I am hoping some of you can help me out - don't know if I should make an appoinment with the doctor or not...

I am 3 weeks post op. Prior to surgery I was lactose intolerant but now it is so bad even taking the lactaid pills doesn't work. And now even "lactose free" and dairy free Protein shakes give me cramping and diarrhea. I've tried taking gas X and lactaid pills with the shakes with no help.

I was able to start on soft foods, but only able to get down 2 maybe 2.5 oz at each meal. I worry that I am going to end up malnourished and dehydrated and don't know what to do at this point. If I'm only eating 2 ounces of protien 3 times a day I know that is no where near my recommonded protein intake.

How long until my stomach should be healed enough that I can eat 4 ounces of protein. Should I call the doctor and explain my problem, or is this normal.

Thanks for your help everyone!!!!

I wouldn't write off lactose free shakes just yet. Pretty much everything I "ate" for the first few Weeks gave me diarrhea.

That said, I would still call your doctor.

Also, I'm at 8 Weeks and can eat roughly 2-3 oz of meat in one serving.

Sorry for the double post...

How many grams of protein in that 2 ounces? like 1/4 cup cottage cheese is 13 grams so 4X a day would be like51 g of protein...? that is pretty close and add a protein bar mid day you'd have it....

I'm about 6 weeks out and just last week was able to hold 4 oz of solid Protein (but not dense) for a meal.

What tpes of Proteins are you taking? If you're using whey isolate proteins that are lactose free, but still bothering you, you might want to switch to your nutrisionist about a different protein base. WPI is one of the best for us, but if you aren't tolerating it you should still have some options.

Milk proteins can sneak into a lot of products, including things like flavorings, toothpaste, etc. But it's a little unusual (IMO) that you're having reactions to lactose-free products. Do "dairy-free" products bother you as well?

I couldn't tolerate shakes of any sort, and I NEVER met any of the recommended Protein goals--sleeve hated (and still hates!) chicken, fish, meat (will let me eat around a tablespoon of hamburger meat now, taco-style, but that's it), and eggs most of the time. I turned to vegetable sources for a good bit of protein at first--Peanut Butter, which I ate from the spoon; Beans, which can be smushed up, turned into Soup, or made into any number of delicious, non-sweet dips--plus, you can use plain low-sodium white beans in a smoothie and never know it's there--just put them in with the fruit and fruit juice and whiz, and it works like the milk would to make it creamy--plus lactose-free! At any rate, I'm just fine, my blood numbers were/are just fine.

You might also try the newer lactose-free dairy products--I just saw lactose-free yogurt yesterday, and I know there is lactose-free cottage cheese and milk available at my local national grocery. I eat mostly dairy and veggie sources of protein now, even at a year out, since my sleeve isn't particularly tolerant of a lot of animal proteins--don't know why, just the way it works.

My favorite clear Protein drink is now called Whey Isolate at Vitamin Shoppe. I like the green (tropical) and the orange (tangerine). It's a 16 oz. bottle with 32 g of protein (it's whey protein isolate). They are 3.79 a bottle.

Maybe get off of the shakes for a few days, then try them again. Don't give up on them forever, your body is changing. But call your dr. They get paid good money and you have the right to "pester" them ok? Do NOT feel bad on asking about YOUR HEALTH. Good luck!

Maybe try a Pea Protein rather than the whey (soy)

Soy is a known allergen and can be acquired by those that are lactose intolerant. I use both Soy and Pea Protein.

If you want samples of the Proteins I will never give up let me know. Smoothie King vanilla, Arbonne Essentials Vanilla and chocolate. $8 covers the cost of the protein, shipping, tracking and paypal fees. PM me if you would like me to send samples.

Thanks for the replies everyone! To answer some of the questions, I found lactose free yogurt but it was full of sugar so I didn't buy it. I haven't been able to find any of the lactose free cottage cheese so I don't know if I can tolerate it yet or not. Both stores I went to that the website showed would carry it were sold out. I did try a rice based Protein, but had the same affect on me as the lactose free and whey protein isolate ones I tried. Haven't seen anything labeled "dairy free" & I haven't tried pea or soy Proteins yet but I can always try and get a few samples of those and see if I can drink those with no digestive problems. I will also try to incorporate more alternative proteins like Beans and Peanut Butter for now.

Right now I weigh out 3 ounces of food for each meal. Most of the time I can finish 3 ounces, sometimes a little less.

Meal 1: 1 egg and a few teaspoons of beans

Meal 2: chicken breast and a few teaspoons of applesauce or salsa

Meal 3: Fish and a few green beans

I just worried that this would not be enough calories or protein since I'm still at the point I can only eat about 3 ounces per serving. Doctors office recommends 3 Protein shakes per day and 3 4-ounce meals at this point. I am hoping that as my stomach continues to heal I can get in at least an ounce more protein per meal.

I couldn't tolerate shakes of any sort, and I NEVER met any of the recommended Protein goals--sleeve hated (and still hates!) chicken, fish, meat (will let me eat around a tablespoon of hamburger meat now, taco-style, but that's it), and eggs most of the time. I turned to vegetable sources for a good bit of protein at first--Peanut Butter, which I ate from the spoon; Beans, which can be smushed up, turned into soup, or made into any number of delicious, non-sweet dips--plus, you can use plain low-sodium white beans in a smoothie and never know it's there--just put them in with the fruit and fruit juice and whiz, and it works like the milk would to make it creamy--plus lactose-free! At any rate, I'm just fine, my blood numbers were/are just fine.

You might also try the newer lactose-free dairy products--I just saw lactose-free yogurt yesterday, and I know there is lactose-free cottage cheese and milk available at my local national grocery. I eat mostly dairy and veggie sources of protein now, even at a year out, since my sleeve isn't particularly tolerant of a lot of animal proteins--don't know why, just the way it works.

I am glad to hear that even if I can't drink the protein there's a possibility it won't impact my loss or my nutrition/bloodwork.

Yeah, I never could find a Protein shake that I could tolerate--and believe me, I tried a BUNCH of different formulations/brands. Every single one of them came right back up. I remember being thrilled after making my own smoothie with soy milk and Peanut Butter and being able to keep some of that down.

Definitely investigate different types of veggie/fruit smoothies--you can hide a lot of protein in a smoothie, even, like I say, beans--I wouldn't have thought it, but white Beans and a couple of cashew nuts blended into a smoothie will give a perfect, creamy, smooth texture that really mimics milk. AND don't forget there's a ton of new "milk" options that don't contain dairy, from soy to coconut to almond. You might can find an unflavored Protein powder that you can use--I tried a couple, but honestly, I was pretty tired of throwing up so once I found I could tolerate the peanut butter, other nuts, tofu, and beans, I pretty much just went with those.

Hang in there!! It's all a process. You'll figure out what works for you and your body. Take your time--if something doesn't work the first time, try it again in a few months.