To alleviate the symptoms of Dumping Syndrome such as nausea and diarrhea, for example, it is crucial to make a poor diet on foods such as bread, potatoes or pasta rich in carbohydrates throughout the day, use medicines to reduce discomfort such as Acarbose under prescription and, in more severe cases, surgery may be necessary in the esophagus.
Dumping Syndrome occurs due to the very rapid passage of food from the stomach into the intestine and can develop after a weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass or vertical gastrectomy but also occurs in diabetic patients or with Zollinger- Ellison, for example.
Symptoms of this syndrome may occur soon after eating, or when digestion is already underway, occurring about 2 to 3 hours later.
Immediate Symptoms of Dumping Syndrome
The most common symptoms of Dumping Syndrome occur immediately after eating or up to 10 to 20 minutes after, and early symptoms include feeling of heaviness in the belly, nausea and vomiting.
Between 20 minutes and 1 hour intermediate symptoms may appear that can lead to increased abdomen, gas, abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea.
Foods rich in sugar, such as sweets, or the ingestion of high amounts of food, often trigger the onset of symptoms more quickly.
Late Symptoms of Dumping Syndrome
The late symptoms of Dumping Syndrome may appear 1 to 3 hours after eating and may be:
- Sweating;
- Anxiety and irritability;
- Hunger;
- Weakness and tiredness;
- Dizziness;
- Tremors;
- Difficulty concentrating.
These late symptoms occur due to the fact that the small intestine does not tolerate the presence of sugar, leading to the release of large amounts of insulin, causing hypoglycaemia.
In these cases, the patient should stop what he is doing, sit down or lie down, and immediately treat hypoglycaemia to avoid fainting. Learn how to do it in: How to treat hypoglycemia.
Treatment for Dumping Syndrome
The treatment for Dumping Syndrome begins with adjustments in the patient's diet by a nutritionist to lessen the discomfort caused. Read more in: What to Eat in Dumping Syndrome.
However, it may also be necessary to use medicine prescribed by your doctor, such as Acarbose or Octreotide, for example, which slows the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine and reduces glucose and insulin peaks after meals, and symptoms caused by the disease.
In more severe cases, where the symptoms are not controlled with diet or medications, surgery may be necessary to strengthen the esophageal muscle, which is the muscle between the stomach and the first part of the intestine. In these cases, the patient may need to be fed by a probe inserted in the abdomen into the intestine, called jejunostomy.
When to go to the doctor
The patient should go to the doctor when:
- It presents signs and symptoms of Dumping Syndrome and did not have bariatric surgery;
- Has symptoms that remain even following the indications of gastroenterologist and nutritionist;
- You have rapid weight loss .
The patient should go to the doctor to adjust the treatment and prevent complications such as anemia or malnutrition and to be able to do the day-to-day activities, because the malaise limits the ability to work, to treat the house or to exercise, for example .
Get to know bariatric surgeries in: How Surgery Works for Weight Loss
