Any suggestions??

Hi all, I am one month out. for the first 2 1/2 weeks I did fine with the Atkins protein shakes, now all of a sudden as soon as I start drinking them, my stomache starts that rumbling and within a 1/2 hour there had better be a bathroom close by. I feel like I've become lactose intolerant but I wasnt prior to surgery or until the last week. I also tried Simply Smart milk with Carnation instant breakfast and the same thing happened. Could this be caused from the surgery? I have not tried protein powders, has anyone had this problem with the powders? Thanks. Deb

Deb, You could now be lactose intolerant as a result of the surgery. I have heard alot of people say that has happened to them. You might want to try some of the protein powders or drinks that are not made with milk products. I personally have very little milk but lots of cheese. I drink a protein drink that I mix with water and have had no problems. You might try something you mix with water and see if it is the milk or maybe it is the concentrated protein. Sometimes you can be sensitive to milk but not the processed dairy products like cheeses. Hope this helps some.... Linda

Thanks Linda, I am fine with cheese so I think its the milk thats getting to me. I'm going to try one of the powders with water. What type have you found to be good? Someone had mentioned Designer Whey to me, have you tried that? I also like the clear fruit type Isopure but I need a little variety and really had enjoyed the shakes. I havent tried Lactose free milk yet and I probably should give that a try to. Deb

Hi, I received and read an email message discussing lactose intolerance just before reading this post. I thought I would include the contents of the email here for everyone's information. The email came from www.unjury.com. I'm not promoting Unjury (protein supplement producers) but I felt that there was a lot of good information about lactose intolerance in their message that many here might benefit from. -------------- This UNJURY (TM) Update talks about Digestive Distress and "Hidden" Lactose - January 17, 2004 Dear UNJURY Friends We regularly get questions and comments about Digestive Distress including bloating, gas, cramps and diarrhea. Often, the problem is lactose and "lactose intolerance". Here's how to know, and what to do: What is lactose ? ----------------------- lactose : sugar found in milk and milk products, which the body breaks down into galactose and glucose. Source: Loyola University Health System Glossary - http://www.luhs.org/health/topics/glossary/l.htm How does it cause problems ? ------------------------------------- Each of us has a different capacity to digest lactose. If you get more lactose than your personal capacity, then bacteria begin to ferment the excess lactose, water comes into the large intestine, and you get diarrhea, gas, bloating and cramps. ------ I don't see lactose on the labels of things I eat and drink. But I sometimes have the bloating and diarrhea. How can I have lactose problems ? ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lactose is commonly a "hidden" ingredient--it's in the product but not on the label. Examples: Lactose is present in substantial amounts in milk (all milk -- regular, reduced fat, and skim). Milk and skim milk have 12 grams of lactose per cup (8 oz.). For some people, that alone is too much. Many whey protein supplements also contain significant amounts of lactose, some even more than milk. But again, it's not on the label. The lactose is a *component* of an ingredient called Whey Protein CONCENTRATE. According to FDA regulations, Whey Protein CONCENTRATE can be as low as 25% protein, and sometimes it is as much as 46% lactose. In contrast, Whey Protein ISOLATE is different, and better. FDA regulations require that Whey Protein ISOLATE be at least 90% protein. It has negligible lactose. Please be assured that UNJURY uses only Whey Protein ISOLATE- we use no Whey Protein CONCENTRATE. For this and other reasons, UNJURY users find UNJURY to be unusually tolerable. Why do some supplements use Whey Protein Concentrate if Whey Protein Isolate is clearly better ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good question. Because Whey Protein CONCENTRATE has less good stuff (protein), and more troublesome stuff that makes some people feel really ill (lactose), we believe there is only one true explanation: Whey Protein CONCENTRATE is a lot cheaper than Whey Protein ISOLATE ISOLATE costs twice as much as CONCENTRATE, or more. You might be consuming more lactose than you realize. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's how: When using protein supplements, you might make a protein shake using skim milk and a supplement containing Whey Protein CONCENTRATE. Let's add up the lactose: a) One cup of skim milk has 12 grams of lactose. b) If the supplement uses a lower quality Whey Protein CONCENTRATE, it might contain as much as another 8 to 13 grams of lactose. Combined that could be as much as 22 grams of lactose. That's a lot if you don't have very high lactose capacity ! For more info, visit: http://www.unjury.com/reg/nutrition.shtml If I have problems, how can I determine whether it's due to too much lactose ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can easily check (but do be careful) to see if eliminating lactose solves the problem. Here is how: STEP 1: -- Mix the supplement with WATER. (Water is the safest, most conservative first step. You can try other liquids later.) -- Use a high-quality supplement designed for medical-quality needs, from a trust-worthy company. (That of course includes UNJURY ! ) Look for a supplement that uses only Whey Protein ISOLATE, and has NO Whey Protein CONCENTRATE. Try a small quantity first, maybe 2 oz., and wait two hours or more. If that works, slowly try 3 ozs., then 4 ozs., and so on. STEP 2: Mix the supplement with other lactose-free beverages that sound good to you. This might include: soy milk, rice milk, or lactose-free milk (e.g., Lactaid brand). As before, start with a small quantity and slowly add. If you don't have trouble, then lactose remains a strong suspect. STEP 3: If you want to find a way to continue to enjoy milk, and want to determine whether the problem was caused by overload from BOTH the lactose in your other-brand supplement and the milk COMBINED: Mix UNJURY with milk or skim milk, again starting with small quantities. Be especially gradual and careful because you know you are getting some lactose from the milk. Now you are just trying to find how much you can tolerate. Again, add just a little milk, very slowly. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Other suggestions:-- It is not uncommon for protein supplements (and protein bars) to have less protein and more lactose than the label promises. Be careful to buy from trusted, proven producers. --When our customers who have called about problems have tried UNJURY with water, they have had good results. --IF you can use milk without problems, it does taste good, especially with Chocolate and Vanilla UNJURY, but if you have distress, there are possible solutions. If you have more questions, please email us at [email protected] or call us. Kind regards Martha and Jerome UNJURY Protein Supplements www.UNJURY.com 1 800 517 5111 Permission is granted to forward this letter in its entirety.

