Revising my DS to a sleeve? Help please!

Lots of people test negative for celiac disease and are still gluten intolerant, and at the minimum gluten sensitive. How long did you eliminate it? You have to COMPLETELY eliminate it from your diet for at least 3 months before you show significant improvement. Gluten sensitivity causes inflammation in the intestines and this does not go away over night. Adding probiotics while eating gluten free can help soothe your irritated bowels. Have you looked into IBS and other IBD?

I had this exact problem but i have not had my DS yet. After alot of tests my doctors prescibed prilosec twice a day. His thinking was the acid in my stomach was sending signal for my bowels to evacuate. It was horrible. I started taking the prilosec twice a day and after about a week and a half it really started to get better. I still continue the prilosec and also probiotics to this day and it hasn't come back. Maybe the problem has nothing to do with the DS. I hope you find it helpfull. Good Luck

Hi,

I take Nexium once a day, which I believe is similar to Prilosec? I think I understand his thinking of why acid in the stomach may be sending signals for your bowels to evacuate, but then again, where would my poop go if I was going to the bathroom so frequently? Because I'm definitely not having small poops, they are quite voluminous which leads my surgeon and I to think it's because of the malabsorption. The weird thing is is that it was not at all like this before 2 years ago, I used to be able to predict when I would have to go to the bathroom and knew how it would be depending on what I ate. Like if I had birthday cake at a party I knew I'd have stinky gas/bloating/diarreha but then once it was out of my system I'd go back to my normal bowel habits. I just can't seem to get back to normal now:(

A.S.-

First off, the sleeve part is not reversible.  You don't have a pouch with stomach tissue lying fallow like an RNY.   About 70 to 80 percent  of your stomach was removed when you had the DS, to create the smaller, banana-shaped stomach you now have. 

The DS portion of the surgery can be reversed, which will give you back 100% absorption of everything you take in..so, you may have to deal with restricting calories somewhat.  You may gain some weight, as your body will now try to hold on to everything that comes in, since it thinks it is coming out of a period of starvation.  That's what fat is for.  To at least enable the body to have energy and be able to move if food becomes scarce. 

You don't say how long your common channel is, and from what my surgeon told me when I asked for 50cm, the shorter the common channel, the more adverse digestive effects you will have. That's why she doesn't do short CC's anymore.  She said she has had to do too many revisions because of the adverse effects.

Perhaps you could explore just lengthening the CC rather than getting rid of it altogether?

 

Hi Jazzym

I understand the malabsorvative part is reversible, which is why my surgeon suggested converting me to a sleeve. He said I would then have a restrictive component to eating but fully absorve food (right now I can eat more than even the average person), which should keep me from gaining weight.

I don't know what my common channel is. I had the surgery in Argentina and the surgeon is no longer practicing medicine and I don't have the surgeon's report, which I know is my fault for not having gotten it in the first place.

At this point I wouldn't mind gaining 20 pounds or so in order for me to go back to having a normal life, since right now this is disabling me. I'm not exaggerating, it really is awful to be scared to not be within a 3 minute walk from the nearest bathroom at all times, it's affecting my work, relationships, etc. 

The surgeon has told you that you would still have your sleeve, which is true, but if you are able to eat more than the average person, as you say, then you no longer have restriction. If you have lost your restriction and now you lose all your malabsorption, what's left?

The surgeon you have named may be a fine surgeon, but I have never seen him listed by any patient as a DS surgeon in about 8 years on this website. This is not to say he's never done one, I have no way of knowing, but it doesn't seem to be his specialty. So I'll again recommend that you consult with a surgeon experienced with the DS and with revisions of the DS. While there is no denying that, with only an adjustment of the limb lengths, you might need further surgery, there is also no denying that if done by someone experienced with this type of revision you might NOT need further surgery and you would be able to keep the benefits of the DS that you have now.

And since you don't have your op report, it would be possible to evaluate at least the lengths of the alimentary limb and common channel with an upper GI with small bowel follow through x-ray series, if needed. And of course, an experienced DS surgeon with the goal of resolving your current problem while still providing you with relief of morbid obesity could do an intra-operative evaluation. For all we know at this point, the original surgeon may have made one or both of these limbs too short to start with. Or maybe just too short for YOU. It happens!

One other little thought - while the original surgeon is no longer available, it is possible that you might be able to get your operative report from the hospital where the surgery was performed. Even if it's in Spani**** could be translated. Will it contain helpful information? Don't know, but worth a shot.

Larra

I want to add that peppermint oil has been shown to help with intestinal, stomach and bowel issues:) Capsules are the best way to get it.

Sweetdew had the same problem recently and in the end Immodium worked for her, so that may be worth a shot.

I had similar symptoms a year ago and my doctor prescribed calcium gluconate and I have firmed up and can control my gas with the foods I eat and life is much better. Hopefully things will get better.

Did they check for h pylori?