Dumping syndrome usually occurs only in gastric bypass patients, but can occasionally occur in sleeve gastrectomy patients as well.

There are two types of dumping syndrome: early and late.

Up to 70% of patients may experience early dumping syndrome, and within this, roughly 5% may experience severe symptoms (1).

Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, low blood pressure, bloating, cold sweats, fast heart rate, vomiting, and dizziness.

Symptoms usually occur within 10-30 minutes after eating and resolve within 1-2 hours.

“Late” dumping syndrome can occur 1-4 hours after eating and is usually caused by infrequent eating or consuming a meal high in simple sugar or refined carbohydrates (ie: think cake, donuts, pastries, juice, pasta, cookies, etc).

Here are some quick tips regarding dumping syndrome:

• Simple sugars such as honey, dehydrated cane juice, fructose, and other sugar additives can cause dumping syndrome- even in small amounts. Read your labels!
• Wait 30 minutes after a meal before drinking. Try not to eat and drink simultaneously
• Steer clear of greasy foods
• Avoid alcohol
• Eat small frequent meals that are low on the glycemic index
• Eat high protein whole foods

Bibliography

1. Nguyen, N., and Christopher D. Still. “Managing Common Nutrition Problems After Bariatric Surgery.” The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery, Springer, New York, 2014.