Dumping is real!

JimboC

Just though I'd share this. I hadn't eaten much today so I decided to drink an Ensure to add a few calories. I took car to make sure it wasn't chocolate because that's on m no list. Well, bad idea. Shortly after I drank it, my stomach started cramping and I was sick for the next two hours. Post-op is a learning experience.

flmo

My husband had the same
My husband had the same dumoing problems with Ensure. He now drinks the new Boost with lower sugar content-4 grams I think or the No Sugar added Carnation Instant Breakfast. I think the dumping for my husband was caused by too much sugar. Best wishes as you recuperate and get back to eating!

mruble

Been there, done that
This may have been your first experience with dumping, but maybe not the last! There's so much you learn by trial and error. After surgery my husband would often eat cereal for breakfast. It took him about a week to figure out he could eat the cereal just fine but if he drank the milk that remained in the bowl, he would dump. He's a year and a half out of surgery and very rarely dumps any more, thank goodness. Good luck in figuring out your triggers!

Mary, caregiver to Chad
Diagnosed stage IVa in October 2009

sandy1943

Three years and I still have
Three years and I still have to be near a bathroom,no matter what I eat. It has gotten better, but I never know how I will do. Even my acid reflux meds. cause problems and I've tried several different ones.
Sandra

BMGky

Bless your heart! It gets
Bless your heart! It gets better, but if you're anything like my husband, you'll forget. Eat something you shouldn't. Eat too much of something. Drink fluids with it. And, then, oh, my! Does he ever feel bad. Stomach cramping, the whole nine yards.

It does get better. But, you must be ever vigilant. Take care and enjoy your eating always with a watchful eye. You may forget, but your new stomach won't.

Donna70

sandy1943 said:

Three years and I still have
Three years and I still have to be near a bathroom,no matter what I eat. It has gotten better, but I never know how I will do. Even my acid reflux meds. cause problems and I've tried several different ones.
Sandra

it is real for sure
Hi,
It sure is real. I had no problems with ice cream or milk but when I was so underweight I ordered the high calorie Nestle drink, I was so proud that I drank the whole can in one sitting and boy when the dumping started it might as well been Go lytely!!! I learned that I needed to sip Ensure and any high calorie drinks a couple of ounces at a time was fine but no whole cans. And believe it or not, if you are lucky, you may have to watch your weight like I have to now. Last year, 114 lbs, now my drs tell me to be careful of gaining anymore. Not complaining but just saying, a year and a half out plus you will be a different person. take care,
Donna70

GerryS

We learn as we go...........
You will learn what to eat and not eat. My first experience after my Ivor Lewis surgery was to try a root beer float, which I Love. Not a good idea. I was sick for two hours. Haven't had one since. Try small amounts first, you can always increase. It gets better, I think the stomach does adapt to the surgery. God Bless....

Gerry

Joel C

GerryS said:

We learn as we go...........
You will learn what to eat and not eat. My first experience after my Ivor Lewis surgery was to try a root beer float, which I Love. Not a good idea. I was sick for two hours. Haven't had one since. Try small amounts first, you can always increase. It gets better, I think the stomach does adapt to the surgery. God Bless....

Gerry

Hello Jimbo,
I’ve been following your post and I’m happy to hear you’re doing well. In regard to dumping, I can relate to that. Post surgery I had it pretty bad but as time went on (now 8.5 months out) things have improved significantly with the dumping. I still have to use some caution when picking my foods but I can eat almost anything. For me the issue is not so much what I eat but how much. If I overdo it I’ll pay for it. I’ve actually come up with a way of detecting if I’m getting close to eating too much. I find when I’m eating if I can make myself burp (just a little throat burp) then I’m still ok. If I can’t get a little burp then it’s time to stop eating. It sounds crazy I know but I’m telling you it really works for me. There are a couple of food types that even if I don’t over eat can still cause a problem. If I overdo the sugars or fried foods then I can get the dumping. Last night we went out for dinner and I had a piece of fried fish and some French fries with two beers and I was fine but if I have something like jalapeno poppers than there’s a problem. I find if I do get hit with dumping the best remedy is tiny sips of water.

Good luck moving forward and hang in there Jimbo.

Regards,
Joel

JimboC

Well, I must have thought it
Well, I must have thought it was an isolated incident because I had some icecream yesterday and bam, there it was again. You really have to watch it. Like Donna said, it was like GoLitely. Plus hours of stomach cramping. For me, it looks like it is going to be dairy high in sugar to trigger it.

sammy123

JimboC said:

Well, I must have thought it
Well, I must have thought it was an isolated incident because I had some icecream yesterday and bam, there it was again. You really have to watch it. Like Donna said, it was like GoLitely. Plus hours of stomach cramping. For me, it looks like it is going to be dairy high in sugar to trigger it.

