Definition & Facts. Dumping syndrome is a group of symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, and feeling light-headed or tired after a meal, that are caused by rapid gastric emptying. Rapid gastric emptying is a condition in which food moves too quickly from your stomach to your duodenum.
When food moves too quickly from your stomach to your duodenum, your digestive tract releases more hormones than normal. Fluid also moves from your blood stream into your small intestine. Experts think that the excess hormones and movement of fluid into your small intestine cause the symptoms of early dumping syndrome.
Under normal circumstances, dumping syndrome is not dangerous or life-threatening. A severe case can cause rapid weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. Persistent, unmanaged diarrhea can cause dehydration, but these complications can usually be managed or prevented with self-care.
Dumping Syndrome can last for a short time or a long time, depending on the person. Some people may only experience symptoms for a few hours, while others may experience symptoms for days or weeks. In some cases, Dumping Syndrome may be permanent.
Dumping syndrome is a group of symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, and feeling light-headed or tired after a meal, that are caused by rapid gastric emptying. Rapid gastric emptying is a condition in which food moves too quickly from your stomach to your duodenum.
There are two phases of dumping syndrome: Early dumping syndrome — symptoms begin 10 to 30 minutes after eating. Late dumping syndrome — symptoms begin 2 to 3 hours after eating.
Avoid simple sugars such as sweets, candy, soda, cakes, and cookies. Avoid foods that are very hot or very cold. These can trigger dumping syndrome symptoms. Do not drink liquids with your meal.
Basic Guidelines to Avoid Dumping Syndrome
Eat a source of protein at each meal. Poultry, red meat, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, milk, yogurt, cheese, and peanut butter are good choices. Avoid processed meats, such as hot dogs and bologna that contain sugar, starches, and other fillers.
Following your dietitian's nutritional plan and staying away from high fat and high sugar foods is a must. Patients should also avoid drinking any kind of liquid with a meal. Rather drink water and other liquids 45 minutes before or after a meal.
About 1 in 10 people who have stomach surgery develop dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome is more common after some types of surgery than others. For example, dumping syndrome is more common after gastric bypass bariatric surgery than after other types of bariatric surgery.
Dumping syndrome may result in either weight loss or weight gain.
There are 2 types of dumping syndrome: early and late. Early dumping happens 10 to 30 minutes after a meal. Late dumping happens 1 to 3 hours after eating. Each has slightly different symptoms, such as abdominal cramping, fast heartbeat, lightheadedness, and diarrhea.
Passing stool immediately after a meal is usually the result of the gastrocolic reflex, which is a normal bodily reaction to food entering the stomach. Almost everyone will experience the effects of the gastrocolic reflex from time to time. However, its intensity can vary from person to person.
Patients younger than age 35 years or with a BMI <25 kg/m2 are more likely to be symptomatic than are older or more obese patients. It is believed that the osmotic gradient draws fluid into the intestine, and this may release one or more vasoactive hormones, such as serotonin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide.
This causes the pancreas to release an excessive amount of insulin, leading to very low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). Symptoms such as hunger, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, sweating, and difficulty concentrating are common in addition to the gastrointestinal symptoms found in early dumping syndrome.
Early dumping symptoms occur when concentrated sugared foods (such as hard candy, most cakes and cookies, soda, juice, table sugar) pass too quickly from the stomach into the intestine. The body dilutes this sugar by bringing fluid from the body into the intestines.
Oftentimes, abdominal distention and bloating can be controlled with probiotics. A medicine used in treating diabetes, Acarbose, has been useful for the late stage of dumping syndrome.
Sometimes called rapid gastric emptying, dumping syndrome most often occurs as a result of surgery on your stomach or esophagus.
Early dumping syndrome is likely to resolve on its own within three months. In the meantime, there's a good chance that dietary changes will ease your symptoms. If not, your health care provider may recommend medications or surgery.
Patients who are experiencing early dumping should be placed in the low Fowler's position for 20 to 30 minutes after a meal to help delay gastric emptying and minimize symptoms.
Oral glucose tolerance test
For the test, you'll drink a solution that contains glucose, a form of sugar. A health care professional will take blood samples and check your blood pressure and heart rate before you drink the glucose solution and then every 30 minutes for up to 3 hours.
Gastric Neuromuscular Function and Neuromuscular Disorders
Symptoms of dumping syndrome include nonspecific abdominal discomfort, bloating, and nausea that may precipitate vomiting. These symptoms are usually experienced in the first hour after ingestion of foods and can mimic symptoms of gastroparesis.
If you often have diarrhea, taking an over-the-counter medicine for diarrhea (such as Imodium) 30 to 60 minutes before eating may help. Take this medicine only if your doctor tells you it's okay.
Gastroparesis and dumping syndrome both evolve from a disturbed gastric emptying mechanism. While gastroparesis results from significantly delayed gastric emptying, dumping syndrome is a consequence of increased flux of food into the small bowel [1,2].