Dumping Syndrome Symptoms

David2013
David2013 Member Posts: 5 Member
in Esophageal Cancer #1

I experience what I believe is fairly severe dumping symdrome after eating and want to inquire about other people's experience with dumping symdrome.

I was diagnosed and received successful treatment for esophageal cancer in 2013.  Standard treatment of chemo-radiation therapy followed by esophagectomy.  The esophagectomy didn't work, and I ultimately had a colon interposition (surgery that uses of a portion of my colon to replace the portion of the esophagus that was removed).  Due to the additional surgeries that I had, I don't have much of a stomach left.  I don't know if this is the primary source for how I feel after eating.  I usually have early dumping symdrome symptoms but occasional have late (or delayed) dumping symdome.  I can eat whatever I want, but I can only eat a very limited mount of food at any one sitting and dumping syndrome occurs with even a small amount of food.  For example, I had to lay down and wait for my symptoms to subside after eating one small sausage and one small pancake for breakfast this morning.  At work, I usually have to lay down after eating a snack or lunch, and often I actually fall asleep at work because of the dumping syndrome fatigue (I work in a small office so I can close the door, and my colleagues understand what is going on).  

My symptoms after eating are typically as follows:

1.  Immediate fatigue (with plenty of yawning).  As mentioned above, the fatigue makes me fall asleep at times.

2.  Fullness with sight nausea sometimes.

3.  Feeling flushed and heavy breathing.

4.  Diarrhea if I eat too much.

It is very difficult for me to maintain my weight because of the limited volume of food I can eat, coupled with the fact that I know I'll have dumping symdrome after eating,  After my symptoms fully subside after about an hour, I am back to normal.  However, I sometimes skip meals if I know that I need to be active at home or work, or I have a deadline at work  that cannot be paused or delayed because of my problem. 

I'm sure there are EC survivors out there that probably experience a range of dumping symdrome symptoms, from mild to severe or perhaps even nonexistent.  I'm interested in hearing about others' experiences, particuarly those that may have severe symptoms like I do and any possible was to curb it.  

 

 

   

Comments

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #2
    I had my surgery 10 years ago and still have occasional dumping

    Hello David,

    I had my esophagectomy in December of 2009 and I still have dumping from time to time. I have learned some “rules” that I have to live by. They include:

    1. Limit liquids while eating
    2. Eat protein first then carbohydrates
    3. Be careful with fried or fatty foods
    4. Eat small amounts (never more than ½ a dinner plate full)
    5. Rest sitting upright for 30 minutes after eating
    6. Eat only small amounts of sugar
    7. Beware of “sugarless” gum, candy, etc. (the contain sugar alcohols that also cause dumping)

    I know if I break the rules; I better know where the nearest rest room is, and someplace to sit down afterward to recover.

    My dumping symptoms do not always include diarrhea. More often, they can include fatigue, nausea, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and a feeling of anxiety.

    One thing that helped me was to start drinking a daily smoothie that includes chia seeds every day. The chia seeds add bulk and seem to slow down my digestive system. I have also found that I am more susceptible to dumping early in the day so I am more careful about how much I eat and what I eat before noon.

    I was fortunate in that I had just retired when I was diagnosed. I am not sure I could have gone back to work after surgery. At least nor for a year or so. I know it must be frustrating trying to do the “food/activity” balancing act while responding to work schedules and demands that are not often under your control. Like you, if I have to be away from home for an extended period of time or I have an appointment where I can’t control how long things are going to take I am very careful what I eat or sometimes don’t eat at all.

    I frequently carry a package of peanut butter crackers with me because when I have a dumping episode my blood sugar drops and I have fatigue and dizzy symptoms and eating crackers help me feel better within 10 minutes or so.

    So, I don’t have any new solutions for you, but know there are many of us out here dealing with this on a daily basis. I found my dumping episodes were less frequent with time and once I learned the rules that applied to me.