Here is a good site. I
Here is a good site. I guess it really comes down to personalyzed trial and error. I know from patients I have taken care of in the past that it does get much better over time and you realize what foods you can and cannot eat.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/302512-foods-to-avoid-with-dumping-syndrome/

Wish we had met up here on 7D. Take care we are all following your recovery.

Kathy

swagner

dumping
I'm new to this site but it already has helped me. I still have dumping and I too cannot handle ensure - my doctor wants me to weigh more and God knows I try but painful to eat and its gotton better. I was operated on Jan 11, 2010. Grateful they got the cancer but some days I feel like "hump dee dumpty" -

JimboC

swagner said:

dumping
I'm new to this site but it already has helped me. I still have dumping and I too cannot handle ensure - my doctor wants me to weigh more and God knows I try but painful to eat and its gotton better. I was operated on Jan 11, 2010. Grateful they got the cancer but some days I feel like "hump dee dumpty" -

My weight is starting to
My weight is starting to stabilize somewhat. I still have a bit to go to get it completely under control but what I do is eat several smaller meals throughout the day. If I get hungry, I grab a snack instead of waiting for a meal. I still try to make healthy choices but I don't worry about the calorie count any more. I still have problems with dumping if I eat too much dairy or sugar so there is no way I would try an Ensure again. I have heard several people mention they don't have as much problems with the Boost brand supplement.

Good luck

ham6789

JimboC said:

My weight is starting to
My weight is starting to stabilize somewhat. I still have a bit to go to get it completely under control but what I do is eat several smaller meals throughout the day. If I get hungry, I grab a snack instead of waiting for a meal. I still try to make healthy choices but I don't worry about the calorie count any more. I still have problems with dumping if I eat too much dairy or sugar so there is no way I would try an Ensure again. I have heard several people mention they don't have as much problems with the Boost brand supplement.

Good luck

Dumping is real
Hi JimboC, I am experiencing real dumping problems too. Glad to hear that your weight is stablizing. I can't say that for me.
I havegone from 151# when I was released from pittsberg to 135#.I too can not drink Ensure. I have have some sucess with Replete.
Each day is an new experience with food. I am hopefully that your suggestions will help.

Keep up the good fight Ham

Donna70

ham6789 said:

Dumping is real
Hi JimboC, I am experiencing real dumping problems too. Glad to hear that your weight is stablizing. I can't say that for me.
I havegone from 151# when I was released from pittsberg to 135#.I too can not drink Ensure. I have have some sucess with Replete.
Each day is an new experience with food. I am hopefully that your suggestions will help.

Keep up the good fight Ham

just remember to drink supplements small amounts
Hi Ham,
Just wanted to remind you that sometimes you won't be able to tolerate a cup of supplements but you will be able to avoid dumping if you just take a couple of sips at a time. It takes time to gain weight, it was over a year after my Ivor Lewis surgery that I really started picking up weight. But again if you keep your supplement in a cup in the fridge and just sip it during the day it helps. Also if you are not afraid of protein but high fat, creamy peanut butter helped me gain. take care and good luck!!
Donna70

adube

Newbie with Dumb Questions
Hey, can I ask a couple stupid questions? First, what is dumping? Is it the obvious or does it mean something else? Also, why is chocolate ensure on your don't list?

-alissa

Donna70

adube said:

Newbie with Dumb Questions
Hey, can I ask a couple stupid questions? First, what is dumping? Is it the obvious or does it mean something else? Also, why is chocolate ensure on your don't list?

-alissa

dumping is usually you know what
Hi Alissa,
Welcome to a newbie. There are no stupid questions, dumping is cramps and diarrhea following eating too much or something too fast. Rich liquids like supplements seem to be a regular culprit. I personally do not believe in don't lists only because some of us are lucky enough to do dairy with no problem and also chocolate Ensure, just have to have small amounts. Now that is not true of everyone so you kind of have to experiment with what works and doesn't. Good luck and ask away, we are all here to help and assist and nothing like personal experience to guide you. take care,
Donna70

adube

Donna70 said:

dumping is usually you know what
Hi Alissa,
Welcome to a newbie. There are no stupid questions, dumping is cramps and diarrhea following eating too much or something too fast. Rich liquids like supplements seem to be a regular culprit. I personally do not believe in don't lists only because some of us are lucky enough to do dairy with no problem and also chocolate Ensure, just have to have small amounts. Now that is not true of everyone so you kind of have to experiment with what works and doesn't. Good luck and ask away, we are all here to help and assist and nothing like personal experience to guide you. take care,
Donna70

</b>
Thank you so much Donna! I feel a little silly trying to decipher all these acronyms and terminologies, so I thought I'd just ask. You guys are all so welcoming and helpful, I'm so glad I found you all here!

