Dumping syndrome is a common disease that happens after stomach surgeries like gastric surgeries for weight loss including sleeve or bypass surgery. Normally, after eating, fluids and foods enter the stomach where digestion begins, blending stomach acid with food. After more than 30 minutes, the digested food enters the small intestine. This normal process does not exist in people with dumping syndrome, and food rapidly enters the small intestine, which causes several digestive complications called dumping syndrome.
It should be noted that this syndrome can also occur in patients who have had esophageal surgery. Another name for this syndrome is "rapid gastric emptying". It occurs when foods, especially sugary foods, move from the stomach to the small intestine quickly.

Symptoms

Most symptoms of dumping syndrome occur right after eating. These signs and symptoms become more severe with the consumption of table sugar and carbohydrates.

Early signs of dumping syndrome

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Deficiency of some vitamins and minerals in the body, especially iron and calcium

• Abdominal cramps and feeling bloated

• Vertigo

• Diarrhea especially fatty diarrhea

• Irregular and abnormal heartbeat

• Weight Loss

• Anemia

Secondary symptoms of dumping syndrome

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

• Sweating

• Weakness

• Redness of the skin

• Vertigo

Diagnosis

Tests performed to confirm the diagnosis include:

Sugar test

Since low blood sugar may occur with dumping syndrome, blood sugar level tests like oral glucose tolerance, can be helpful.

Gastric emptying test

In this test, the patient eats a small amount of a radioactive material with food, through which the digestion speed of the stomach is tested. If food reaches the small intestine too quickly, it is a sign of dumping syndrome.

Upper GI series

In this procedure, a barium solution is provided for the patient to drink in front of an X-ray machine. As the patient drinks, the fluid passage is observed to examine how food is digested. This test is usually one of the rarest diagnostic methods.

Gastroscopy

In this test, the doctor uses an endoscope to examine the upper parts of the digestive system, such as the esophagus, stomach and duodenum.

Treatments

Pharmaceutical treatment

Severe symptoms like intermittent diarrhea may result in adverse side effects such as severe weight loss or dehydration. In these cases, your doctor will usually prescribe Octreotide, also known as “Sandostatin”. It should be noted that this prescription is usually done in rare and special cases.

Surgical treatment

In case of conservative approaches failure, surgery could be the final choice. These operations are mostly reconstructive techniques to reverse gastric bypass surgery. This option is only practiced in a situation where the acute and severe symptoms of the disease did not improve despite medication and dietary changes.

Lifestyle and diet

Lifestyle and diet adjustments seems to be  the leading treatment that can control or even eliminate most symptoms of the dumping syndrome.

•     Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day rather than 3 large ones.

•     Dairy consumption should be drastically reduced.

•     Avoid drinking liquids with food, it is better to drink liquids 30 to 45 minutes before or after meals.

•     Replace complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and bread with simple carbohydrates such as ice cream and sweets.

•     Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly.

•     Increase fiber intake.

•     Eliminate alcohol consumption completely.

•     Increase your daily intake of vitamins, calcium and iron.

•     Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily.

•     Forget fizzy drinks.

•     Have food that is in moderate temperature, hot or cold foods can aggravate the symptoms.

•     Increase your daily protein intake.

•     Remove sugar from your diet.