Question:
What is Dumping?

   — Peggy51 (posted on April 4, 1999)

April 3, 1999
My personal expereince with dumping is twofold. With foods that are too high in sugar content for me to tolerate, I break out into a sweat, feel like I am running a temperature, and generally need to go lay down. Just feel rotten. With high milk based foods, like ice cream and milk, I get abdominal cramps and raging diahrrea. Neither of these are very fun, but a great deterrent for me to keep from running to those types of food. Dumping is basically a revolt by your body when you give it something that it cannot process-generally sugar and lactose. It happened with me very frequently post surgically, and I really had to stay away from anything with sugar or lots of milk. It has decreased with time, but is still a very real threat. Thank goodness! This is something that I believe only happens with gastric bypass procedures, not with the banding procedures. Hope this is helpful. Sharon Schiera RNY 11/18/97 down from 298 to 165.
   — Sharon S.

April 3, 1999
Dumping. Glad it happens to me as it keeps me safe from sugar. But, oh, not while it's happening! My amatuer understanding is as follows: REsulting either from drinking with meals (sipping is drinking) and forcing food through too fast OR from ingesting sugar. Only happens to those with a bypass. The offending substance hits that intestine and causes it to have digestive panic. It fills with fluid and the outer area fills with fuild, trying to match each other. Mouth goes dry, hands & feet go cold, cold sweats, fuzzy vision, fuzzy brain, head bobbles around and it takes every effort to stay awake, heart palpitations and nausea. DO NOT DRIVE LIKE THIS! Some get diarrhea after, some don't. It is MISERABLE. It is a thing to be avoided. Just skip the sugar and drinking with meals! Those 2 things can negate youru sugery ANYWAY, so just spare yourself a whole lot of trouble and DON'T. If you've been careful, read the labels and it STILL happens? Don't try to "drink" it away! That only makes that emergency fluid situation worse and the dumping lasts longer! For me, mine last 30-45 minutes and leave me feeling weak, exhausted and totally stupid. And it doesn't make any difference if I knew it, or it was accidental. Still miserable. But I'd rather dump than be able to tolerate sugar.
   — vitalady

April 6, 1999
i have the same answer as the first person...i get sweaty and feel like i have a tempature...my mouth waters and i get incredibly naseous...i get this from foods too milky, fatty, sugary...it only lasts about 10-15 minutes...and i usually just sit on the tiolet and put my head in my hands...it's a good preventive measure against "bad" foods...i had the fobi pouch 10 months ago and have lost 135#...i can drink with meals...i take sips, sometimes i can drink a whole cp with a meal...many people have different opions about this, but it does not cause dumping with me...
   — michelle N.

April 8, 1999
Dumping for me means diahhrea. If I eat something high sugar or fat content, I will have diahrea either within an hour of two of eating this food, or the next morning will be in the bathroom two to three times before my system clears itself out.
   — dboat