Bowel Troubles

Okay I am 18 months out from open gastric bypass.  My gallbladder was left in, because 1) it was hard to get to (my surgeons hand couldn't quite reach it because my liver was still enlarged on the top part) and 2) my surgeon said it looked really healthy and good, no diseased parts or anything, and also felt that I probably would not have any trouble with it.

So the last 6 months or so, I get cramps right before I need to poo.  And my poo is not solid like I think a normal poo would be, but its not diarrhea either.  It's just loose pieces (i'm sorry I know it sounds horrible reading about someones poo).  Also my bowel smells are the worst, even when I pass gas it is really horrible.  I don't mean horrible like your husbands gas after eating chili or eggs, but I mean like something died up there bad.  
I don't think this is normal.  And the cramps are down lower not near my gallbladder.  But when I explained this all to my sister, she immediatly asked, "are you sure you still have your gallbladder because that sounds like what people who have their gallbladder taken out experience"  her words exactly.  Of course I replied yes I still have it, I know for a fact I do.  I just recently read my surgery reports in my surgeons handwriting when I went before an appeal hearing for social security and they let me browse my records, it was the first time I read my surgery report.  Anyhow that is not important to my post, sorry I get off track to easily.

I thought I would ask here and get some insight, before I emailed my surgeon. 

Hmmmm,

Wish I could give you an answer, but sorry. Maybe an e-mail to Addie isn't a bad idea. Might not be a thing to worry about, but you never know!

Glad to see you around. We've missed you!

Yeah I am going to send an email their way, but I thought I would check here first, to see if anyone else has the same or similiar problem and maybe they just don't wanna ask.  I thought about posting on the RNY board, but I'm still kind of scared to after all the troubles and fighting last year from a rival board.  If I post over there, they may share my post on their board and point out how RNY people have smelly gas not them. 

Wendy probably knows what people I'm talking about. 
I'm gonna send Addie a message and see what she says. 

I'd definately email Addie.  (That is ALWAYS my rule when anything weirds me out.  Better safe than sorry just in case, you know?)

But it sounds like a carb issue to me.  One of the side effects of too many carbs (not just sugar alcohols, but too many carbs in general) is REALLY foul smelling gas and cramping, etc with more non-solid bowel movements (anywhere from loose pieces like you're talking about to downright liquid diarhea - although the liquid diarhea is usually reserved for sugar alcohol over-consumption). 

My questions would be as follows:
Are you eating too many sugar alcohols (sugar free anything)?
Are you eating sugar? 
Are you drinking carbonated beverages?
Are you ingesting milk and/or milk products? (This is the most common cause of gas post-op RNY.  It can be acquired - so you may just be starting to have trouble with it even if you didn't initially post-op or pre-op.) 
Are you ingesting foods on the "may cause excessive gas" warning list in Dr. Baker's packet? (dried beans, dried peas, baked beans, soybeans, lima beans, lentils, cabbage, radishes, onions, brussel sprouts, sauerkraut, apricots, bananas, prunes & prune juice, raisins, whole-wheat bread, bran cereals, bran muffins, pretzels, wheat germ, mil**** cream, ice milk, artificial sweetener sorbitol, pastries, eggplant, potatoes, apples, citrus fruits, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, kohlrabi, rutabaga)???

Those are things to think about.  This may be a problem you have to narrow down on your own by eliminating certain things from your diet until you find out what it is.  Some people are sensitive to some things and others have no trouble with any of it.  You just never know.  But if you are having trouble, it is probably an intake issue as opposed to an actual anatomical issue. 
But still, to be safe, email Addie. 

Good luck! 

Wen

I will have to go through and think of everything I have been eating.  It is probably that.  I try to watch my sugars, though in the past (last year) I ran into a small mini-addiction with sugar cookies and gummy bears.  Nipped that in the bud asap. 
But now carbs, maybe  I am getting to many, I don't think I am, as I easily get sick (and quickly full) when I eat most types of breads, pastas, potatoes, etc.  Mainly starchy stuff, except for toasted wheat bread or 7/9 grans bread, as long as it is toasted, but even then that is only a few times a month at the most.  

But I am sure there are other carbs than just startchy ones.  I have splenda everyday in my coffee.  I drink several cups of it, and always put splenda and a serving size of creamer in it (I cant stand the diet creamers so I use the regular french vanilla or hazelnut)

No carbonated beverages, I uphold a strict rule against carbonated beverages as I have this wierd delusion that it will make my pouch blow up like a balloon.  So I stay away from it. 

I don't do sugar alcohols, I always read the labels for that. 
I am taking a small amount of sugar in a day.  Probably a little more than I should
I stay away from milk, unless it is skim milk and even then I add 1 par****er to 2 parts skim milk just to be safe, as I will quickly get stomach cramps from milk products if I am not careful.  I can handle processed cheese (like in a lunchable, but not velvetta cheese or can cheese) and I can handle cottage cheese, but most other milk products are out the door.

I eat beans, a few nights a week with dinner, my roomie won't eat veggies, so I make veggies and I also make beans (from a can, like great northern, lima, pinto, etc) But I don't eat to much of it, usually a spoon full on my plate (6 or 7 beans I guess).  Other than most everything else on the list is something I don't eat enough to count, like cabbage once a year, a bite of baked beans at thanksgiving (my stepdad would be hurt if I didn't try his baked beans).  

I am going to eliminate carbs from meals for a while, even if its not much to me, because I think that is probably it. 

I forgot to ask about vitamin E.  You're not taking large doses of that are you?  If you are (and aren't being directed to do so for some weird reason), quit now. 

The syptoms you are describing can also be a sign of vitamin E toxicity. 

So IF you are taking large doses of vitamin E for some weird reason... ask your doctor to check your levels for toxicity. 

I know that's a far-reaching suggestion because you're probably NOT doing high doses of vitamin E (who would?).  But I still thought I'd put it out there. 

Wen

I am not taking any kind of Vitamin E unless it is in my multivitamin, which is centrum chewable.

Got a reply back from Addie, and this is what she had to say, I am going to share it so others may read it to.

"It sounds like there may be more going on with your diet. Anytime your stool has a foul odor it's because there is too much fat in your diet. You may also be experiencing some dumping. This happens when there is too much sugar in whatever you are eating or drinking.."

Of course I kept a few parts out that were geared towards me.  But yeah if you have stinky poo and gas you may be getting to much fat.  I am gonna look much closer at my meals and see if perhaps I am getting to much.

Anyone want to give me a ballpark figure on how much of fat we should be getting or avoiding a day or per serving.  My post-op booklet is around here somewhere I had it the other day, but I think I misplaced it.

Baker's guideline is the same as the American Heart Association's - 20 to 30 % calories from fat per day.  (The grams of fat will vary depending on how many CALORIES a person is ingesting.  For instance, if you have a 400 calorie lunch, 10 grams of fat would be fine - that's 22.5% calories from fat.  But if you have a 200 calorie lunch, 10 grams of fat is NOT fine - that's 45% calories from fat.  That's assuming, of course, that you don't compensate earlier or later in the day, etc.)

Thanks wendy!