Hi all, I'm booked for gastric sleeve surgery on Wednesday 5 December and started the pre-op diet (Optifast is the product we use in NZ) 4 days ago. Almost immediately I was hit with terrible gas from the shakes, which gets worse as the day goes on and I drink more of them - I have 3 per day total - ending at night time with explosive, painful diarrhoea for a couple of hours.

I can't call my clinic until Monday but I'm not sure what to do: carry on or give my tum a break? If I don't have any shakes tomorrow how will I impact on my liver shrinking? I'm funding this surgery myself and don't want to muck it up but I can't really go on like this [emoji22]

Any thoughts, experiences or ideas gratefully received.

Maybe your Bariatric Team and a Bariatric Dietician/Nutritionist can come up with some equivilencies for YOU. I'm sure in all of New Zealand there have been OTHER CASES like YOU! Stay Strong, Stay Resolute and an Answer Will Be Found!

Try a different type of protein shake. Lots out there. Make sure they have very low carb (less than 5g carbs per drink and close to 0 added sugar). Make sure you get at least 15g of protein per 8oz drink. Make sure they are meal replacements.

The easier ones to digest and absorb protein is whey protein isolate. But some can/do use soy protein isolate. Don't know what you have in NZ. Do you have anything like a Vitamin Shoppe there? Or like a GNC? I'd go in and see if I could find some. There are also egg white protein powders that are easy to absorb and give good protein while being low carb. Jay Robb is one of them. Depending, you may have to take an extra multi-vitamin/mineral depending on how good they are.

To me it sounds like you are lactose intolerant.

Do they sell any products like Lactaid in NZ? That would help with the gas/diarrhea if it's from lactose intolerance. Did you have problems with milk products before?

4 hours ago, the.great.disappearing.kelly.trick said:

Hi all, I'm booked for gastric sleeve surgery on Wednesday 5 December and started the pre-op diet (Optifast is the product we use in NZ) 4 days ago. Almost immediately I was hit with terrible gas from the shakes, which gets worse as the day goes on and I drink more of them - I have 3 per day total - ending at night time with explosive, painful diarrhoea for a couple of hours.

I can't call my clinic until Monday but I'm not sure what to do: carry on or give my tum a break? If I don't have any shakes tomorrow how will I impact on my liver shrinking? I'm funding this surgery myself and don't want to muck it up but I can't really go on like this

Any thoughts, experiences or ideas gratefully received.

I'm allergic to Soy and that sounds like one of the side effects. Try another shake product without the soy in it.

And although you might be getting pricey, there are plant based , like pea protein or I think I read of someone who got hers from eggs or egg derivative.
My grandma Ada, Daddy's mama, and didn't Mama hated her, a lot whirring in the grave, I get more like her in attitude, different shade of skin, Grandma showed her Native Amrican/First Nation roots, I am fair, red-haired/ginger but we grow more alike as time goes on. Granma Ada's saying
"The Good Lord never made an itch, He didn't make a Scratcher to Fit it! "which means if you look and search long enough there is ALWAYS an answer!

Try to find an alternative until you talk to your Dr. Each Dr. is different and has different requirements. Just be sure to follow your doctors plans once you talk to him and he is able to give you other suggestions.

If you go into a Health2000 shop, they have many different types of protein powders.Tell them about the effect the optifast is having, and they’ll help you find a substitute. Also - you said the shakes give you a reaction - what about the optifast bars? If not, just eat the bars!!

Remember, there is nothing special about the optifast itself in readying you for surgery. It is just one rapid-diet option. You just need to quickly lose some weight so the fat around your liver gets reduced, thus making the surgery easier and safer. So rigidly sticking to a Jenny Craig diet, or the bars/shakes that life pharmacy sells will work just as well. You just need to really commit to it, get those pounds off.

And then you begin this wonderful journey!

Edited November 24, 20187 yr by Biddy zz