What is dumping syndrome?
With the gastric bypass procedure, “dumping” is the condition that occurs when the stomach’s contents move too rapidly through the small intestine, this is typically caused by eating foods high in sugars or fats. Symptoms can include nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, rapid heart rate, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. This side effect encourages gastric bypass patients to positively adhere to a diet high in protein and to stay away from fats and sugars.
Eating sugars or other foods containing many small particles when you have an empty stomach can cause dumping syndrome in patients who have had a gastric bypass or BPD where the stomach pylorus is removed. Your body handles these small particles by diluting them with water, which reduces blood volume and causes a shock-like state. Sugar may also induce insulin shock due to the altered physiology of your intestinal tract. The result is a very unpleasant feeling: you break out in a cold clammy sweat, turn pale, feel “butterflies” in your stomach, and have a pounding pulse. Cramps and diarrhea may follow. This state can last for 30-60 minutes and can be quite uncomfortable – you may have to lie down until it goes away. This syndrome can be avoided by not eating the foods that cause it, especially on an empty stomach.
Dumping syndrome is caused by eating sugars, or other foods which contain many small particles, on an empty stomach. These substances produce a high osmotic load. Your body handles these by diluting the food particles with water, which reduces blood volume and causes a shock-like state. Sugar may also induce insulin shock due to the altered physiology of your intestinal tract. The result is a very unpleasant feeling, as you break out in a cold clammy sweat, turn pale, feel butterflies in your stomach and a pounding pulse. This may be followed by cramps and diarrhea. This state can last for 30 – 60 minutes, and is quite uncomfortable. Most people have to lie down until it goes away. It can be avoided by not eating the foods which cause it, especially on an empty stomach. A small amount of something sweet, such as fruit, is well-tolerated at the end of a meal.
Dumping syndrome is usually caused by food emptying too quickly out of your stomach. Sugar causes dumping syndrome. Drinking fluids too soon after a meal eating too fast or eating too much at a meal may also cause dumping. The symptoms of dumping syndrome are diarrhea, cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, and/or light-headedness, however, each person’s symptoms are different. Dumping can occur anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours after eating an offending food.
A – With the gastric bypass procedure, “dumping” is the condition that occurs when the stomach’s contents move too rapidly through the small intestine, this is typically caused by eating foods high in sugars or fats. Symptoms can include nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, rapid heart rate, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. This side effect encourages gastric bypass patients to positively adhere to a diet high in protein and to stay away from fats and sugars.