    Best Regards

    Paul

  • KC Dallas
    KC Dallas Member Posts: 3 Member
    edited January 2020 #3
    paul61 said:

    I had my surgery 10 years ago and still have occasional dumping

    Hello David,

    I had my esophagectomy in December of 2009 and I still have dumping from time to time. I have learned some “rules” that I have to live by. They include:

    1. Limit liquids while eating
    2. Eat protein first then carbohydrates
    3. Be careful with fried or fatty foods
    4. Eat small amounts (never more than ½ a dinner plate full)
    5. Rest sitting upright for 30 minutes after eating
    6. Eat only small amounts of sugar
    7. Beware of “sugarless” gum, candy, etc. (the contain sugar alcohols that also cause dumping)

    I know if I break the rules; I better know where the nearest rest room is, and someplace to sit down afterward to recover.

    My dumping symptoms do not always include diarrhea. More often, they can include fatigue, nausea, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and a feeling of anxiety.

    One thing that helped me was to start drinking a daily smoothie that includes chia seeds every day. The chia seeds add bulk and seem to slow down my digestive system. I have also found that I am more susceptible to dumping early in the day so I am more careful about how much I eat and what I eat before noon.

    I was fortunate in that I had just retired when I was diagnosed. I am not sure I could have gone back to work after surgery. At least nor for a year or so. I know it must be frustrating trying to do the “food/activity” balancing act while responding to work schedules and demands that are not often under your control. Like you, if I have to be away from home for an extended period of time or I have an appointment where I can’t control how long things are going to take I am very careful what I eat or sometimes don’t eat at all.

    I frequently carry a package of peanut butter crackers with me because when I have a dumping episode my blood sugar drops and I have fatigue and dizzy symptoms and eating crackers help me feel better within 10 minutes or so.

    So, I don’t have any new solutions for you, but know there are many of us out here dealing with this on a daily basis. I found my dumping episodes were less frequent with time and once I learned the rules that applied to me.

    Best Regards

    Paul

    Hi David,

    Hi David,

     

    Had my Esophagectomy in October of 2015.

     

    I second what Paul said regarding his "rules."

     

    For some folks, it seems that Dumping Syndrome subsides with time. That has not occurred with me. Like you, I can eat mostly anything, I just have to take it slow. I also encounter frequent vomiting due to food getting stuck in my throat. I apparently have a ledge at the juncture between my throat and stomach. That's an added good time that not everyone gets to enjoy.

     

    I experience the same issues that you've described AND I cannot take in enough fluids to stay hydrated. If I drink enough, I encounter Dumping which causes diarrhea, leading to dehydration, or, I can just not take in enough fluids, skipping the diarrhea step. Because of that, I go to the hospital twice a week for fluid infusions.

     

    As for minimizing the Dumping, I've found that if I graze instead of having a meal all at once, the Dumping Syndrome is much less pronounced MOST of the time. Sometimes, it doesn't seem to matter and Dumping happens no matter how careful I think I've been. But having a breakfast sandwich and a glass of juice, and working my way through that over the course of 3 or 4 hours is less likely to cause Dumping than eating said sandwich and juice over the course of 30 minutes.

     

    Yes, Dumping at work is the WORST. Too sick to drive home, too sick to really be productive. Man, it's just a rough go until the worst of it passes. You mentioned an hour. That's not too bad. When I'm having a particularly bad go it can last up to 4 hours. If that occurs at work, oof, that's a hell of a go.

     

    Here's one to try that makes no sense at all, but seems to work for me. When I'm having a bad round of Dumping, some sugar seems to lessen the worst of the effects. I know that seems counter-intuitive, but it works for me. When I'm Dumping at work and it seems like it's going to be a long evolution, I'll have a bit of pop or a piece of chocolate. What was going to be really bad subsides to just miserable.

     

    Don't know if anything I said is helpful, but like Paul, I just wanted you to know that you are not alone with your symptoms.

     

    Best of luck sir,

     

    Dallas Taylor

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