because they are both great surgeries that will get you down to a much more healthy weight. I just can’t help but wonder what if I had chosen bypass would I be sporting my skinny jeans right now.

Congratulations! I’m 16 weeks pregnant. Have only gained 5lbs so far - bypass was Mar 8 this year. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

Hi! November 30th bypass.

I understand your frustration and I’m a big believer in listening to your gut. If something feels “off”, I’d explore more. I would hope they would have told you if they were unable to do what they had planned. Did the surgery fall within the estimated time frame they suggested it would? Being a revision - with a smaller removal, after a significant weightloss (than your first surgery) it’s plausible the time was much less to complete. The suggestion of the surgical notes is a good idea as well. I do think the others are right about healing and extra acid being the culprit… but asking your team about your concerns (still feeling hungry and not having restrictions) can’t hurt. Maybe your PPI needs adjusted (even if it temporarily) or they can recommend something like smaller portions more frequently to help. I have Hashimoto’s also and it can really fight you every step of the way on this. My Endo has been working with with me in the WLS journey and has been a big help. I was taking something to help with my metabolic syndrome prior to my surgery. I stopped it about the time of the surgery (because it could make me constipated and didn’t want to have that compound the dietary changes which could cause the same) but ended up starting it back up again after I got through that. Also we check my labs and looks at my symptoms to adjust my Synthroid. Sometimes my labs look good but I feel off and we do minor adjustments to keep my fickle body happy. I hope you find some answers!

I had the gastric bypass and I still can't sleep on my left, either. So sad! I've found that I am really sensitive to chemical tastes and smells. Perfumes make me itch. If the scale is causing you distress, stay off of it for a while. I've heard to stay off of it for the first 5-6 weeks, because our bodies are changing so much.

Hello all. I thought I’d check in since I’m almost one week out from my surgery. My biggest impression is how different I feel today than i did at the beginning of the week. I was in a lot of pain, some of which I mistook for hunger which had me in a panic. I was really worried that I’d done the right thing, which seems to be a common theme in lots of posts about the early days after surgery! I also managed to get a dressing wet when trying to take my first shower after I got home, and flew into a full blown panic attack thinking I had really done something terrible. I know that probably seems like a massive overreaction (because, to be fair, it was!) but I think all of the worry and fear I’d been carrying around for weeks chose that moment to erupt. My partner was incredibly kind and patient and calmly replaced the bandage and let me cry. And that in some ways felt like a real turning point. A friend of mine who is a nurse and has also had the same bypass procedure suggested that I take my pain medication regularly for a few days whether I felt like I needed or not, and so I did like clockwork. That made a huge difference and I realised how much I had been trying to ‘tough it out’. By yesterday I was able to switch to plain paracetamol, and I’m feeling much much better - stiff and achey, no doubt, but on the whole pretty human. And I’m also excited to say that since the beginning of my two week pre op diet I have lost over 20 lbs - about a pound a day on average. I know it won’t continue at this rate forever, but it’s been pretty freaking motivating so far! And once I was able to differentiate between pain or gurgling, I realised that I wasn’t experiencing any hunger at all. Even when my partner eats around me, I feel pretty disinterested (annoyingly they’ve lost a stone as well in the past month through healthier eating, but I have to remind myself that they were 15 lbs overweight and I have over 100 to lose!) So far I’ve been sticking to clear whey protein isolate mixed with water, which means I am hitting my water and protein goals every day. I don’t love the taste, but I’m not particularly here for the taste. As far as I’m concerned, they are a nutritional supplement I have to take every day - just like my vitamins. With that mindset, it’s been pretty easy so far. In fact, I plan to speak to my team to see if it’s possible to carry on with them right through the puree stage, as I’m getting all the protein and vitamins and minerals I need and I’m not that fussed about tuna puree! 😂 And best moment of the week so far - this morning my partner told me that my KNEES looks skinnier! I have no idea what that means but I will take it!

I had my vsg done as outpatient. I had to be there at 6am, I had surgery a couple hours later. I was out the same day, maybe 3ish? I can't remember. I didn't have much pain at all. A little nausea but they gave me something for it, went away immediately. I had a 45 to 1hr drive home, I just slept the entire time. I lived on the second floor and climbed up them with no problem. That was one of my pre-surgery worries. I took my medicine and fell asleep. I really had no issues but a abdominal cramp here and there. Nothing alarming. No problem with drinking liquids or walking to the restroom... Etc. Like others, pretty uneventfuln and painless. My revision seemed even easier. Gotta love medical technology.

Which surgery did you have? If you had the sleeve, a multi may be all you need. This is a question you really need to ask your Dietician or Nutritionist. Depending on what your blood work says, you may need something else, or you may not. I take a lot of supplements daily, but I had a bypass, am vegan, and have my Dietician guiding me. It can't hurt to take a hair and skin supplement though, to help your body through any upcoming hair loss. Won't stop it, but the extra supplements will help with the eventual regrowth. A good bariatric-multi should be covering most bases, though.

I hate this fight. My insurance can pay for my revision. However, I am tired of this 3 year fight. I currently have an advocate fighting with me. It's not just about weight loss. I am fighting for my quality of life. I work and pay for my insurance. How dare they act like I don't have a disease called obesity! Sent from my SM-G996U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Your doctor, primary care or urgent care tho would be the ones to give you a good yes or no but i was never told to avoid antibiotics. Its pain killers typically like motrin (NSAIDS) are things we should be avoiding more so for gastric bypass people.

I was sleeved at 293 back in 2017 I lost 100 lbs within 6 months and unfortunately most of my hair in the process. I didn’t cope with things properly and here I am 5 years later weighing 286. I am scheduled for a revision to MGB this Thursday so here’s hoping I get this right! I’m going to follow these rules