Obviously dumping is something that most wls patients fear and all want to try and avoid it. But after reading countless articles and threads I find it all very confusing.

There are some food which are obvious triggers e.g alcohol, high fat and high sugar foods. But what I am curious about are things like fruit - fruit is very high in sugar but a lot of the articles and recommended diet plans include fruit as an ok food. This confuses me. Are certain fruits better than others? Is fruit ok but only in very small quantities?

I am also wondering if "food combining" helps. Is eating fruit with protein e.g yogurt better than eating it on its own? Does this apply to other foods as well? We all know how before going to a party and consuming lots of alcohol people would "line" their stomachs with a glass of milk. Does this kind of approach work for bariatric patients?

I am also interested in if there is anything that can be done to relieve or reduce a dumping episode once it starts? Obviously there isn't a lot that can be done if the dumping gives you the trots but what if your symptoms are the shaky, lightheaded , palpitations kind of symptoms? Usually people with hypoglycaemia need to get instant , easy to digest sugar but if sugar is the cause then its not going to help.

6 hours ago, elcee said:

Obviously dumping is something that most wls patients fear and all want to try and avoid it. But after reading countless articles and threads I find it all very confusing.

There are some food which are obvious triggers e.g alcohol, high fat and high sugar foods. But what I am curious about are things like fruit - fruit is very high in sugar but a lot of the articles and recommended diet plans include fruit as an ok food. This confuses me. Are certain fruits better than others? Is fruit ok but only in very small quantities?

I am also wondering if "food combining" helps. Is eating fruit with Protein e.g yogurt better than eating it on its own? Does this apply to other foods as well? We all know how before going to a party and consuming lots of alcohol people would "line" their stomachs with a glass of milk. Does this kind of approach work for bariatric patients?

I am also interested in if there is anything that can be done to relieve or reduce a dumping episode once it starts? Obviously there isn't a lot that can be done if the dumping gives you the trots but what if your symptoms are the shaky, lightheaded , palpitations kind of symptoms? Usually people with hypoglycaemia need to get instant , easy to digest sugar but if sugar is the cause then its not going to help.

This is all really going to depend on you. For me, I can eat all the natural sugars I want with zero issues, it's the added / unnatural sugars that cause some mild issues for me. Fats I don't really have any issues with. Once dumping starts, it's too late, what triggered it has already occurred. Sugars generally trigger dumping within 30 mins, then fats come in around 3 hours later. Then there is the fact that the same exact food can sometimes trigger issues and not other times. And lots of foods might trigger symptoms close to surgery but not later down the road. There isn't any set in stone anything with these surgeries sadly, way too many variables.

Great questions.

I think @Matt Z is on the money!

I also think it depends on your "definition" of dumping. You know? Cuz I don't eat more than 2oz (3oz was my all time high) of low glycemic fruits/berries at a time and I will always combine it with fat and protein. So I never get any symptoms of anything remotely like dumping.

But, if I have a high fat meal or food, I can plan on extreme nausea and some epigastric "pain" and discomfort within about 30-45 minutes. I feel so bad, that I have to lay down, cover my eyes and have a cool quiet room. And it takes about 2 hours to pass. Sometimes I dry heave (can't Ralph). But I never have the usual thing that goes with it--oily loose stools. Never had 'em. So I don't know if this is a case of mild dumping, or a gallbladder fit, or just the aftereffects of RNY when eating a high fat meal/food.

Oh and I haven't dared to test this with sweets other than fruits yet.

Edited November 9, 20187 yr by FluffyChix

For me, sugar is sugar, my body doesn't care if it's from fruit or a packet. (I had VSG).
Protein and fiber help slow down digestive emptying, so yes they might help. But higher protein/fiber shouldnt be justification to eat higher sugar. I have found the low glycemic foods to be "better".

Once it starts, you just have to let it pass.

For me, it's not consistent. It seems to happen with more liquid type foods and isnt always tied to grams of sugar. High carbs in general can do it, but high sugar always does. It sometimes seems random and I havent figured it all out yet. I can eat kit kats, but not drink a premier protein shake. I can't eat mashed potatoes or soup. Oatmeal is fine. I can eat dry cereal fine, but I cant eat it with milk.

I also get late dumping/reactive hypoglycemia. Between 2 and 3 hours, my glucose crashes. It sucks.

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On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 6:48 AM, Matt Z said:

This is all really going to depend on you. For me, I can eat all the natural sugars I want with zero issues, it's the added / unnatural sugars that cause some mild issues for me. Fats I don't really have any issues with. Once dumping starts, it's too late, what triggered it has already occurred. Sugars generally trigger dumping within 30 mins, then fats come in around 3 hours later. Then there is the fact that the same exact food can sometimes trigger issues and not other times. And lots of foods might trigger symptoms close to surgery but not later down the road. There isn't any set in stone anything with these surgeries sadly, way too many variables.

Same. I think it depends on you. I can eat natural sugars with zero issues. I think I've only had one dumping episode and I think it was caused from peanut butter. Which I have been able to tolerate UNTIL NOW.

I've had dumping once. I deserved it - I ate some carb smart ice cream. I had noticed when I had it before that my stomach would get upset if I ate about half a cup. This particular time I ate about one cup. At first I felt gassy/nausiated and then the verps came. Then I got all hot and sweaty and I became more "aware" of my heart rthyem (I have anxiety and panic disorder, so I thought it felt like a panic attack). The only thing I could do was to sit in a recliner for hours. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I still felt pretty lousy, and then the loose stools came.

Not as bad as I thought it was going to be - I wasn't flat out on the floor grasping at my heart. Nevertheless like others said, once it has started, it's too late. You're now on the roller coaster and can't get off. As for me, I didn't want any food or liquids during the episode. I probably would have thrown it up if I tried.

I was told that the fiber in fruit balances out the natural sugars and that's why they are okay.