Gas advice much needed

[SamDS100 7]

Hello everyone! I'm just over 3 months out of my gastric bypass surgery and I'm struggling A LOT with belching and it's constant all day every day, if its an especially bad day it makes me end up heaving and trying to be sick (cant vomit since surgery, just plenty of dry heaving)

I'm also still having bad diarrhea every day and have basically every day since the surgery, dieticians say dumping but even when I was just on liquids or hardly eating its the same result! I've done a stool sample and no bugs to be found. I have been meaning to increase my fibre but I haven't actually done it yet because I've been fairly poorly either liver problems at the same time and I'm trying to get back on track

Any advice would be really appreciated

Sam

[catwoman7 10,881]

that doesn't sound like dumping. I know of someone else who has SIBO - (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) that sounds somewhat similar to what you have, but I'm NOT a medical person. I've also heard of people having issues digesting carbohydrates (not necessarily WLS patients, but I've heard about it in WLS patients, too) who have to eat a low FODmap diets (or at least very low carb diets) to control it.

I would see your general PCP - and if they don't know, maybe they can refer you to a G/I specialist. These kinds of things aren't really common, so it could be that the people at your bariatric clinic just aren't familar with it.

EDITED to add: I just re-read your message and noticed you said you've had liver problems, too. Maybe it's related to that? I would see if you can get a referral to someone who deals with these kinds of things (G/I person or maybe a hepatologist (if it's liver-related). At any rate, I'd probably start with my primary care covider.

Edited June 6, 2023 by catwoman7

[flabbergasted 10]

Make sure nothing you are consuming has Malitol artificial sweetener in it. If I consume any at all I get the same symptoms.

[Jeanniebug 472]

If you're drinking Protein Shakes, make sure they don't have "whey Protein concentrate". You want the isolate, not concentrate. Those give me all kinds of tummy problems.

[catwoman7 10,881]

yes - the above commenters are right. Some people are intolerant of artificial sweeteners - or at least SOME artificial sweeteners. Sugar alcohols (those with names the end it "-itol" - like xylitol and malitol) are the worst offenders.