Question:
Does malabsorption continue indefinitely?

Someone on the message board posted something a while back indicating that her malabsorption was over - isn't this something that continues? Why would it stop? I know all about the 'honeymoon' period for rapid weight loss, but I can't see why malabsorption would stop.    — scottiemaam O. (posted on April 15, 2003)

April 15, 2003
Good question and I hope someone has a better answer than I do. I have heard that although you malabsorb (what amount of calories/fats are malabsorbed is another good question that I don't think anyone knows for sure), that after a year or two, your system adjusts and malabsorbs less. Now this may be different for the distals who have much more bypassed than the proximals and the distances bypassed probably make a difference too.
   — Cindy R.

April 15, 2003
From what I understand, our bodies do adjust as Cindy stated below. It is probably something like nerve damage. Our bodies are miraculously made, and when there are damaged nerves, other nerves 'take over' and 're-route' the pathways so that function can be returned. I am assuming that the intestines work much in the same manner. I'm no expert, but this is what I have been told. So, now I wonder if we are still very dependent on vitamins as in the early post-op days?!
   — Cheri M.

April 15, 2003
My surgeon mentioned that our bodies are amazing, and that eventually the intestines do adjust to absorb more and make up the difference. As a previous poster mentioned though, it may not be the case for very distal procedures.
   — mom2jtx3

April 15, 2003
My surgeon told me that the intestines adapt to the surgery after about a year and we start absorbing more. We don't ever absorb 100% but we definitely absorb more calories after a year.
   — Patty_Butler

April 15, 2003
The intestine thickens and adjusts so as to be able to absorb more. That is regardless of how much was bypassed. Its just if you're a distal you are further away from normal absorption. I look at it like this. If person A has a proximal and person B has a distal and both of their bodies gain back the same amount of absorption after a few years, the distal is still not absorbing anywhere near "normal" where as a proximal may be right back to near pre-op absorption rates. My 2c.
   — Shelly S.

April 15, 2003
Well, if it does, I want my money back. If I'd be absorbing my nutrition, then I'd be absorbing my calories. No thanks, been there, done that. If you starve yourself for nutrition, your body will go hunting, true enough. And some hypertrophy will take place, regardless. But I'm in NOOOOOOOO hurry for my body to catch onto the little trick I've played on it, so I try to keep that intestine so well nourished that it cannot figure out what I've done. Of course, unless you send the food back down the original route, you'll never get full absorption of the basic 8 elements.
   — vitalady

April 15, 2003
Well, if it does, I want my money back. If I'd be absorbing my nutrition, then I'd be absorbing my calories. No thanks, been there, done that. If you starve yourself for nutrition, your body will go hunting, true enough. And some hypertrophy will take place, regardless. But I'm in NOOOOOOOO hurry for my body to catch onto the little trick I've played on it, so I try to keep that intestine so well nourished that it cannot figure out what I've done. Of course, unless you send the food back down the original route, you'll never get full absorption of the basic 8 elements.
   — vitalady

April 15, 2003
Well, if it does, I want my money back. If I'd be absorbing my nutrition, then I'd be absorbing my calories. No thanks, been there, done that. If you starve yourself for nutrition, your body will go hunting, true enough. And some hypertrophy will take place, regardless. But I'm in NOOOOOOOO hurry for my body to catch onto the little trick I've played on it, so I try to keep that intestine so well nourished that it cannot figure out what I've done. Of course, unless you send the food back down the original route, you'll never get full absorption of the basic 8 elements.
   — vitalady