Dealing with Dumping Syndrome

Dumping syndrome is the common name given to a collection of signs and symptoms that accompany very rapid movement of food and gastric secretions from the stomach into the intestine.

Dumping syndrome is seen most frequently in people who have lost parts of their stomach due to disease or who have had the size of their stomachs significantly reduced during weight loss surgery. Some medical conditions like diabetes and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in which the contents of the stomach can back up into the esophagus, may also increase the risk of developing dumping syndrome. People who are prone to dumping syndrome tend to have the worst symptoms after eating meals containing high amounts of carbohydrates, especially sugars.

Dumping syndrome occurs in over 15% of people who have had stomach surgery. The larger the amount of stomach that was removed or stapled off, the greater the risk of dumping syndrome and the more severe symptoms tend to be.

Symptoms

Most people with dumping syndrome experience symptoms within 15-30 minutes of eating, but some people don’t experience difficulty until an hour or 3 after eating.

Early Onset Symptoms typically include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Lightheadedness and dizziness
• A rapid heart rate
• Fatigue

Late Onset Symptoms include:

• Sweating
• Weakness
• Lightheadedness and dizziness
• A racing or rapid heart rate, or heart palpitations
• Anxiety, nervousness
• Fainting
• Mental Confusion

Some people experience both early and late symptoms of dumping syndrome. Low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia, can occur in connection with early or late dumping syndrome, due to the fact that insulin floods the bloodstream to remove the excess sugar released during digestion of carbohydrates. This causes a drop in blood sugar. The lightheadedness, dizziness, and mental confusion seen with dumping syndrome can also be signs of hypoglycemia.

Your physician or surgeon will make a formal diagnosis of dumping syndrome after taking a careful and detailed history. Most weight loss surgery patients who experience dumping syndrome do so within the first few months after their procedure. However, in some cases, it may not develop for years. If you are seeking help for dumping syndrome, be sure your physician knows of your medical history and stomach surgery.

Common Lifestyle Treatments for Dumping Syndrome

• Eat small frequent meals.
• Don’t drink beverages with meals.
• Watch the composition of your diet. Minimize the use of foods containing processed carbohydrate, especially sugars.
• Minimize acidic foods like tomatoes in the diet, because they can worsen the symptoms.

Treatment

In many instances, dumping syndrome improves of its own accord in about 6-12 months after symptoms first occur. If you experience an episode of dumping syndrome, refer to and follow the preventative tips your surgeon gave you at the time of your weight loss surgery. If you continue to experience dumping syndrome symptoms despite making the recommended lifestyle changes, keep in close contact with your doctor. Frequent episodes of dumping syndrome can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies. Certain medications can help the condition by slowing stomach emptying. In rare cases, corrective surgery may be required.