Question for RNYers

Dumping: Intense nausea, profuse sweating, heart palpatations, incredible
fatigue (needing to lie down for awhile)… later, vomiting and/or diarrhea
(not always, though). Lasts 30-60 minutes and then miraculously disappears
and you feel perfectly fine again. Dumping happens from the body trying to
dilute the sugar/fat that you ingested… the body throws all extra water
into the intestines, draining your body of fluid in other body organs
(simple explanation, not real technical, sorry).
I do not dump from sugar, only fat (butter and cream) and it reminds me to
eat properly… no more Alfredo Sauce for this chica! Dumping is a really
sucky sensation and I have dumped GOOD more than once.
I had my stoma into my pouch close 8 months out (no apparent reason could be
found) and I vomited every 30-45 minutes for 24 hours before calling the
surgeon. I went to the ER and was scoped 6 hours later (they had to get the
doc in there to do it). I couldn’t swallow and keep *anything* down,
including saliva. After vomiting, I felt fine for about 30 minutes, then

that horrid stabbing feeling would creep up (the same feeling as when you
eat too much) and then after vomiting, would feel fine again. I was scoped
in less than 3 minutes and don’t remember a thing about it (remember this
name: VERSED)… drank a glass of water 10 minutes later and went home,
never to have another problem.
Hope that helps explain things!
Barbara Herrera
San Diego, CA (temporarily residing in El Paso, TX)
40 years old
Open RNY April 5, 2001
Dr. Julie Ellner, Alvarado Hospital, San Diego, CA
4/5/01: 344# BMI 63
3/01/02: 173# BMI 31.6
No more Diabetes, GERD, IBS, PCOS, stress incontinence, sleep apnea,
snoring, joint pain, or immobility
Continuing to discover a life I never knew existed!

4 Responses to “Question for RNYers”

  1. harold_2000 Says:

    In a message dated 3/2/02 8:32:15 PM, dee_fox777@… writes:
    << I have a question for those who have had the RNY. If
    any of you have had stoma closures and/or dumping,
    please tell me what it feels like. Also, what was
    done to help you.
    I had no problems with my stoma closing, but I do dump……big time. I
    can’t eat more than 8 grams of sugar at a sitting or I dump. I feel light
    headed, dizzy and nauseated. I feel bad enough that I usually have to just
    go to bed for about 2-3 hours and sleep it off. Nothing is done to help
    dumping except staying away from the food that causes the problem. I’m very
    careful to read labels and stay with what I know to be safe foods when I’m
    dining out. I also can’t eat much dairy, but that doesn’t usually cause
    dumping, it causes diarreah and gas. Hope this helps.
    Vicki
    open RNY 6/28/01

    170# and loving life!

  2. Rickey Nichols Says:

    Dumping and stoma closures are two very different things. If you are
    dumping, the only thing that will help you is time as the food that is
    causing it works its way through. Another thing that will help you is to
    avoid dumping by not eating processed sugars/high fat foods. Dumping is a
    physiological reaction processed sugars being “dumped” into the intestine
    where it is not used to being broken down. What did it feel like? When I
    last dumped (this morning actually) it felt like hell. I got dizzy,
    nauseous, a headache and my stomach cramped. Then the diahrrhea started and
    I ended up in the bathroom for 45 minutes heaving. Amazing how harsh it was
    since I have NOT dumped like that in a long time. I am going to throw out
    the cause (peanut butter patties — Walmart brand) and not have that happen.
    Mine was a severe case of dumping. Normally if I dump it is very mild — a
    slight headache or maybe tiredness. But sometimes it feels like an all out
    assault on my innards. Now there are other things that can result from
    dumping besides what i mentioned above. Some people get hot flashes while

    others get chills. The key is it is tied to what you ate. My dumping started
    five minutes after I ate the cookies. My own damn fault and I knew it.
    Stoma closures result in the inability to keep ANYTHING down — including
    water. You will experience vomiting every time you take something in. These
    are remedied by going to the doctor and having them scope you open. What can
    prevent them? Nothing that I am aware of.
    Another thing that can cause nausea/vomiting? Don’t forget the flu. We are
    not immune just because we had WLS. And the flu is around. Oh and pregnancy
    can cause it too. Since fertility skyrockets after surgery make sure you are
    using protection every time you have sex. Or you might end up pregnant.
    Denise Rasley
    mailto:drasley@…
    BTC, Columbus, 10/7/98
    Lost over 90% of excess and maintaining
    Gained a beautiful daughter on 8/9/00

  3. Arlen Selina Says:

    Dumping syndrome isn’t the same for everyone, and
    it isn’t the same every time. Sometimes it’s just
    overwhelming fatigue. Like I could just lay my
    head down on the desk or restaurant table and pass
    out. More extreme occurrences included being dizzy,
    shaking, sweating, and worst of all, NAUSEA, and
    stomach cramps. It’s kind of like being hit with
    the full blown flu with no warning. But in the
    worst experiences, it goes away in 3-5 hours. More
    mild incidences could pass in 30-60 minutes.
    After surgery you just don’t eat sugary foods and
    foods with high fats. A few months later when you
    start to experiment, you’ll learn what you can and
    cannot tolerate. On an empty stomach I cannot
    handle very much at all. But after eating something,

    I can have one drink (sipping it — no shots!), or
    even a candy bar. I can’t ever handle cheese sauce
    (like at Taco Bell) and things like mayonaisse and
    sour cream are my mortal enemies. Some things still
    surprise me — I once experienced dumping syndrome
    after a baked potato! But most of the time I’m fine.
    The nice thing is that knowing overdoing it will
    make me sick has given me a LOT more control. I can
    eat 10 M&M’s and then stop with no further thought or
    effort. I can order cheesecake in a restaurant and
    just eat a couple of bites. Usually I try to share
    if indulging in a dessert!
    Hope this helped. Good luck on your journey!
    — Bari
    Message: 11
    Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 16:56:35 -0800 (PST)
    From: Dee F <dee_fox777@…
    Subject: Question for RNYers
    I have a question for those who have had the RNY. If
    any of you have had stoma closures and/or dumping,
    please tell me what it feels like. Also, what was
    done to help you.
    Thanks!

  4. bruce11 Says:

    In a message dated 3/3/02 7:31:24 AM, vlbrunn@… writes:
    << << I have a question for those who have had the RNY. If
    any of you have had stoma closures and/or dumping,
    please tell me what it feels like. Also, what was
    done to help you.
    My stoma closed from swelling from an ulcer. It started as slight nausea
    after eating, progressing to vomiting after eating solids to vomiting
    everything, including water. I was scoped, which open the stoma somewhat so
    that I could get fluids down….given medication for the ulcer and was fine
    after a day or two.
    gayle

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