Help me please.

[brucemillar]

Folks

I am now seven months post op and going well (I think). I have had three throat stretches to help with food sticking, which appears to have resolved that issue. Over the past three to four weeks I noticed increasing chest pains. This went from uncomfortable after eating to painful all the time. My wonderful consultant (James Gossage) had me back into London Bridge last Friday to stretch my stomach exit allowing food to empty from my stomach slightly quicker. This produced an immediate relief from the chest pain. Life is now good with one exception!

If I eat breakfast (early days I know) it goes straight through me within two hours of eating. Within minutes of eating I get a lower bowel ache/cramp this lasts until the inevitable happens. No accidents as I get plenty of warning. It just means that I am in pain and not the best of company. After the morning episode I will be fine all day.

For breakfast I have been attempting to eat a banana with some Kellogs Raisin Bran and a bit of Bio-Pot Yoghurt (unsweetened). I also have some "Green" (Skinny Milk) with this. Sounds like a huge amount, but in reality it is all in a small cereal bowl and maybe makes up less than a fist size of food.

I have read that Bran, Yoghurt, banana's are all things that "should" be OK with early dumping?

Assuming that my breakfast is causing my problems? any advice on what particular food I should remove from it. Or is it trial and error? Could it be to do with timing? Instead of eating at 07:00am should I wait till later in the morning?

I have suffered a fair bit with dumping issues since surgery. This has included passing out if eat too much sweet stuff - chocolate. So I now test my blood sugar levels twice daily and seem able to control the passing out.

Life is good and the weather is getting better. I am making a phased return to work which involves a train commute. I would love to think that his is something that I can overcome by tweaking what and when I eat. I repeat (excuse the pun) it only happens with Breakfast.

Any help is appreciated.

Regards

Bruce

[jay2908]

Hello Bruce,

You're right in saying it is early days. I'd recommend that you cut out the bran as it contains insoluble fibre and will increase bowel movements. Also having liquid with solids will increase the likihood of dumping, so you should not have milk or any other liquid after or whilst eating solids. Yogurt, if it's sweetened can also cause dumping. Alternatively it could be that your moving too soon after eating, say for your commute to work.

I appreciate that this all seems rather restrictive, so I'll give some examples which might better suit. Fried egg on toast, muffins, pancakes (my fav), buttered toast. Generally any food that doesnt have too much liquid or sugar. Whilst commuting to work I also snack on coconut mini macaroons (1 every 30 mins).

I hope some of above helps.

Jay

[strangetimes in reply to jay2908]

I have similar reaction and I've found that it's linked to how much I've eaten the day before .

It's tricky because obviously snacking before bed time can result in me tasting that all night but I can only suggest you go for something sustaining in the evening as a snack after your evening meal .

I find that if I start the night off sitting upright for the first few hours ,I can lie down later .

High protein yoghurt with some walnuts added ? Lidls low fat greek type seems good .Oatcakes ? With some edam cheese?

Another big vote for James Gossage from me .

[Hidden]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things! You probably have to try dropping one element of the breakfast at a time to see what difference it makes on a trial and error basis. I do not think the timing of the eating should be a problem, but there may feasibly be something to do with a cycle of insulin:sugar balance?. 'Little and often' is the key to it all.

It is indeed trial and error, but my instinct would be to try and alter the dairy side of it first (I wonder about those bio-pot yoghurts?), and experiment with lactose free / rice milk. Try avoiding anything that contains an ingredient ending in '-ose'. I am never quite sure about bananas, as I have seen them categorised both as low GI and high GI; it might just depend on whether they are really ripe or not.

[strangetimes]

I find that I suffer from dumping if I eat on an empty stomach ,particularly something with sugar .

I have toast and tea about 7am followed by something like the yoghurt or oatcakes at about 11 .

[2Chrissie4 in reply to strangetimes]

Have you tried eating just one plain biscuit when you get up? That one biscuit prepares the stomach for food as it gets the juices flowing. I also have a small pot of Actimel with my breakfast of lightly buttered toast and a cup of tea. This is the advice I had from my dietician a few years ago when like you I was having problems eating breakfast. Forgot to say I had the Ivor Lewis back in October 2004. Actimel is full of good bacteria and helps set your stomach up for food. Start slowly when eating. As Alan said little but often is the key but starting with something small just to take the edge off the hunger is the trick. Your system has changed and is not capable of handling rich foods or moderatly large sized meals any more so as I said little but often is the key to getting enough food into you. Have a small bowl of nibbles by your side so you can dip into it during the day.

[JosephR]

I suggest that you need protein for breakfast. Try eggs or peanut butter. Cereals and foods that convert to sugar in the stomach pulled up can cause immediate dumping and pain.

Try to stay away from coffee, easier said then done. I am 15 years out from the removal of my esophagus, I had a gastric bypass done 7 years ago for bile and acid reflux. I still to this day get dumping syndrome especially if I eat sweets or if I eat too quickly.

