Anon - It's pretty common for patients to have diarrhea immediately after surgery, but it usually stops after the first week. Chronic diarrhea isn't a routine side effect of the surgery.
Were you provided guidance on the types of foods to eat? After surgery, you need to make big, permanent changes in how you eat. Here's what WebMD says.
* You can eat only a few ounces of food at a time. Your new stomach will only hold a tiny amount of food.
* You must eat very slowly and chew your food to mush. Otherwise, you may vomit often and have pain.
* You won't be able to drink for 30 minutes before you eat, during your meal, and for 30 minutes after you eat. There won't be room in your stomach for both drinks and solid food.
* You probably will need to take vitamins and supplements.
* You may have to avoid foods that contain simple sugars-like candy, juices, ice cream, condiments, and soft drinks.
Foods that many patients can't tolerate, such as fruit juices, potatoes, high sugar foods and high starch foods, cause a process known as dumping. This happens because food moves too quickly through the stomach and intestines. It can cause shaking, sweating, dizziness, rapid heart rate and often severe diarrhea.
You can learn more about this here:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/173594-overview
You can learn more about gastric bypass here:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass
If you are not eating the foods that cause dumping, and you continue to have diarrhea, then you should contact your doctor's office.
Let us know if this helps, and if you have additional questions.
Thanks, Pat
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Anon - It's pretty common for patients to have diarrhea immediately after surgery, but it usually stops after the first week. Chronic diarrhea isn't a routine side effect of the surgery.
Were you provided guidance on the types of foods to eat? After surgery, you need to make big, permanent changes in how you eat. Here's what WebMD says.
* You can eat only a few ounces of food at a time. Your new stomach will only hold a tiny amount of food.
* You must eat very slowly and chew your food to mush. Otherwise, you may vomit often and have pain.
* You won't be able to drink for 30 minutes before you eat, during your meal, and for 30 minutes after you eat. There won't be room in your stomach for both drinks and solid food.
* You probably will need to take vitamins and supplements.
* You may have to avoid foods that contain simple sugars-like candy, juices, ice cream, condiments, and soft drinks.
Foods that many patients can't tolerate, such as fruit juices, potatoes, high sugar foods and high starch foods, cause a process known as dumping. This happens because food moves too quickly through the stomach and intestines. It can cause shaking, sweating, dizziness, rapid heart rate and often severe diarrhea.
You can learn more about this here:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/173594-overview
You can learn more about gastric bypass here:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass
If you are not eating the foods that cause dumping, and you continue to have diarrhea, then you should contact your doctor's office.
Let us know if this helps, and if you have additional questions.
June 8, 2010 - 6:31pmThanks, Pat
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