What is dumping syndrome?
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. A small amount of sweets, such as fruit, can sometimes be well tolerated at the end of a meal.
Dumping occurs after eating or drinking foods that contain pure or refined sugars such as soda and candy sweetened with sugar. As these foods enter the intestine, they are absorbed to quickly and may cause any combination of flushing, sweating, palpitations, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The severity of the symptoms varies with the amount of sugar or fatty foods consumed. Once you’ve experienced it, you’ll have a much better idea of what foods are triggers for you. The dumping reaction is not life threatening but in some cases, it can be serious. So, most patients learn to stay away from refined sugars and use fructose sugars instead. Fructose is the sugar in fresh fruit, and it rarely causes the dumping reaction. You can also use artificial sweeteners.
Dumping occurs in about 10% of the Gastric Bypass patients. Dumping is not an issue with any other weight loss surgery option. Refined sugars and candy consist of many small molecules that tend to draw fluid into the intestine. After the gastric bypass a condition called “dumping syndrome” may occur. This happens when sugar is taken on an empty stomach, passes rapidly through the stomach into the intestine, and draws a large amount of fluid into the bowel. The physiology is complicated, but the result is a condition much like shock: one turns ghostly pale, breaks out into a profuse sweat, feels butterflies in the stomach, a rapid pulse, and a feeling of prostration. Nausea and vomiting, cramps and diarrhea may follow. Most people who have this reaction never try to sneak another candy bar. We believe that this occurrence may not be a bad effect when you’re trying to lose weight. Negative reinforcement can go a long way in teaching you to pay attention to what???s best for your body and
Eating sugars when you have an empty stomach can cause dumping syndrome in patients who have had a gastric bypass. Your body handles sugars 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. A small amount of sweets, such as fruit, can sometimes be well tolerated at the end of a meal.
Eating sugars or other foods containing many small particles on an empty stomach can cause dumping syndrome in patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery. The result is a very unpleasant feeling. Symptoms may include cold clammy sweats, an increased heart rate and “butterflies” in your stomach. 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 your symptoms have passed. To help decrease the risk of this syndrome, avoid foods that may cause it especially on an empty stomach. A small amount of sweets, such as fruit, may be tolerated at the end of a meal.