Best of Luck

Joseph

[brucemillar]

Folks

Thank you all for taking time to respond. I am (I am not making this up) allergic to eggs. That is a long term allergy that actually gives me violent and painful diarrhea. Peanut butter (which I like) has a similar effect but only since my surgery.

I like 2Chrissie4's suggestion of a biscuit when I get up. That just seems to make sense in terms of how my gut is working. I feel (maybe wrongly) that my previous breakfast was causing dumping by many factors including timing, contents and size.

I am a wimp with pain now. Mainly as I know it is warning of worse things to come. If I can mask the pain I feel I can move forwards. The thought of everyday being in pain when I eat almost overwhelms me. I want to be normal and go to work and enjoy my daughters company when I can drive them to school in the mornings. In pain I must seem like a complete waste of space to them, just sitting there saying nothing. I also know that when I get the pain my palour is white, so I can't disguise it very well.

Does anybody have any tricks or remedies to mask the pain in my bowel?

Thanks again for being so patient with me.

Bruce

[lockie]

Hi Bruce,

I had my procedure in july 2014 Prof Mason team and Mr Gossage I have not had to much problems except when I came out of Hospital was fed through the tube which really helped the only advice I would give is try different food and see what works for you I did this as I could not stand the sight of food for two months after the op. I am 69 and I have returned to work as an hospital porter so a bit of perseverance and you will be right mate stick with . And as for your daughters thinking you are pain is not true like my daughters they love you and want what's best for you believe me, you have this far few more weeks and you will be back to fighting form once again.

Good luck and God Bless

Alan

[brucemillar in reply to lockie]

Thank you Alan. That is very encouraging.

[lockie in reply to brucemillar]

No problems Bruce I did get down hearted and wondered if it was all worth it put my family through hell but they knew what I (we) were and are going through and understood. You are over the worst just time now, as I said I am back to work doing a manual job and enjoying it after seven months of being at home you will get there mate.

take care

Alan

[MikeK]

Hi Bruce - I am 2 years post op and experimented for almost 12 months before I managed to hit on a successful breakfast which surprise, surprise is pasta. Either with a traditional sauce or as a special treat with crisped up parma ham and tomatoes. Whenever I have an early morning appointment I can always guarantee that pasta will not give me any problems. I am afraid that the traditional breakfast cereal or porridge and toast/marmalade normally gives me problems although much depends on the sugar content of the cereal. I find Rice Crispies are fine and normally have a bowl for supper most evenings.

Another breakfast tip is kedgeree - we have it for dinner the night before and my wife makes enough for me to have for breakfast next morning. Again it is a meal which I know will not give me any dumping problems. Also try to avoid mass produced bread and try to go for some form of fresh sour dough bread. I do concede however that what suits one person may not suit another. Breakast for me was always the worst meal for dumping. Good luck!

[brucemillar in reply to MikeK]

Oh wow. Pasta! This really is an individual thing. I see on here lots who say pasta is not a good thing. I'm going to have a try with a biscuit and will report back.

Thank you all again for the great replies.

[brucemillar]

Okay. So I have now had some time since my last stomach exit stretch. I seem to be all over the place with the dumping and hypo events.

I have now cut out nearly all sugar that is obviously sugar. So no sugar in coffee or tea. No biscuits, cakes or chocolate. On the advice of a dietician I have also moved to lactose free milk in my tea and coffee. This appears to have helped.

For breakfast (which was a big problem) I am eating single banana with a cup of tea and artificial sweetener (one piece).

I then snack during the day on oatcakes with cheese or some diced up salad and have a evening meal with the family.

I have to say this regime feels less like I am going to get dumping issues. I do still occasionally get the pains especially in my chest but I think that is more in relation to eating just a bit too much at one go.

So yesterday I managed 18 holes of golf. First time out since I was diagnosed 9 months ago. This all went well till I had a two pints of Guinness. When I got home I had a hypo event. Huge sweating, feeling faint, double vision etc. Took four Glucose tabs and started to feel better almost immediately. So I guess the Golf with not too much to eat followed by Guinness was maybe not such a great idea?

[Buzzboy]

Two pints !!!! Good grief - where did you think that would go ? Suggest you stick to drinking from wine glasses !

[listen]

Hi, my breakfast consists of a bran cereal and I use coconut milk with it. I think maybe the banana would be too much sugar? I do eat a cereal brand called Kashi, all organic, gluten free! I so look forward to my cereal with unsweeted coconut milk to start my day! I put a soy milk creamer in my coffee every morning. My most favorite meal of the day is now breakfast and I own a bed and breakfast in Cayucos California! Cayucos Sunset Inn. Very pleased that I am again serving myself breakfast!

[brucemillar]

Well I seem to have found a balance. Breakfast: I now have fresh fruit. 1 banana with some strawberries or half a chopped apple. A cup of tea with 1 sweetener and semi skimmed milk. That causes no issues and I can commute by train 1 hour+ with no issues.