Dumping Syndrome: The Dirty Secret Gastric Bypass Patients Keep

Dumping syndrome is an effective result of the gastric bypass system alerting the body to inappropriate eating. Dumping syndrome is described as a shock-like state when small, easily absorbed food particles are quickly dumped into the digestive system. This results in a very unpleasant feeling with symptoms such as cold clammy sweat, paleness, butterflies in the stomach and a racing pulse. These symptoms may be followed by cramps and diarrhea. This state can last from 30 to 60 minutes and is quite uncomfortable.

That was the clinical description of dumping.

Here’s what I experience when I come back: Shortly after eating a food I can’t tolerate (sugar, milk, sweetened dairy, or starchy carbs) I start to feel a little disoriented, maybe dizzy, and then a general feeling of confusion or panic. It takes over my mind and my body. This is a mild state of delirium. Then I start to sweat. Profuse sweating that can completely soak my hair, my clothes; it drips and shines on my skin. During this state of sweaty panic I feel like I’m out of my mind! A few times during extremely dramatic dumping episodes, I literally thought I was dying, the state of anguish was that severe.

At this point, during a dumping episode, I’ve learned that it’s best to lie on your side and let nature take its course. The body is efficiently, albeit painfully, correcting a chemical imbalance in the cellular system. It takes a great presence of mind to calm me down and lie down, but even in a near delusional state I now know that this is the only action to take. I know the event is happening when the feeling of panic is replaced by exhaustion and chills instead of sweating. I have occasionally suffered from diarrhea at this point. If I have the luxury, I’ll try to nap or go to bed after shooting. If it’s at night, I’ll sleep through the night and wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck.

Mild delirium associated with dumping is the result of a disruption of nerve impulses that affect brain metabolism. Disruptions are caused by metabolic disturbances such as fluid or electrolyte imbalance. When the wrong foods are consumed and dumped into the digestive system, electrolytes become unbalanced. Dehydration will also cause an electrolyte imbalance. This mild delusion is characterized by a reduced ability to maintain attention to the environment or by disorganized thinking. The daily routine can become confusing. In extreme cases, a person who is pulling may experience rambling, irrelevant, or incoherent speech.

After the dump passes, the interrogation begins: what caused that dump? I’ve gone all-in on yogurt, sugar cookies, lobster bisque, and blackberry sorbet. I’ve thrown away after a margarita. A particularly impressive dump followed a love feast with a slice of pecan pie. Salty fries that should never have passed my lips knocked me down faster than an award winning boxer could have. I have thrown a couple of times for which I have never determined a cause. In most cases, eating the wrong food for my gastric bypass system is to blame. Through trial and error I can predict most of the things that make me capsize and I avoid them with disdain.

The most efficient way to avoid dumping is to maintain the strict regimen practiced during bariatric childhood: follow the four rules. Eat protein first making sure it includes half of each meal. Avoid snacks. Avoid all sources of simple sugar; and yes, this includes cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, ice cream and sherbet. Drink water throughout the day. When you practice this eating behavior, your blood sugar will not fluctuate and it will not tip over. Craving something sweet, most patients have learned that they can tolerate a mouthful of fruit at the end of a meal. Proceed with caution and find out what works for you.

The first reaction when the spill starts is to try to stop it. There is a feeling of helplessness, like trying to stop an earthquake. I have tried to eat myself out of it. I have tried to eliminate it by drinking water. I’ve tried physical movement, rhythm, to get out of it. I have not successfully stopped a dumping episode. I don’t know of anyone who can successfully stop a dumping episode. Drinking a sports drink like Gatorade will relieve my symptoms, although my surgical weight loss specialists do not recommend this practice. If you find something that will relieve you during a dump and not cause more damage, then go for it.

It is important to note that the download experience is different for everyone. Some will always have extreme dumps and others milder episodes. People will notice that dumping episodes will vary depending on the incident. No two landfills are the same and no two landfills are the same.

Dumping is a bittersweet fact of life after weight loss surgery. Because we must fuel our bodies by eating, we will experience dumping. Adherence to all four rules will prevent spillage in most cases. However, from time to time we will be surprised by a dump caused by a food never suspected. Keeping a list of poorly tolerated foods will help you avoid them. The sharply dramatic dumping event is a compelling motivator for following the rules and avoiding the foods that have triggered a dumping event.