diarrhea and other problems

Dana K.
on 12/21/11 6:43 am - Winchester, VA
RNY on 03/01/10 with
I'm having some troubles and am hoping that perhaps someone here might have some advice (maybe having had the same symptoms).

I am 21 months post-op and have had very loose stools since surgery. I had very bad diarrhea for the first 6 weeks and then it seemed to wane to a manageable level. It's one of those things that the surgeon seemed generally unconcerned about at the time and I figured it was a "new normal" for me.

However, it is recently worse again....3 or 4 months now. I saw a doctor about this about 6 weeks ago. Here is what we've tried...

1. stool sample to lab...no infection/ bugs of any sort
2. probiotic...34 days now
3. eliminated dairy for a week
4. eliminated gluten for a week
5. added Benefiber 2 weeks ago...taking daily

Oh, and I take Imodium every day...sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. It doesn't seem to make any difference, but I take it anyway.

Neither the frequency nor the consistency really bothers me. Like I said, I figured this might just be my new normal. It's the other things that accompany the diarrhea...nausea, dry skin/lips (dehyrdated), fatigue/tiredness, the gawd-awful smell and the gas. I have also had several occasions in the last 2 weeks where I'm fuzzy headed/confused to the point that I won't drive my car.

I generally avoid calling my doctor...I don't like to be a bother. So, I have to feel pretty crappy before I'll call. The fuzzy-headed thing had me particularly worried and yesterday when I woke up, I felt like someone had beaten me in the kidneys.

So, I called the bariatric surgeon's office in the morning and spoke with the nurse. I let her know that I'm not feeling any better and that I thought I should come back in...maybe have some labs done (since the stool testing was the only lab work since my 1 year labs in March). She spoke with the doctor and called me back. The best way to describe my conversation with the nurse is that they broke up with me...over the phone.

She said that diarrhea is not a side affect of gastric bypass surgery (more likely to have constipation issues) and that I should see my family doctor who can then refer me to a gastro doctor, if necessary.

Now, I should say that this group of bariatric surgeons is NOT the same as the surgeon who performed my surgery. I transferred my care to them for general follow-up/labs because they are closer to where I live. Maybe they don't want to deal with it because they didn't do the surgery?

I feel like I'd be starting back at square one with the family doctor...and he doesn't have much (any) experience with patients who have altered guts. So, here I am, asking for advice from the WLS community...any suggestions?

            
H.A.L.A B.
on 12/21/11 7:09 am
Long - read at your own risk..

hm...
I do have some issues with some foods.

elimination for one week - may not be enough.  I would suggest 2-3 weeks - elimination diet, then introduce one product every 2-3 days.   no more than 1 item every 2-3 days.

Yo may have develop a food allergies, or your GB is out of control - the bile is very irritation to the intestines lining. 

I think you should seek advice of a gastro docs. You probably may also need a colonoskopy.  Once your lining is irritated - it takes a while to heal it and you may have developed some sort of irritation or even crown or IBS.

I am not a medical doc or a nut , but did a lot of those things for myself. this what I would do:

From the symptoms - you are probably fat - and fat solubles vitamin deficient.  You may try to start getting them subnormal - get creams with vit K, A and E and apply a few times a day to the skin.  
A very simple diet for 2-3 weeks may help.
organic chicken with rice (cooked to a mush) and with some organic veggies (usually carrots).  minimum amount of real organic butter.  Eat that - as much as  you can at least 6-7 times a day.   after -2 -3 days you will know if your symptoms improved.  
If they did, try to introduce a small amount of butter (real organic) maybe 1/2-1 tsp to every dish.   Start with while rice and then - if the symptoms gets better - - introduce slowly brown rice.   2-3 weeks on that shall clear most  symptoms.  During that time - take some basic multi and Calcium.  The less fillers - the better.  First few days I would stay away from any vitamins or minerals.  (supplements).  

I found out that I developed allergies to some foods and to artificial sweeteners.  Splenda is in everything - and I can't tolerate that. But I need to be off of it for at least 2 weeks before my symptoms clear.   I also have allergy (not as bad) to soy and soy  protein. And SA.   even small amount (like in a gum) make make me ill. 

Carbs - give me runs.  Even the so call "natural" Beans - kill me.  And so on. 

You also may have developed systematic candida - and normally they do not check for that. (google that) ... I have that.  But I have that for a very long time and I know how to control that.  And when I feel things are out of control - I take some antifugul drugs and herbs and correct my diet, and have a semi -normal life for a while.

We didn't get fat because our body were normal - I do believe that a lot of us had some issues, that were not discovered until we got to more "normal". 

