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What does "dumping" really feel like? The flu?



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I am 4 weeks out and thankfully have not experienced "dumping".

What does it really feel like? Is it like the flu, or food poisoning, indigestion?

I am scared to death that my pouch will get the ouchies. What is the biggest thing to do to avoid it. Trembling in my bed as I type.

Edited by Homecie

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I had my first and so far only dumping when I was about a week out. I am 4 weeks now and man it feels like it's been forever lol. so here's my breakdown of how it affected me. I had a couple tablespoons of instant Sugar Free Chocolate pudding and a tiny bit of sugar free cool whip on top. I was really enjoying it after drinking broth and Water all week. All was fine. I was sitting up in bed 20 min later and I felt a little crampy..nothing horrible, but enough to make me lay down and hold my belly. I fell asleep for an hr, and I woke up doubled over in pain. It was right above my belly button, and felt like someone was twisting my insides. I sat up rocking myself back and forth, it hurt so bad. Then I started to sweat, then I got the shakes really bad. I couldn't tell if I had to use the toilet or puke...I went into the bathroom and dry heaved for about 10 min, then I had diarrhea...all the while I still had that twisting pain in the belly. I got up and tried walking around my house because I started to get chills along with everything else and then a sense of severe panic...it messes with chemicals in your brain so some people really feel like they are going to die...it lasted for about 2 hrs, and finally after some more sips of water and trying to calm myself I ended up falling asleep. The next day I felt better, but it was just an icky blah feeling all day, I didn't want to eat or drink anything but zero Powerade. I can't even look at pudding now :(

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And honestly, there really isn't a whole lot to do to avoid it. You just have to take chances and learn what your pouch likes now. I had the sugar free pudding and cool whip on my list from the doctor and I got dumping. Yet, I ate a chocolate covered strawberry the other day and I was totally fine. it's definitely a learning experience

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I was about 4 weeks out and had a few brown rice crackers with laughing cow cheese on them. About 45 min later I felt just wrong and went to the bathroom. I started peeing out my but and I was making plans on where to vomit if I had to....the floor, bathtub, garbage. My body went numb and got super hot and clammy. It probably lasted about an hour.

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To sum up dumping in one sentence. I wished I would die. Not literally drop dead but that's how horrible it feels. Cramps, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness. Like when you have a stomach bug and can't decide if you should sit on the toilet or lean over it. I don't know about everyone else but mine thankfully lasts about an hour and it goes away. To be clear I have only dumped about three times and that's enough. I sometimes get close to dumping and that is bad enough for me. Similar symptoms but not as intensely horrible. No matter how vigilant we are we always have a chance that something won't agree with our tummies. Also one thing will be okay to eat one day and another day eat the same amount of it and it will make you I'll. frustrating but I'd rather dump than still have that extra 103 lbs.

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Dumping is different for most people. Some have severe symptoms, others have very minor ones. It can also be different based on what you eat. In 7.5 months I have thrown up 3x (foamies) as part of dumping. I have had one session where I was sweating and pulse racing, accompanied by nausea and what I would consider flu like symptoms. It took 3 hours for me to feel decent. Now have I dumped more than those extreme cases? Yes I think I have. Some times my nose runs after I eat which to me suggests a reaction. Nothing severe but a reaction. Some times by pouch makes awful noises but I have no ill affects, but still I think that is part of the dumping syndrome. Some times I'm nauseous which too is a reaction to food.

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