To alleviate the symptoms of dumping syndrome, such as nausea and diarrhea, for example, it is essential to have a diet low in foods such as bread, potatoes or high-carbohydrate pasta throughout the day, use medications to reduce discomfort, such as acarbose. , under medical prescription and, in more serious cases, esophageal surgery may be necessary.
Dumping syndrome occurs due to the very rapid passage of food from the stomach to the intestine and can develop after weight loss surgery, such as a gastric bypass or vertical gastrectomy, but also occurs in diabetic patients or with Zollinger-Ellison, for example.
- Symptoms of this syndrome may appear shortly after eating or.
- When digestion is already underway.
- Can occur approximately 2 to 3 hours later.
The most common symptoms of dump syndrome appear immediately after eating or up to 10 to 20 minutes later, and the first symptoms include feeling heavi in the stomach, nausea and vomiting.
Intermediate symptoms that can lead to abdominal hypertrophy, gas, abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea may occur between 20 minutes and 1 hour.
In general, foods high in sugar, such as sweets, or the consumption of large amounts of food cause a faster progression of symptoms.
Late symptoms of dump syndrome may appear 1 to 3 hours after eating and may include:
These late symptoms occur because the small intestine does not tolerate the presence of sugar, causing the release of large amounts of insulin, causing hypoglycemia.
In these cases, the patient should leave what he or she is doing, sit or lie down and treat hypoglycaemia immediately, to avoid fainting. Find out how to do this in: How to treat hypoglycemia.
Treatment of dumping syndrome begins with adjustments to the patient’s diet by a nutritionist to reduce the discomfort caused. Read more: What to eat in dumping syndrome.
However, may it also be necessary to use medications prescribed by your doctor, such as acarbosa?or octreotide, for example, that delays the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine and reduces glucose and insulin spikes after meals, reducing signs and symptoms caused by the disease.
In more severe cases, when symptoms are not controlled with diet or medication, esophageal surgery may be necessary to strengthen the heart muscle, which is the muscle between the stomach and the first part of the intestine. In these cases, the patient may need to be fed through a tube inserted into the abdomen into the intestine, called a jejunostomy.
The patient should see the doctor when
The patient should go to the doctor to adjust treatment and prevent complications such as anemia or malnutrition and, in order to perform daily activities, discomfort that limits the ability to work, care for the home or exercise, for example.
Learn about bariatric surgeries at: How Weight Loss Surgeries Work