Question:
I think I had dumping, but am not sure.

I just went back to work yesterday and today I went too long to eat...lunch at 1:00 and nothing but water at work until I got home about 5:45. I heated up a piece of salmon from a frozen Gorton's package that I started last night, it was a little dry and I think I ate too fast. I had alot of pain in the middle of my stomach and near the incision site. I threw up some bile a bit of the salmon. I tried to burp alot and could not get much out. my back also hurt. A little sweaty, very slightly shakey and my heart may have been beating a little faster but nothing I would have considered as palpitations. Was this a mild form of dumping? Should I have forced myself to throw up more? Could I have taken some of the pain meds or anything to drink? I did not do either of these things. I layed down and fell asleep for about 10 mins. and had to get up to go to the potty. Layed down again and fell asleep for about 15 mins. and woke up feeling better. I never want to feel like that again! Kind of scared now to try new foods. Is this normal? Thanks for listening.    — BettyL. (posted on August 29, 2006)

August 29, 2006
Sounds like you let yourself get too hungry. I pack my purse and desk w/ healthy snacks so this doesn't happen to me anymore.
   — Kim T.

August 29, 2006
I have this happen when I eat too fast or don't chew good enough. It feels like a knife in the center of your body and its miserable. I've found that no matter what, when this happens, if I don't throw up within the first 10 minutes of it.. then nothing is going to come up but frothy spit. Don't ever try and continue to force yourself to throw up after barely anything comes up. All you'll do is hurt yourself. I mean pull muscles and aches and pains the next day from it. Sometimes you just have to suffer through it until the food settles. Try sipping some water to help it move. Until it moves, you are going to be miserable. If you can get comfortable to lay down and sleep until it does, then great otherwise... sweat it out. This isn't dumping though, to answer your question. This is just not chewing enough and eating too fast. When you dump for the first time, you'll know. You won't have to ask if that's what it was... Hope this helps!
   — oceanrayne

August 29, 2006
This is exactly what I have and I believe it is dumping. The only difference with mine is usually I don't throw up. I have only thrown up twice in 2 months. But it usually happens when I eat too fast, eat something new that doesn't agree or eat something too dry. Mine lasts a little longer than yours and I definitely can't fall asleep (too much pain) but it subsides in about 20-30 minutes. Sounds like what I have. I echo the thought on packing some healthy snacks. Try eating late afternoon - try a cheese stick, yogurt or a few nuts (if you are eating them) i
   — KC

August 29, 2006
This is not what happens when I dump - however it is what happens when I dont chew well enough and get a larger hunk of food hung in my pouch. Always take something with you to snack on and always chew, chew, chew. Hope things go better for you - Tamara
   — LadyNRed1973

August 30, 2006
Ok what Betty Had was the Foamies, you throw up what you've eatten too fast and not chewed enough. At first you have a lot of saliva to spit out then you begin throwing up. What happens to me as I've heard other for the next 30 minutes to 4 hours you vomit every 30 minutes epecially if your moving such as in a car. It';; be clear sorta like a Gel of saliva. Then eventually the food blockage you've created will come up too. And then you'll feel better. Best is what Betty did, Go Lay Down. It'll teach you to eat slowly & Chew more. But even to veteran Post-Opters it still happens. Dumping is when it comes out the other end, mostly as the runny stuff. LOL Have fun as that to can last once or up to a few hours.
   — Michael Eak

August 30, 2006
Sounds like the food was blocked in the stoma. Dumping is caused by eating something that makes your pancreas dump out too much insulin, usually carby things. It shouldn't cause that kind of pain, but it will make your pulse quicken and you'll feel ill and need to sleep it off. What you describe sounds just like a temporary blockage, not dumping. Chew chew chew and make sure your meat is moist! :o)
   — Dinka Doo

August 30, 2006
No, actually it isn't dumping. You had a piece of food that was too large and wasn't passing through the exit of your pouch (which is less than 1 inch in diameter now) and it was causing you distress. This will cause severe pain at times, hot sweats and shakes - UNTIL you pop it back out. You can usually do it just by leaning downwards towards a commode, or you can help it along by sticking a finger at the back of your throat. It's fairly common among new post-ops because you haven't relearned how to eat yet. You must chew chew chew everything to death before swallowing to avoid this! Dumping symptoms can be similar, but are usually brought on by refined sugar, lactose, fructose (basically anything ending in "ose") or fried foods. You feel faint, sweaty and like you need to lie down for a couple of hours - sometimes you get a severe headache too. And the diarrhea and gas after - don't get me started. You need to avoid that stuff like the plague!!
   — j_coulter

August 30, 2006
I get the same thing if I eat too fast and/or too much at once. You need to take care of yourself and eat reglarly.
   — Novashannon

November 12, 2006
Sounds like you had food stuck in your pouch. This happens to me mostly when eating stringy types of meat. Try to drink some Diet 7-UP as it helps to dissolve the meat. This has always helped me.
   — linderski

November 14, 2006
I do not believe you experienced a dumping symdrome, although some of the characteristics are the same. What you experienced is food sticking in the fundus (the small opening into the stomach) which sometimes happens with too much food, dry or sticky foods. I know of which I speak. . .having experienced a number of these "sticking" episodes myself and they hurt like the devil. . .the good news is that food empties out of our new stomach pouches relatively fast allowing this "stuck food" to drop on through rather than stretching the fundus. If this continues for you, your surgeon can schedule a procedure which stretches the fundus. I had two of these procedures and they are no big deal -- it's a nap, when you wake 45 minutes later, you're procedure is done. The good news is that 6 months out, these incidents fall off drastically and you may experience one incident in a period of many months, not weekly. Try to stay away from dry and stick foods and remember, eat slowly and chew, chew, chew.
   — sby949

November 14, 2006
PS Dumping Symdrome does cause sweating, palpitations, nausea and dizziness and does last for 45-60 minutes. There is no physical pain (other than wanting to throw up!)
   — sby949

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