Kimberly, Thank you, what great info the website provides. I am able to eat other dairy like cheese products, so I think it is the milk. I'm going to follow the info provided and give it a try!! Deb

I am lactose intolerant ... and I'm preop. I also can tolerate cheese and yogurt and other dairy products but milk just doesn't cut it. I long for it because one thing I used to love was an ice cold glass of milk... but... I will have to add that when I was staying with a friend that lived on a farm and had her milk, I was ok. I was really curious about that and what I found out was that because her cows don't get all those hormone injections and crap that commercial cows do- lots of people are able to better tolerate the milk. As a thought- before you totally give up on milk- try getting just a quart of the organic milk and see if you react the same to it. I can't afford to use that all of the time and I've actually become accustomed to soy milk, but it's nice to know I do have an option!

Hi Deb, Simply Smart milk is still milk. I have had good luck with Lactaid. I experienced the same rumbling sensation but I never got sick. I contributed it toward drinking a bit too fast. As soon as I slowed down I had no problem. It would sometimes take me a couple hours to drink a whole Carnation Instant Breakfast. Good luck, I hope you get it figured out. Carolyn

HI Deb I am one month out also. Congratulations to us. Has this been happening with food too? Our surgeon made us aware of Stomal Stenosis that typically occurs right at the four week mark. It is a swelling of the stoma that connects your new pouch to your intestines. If it gets any worse, I would definitely call your DR. If it's just milk that does it, maybe you are drinking it too fast. I have eaten things in the past couple of weeks with no problem and then I will eat them again and get all rumbly in my tummy. I have come to the conclusion that trial and error is our best defense right now. Good luck with everything.

Hi Donna, Yes congrats to us, its exciting isnt it!! Its only been a problem with milk products, so thats a good thing. I hadnt heard of stomal stenosis, but its something that I will add to what I learn everyday on the message board, always valuable info to keep in my WLS folder!! I am finding the same thing, what I can eat this week or today, will bother me 2 days from now. This little pouch is never predictable, but no complaints from me, I'm loving life Good luck to you too! Deb

Hi Deb, Congratulations on your surgery. I am 14 months out and I use protein shakes 3 times a day. I get my samples from vitalady.com or txwls.com, then I order the ones that I like. I sometimes use netrition.com for quick delivery. (They are in NY so the order is here in 2 days, but they don't have samples) I HATE Designer Whey. Just my opinion, but some of the ones that I love are ProPlete Gold Vanilla/pinapple, banana, and berry blast; ProV60 chocoloate, and ProScore100 chocolate. I avoid milk because even though I can drink it, it contains 12 grams of sugar in 8oz.Good luck in finding the one you like, Suki