The "D" word

[Tgarden 76]

OK, I have heard quite a bit about dumping syndrome, and it is definitely not something I EVER want to experience if I do end up with bypass! From what I have read, it occurs when you eat too much sugar or fat. Is this right? Can you all maybe share a few things that have made you feel horrible that you didn't expect? Whether it is dumping or getting stuck. Thanks!

[smtopekalaw 0]

I dumped last night on two tsp. of Heinz ketchup. Completely took me by surprise!

[sweet strawberry 25]

chicken is awful for getting stuck and do not microwave food everything i do in the microwave makes me so sick and alot of ppl in my support classes say the same thing

[muffin1001 11]

One of the main reasons I decided to have a bypass was because of the possibility of dumping - it was actually something I thought might help me. I've always been a fan of sweet things (chocolate, cakes etc) and I hoped that dumping might help me restrict what I ate afterwards.

Unfortunately I find that I don't dump much at all and I have very little restriction over what I can't eat. Cold meat is a little difficult but other than that, I can pretty much eat anything. I have had a couple of what I would classify as 'mini-dumps' when I've eaten a little too much, too quickly but I didn't (and don't) have the restriction I thought I might. I have to say, I think I'm a bit unusual in that respect. That's the one thing I've learned over the last 18 months - everyone's journey is different and it's best to expect the unexpected!

[DLCoggin 1,788]

Dumping is often the result of eating foods with too much sugar but it can also be the result of eating carbs (for example white rice). Although decidedly unpleasant, dumping is seldom serious and rarely requires medical attention. It's also important to remember that many bypass patients never experience dumping. It's a mistake to count on dumping as a benefit of bypass since it may never occur. From a weight loss standpoint it makes no difference. There is no scientific evidence that patients who dump are any more or less successful than those who don't.

For folks who experience dumping, about two-thirds experience early dumping. Early dumping usually occurs twenty to thirty minutes following eating. The remaining one third experience late dumping which usually occurs two to three hours following eating but can occur twelve hours or more later. Late dumping is usually reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and symptoms can usually be resolved quickly by eating just about anything that contains sugar. I seldom dump but when I do it's late dumping. In my case, white rice and popcorn are definitely off the menu options.

The list of things that might result in dumping would be pretty long. But probably of little value anyway on an individual basis. Person A dumps on "X" every time while person B has no trouble at all with "X" but dumps on "Y", and person C doesn't dump on anything..

Regardless of whether you dump or not, you're gonna love the new you!!

[Tgarden 76]

Thanks for this great info. I know that there are things I will need to avoid forever, and I'm ok with that. I'm just so tired of always having something stuck with this band, and I didn't want to get right back into the same situation. If healthy foods constantly get stuck or make you feel horrible, then you have to eat something, right? Usually my "something" that will go down easily with the band is high in carbs or sugar. And if I do that with bypass, then I risk dumping syndrome. I just want to make sure that things like salad, veggies, lean meats, etc. will be ok.

[smtopekalaw 0]

For me, stuck and dumping are two very different things. I always get stuck food, mostly because I eat too fast and swallow too big of bites. I throw it up and I'm fine. Dumping is unpredictable, at least for me. My insides start to burn, I get a horrible "stomach" ache and feel sweaty and faint. I cannot control or speed up the reaction my body is having.

I've cheated on my plan a few times, like eating a tiny piece of peanut brittle or eating a few pretzels, with no dumping. But I ate three small pieces of pineapple or a little bit of ketchup and had it. My surgery was October 14, 2013, so maybe my experiences are from being new. I don't know...

[DLCoggin 1,788]

Thanks for this great info. I know that there are things I will need to avoid forever, and I'm ok with that. I'm just so tired of always having something stuck with this band, and I didn't want to get right back into the same situation. If healthy foods constantly get stuck or make you feel horrible, then you have to eat something, right? Usually my "something" that will go down easily with the band is high in carbs or sugar. And if I do that with bypass, then I risk dumping syndrome. I just want to make sure that things like salad, veggies, lean meats, etc. will be ok.

Although I can certainly appreciate your concern, everyone is so different that certainty is elusive. I have no experience with the band so can't make any comparisons. But I can answer your questions based on my experience (your experience could ultimately be different). I've never experienced anything being stuck but others have. I seldom eat bread. Not because it gets "stuck" but because it seems to hit the pouch and just kind of lays there in a big lump. Not painful, no nausea and I've never vomited from it. But the "heaviness" is uncomfortable. I haven't experienced it with anything else. And even with bread, the discomfort passes pretty quickly.

I have had no problems with salads, veggies or lean meats. I eat a fair amount of chicken, fish and turkey. Occasionally a steak or pork. No problems with any of them. But there are others on the forum that have had problems with one or more meats, especially chicken as you can see from sweet strawberry's response. Like I said, certainty is elusive.

Note too that sometimes folks can't tolerate X at one point and then try it again at some point in the future and have no problems. There seems to be a widespread misconception that bypass patients have a long list of foods that they will never be able to eat. From my experience and that of other veterans, that simply is not true. There may be a few specific foods that result in dumping or create that heavy feeling. But generally speaking, I can eat just about anything that I want.

Hope that helps and have a great day!