Hi everyone,

I'm 1 week and 2 days post-op and am having big trouble with my protein powders.  Any time I drink I protein shake it sends me into the bathroom for hours afterward.  It's all coming out the other end (gross, I know, sorry!).  I was constantly in the bathroom the first five days after I got home from the hospital, because all I was consuming was protein shakes and water.  I had called my bariatric center to tell them about this, and they suggested that I start adding my pureed foods because maybe my new stomach just won't tolerate an all-liquid diet anymore.  I also had what was coming out tested - not illness related (they were worried I might have caught C-Diff in the hospital - I didn't).

So, for my first meal, I had 2 Tbs FF refried beans with a pinch of LF shredded cheese melted on top.  Ate about 1 Tbs of it - instant relief!  It felt great going down and for the first time in days I didn't need to run to the bathroom afterwards.

The next day, I had 2 Tbs FF plain greek yogurt with a little Crystal Light mixed in for flavor - again, no problems!  For lunch, however, I tried a protein shake again - right back to the bathroom.  Dinner time I did the refried beans again - no problems.

Today I didn't have a single protein shake and it felt so good not to be sick all day!  But I know I NEED the protein.

Now, I have tried mixing my shakes with water, skim milk, 1% milk, and soy milk - sends me to the bathroom no matter what.  I have several different brands of protein powder; they are either 100% whey or whey isolate.  I have tried them all - same problems.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to drink some soy milk with nothing in it and see how that is tolerated.

I'm really worried about not getting my protein in!  I have never seen any protein powders made with anything other than whey - does anyone know of any?  I do have some Isopure that in my fridge that I have not tried yet...I will give that a go tomorrow as well.  All these protein powders worked great for me before surgery.  I've heard of people disliking the taste post-op of some powders they liked pre-op, which is why I bought all different kinds.  But I've never heard of people's bodies rejecting them completely!

Has anyone else had this problem?  I'm going to call my bariatric center again tomorrow and ask for their advice as well, but it would really comfort me to know if anyone else has gone through this and what they did to get through it.

Thanks in advance for any help!
Take care,
Amy

I hate protein shakes and can't drink them, they gag me. I do like the sugar free carnation instant breakfast and it has about 13 grams of protein. Isn't as good as other protien drknks, but better than nothing.

You can get protein powder made from soy isolate instead of whey and you can also get egg white protein.  So I would try those and see how they work.

Maybe also try a shake with the powder you have but only using half a scoop instead of a whole scoop.  And maybe try not drinking it all at once.  Just try a little at a time.

You could also try mixing a little bit of the protein powder in your Greek yogurt.  Don't put very much in or it may get gritty and icky.  Just try a tiny bit.

If the Greek yogurt stays down OK, you can get a good amount of protein from that.  I know you can't eat a large amount at a time right now, but you can eat a couple snacks in between your three meals.

 Thank you both so much, I will try your suggestions!

Whey is derived from milk...so perhaps a slight dairy intolerance? This happened to me starting 3-4 weeks post op. As another poster suggested, try another type- soy or egg white. The Vitamin Shoppe sells sample packs of Jay Robb egg white protein powder. I hope you find a solution that works for you - I totally understand what you are going through! Hang in there it will get better!

Have you tried lactose free milk? I am lactose intolerant and use fat free lactose free milk (brand name Lactaid). My Nut also suggested almond milk but I havent tried it yet. Good luck.

I agree with the suggestion to try egg or soy protein. I had read on here a lot of people become lactose intolerant after surgery - not forever, but at the start. Although, keep in mind whey isolate is usually 99.9% lactose free, so it may the whey itself does not agree with you. I use the Jay Robb brand Egg Protein - so much better than whey and no aftertaste! 

I had the exact same reaction to whey protein powders and other milk products post-op. Endless hours in the bathroom. I switched to soy powder and soy milk for a few days in week 1 and it was better, but the gas was unbearable. Then I switched to egg white protein and Lactaid mild in week two and everything was so much better. No gas and no endless bathroom visits. At week 8 I tried whey and regular milk again and all my issues had resolved so now I'm back on a whey protein powder and drinking skim plus and feeling better than ever.

 Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing that!  I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one who has gone through this and that there are other options.  I'm going to go on the hunt for the Jay Robb egg protein that everyone's been talking about.  Thank you again, Jim and everyone!

You are most welcome.  If you have trouble finding the Jay Robb in your area, I actually have some of his individual packets of the vanilla egg white protein powder left that I can send you gratis. I won't be using them, so just message me if you need them.

Jim