Dumping syndrome (or rapid gastric emptying) is a condition where food, especially sugar, is quickly ‘dumped’ from your stomach into your small intestine without being digested.
The condition can develop after weight loss surgeries such as a gastric bypass or gastric sleeve.
During normal digestion, your pancreas makes enzymes to break down sugars, fats and starches and hormones to help regulate your blood sugar and appetite and tell your stomach when to empty. That all happens while your food makes its slow journey from your stomach and through your lengthy digestive tract.
Bariatric surgery changes your stomach and sometimes also your digestive tract. Some types of food may move too quickly from your stomach to your intestine, prompting your body to release extra hormones and fluids. That causes early dumping syndrome which strikes within 30 minutes of eating.
The extra hormones in your body may prompt your pancreas to release too much of another hormone: insulin. That excess insulin can lead to low blood glucose 1-3 hours after you eat, causing the symptoms of late dumping syndrome.
There are two types of dumping syndrome: early and late.
Early dumping syndrome usually develops within 30 minutes of eating. Digestive symptoms include:
In addition, you may feel:
Late dumping syndrome happens 1-3 hours after eating and is caused by low blood sugar.
You might:
Many people are able to relieve dumping syndrome by making simple changes to their eating habits.
Diet-wise, you can try:
Changing the way you eat can also help.Try eating 6 small meals a day instead of 3 larger ones and delay drinking until 30 minutes after your meal. Lying down after eating can also help to slow the food’s progress through your body and so avoid dumping syndrome.
We’re here to help you live your best life after bariatric surgery. That includes enjoying your meals without fearing dumping syndrome at every bite.
Our dietitian is happy to help you develop new eating habits and nutritious meal plans.
If changing your eating habits doesn’t help, we can also prescribe various medications to help manage dumping syndrome.
So please don’t suffer in silence. Come and see us instead.
All information is general in nature. Patients should consider their own personal circumstances and seek a second opinion. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.