Bariatric Dumping Syndrome: Tips to Avoid

Bariatric dumping syndrome, or rapid gastric emptying is not dangerous, but it can make you feel absolutely dreadful. Dumping syndrome occurs when food moves through your digestive tract in an unregulated, abnormally fast manner. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramps, and nausea, which may or may not result in vomiting. Bloating, belching, and lightheadedness can also occur. 

Typically these symptoms are accompanied by a rapid heart rate, and sweating. Symptoms can occur almost immediately after eating, or within one to three hours after eating. A gastric bypass diet with foods high in fat, sugar, or carbohydrates is most commonly the culprit.  Dumping can most often be avoided by adjusting your diet to limit the foods that cause dumping syndrome.

Early and Late Bariatric Dumping

There are two types of dumping: early and late. Early dumping occurs a few minutes after you eat. It may cause vomiting, sweating, weakness, diarrhea, and cramps. Late dumping starts two to three hours after eating, and typically occurs as your body responds to the rapid entry of food into the small intestine. Bariatric patients often feel shaky, exhausted, light headed and dizzy when late dumping occurs.

Some people experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), related to excessive levels of insulin delivered to the bloodstream as part of the syndrome. Hypoglycemia is most often related to late signs and symptoms of dumping syndrome..

Watch your Gastric Bypass Diet

Both early and late dumping can be mostly avoided by staying away from the foods that cause dumping. Weight loss surgery nutrition should limit fried foods, starches, sugars, fats, and high glycemic index foods. Some common high glycemic index foods are white bread, baked goods, potatoes, corn products, cereals, and pasta. Every person has a unique tolerance and will soon realize which foods are safe and which foods cause problems. Problem foods may change over time, so eating slowly, and being alert during food consumption is key to minimizing symptoms..

How Can You Avoid Dumping?  Small Meals | Short Intervals

You can most often avoid dumping by eating smaller meals at shorter intervals throughout the day. Each meal should be low in sugars, fats, and carbohydrates. To aid digestion, chew your food carefully and eat slowly.

Avoid Liquids Before & During Meals

Drinking fluids with your meal speeds up the digestion process, and can cause dumping syndrome. Avoiding drinking liquids with meals is very important, as it doesn’t only limit the occurrence of dumping syndrome, but it also aids you with weight loss.  Waiting at least a half hour after a meal to drink fluids could make a difference.

The types of fluids you consume is very important to your long-term success. It is very important to steer clear of fruit drinks, including sports drinks which claim to replenish lost electrolytes. It is also recommended to limit carbonated beverages, particularly beverages which contain sugar. Don’t forget to drink enough fluids between meals to meet fluid requirements..

No Extreme Food Temperatures 

Very hot or very cold food can sometimes prompt dumping symptoms. This is most often the case within the first 12 months of surgery. New patients should attempt to avoid extreme food temperature as an added precaution..

Read the Label

Check food labels before you eat. You may be surprised at all the added ingredients that should not be part of your gastric bypass diet, or any diet for that matter. Sugar substitutes are abound and should be avoided. Some common sugar substitutes are high fructose corn syrup, saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose, just to name a few. .

Bariatric Good News | Bad News

First, the bad news. Dumping can be a miserable symptom often accompanying weight loss surgery. But the good news is that you can help avoid bariatric dumping if you follow the simple steps above. Monitor your weight loss surgery diet carefully, write down your food consumption daily to minimize dumping syndrome and maximize weight loss, and enjoy your weight loss journey!