Gluten sensitivity after BPDDS

Hi, Julie, sorry you are dealing with these issues but thanks so much for sharing. My intestinal issues have been the ones that I have felt plagued me the most. But as I said earlier I take 50 or so pills daily for other health issues that the gluten may or may not be worsening (again the majority not rearing their ugly heads until after surgery). The ones that I am waiting to see if staying away from gluten help include Psoriatic Arthritis (actually I take Humira injections biweekly for it), as you mentioned, severe joint pain in my knees and hips, pain down my neck and across my shoulders(My Rheumatologist says he can't give me anything for it because I must take a load of other medications that could interact so I just try to endure). I have depression (who wouldn't when trying to deal with all this), memory issues, insomnia, psoriasis, migraines, seasonal allergies, hypertension (it went away for 1o years then suddenly reappeared). For a 45 year old woman, sounds like I have one foot in the grave right? But I wanted you to know that I empathize with you, and I do think the gluten could be a culprit in several of these issues. It just really struck it home when I read yesterday that gluten sensitivity is caused by the malabsorption of nutrients and inability to break down gluten in the small intestine. That's me. I have extreme malabsorption issues and wondered if anyone else had experienced this after this particular surgery...

Well duh!

I'm not familiar with your surgeon, but it sounds like you got NO instruction about how to take care of yourself after surgery. Malabsorptive surgeries like the DS and the RNY tend to make us more sensitive to carbs, especially where gas and excessive pooping are concerned. As for the odor---have you tried taking a good probiotic? It's possible your gut bacteria is out of balance, and you may need a round of antibiotics to kill of the 'bad' stuff, then probiotics to repopulate with the 'good' stuff.

Stick around here. The vets can teach you a lot more about how to live happily with your DS than any doctors can.

So much is shared these days than even when I had my DS 7.5 years ago.  The gluten intolerances are extremely common -- or well -- expected as a side effect.  Some get it worse than others, but we all experience something.  Lactose intolerance also comes with variance.  I, for example, absolutely cannot drink regular milk, but items cooked with it and most other dairy causes no problem at all.  Yogurt is very beneficial for me.  Not only does it pack a decent dose of protein, but it contains precious probiotics, which also help control the stink in your stools and thicken the consistency.

So, other things to help you out with, now that your just getting "in the know" about living with the DS:

Probiotics:  People with adjusted guts (DS or RNY) seem to be more prone to bacterial imbalance in the intestine.  Stinky gas and stools and more liquid consistency are signs that you're getting imbalanced. Taking pro-biotics help keep the population of good bacteria, be it in pill form or a daily dose of yogurt or kefir.

Protein:  Your daily goal is at least 100g per day...more if you're trying to build muscle.

Vitamins:  I have a serious concern that you're likely not taking enough of what you need.  The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) need to be taken as a DRY formulation.  If your pills are oil or gel capsules, then your body is malabsorbing them.  You can get the dry versions from a compounding pharmacy or online without a prescription.  Most of us take from 50,000 - 150,000 iu per day of D, which scares the bejeezus out of the typical doctor.  We do NOT get toxic from it.  We need it.  Vitalady.com is a favorite resource of mine because of the help she gives those who need it reading their labwork, etc.  She has even put together daily packets for DSers to take the guesswork out.  Bloodwork requires tweaking, but I've seen that many who start with her dosages are taking things away more than adding more vitamins, so she's getting people off to a great start.  Once you get a good regime that works for you, you can shop around on different sites,.  

Carbs:  Some are complete Nazi's about them (counting each and every) while others like me are more relaxed about it, being mindful of the simple carbs (flours, sugars) and more liberal with the complex carbs (whole grain & veggies).  Do what works for you.  You've learned about the effects of flour, and hopefully you'll enjoy life a lot more from here on out.

Fat:  Enjoy it, savor it.  As a new post op, the greasy foods may have an effect, but it's short-lived.  We malabsorb 80% of the fat we consume, so like protein, our bodies need it.  Everything goes better with butter.

Regain:  Some-not much is to be expected.  With DS it's usually around 20% of your excess weight lost to come back.  I've regained around 10% (15 lbs), so I'm not complaining.  Part of me would like to be a single-digit size again, but the other part of me is happy to be a D-cup bra size now.  I think I look much healthier as a size 10/12, and still happily a Medium.

I do hope you'll stick around, for we've got a lot of catching up to do with you.  There is much to be learned so you can truly enjoy your success with the DS.

Like others have said, you had your DS at a time when there was less education available for us, but for folks like me who are just 5+ years out, I've had the benefit of information being shared (places like this) to keep me healthy.

You need to come back here and learn all that is now known about living with malabsorptive surgeries like ours to live happily. You have missed a lot, and I'm concerned you are not up to snuff on some of the vitamin stuff too. I'm sure you know the basics like we need the dry forms of the fat soluble vitamins, but there is so much more. 

Glad to see you here, and I'm certain the vets here can help you live HAPPILY with this surgery.

Valerie G and others- thanks so much for all the info and encouragement. Sounds like I am way behind the times and missing a lot of info that might be beneficial to me. Honestly, I had forgotten about this website since my surgery and not pursued any type of support or maintained any supplement regimen other than just a few here and there over the counter. Sounds like in addition to the evils I must endure I may be able to feel better if I try to live better. My BPDDS was done open, not laparoscopic. Very hard recovery. Hernia repair 6 months post-op. Second hernia repair approx. 14 months post op. I knew fats (butter, potato chips) would cause fatty, floaty stools (and I do still, 11years post-op, have to limit those). Gluten issues were never mentioned by weight loss surgeon or any other Dr. until I saw a natural med Dr. last year, and it was my research that led me to believe my gluten issues are directly related to the BPDDS rather than just a freak health condition that showed up. It doesn't help that my Dr. was basically disbarred from practice around here roughly 2 years after my surgery, so he has not been a helpful resource either. If any can point me to what parts of this site might help (gonna check Vitalady, thanks!), whether it be certain forums, or othe places for info, I'd appreciate it. Also, any other BPDDSers that have regained -how have you dropped it? Got 30 lbs. to lose..... Thanks everybody!

I'm also in the gluten intolerant camp.  The slightest exposure causes face rash, tachycardia, headache, bloat, swelling all over, depression, brain fog, joint pain.  It's bad.  So bad that my GI was convinced I was Celiac.  I've now been tested for it three times and I've gotten a negative result each time.  But you can be severely intolerant/allergic and not be Celiac.  

I've been GF for a year now and it's a pain in the ass... especially when eating out... but no food is worth feeling so sick all the time.  Nothing.