How common is diarrhea?

Everyone's experience is different. I sent you a personal message.

Yeah diarrhea is common to everyone I think. But at the very little age this happen very often.

I disagree with the generalization that diarrhea is common to everybody. It wasn't my experience pre or post-op, nor currently in maintenance.

Hi MarinaGirl,

What is a mini-gastric bypass? So you did not have any issues with diarrhea?

Thanks to everyone *****sponded. I wish I could say I feel better about it, but based on replies it doesn't seem that uncommon. I just don't want to spend the rest of my life in fear.

However, I'm living my life in fear now, just not of gastric dysfunction. My obesity is affecting my heart and causing sleep apnea.

Thanks again for the input.

You haven't mentioned which surgery you're getting, so it's difficult to really let you know what to expect. Nonetheless, I'll share with you my experience with the duodenal switch, which has the worst rap for a lifetime of diarrhea (that's what the docs that don't do DS tell patients asking about it, btw)

I've had the DS for 12 years now. My stool is very loose and sometimes watery, but unlike diarrhea, it's not uncontrollable. I just have my morning routine every day and that's how it is coming out. I do this first thing in the morning, and nothing else the rest of the day. Texture and odor is dependent on what I eat the day before or what I need nutritionally. It is firmer if I get the iron and calcium I need. The odor is minimal if I've got a good population of flora in my guts (probiotics).

I have never had an accident at work. I have been lured to an ethnic restaurant for lunch a couple of times and found myself blown up like a blimp that afternoon with bloating and gas from god knows what kind of mystery ingredient or spice I ingested. I make it a point to not do any experimental eating on days when I have a presentation to make. It takes some time to find all of those triggers to avoid them. That was probably my main complaint, but I've fingered the most common ones, and if I avoid them there are no issues at all.

I had an RNY. I have never had diarrhea other than the first couple of days post-op (common after surgery for me) and once with a stomach virus.

I don't think this is a common issue from my experience (reference gastric bypass) and constipation is far more common.

Keep in mind, I don't eat off plan -- no sugars, sugar alcohols, carbs, etc.