Can dumping kill you?

Hi! I'm still contemplating WLS surgery and I read so much about the dumping syndrome and it's horrible affects. They sound so severe at time, I wonder if they can kill you? Especially all the talk about feeling like you are having a heart attack? Can someone shed some light on this? Thanks.

No... but it can sure make you want to die. I don't have any medical info behind me but dying from dumping wasn't in the possible side effects booklet that I got handed. It can certainly make you feel crappy for a while, though, and you learn what not to eat very quickly.

Hi Patricia, I don't believe dumping can kill you.... but it's an awful feeling. There are different levels of it too, some more severe than others. When we dump our pancreas's work overtime and our hearts are pounding but I don't know if that can lead to a heart attack... good question. The dumping syndrome doesn't happen to everyone either, some people experience it and then some don't. Happy Holidays. Hope this helps alittle bit.

I haven't heard even anectodal information about dumping killing anyone and certainly haven't read anything about it. In my early months I seemed to dump on anything and everything; it didn't have to have sugar or fat. And just because something feels like one might describe a heart attack, doesn't mean that's what it is. In fact, the heart attack, or serious pressure in the upper chest feeeling, is often associated not with dumping but with having food stuck--which is usually between the pouch and stoma, not above the pouch although it feels like that. Dumping is a complex phenonemon and different people suffer different symptoms (just one or even all): sweating, nausea, throwing up, quick onset of severe fatigue, jitters, diarrhea. It's all very unpleasant and can last from a few minutes to a few hours, but it does pass. So, can it really kill you? I think it would be foolish to categorically say it can't or won't. Life is full of the unknowns. I suppose if it creates enough stress on your body and you have other health issues going on, perhaps it could precipitate some other condition that ultimately would cause you great harm or even death, but those are unknowns. And not everyone dumps. I truly believe that my risk of death for any reason was much much higher when I was MO. WLS was a calculated risk that for me was more favorable than not having surgery. These are just my observations and opinions, but you should probably talk to your surgeon about it and get a professional opinion. Good luck, Ann

Hello Patricia, Dumping is a very complex complication/side effect of RNY surgery. Dumping has become a generic term for three different events that happen. These are: Lactose intolerance Hypoglycemic reaction Rapid Gastric Emptying One of our members DX E made a great post about this http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/men/postdetail/4684.html?vc=0 Some things to remember. Not everyone dumps. About 50% of RNY patients are dump resistant (notice I said resistant because the situation can change). Severity is different for different people. Dumping can happen in ANY person. Ask any lactose intolerant person who has dairy, ask any diabetic about hypoglycemic reactions, and persons with disease of the pyloric valve, various stomach cancers, and ulcers about rapid gastric dumping. While it is often NOT mentioned in WLS groups there are treatments for dumping (Acarbose and Octreotide). Although a lot of WLS patients are GLAD to dump because it keeps them honest. I have had a lactose intolerance dump by drinking too much milk at one time. My experience was that I got a little queesy and needed to lay down for about an hour. I haven't really tried sugar yet but I have had products with sugar in them with no ill effects. That said most RNY people myself included just avoid it or only have it in moderation. Below is a far more technical link about the effects and treatment of dumping. http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic589.htm Hope this helps.

