Question:
Is dumping a desired side effect or not?
I am scheduled for an open RNY in 6 weeks. The nutritionist I met with yesterday told me that dumping is not a desired consequence of the surgery. Sparrow Weight Management Center really pushes the intuitive eating stuff (you know, eat when you are hungry, stop when you're full, eat what you want to feel satisfied). She said that if you dump, you'll be deprived of sugar which can lead to overeating. I guess my thought is that I want this surgery BECAUSE it causes dumping. If I could eat intuitively on my own, I wouldn't need the surgery!! Any one else get this from their nutritionist? — [Deactivated Member] (posted on March 4, 2003)
March 4, 2003
I can only say I WISH I dumped! If I did, I wouldn't be so tempted to
cheat all the time. In my opinion...dumping is good, no dumping is bad!
— Robby E.
March 4, 2003
What exactly is dumping? I read about it all of the time but have no idea
what it is.
— WendieS
March 4, 2003
Dumping is what happens when you eat too fast or eat something not
desirable after surgery, ie sugar!!! I causes you to get sweat, ligh
headed etc. The surgeons I've visited make it seem like dumping is some
kind of built in part of the procedure when actually anyone who has any
kind of gastric, pancreatic or intestinal surgery can suffer from it.
According to all of the medical journals I've read, the dumping is a
natural after WLS. As for the lady who wrote, NO dumping is bad. I agree.
If you dump then you can better gauge what you should be staying away from
dietary wise.
— [Deactivated Member]
March 4, 2003
I agree that cumping can be good. Ofcourse it sucks to go through it, but
it allows you to not eat alot of sugar. Although i do dump, it has to be
larger amounts of sugar, I can pretty much eat up to 15grams at a time and
feel ok, after that, I get nauseaus and just feel sick all around. That
amount is alot, but atleast it wasn't what it was- I probably could've
eaten 2 candy bars in one sitting, now I can only eat a hershey's mini!
Don't test your dumping capacity either! The more sugar you eat, the more
you get adjusted to it, so you can eat more. Also, usually when you eat
sugar or carbs, you just want more. I think staying away from it is better,
then you don't usually crave it as much. I think I've heard like 15% of
RNYs don't dump, statistics may be a little off, but something like that.
So, hopefully you will then if you want to! :)Goodluck to you!
— Lezlie Y.
March 4, 2003
Sadly there are far to many people who COUNT on dumping as a 'failsafe'
after surgery. It's a known fact that only about 30% post op RNY patients
dump at all. Many, like some who have already responded here, wish that
they did dump. It's all about self control, no matter what surgery we
choose. I chose the BPD over the RNY and though I have more capacity for
food, I do have to be very conscious of my food choices in order to get the
most beneift from my 'tool'. The majority of us have issues with food that
have lead us to the point of WLS.. though I cannot speak as an RNY patient,
I can tell you from what I know of friends and from my own experience,
that your eating habits WILL change simply because of your reduced capacity
and the beneifts of putting protein first in your diet. Though my
nutritionist knew very little about the type of surgery I chose, she did
impart upon me that dumping is a bad thing and should not be relied upon...
best of luck to you.
— Joscelin
March 4, 2003
I think we are getting our statistics mixed up here- its 30 percent of
RNY'ers that do not dump, the rest do. And you can dump on high fats too,
not just sugar. Many RNY'ers have the surgery so that they will have a
built in mechanism that will cause them to get sick (dump), thereby
reinforcing staying away from whatever made you sick. However, Lezlie is
right, the more you test your dumpometer, and the more sugar you eat, the
better you build your tolerance and eventually you don't dump at all,
defeating the purpose of the dumpometer. Dumping is no fun, and many who
have this surgery desire dumping to help them stay on the straight and
narrow.
— Cindy R.
March 4, 2003
To me, dumping IS a desirable side effect. It will stop you from being
able to eat sugar. You get plenty of "natural" sugar from normal
foods, there's no reason to add "junk" sugar. Even the FEAR of
dumping should keep you safe for awhile - never test it!!!! My biggest
regret was discovering that I don't dump - now it's 1000 times harder.
Just assume that you'll be sick as a dog and don't go there. Ever.
— jen41766
March 4, 2003
This is typical of medical people who don't have a clue! The "If you
dump, you'll be deprived of sugar, which can lead to overeating" is
insane! Sugar isn't needed to survive.
I am so thankful I have dumping. It is not fun, hense the forced behavior
modification! Its one of the reasons this surgry works!
— ZZ S.
March 4, 2003
I can eat a couple of small cookies or a sliver of cake if I want to and I
wouldn't have it any other way. I've never tried it, but I'll bet that if
I ate a lot more, I'd make myself sick. I don't think its a good idea to
want to dump on a cookie or two, because you will overcompensate to fill
the craving by overeating other things. Even too much of a healthier food
can create a caloric problem. I'm thinking that might have been the
message your nutritionist was trying to send.
— Amy W.
March 4, 2003
It totally amazes me the different responses that everyone has been giving
to this question. I am glad that I went to the US Bariatric Center in Ft.
Lauderdale, because before surgery, they taught you everything that you
need to know postop. For instance, we were told to eat high protein foods
only. Absolutely no sugars or carbohydrates. The dumping syndrome is not
something you want to wish for. Your heart starts racing, you break out in
a sweat, you puke, you have diareah and you feel like you are going to die.
It takes about a half hour to get through it or more. It is not worth it
at all and it is not something that helps you lose weight. In fact it can
irritate your pouch and the slastic ring that is place in between your
pouch and your small intestines. Vomiting can irritate your pouch and
cause more serious problems. I am counting my blessings that I had a good
support center to go to and a very knowledgeable doctor too. If anyone has
any questions, I am more than happy to answer them. My email is
[email protected]. P.S. I had my surgery on 2/10/03 and have lost 28lbs.
My diabetes is also resolved. Go Figure!!! Oh yeah, I forgot to say that
once you have reached your 75% weight loss goal, you can then add some
carbs, but they should be good carbs.
— Robyn W.
March 4, 2003
OK, maybe what these nice folks at the Center meant was that it is not a
desired state to DEPEND on dumping to learn how to eat post op! See if you
dump early on, and never really learn how to eat in moderation then after a
while dumping can go away and then Bam! you can eat and haven't practiced
good habits...I agree with the other folks that dumping is a great part of
the tool, but that's all it is. Just a piece of the tool that if it goes
away can set you up for problems.
— Susan F.
March 4, 2003
Original poster here. I guess you are all right to an extent, in that
dumping can be an effective behavior mod tool, but I do really need to
learn to eat in moderation myself, anyway. Of course, on a support type
site such as this, there will be so many different opinions, just like it
appears that surgeons have so many different opinions, too. Look at what
people are eating 2 weeks post-op, for example -- some are allowed real
food while I know I'll still be on clear fluids! It all comes down to
trusting your surgeon and making the changes.
— [Deactivated Member]
March 10, 2003
3 years post-op, I still "dump" maybe once or twice in 6 mos. I
always know what caused it-sugar! As a rule, I eat a cookie every 3-5 days
to satisfy my sweet tooth, but once in a while I get carried away, and I
pay. If I stop just before the big kahuna hits, I will just feel a little
uncomfortable for about 1/2 hour; that's enough to keep me good for awhile.
— rosemary H.
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