I have been trying to find the answer to this and some help would be appreciated lol I am almost 6 weeks post op and I'm afraid to drink or try news things as I am afraid of getting this infamous "Dumping Syndrome" how long after having the gastric sleeve are you at risk of having this? When can I drink juice, coffee with creamer, etc without the fear of getting this ?

(I don't care about the calories or lack of nutritional value in these foods, I am going to do what I am going to do lol )

I don't get dumping syndrome as such, but if I have too much sugar I know within about 10 to 20 minutes, light nausea and something like the shakes but not the shakes. I say light nausea but its not the typical nausea...not sure how to describe it.

Sleeved 12/22/2021. Never had dumping. At 6 weeks post op my doctor said I'm healed and could eat and drink anything but hard veggies, like raw carrots, etc... for 2 months after my 6 weeks. I drank coffee with creamer 2 weeks after surgery. Never had a problem.

2 hours ago, PM2022 said:

When can I drink juice, coffee with Creamer, etc without the fear of getting this ?

(I don't care about the calories or lack of nutritional value in these foods, I am going to do what I am going to do lol )

If you are cleared for regular fluids, I'd say take a cautious approach. Start with a half water/half juice mix to lower the sugar content. It seems the sugar is what drives the dumping syndrome. If you're good with it diluted, then try stronger mixtures. As you do this, keep in mind your insulin response to the sweet. If you put a large amount of sugar in quickly, your pancreas doesn't know your stomach has dropped in size. It's responding to a sugar stimulus that in the past would have meant a large volume. Let your body adapt to the changes by training it slowly.

dumping syndrome happens to about 30% of bypass patients. It can happen with sleeve patients, too, but it's much less common than it is in bypass patients.

if you eat a lot of sugar or fat in one sitting and then start getting sweats, chills, heart palpitations, dizziness, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting, and it goes on for hours, then you'll know you get dumping syndrome. But again, it's not that common in sleeve patients.

As @catwoman7 said dumping is very uncommon in sleeve patients. If you avoid sugary, greasy/fatty, or rich foods you’ll reduce your chance even further. But on your diet you wouldn't be eating these types of foods anyway so you have even less chance of experiencing dumping.

Yes, your tummy can be sensitive & fussy for a little while after surgery and certain foods can upset you but it’s pretty minor & passes quickly & nothing extreme like dumping (nausea, cold sweats, rapid heart rate, diarrhoea &/or vomiting, very tired, hours to recover). Often it’s just it tastes awful. Start with plainer, simpler foods & don’t be surprised if you can eat something today but tomorrow you can’t. It is temporary.

You may experience the foamies at some point which usually occurs from eating too much or too quickly or eating foods that are too coarse/dry. You’ll feel like something is stuck. Produce a thicker saliva & may regurgitate what was too much for you. I also cough. No cold sweats, no heart palpitations, no nausea, no diarrhoea, no vomiting. Foamies pass very quickly too.

The longer you take to start incorporating a variety of foods into your diet the harder it will become. Plus you may be missing out on essential nutrients.

Don't be frightened of something that may or may not happen to you. That's no way to live a life. I have been able to drink coffee since I woke up in hospital. I drink it all day, every day. In the past months I have enjoyed Tomato juice, it tastes delicious. Even now and again with a drop of vodka in it.

I was sleeved 12 years ago, and never had dumping. I still am sensitive to high fats, lactose or fake sugar (sugar alcohols like xylitol) where I poop my brains out if I eat or drink those things.

Im 5.5 weeks out. I havent experienced this as of yet. Although I do not drink coffee I have started drinking from a straw which my team is totally against. Drinking from a straw has not bothered me one bit. I have also tried various foods...there is only 1 that I felt horrible after having 2 small bites and that was pizza. I felt like crap for about 3 hours. I guarantee I will not make that mistake again lol at least not for a long while. I cant say I had any of the "symptoms" listed above but I just felt awful and it lasted hours. No diarrhea, dizziness or nausea just a general feeling of ugh I feel awful. I generally eat very little in one sitting but I may have 3-4 very small "meals".

I haven’t yet had anything with a lot of fat but I have had half a candy bar and I didn’t dump. I had sleeve.

How are you guys drinking caffeine after surgery? I’m told not to have caffeine for 3 months.


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06/28/2022 07:07 PM, Supafly82 said:

How are you guys drinking caffeine after surgery? I’m told not to have caffeine for 3 months.


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I just had a Protein Shake that had caffeine. I don’t think I was allowed but I haven’t had coffee in 10 days and was really craving hard. It was the premier Cafe Latte. So good!

1 hour ago, Supafly82 said:

How are you guys drinking caffeine after surgery? I’m told not to have caffeine for 3 months.


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Doctors are all over the board about caffeine. Some people are never asked to quit while others are told they are not to have it again for life. Most people are told some time frame whether it’s a month or three months, etc.

I was told no caffeine. I do drink a decaf coffee with my protein shake chocolate, vanilla or strawberry, plus a few pumps of sugar free calorie free syrup.

I was told dumping for the sleeve was getting the feeling like something stuck in my chest. I’ve had it a couple of times along with feeling nausea and even throwing up if I eat too much or something with too much sugar. Once that happens I don’t eat those foods again.

Gastric sleeve patients don't usually get dumping syndrome, though it is not impossible. I am 7 years out and have never had dumping.