the best bet is avoid it in the first place by not eating foods that might cause dumping, ie high fat, high sugar foods. It can also be caused by eating too fast. being human, as I am you will likely test your limits. When you dump you are not likely gonna die, just only wish you would. then you learn. that would be the behavior modification component of the RNY. Of course those with the duodenal switch don't dump. that is always an option. The Physiology of Dumping Syndrome Dumping syndrome is usually divided into "early" and "late" phases - the two phases have separate physiologic causes and will be described separately. In practical fact, a patient usually experiences a combination of these events and there is no clear-cut division between them. Early dumping is caused by the high osmolarity of simple carbohydrates in the bowel. The various types of sugar all have small molecules, so that a gram of (for example) sucrose has MANY more molecules than a gram of protein, creating a higher concentration (number of molecules per cc) from simple sugars than from other foods. This matters because, inside the body, fluid shifts will generally go toward the higher concentration of molecules. So, if a patient consumes a bite of milk chocolate (lots of sugar), when it gets to the Roux limb it will quickly "suck" a significant amount of fluid into the bowel. This rapid filling of the small bowel causes it to be stretched (which causes cramping pain). This also causes the activation of hormonal and nerve responses that cause the heart to race (palpitations) and cause the individual to become clammy and sweaty. Vomiting or diarrhea may follow as the intestine tries to quickly rid itself of this "irritant." Late dumping has to do with the blood sugar level. The small bowel is very effective in absorbing sugar, so that the rapid absorption of a relatively small amount of sugar can cause the glucose level in the blood to "spike" upward. The pancreas responds to this glucose challenge by "cranking up" its output of insulin. Unfortunately, the sugar that started the whole cycle was such a small amount that it does not sustain the increase in blood glucose, which tends to fall back down at about the time the insulin surge really gets going. These factors combine to produce hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which causes the individual to feel weak, sleepy, and profoundly fatigued. Late dumping is the mechanism by which sugar intake can create low blood sugar, and it is also a way for gastric bypass patients to get into a vicious cycle of eating. If the patient takes in sugar or a food that is closely related to sugar (simple carbohydrates like rice, pasta, potatoes) they will experience some degree of hypoglycemia in the hour or two after eating. The hypoglycemia stimulates appetite, and it's easy to see where that is going.... The reason that sugar does not cause dumping in non-operated people is that the stomach, pancreas, and liver work together to prepare nutrients (or sugar) before they reach the small intestine for absorption. The stomach serves as a reservoir that releases food downstream only at a controlled rate, avoiding sudden large influxes of sugar that can occur after a Roux-en-Y. The released food is also mixed with stomach acid, bile, and pancreatic juice to control the chemical makeup of the stuff that goes downstream and avoid all the effects outlined above. Obviously, surgeons consider dumping syndrome to be a beneficial effect of gastric bypass - it seems to be important to provide quick and reliable negative feedback for intake of the "wrong" foods. In practice, most patients do NOT experience full-blown dumping more than once or twice. Most simply say that they have "lost their taste" for sweets. Of course, this is always a great topic to ask patients about directly, so you may want to ask about it at our support group in person, or in a support group online.

dumping can not kill you, but obesity can!

The best thing to rember is when you feel full, STOP eating. I have had a very mild case of dumping but only when I eat fast or don't chew completely. You will have to train yourself to eat slowly. Don't always belive when food says "sugar free" that they are. You have to pay attention to the sugar alchohols too. You will get distressed bowls or vomit if you eat too much sugar. My surgeon recomends no more than 4 grams per serving and working up post op after that. I am currently 3 1/2 months post op and am up to 6 grams. Hope the info helped. Jennifer

YES, 'dumping' CAN kill you!!! It rarely does, but it IS possible. In the 'normie' (i.e., the 'non-op') world, 'dumping syndrome' is usually called 'insulin shock', and people DO die from it, every day. But there are forms of WLS which DON'T involve 'dumping syndrome'. They are the LapBand, the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, and the Duodenal Switch. The first two mentioned don't involve any re-routing of the small intestine---they're 'restriction-only' forms of WLS. They both work fairly well, but have yet to establish a solid track record. The DS (Duodenal Switch) is a restrictive and malabsorptive procedure, which has the very BEST long-term track record---75-80% maintained loss of original excess weight at 10+ years post-op. AND a 10+-year remission of ALL symptoms of Type II diabetes as well. This works in the treatment of Type II diabetes SO well that surgeons in Europe have been doing the DS on non-obese patients JUST TO TREAT DIABETES for more than 10 years---with the above-reported results.