Diarrhea 5 days post op

I am 5 days post-op. I feel great and feel like I am healing and rebounding quickly. I hate to be so graphic but I have a concern and with it being Christmas tomorrow I am sure my Dr. won't reply to my message on our patient portal. I just want to know if anyone else has experienced this. I have had a sludgey type diarrhea for 2 days now. Only a couple times a day, nothing aggressive, but I have read that constipation was more likely to occur, not diarrhea. I never took any pain meds so I wasn't surprised when I was not constipated, but I never expected diarrhea. The consistency is bizarre, loose, but sludgey and thick at the same time. Sorry for this guys, but I just want to know someone else has experienced this and I am not losing it. I am totally hydrated and able to get my fluids in thankfully. I did not have Duodenal switch done, just VSG. (I read the DS causes diarrhea) Hopefully someone can ease my mind here until I can be in touch with my Dr.

Thanks

You're right, constipation is usually the problem, not diarrhoea.Then again, your body has gone through some changes, and it will take a while for your "plumbing" to be normal.

Perhaps whatever you're eating or drinking is causing it. What are you eating? If you think it might be the protein shakes causing the problem, skip them for a day and see if it gets better. Sometimes drinking a large amount of cold water quickly can cause diarrhoea. If you think that's the case, definitely do not cut back on fluids! Instead, you might try sipping instead of gulping, and hot or warm beverages instead of cold.

As long as your stool is still thick and no****ery, you're probably OK. Just keep an eye on it.

People who've had VSG need to worry about dehydration. In your case, with diarrhoea, you need to be extra careful. If you start to feel unwell, and you can't reach your doctor instantly, go straight to the ER. Dehydration is an emergency.

Glad to hear that you're feeling well otherwise!

Also, they probably gave you stool softeners or something like that on the assumption that you would be constipated. (Mine did.) Look at all the medications they gave you and make sure you know what each one for. You could be taking a stool softener or laxative without realising it.

I would say this is normal stool 5 days list op.

it is not diarrhea. True diarrhea is like water with flecks of stool in it.

You can ask your surgeon, but I believe you should have been taking stool softeners. You can get a buildup that blocks your intestine and the thick sludge is what is squeezing out around it. The accumulation can be easily seen on an x-ray. They will probably treat it by having you take a bottle of magnesium citrate.

Once cleared up you will need to take stool softeners and some type of laxative to prevent constipation.

I take a magnesium tablet every day. Many people take a daily dose of Miralax.

Talk to your surgeon, I am not a doctor but have lived with weight loss surgery for twelve years. I know more about this than most doctors.

Some people become lactose intolerant post op WLS. If you drinking any protein shakes, make sure they are pure whey isolate, not whey concentrate or even with milk proteins or based on milk.

Also - some people became so lactose intolerant that they can't even consider getting any dairy. They get that sensitive, almost like having allergies/ intolerance (that would include milk, any whey proteins, yogurt, and even cheese).

People on here mentioned stool softeners. Some of them can be with stimulants like collace, and when I talked my my gastro and pharmacist, they both told me to try to avoid any colon stimulants. They may be taken occasionally for a very short time, not daily for weeks or months. They can cause dependency.

Magnesium, or Miralax type products work by getting more water into the colon and not by stimulating the gut muscles. They supposed to be easier on the system, and can be taken long term (my gastro told me that). But because they "bring" more liquids into the intestines, we need to make sure we drink a lot of liquids during the day to not become dehydrated. And make sure to take enough electrolytes (absorbable magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc.)