I had s full IL operation 6 months ago. After reading your posts on here, I feel very blessed and lucky that I can eat most foods about every 2 hours. My problem is quite literally my eyes are bigger than my belly. Anyone got any quick fix tips on dumping. Especially if at work and can’t lie down? What is the best thing to eat/drink to ease the cramps? Good luck to all going through this journey. I seem to be out the other side and APPEAR to be all clear. Just 1 more scan in April. Love you all x
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John0118
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Hi there. Obviously you'll never be able to eat as much as you did before. Take your time eating, and chew your food well. Personally I can eat most things too but can't drink much during or immediately afterwards. I also find it best to sit for at least ten minutes before getting up and moving around again. Mainly because of the feeling of being so full. Avoiding high carb foods like potatoes or white bread or pasta helps reduce the sugar rush that can cause dumping. Or any refined sugary foods. You want low GI foods that release energy slowly. Porridge is always good. Try lactose free milk in your tea and with cereals as the sugar in this may be giving problems. And berries rather than whole fruits like apples or oranges. You may find lighter meals in the evening like fish are better as your metabolism slows as the day goes on. Well done on getting back to work in six months though! And it will get better as you work out what foods suit you best and the dumping should ease. Best of luck.
Thank you for this. Yes I’ll take all that on board. Very helpful. I guess there isn’t a quick fix when dumping occurs. Drink water, gavescon, bananas etc x I used to love red wine. Could drink loads. Now just can’t physically do it x going to try Gin
It can take many months for the new stomach plumbing to adjust. After two years I could eat anything in any quantity within reason, including red wine. Still get dumping sometime and there seems no logic to it, full three course meal can be fine then a coffee and cake in the afternoon can cause it, guess it's a sugar thing
When you say lactose free milk, which do you recommend? This annoys me a bit because the NHS dietician told me to change to full fat milk (to maintain weight), but I believe this has caused me to have horrible spells of vomiting. I'm going to stop it again, but i've tried almond and coconut milk but didn't like them, and soy milk is linked with higher incidence of oesophageal cancer.
Hi there. Lactose is the naturally occuring sugar in milk. After my IL, I had terrible problems with diarrhoea and bad stomach cramps. Cutting out normal milk went a long way to helping. Most supermarkets stock it. There is one made by Arla. I hardly noticed any difference in taste.
Eat less at any one time. Try and sit after eating for at least 10 mins. Don’t drink and eat at the same time. And use dextrose tablets or another form of fast sugar as soon as you get the first inkling of an attack. I can use up to a packet but it will work. Sometimes lucozzade or coke but make sure it is not one with sweetners after the sugar tax! Bananas work for some but for me they are a cause of dumping. You can get early dumping (soon after eating) and late dumping (often 2-4 hours later). 6 months is a short time and your gut changes as it repairs itself and learns to function again so you may find what causes dumping and which dumping occurs change as you get better. Plus you will always be tempted to eat too much. I’m nearly 9 years on and still eat too much sometimes. Well done on getting back to work but make sure you don’t overdo it. Cheers Lizzy
What fantastic advice. I will try all that. I’m so glad you’re doing well. Also glad to hear I’m still quite early and it will get better. I’m just too damn impatient. I used to love a few drinks (alcohol) but now can just mange a couple of wines. Thank you for replying x.
Its still early days for you and your on a learning curve to what foods suit you best.
I am 12 years post op and still get the occasional dumping and its usually my own fault.
Its sensible to cut out full fat milk as this always caused me problems so I have skimmed milk in tea and coffee and Soy milk in porridge and on cereals. It gives that creamy taste that you get in full fat milk. As far as I know Soy milk is very healthy and contains vitamins and minerals. I have never heard of it being linked to Oesophageal cancer in any way.
We all appear to be so different in what we can eat and how we react. I was on full fat milk no real problem but now on B.O.B milk, best of both, it is a skimmed milk but tastes like semi, no problems with this, left off the full cream as I was starting to regain weight.
6 months on from IL, I eat mainly now 3 meals a day, little or no mid meal snacks, eat mostly what I like but try to eat smaller portions, I may go 7 or 8 days with no dumping the next 2 to 3 days a dump each day, why ? I have no idea, I had been eating the same types of food, and the right quantities, then back to dump free days, the only thing that seems to cause dumping is a sugar free marmalade with a sweetener, which I have now stopped using, and porridge is a no no in the morning, almost guarantee a dump 4 hrs later.
I'm OK with bread, spuds, apples, often have 1/2 a treacle pud and custard after main meal in the evening, I am trying to eat more fibre, pulses, lentils, beans etc, soak overnight and make a pulse & veg soup the next day, can't say it seems to have helped with dumping though.
Is there an answer ? we all seem to have this problem and with lots of different possible causes.
Yeah there seems to be no rhym or reason behind it. I had a child’s roast pork dinner today. Felt fine. Had a mouthful of my wife’s chocolate brownie and immediately felt feint. Just weird x
I agree with everyone on here, but the main thing is how different we all are with dumping and how difficult it is to get the balance right.
I am a little over three years post op and have had major issues with dumping, I read what other people can eat and feel decidedly envious. How I would love to eat porridge again or bread or any kind of pastry, they all cause me dumping. My advice would mirror that already given, only I use sweets like mint humbugs and as soon as I feel the dumping coming on I suck one.
The only other thing that baffles me is that things I can eat one week I won't necessarily be able to eat the next. It is a very random thing, but good luck, you are definitely doing well for six months.
I was, but then I started to lose weight and went down to seven stone where I have stayed which is a bind, but being positive I am still here.
Hi mate, yeah what a strange phenomenon. We are all totally different. I felt great I could have a pork roast today. Even had extra pork scratchings. It was just the one mouthful of brownie and chocolate and it all changed. Blood pressure dropped, felt feint and sweaty
I feel very blessed that I can eat pretty much everything. I eat porrage and apples every morning. What a shame you can’t. I’ve gone from 15.10 stone to 12.00 stone (but I needed to lose it. Rather have gone to Weightwatchers but hey....).
Thanks for the advice. I know it sounds pathetic but I used to be known for my mad parties . I’m in the music industry and my title at my company is ‘Head of Mischief’. I hope I can start to drink more than the one class of wine. I got to get in practice for the Brits.... good luck x
My husband had his IL about 18 months ago. He eays pretty much normally but still gets dumping now and then. We never go anywhere without dextrose tablets and often a little bottle of full-fat coke. Works well for him.
Awww thank you Lou. I really appreciate your advice. I’m beginning to feel more confident in the future. To hear all these wonderful success stories is amazing. I thought this was my lot but it seems it does improve. I had an awful time over Christmas. Cancelling all my music industry parties as I couldn’t eat or drink to any excess. Now I hear stories like this I feel so much better. I guess we’d have to let the body adjust to the new plumbing. I keep hearing about the Dextrose sweets. I thought that the sugar in those should cause dumping (I wish they had a better word for it) not help it. I will certainly go get some tomorrow. The two things I LOVE in life are eating and drinking. To take both away would be unbearable. Good luck everyone xx
I can eat most things in small quantities, grazing is better for me than sitting down to a proper meal. When in company it is easy to forget to chew and I can end up in the loo trying to regurgitate a piece of meat, it is getting better but the secret is don't eat too much in one go.
Thank you. Yes if I’ve got a full plate I tend to try and finish it. Just habit really. I had a kids size Sunday roast yesterday and it was about right
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