Thanks for the breakdown. My dad's been doing ensure, carnation instant, and boost to try and see what works best for him (his dietician suggested those, but we're open to other suggestions if you have any). I think we're of the "eat whatever you can eat" mentality. Luckily, he hasn't had too much pain yet and can still eat solid foods if he chews them really well, but he doesn't start chemo until tomorrow. So we'll see what happens after that. My mom is his primary caregiver at this point, but I've been trying to help him find more information on what to expect so that he can get ouf his own headspace for a bit. Or maybe it's my head I'm trapped in. Either way, I'm so grateful to have found this site and you guys... boy. I just... It's amazing how strong you all are. I'm sure everyone has an occasional breakdown for sure, but man, you all are an inspiration and you give me such hope. And, while my dad is a little shy when it comes to talking about his private stuff, I hope that I can help translate from you to him. Thank you all so much for sharing your journeys. I look forward to getting to know you all in the coming months. ... here we go...

jim2011

dumping syndrome
Oh yes...it is a real deal. Ensure or other dairy products are a no-no for me. Even the drinks that say great for lactose intolerance. I can eat starbursts and chocolate but anything with milk gives me problems. Even pasta so whats up with that?? Pizza is out.
The up-side here is that the cramping etc lasts for about 2 hours so maybe I will try some milk in cereal for breakfast on a day that I will be home. Risk it with a small amount. I like a quick breakfast and cereal has been part of my day for years. So many variaties that it is hard to get bored. Lately I have made eggs about everyway possible and bacon/sausages toast. Really miss the cereal. Cream of wheat is out. Red River Oatmeal is good. Butter does not seem to be a problem. I have tried gas-ex and lactaid with limited results. I need ideas...

sammy123

jim2011 said:

dumping syndrome
Oh yes...it is a real deal. Ensure or other dairy products are a no-no for me. Even the drinks that say great for lactose intolerance. I can eat starbursts and chocolate but anything with milk gives me problems. Even pasta so whats up with that?? Pizza is out.
The up-side here is that the cramping etc lasts for about 2 hours so maybe I will try some milk in cereal for breakfast on a day that I will be home. Risk it with a small amount. I like a quick breakfast and cereal has been part of my day for years. So many variaties that it is hard to get bored. Lately I have made eggs about everyway possible and bacon/sausages toast. Really miss the cereal. Cream of wheat is out. Red River Oatmeal is good. Butter does not seem to be a problem. I have tried gas-ex and lactaid with limited results. I need ideas...

Just wanted to let you all
Just wanted to let you all know that there is a drink out there "Nestle Carnation", you can get it on Amazon. When we were up in Pittsburgh they introduced it to us. It is sugar free, lactose free, and one can has 560 calories. It's amazing. Jimbo, do you still have your J-tube?


Carnation Instant Breafast VHC, Lactose Free, Vanilla Swirl, 8.45-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) by Carnation

JimboC

sammy123 said:

Just wanted to let you all
Just wanted to let you all know that there is a drink out there "Nestle Carnation", you can get it on Amazon. When we were up in Pittsburgh they introduced it to us. It is sugar free, lactose free, and one can has 560 calories. It's amazing. Jimbo, do you still have your J-tube?


Carnation Instant Breafast VHC, Lactose Free, Vanilla Swirl, 8.45-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) by Carnation

I am happy to say the J-Tube
I am happy to say the J-Tube is long gone. I was one of the few people who had a miserable experience with the J-tube. Nice to know about the drink. As long as I don't overdo the sugar or dairy, I have dumping pretty much under control. I can actually eat an ice cream sandwich now without dumping.

TerryV

JimboC said:

I am happy to say the J-Tube
I am happy to say the J-Tube is long gone. I was one of the few people who had a miserable experience with the J-tube. Nice to know about the drink. As long as I don't overdo the sugar or dairy, I have dumping pretty much under control. I can actually eat an ice cream sandwich now without dumping.

Add my Nick to your numbers, Jimbo
Nick HATED the Jtube. He (we) recognized its value as a life saver if needed, but the "leash" was mentally disruptive for him. His attitude and mood would go sour the close it came to being "hook up time". We believe our dislike of the Jtube was because it was our only visible sign of the EC and it became the *hated* thing in our home.

He said he had dreams of catching the Jtube on something, or having a smart-alek friend grab it and tug, or even having the greeter at Wal-Mart grabbing at it thinking it was something stolen hidden under his shirt. He had many anxious moments because of that durn thing and the intimate pain caused by just a small misjudgement of movement.

The Jtube was removed just 1 week after surgery. We both couldn't wait for the day. Funny though, but Nick's ability to eat went south once the Jtube was removed. It was a mental thing for sure. Eating was easy when he knew that he had a backup plan *just in case*. Eating became a bit more stressful and scary when he knew that it was up to him, and only him, to keep weight on after the Jtube was removed.

It's been 3 weeks now without it and he's doing well. Finally starting to put the weight back on rather than just maintaining.

Terry