Question:
I'm sorry I know this has probably been asked before but I
couldn't find exactly what I was looking for in the library. So..... I am curious just how bothersome are the foul bm's, gas, diarrhea, etc of the DS are. I am leaning more towards the Medial RNY but primarily because I just can't see having a lifetime of "oops" or unexpectly passing foul-smelling gas in the middle of a business meeting. So I am trying to find out more information --- just how bad is it and does it ever go away. I have heard that the BPD-DS is actually a better long-term solution with lower complications. Thanks for your input. — 2doOrnot2do (posted on May 1, 2003)
May 1, 2003
i had open distal rny gastric bypass and i at 5 1/2 months out have bad
gas. it smells terriable it can't be controled with gas pills either. as
for diarrhea i can go weeks without having it but then it just shows up one
day all day and i've tried taking immodium a.d. for it and it doesn't work
either. i don't know if anyone else has these problems also but i've gotten
as bad as not making it to the bathroom before also so consider that. best
of luck to you
— kimberly T.
May 1, 2003
I'm not that all too familiar with DS, but I had proximal RNY, and maybe
its different for someone more distal, but I really don't have a problem
with gas at all, and i'm a year post-op. I mean the first month I did, but
that was b/c it was LAP. Otherwise, it's really not an issue. Guess its
different for everyone!
— Lezlie Y.
May 1, 2003
Even at the height of my gas problems (between 3-9 months post op as my
body got used to passing fiber less "digested"), I NEVER had
uncontrollable gas or bowel movements. The bathroom got pretty stinky, but
that was about it. I had a DS three years ago, have had NO complications
like staple line disruptions, leakages, vitamin deficiencies, etc. I have
lost 265 pounds and eat a very normal diet, including the occasional pastry
and BBQ ribs. Good Luck to you!
— merri B.
May 2, 2003
My mom's freind had the BPD done many years ago. When she was last
visiting, I could walk out of my bedroom and smell the odor from the
bathroom she had been in. That bathroom is downstairs, and the door was
shut and the fan on. YUCK!! We have been having fun at her expense for
many years (good hearted and loving, though). Her gas and BM's could clear
a room. That is the major reason why I was always resistant to this
surgery - until I learned there were other/newer procedures which did not
have this side effect. Best of luck!
— MissKimberly
May 2, 2003
I had a BPD about 10 months ago and have found that if I limit my carbs
particularly white flour and potatoes I have less problems. I believe it is
more how much is bypassed than the other procedure part. The way it was
explained to me was that the carbs go through your small intestine too fast
to be broke down and then get to your large intestine and sit there and
ferment - causing gas and other smelly things. 7/10/02 High 370 Sugery 344
Currently 232. Peace
— Sunny S.
May 2, 2003
10 weeks out from open RNY and I have had no problem with gas or
bowels....I think this problem varies from person to person.
— hooterzgirl75
May 2, 2003
Hi,
I'm 14+ months out of the DS and down 145LBS to a trim 124lbs. The first
few months my bowel movement were extremely smelly as opposed to? but now
they are just normally smelly and I never really did have a massive gas
problem.
— Diane B.
May 4, 2003
It seems to vary quite a bit from patient to patient. Even some proximal
RNY patients find that they have significant problems with gas, diarrhea,
BM frequency/urgency, and/or odor after surgery. It's very hard to predict.
That being said, the more distal the procedure, the higher the risk of this
kind of problem. I had the DS ten months ago. For the first four months or
so, I had very few side effects of this type. Almost no gas (much less than
pre-op), no diarrhea, just 1 or 2 bowel movements each day, no terrible
smells. However, between months 4 and 7 or so, I had a lot more gas. Still
not uncontrollable or a big problem, and it didn't bother me enough to seek
treatment (doctors can prescribe a brief course of Flagyl or another
antibiotic if the gas is due to bacterial overgrowth in the intestines). In
the last few months, my gas is back to normal pre-op levels and not smelly
at all (I've read that meat is the worst odor culprit, so that may have
something to do with it). I'm thrilled with my surgery and can't really
find anything to complain about at this point. I feel wonderful, and I have
no bad side effects. I do hear different stories from other folks though,
so I think it's good to be aware of all the possibilities and to pick the
surgery that has the best risk/benefit profile for YOU. Good luck!!
— Tally
May 4, 2003
Ah, I accidentally deleted a few words in that last post. The sentence
about meat should have read:
"I'm a vegetarian, and I've read that meat is the worst odor culprit,
so that may have something to do with it."
— Tally
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