Good luck...

google:
systematic candida
side effect of Splenda
side effects of artificial sweeteners
food allergy

BTW: coffee irritates the stomach and the GB.  GB when irritated releases bile - extra bile - runs... lots of runs...

Right now food enters the pouch and then immediately enters the small intestines and gets absorbed. Before - that was digested and some toxins or molecules partially neutralized - so if you were allergic to something before - you may not even know that.  But now - there is no digestion - so the body may react to the irritant. 
It may be like "mini- dumps " for you all day long. 

i.e. last night I ate 1 cup blackberries.  Not sure what was on them (not organic fruit) but my body really reacted... I was glad I was very close to the bathroom.

Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG

"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"

"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."

Dana K.
on 12/21/11 8:13 am - Winchester, VA
RNY on 03/01/10 with
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and respond to my post. I appreciate your advice.
            
Citizen Kim
on 12/21/11 7:09 am, edited 12/20/11 7:11 pm - Castle Rock, CO
Please get to your PCP and get a full set of labs done. Get the RNY list from Vitalady or Vitagarten to make sure you get everything checked. It sounds like you may have some deficiences that need to be managed - even if they are not causing the diarrhea - they may well be a result of it!

Get a copy of your results and if you don't know much about vitamin and mineral levels after RNY, post them on here for people to give you advice.

After you get the results take them to a gastro doc - it is wholly possible that this problem is not connected with your surgery, but at least he should be able to tell you whether it is or not!

Come back and let us know how you get on. Feeling like you do is NOT normal and it is imperative that you become your own advocate for your health and get the medical help that you need!

A Registered DIetition should be able to help you if you do not have anything medically wrong.

Proud Feminist, Atheist, LGBT friend, and Democratic Socialist

(deactivated member)
on 12/21/11 8:29 am
MsBatt
on 12/21/11 10:23 am
This is a fly-by post---meaning I didn't read any other replies.

Take a****load of clacium CIRATE, and a buttload of IRON. Both are constipating, and both are things your body NEEDS.

Eat a LOT of meat. Also cheese, nuts, seafood, and fowl.

Take a ****LOAD of citamines and supplements. Your lab work will tell you what to raise and lwer.

Or you could just DIE,
Ladytazz
on 12/21/11 11:21 am
Also, see if your doc will prescribe some Flagyl for you.  It sounds like intestinal bacterial overgrowth.  Not all the bugs show up on cultures.  If the Flagyl helps then you have your culprit.
Do you have a distal surgery?

WLS 10/28/2002 Revision 7/23/2010

High Weight  (2002) 240 Revision Weight (2010) 220 Current Weight 115.

Amy T.
on 12/21/11 11:23 am - Labadieville, LA
 I just had weight loss surgery on November 15', but I also have ulcerative colitis .  My main symptoms were diarrhea, tiredness, fatigue, and left sided abdominal pain.  The pain would increase around the time of my cycle.  I have been on meds for the last two years.  What is funny is after I had the weight loss surgery and eliminated a lot of foods from my diet like sugar, white bread, potatoes, pasta and rice the symptoms decreased.  So I am at the point where I am kind of thinking it was food related but definitely also hormone related.  It took a long time for them to diagnose me because the symptoms would be extremely severe when my cycle would appear.  I even had laparoscopic surgery . They thought it was related to the female organs and it was not.  It took a couple years after tht surgery then I started passing blood and needed a colonoscopy. I am only 35 years old but I have to live with this disease the rest of my life.  You would think that I shoulda been skinny crappin all the time!!

tinamarie_125
on 12/22/11 12:55 am
Hi Dana! First of all...when I saw you are in Winchester I got excited! I live in Round Hill..not far at all from you.
Second, we just moved here from a bigger city and I don't have anyone (doctor wise) who is familiar with gastric bypass patients and what they need. I find myself educating them or reminding them all the time of what I can and can't have...things my body needs to be tested for (vitamin levels). It is exhausting. And frustrating.
Third...I have had to see a gastro doctor where we lived previously. I have had to have a scope procedure done 10+  times because my stoma had closed up. Gastro doctors will probably be alot more helpful to you than a general doctor. I would think theres a chance they have seen more issues and all with gastric patients. I would go see them. I think its pretty normal for us to be followed by gastro docs anyway.
And lastly, be your own advocate and try researching online and have some things in mind when you see your regular doctor and also the gastro.

Oh and if you ever want to chat or meet for coffee..Im here! We are military so Im not here for long...but i am here now. I have looked for a support group to go to in this area and not found one. If you know of one..please tell me!
Good luck girlie!
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