Early Dumping, Late Dumping & Reactive Hypoglycaemia After Bariatric Surgery
While bariatric surgery is a life-changing procedure that can improve many health outcomes, it can also introduce some new challenges. Enter: Dumping Syndrome. Those who have experienced ‘dumping’ will know that it’s certainly not the most enjoyable experience to have! Many patients can also be confused about what exactly is dumping and unsure whether they’ve experienced it or not.
In this blog post, we’ll clarify what dumping syndrome is, how to differentiate between ‘early’ and ‘late dumping,’ how they relate to reactive hypoglycaemia, and also introduce our upcoming webinar: Reactive Hypoglycaemia After Bariatric Surgery.
What is Dumping Syndrome?
Dumping Syndrome refers to the collection of symptoms which occur as a result of food moving too quickly from the stomach into the small intestine. We can categorise dumping into two types: Early and Late.
Early Dumping Syndrome
Early dumping typically occurs within 10 to 30 minutes after eating. This primarily relates to the gastrointestinal symptoms which occur as a result of the rapid movement of food into the small intestine. Rich foods that are high in fat and/or simple carbs (sugars) are the typical culprits for early dumping.
Symptoms of Early Dumping include:
● Nausea (and in some cases vomiting - although this can often be related to eating speed, portion, chewing etc)
● Abdominal cramps, pain or discomfort
● Loose bowels - often urgently after eating
● Bloating
Late Dumping Syndrome
Late dumping typically occurs between 1 to 3 hours after eating and is closely related to reactive hypoglycaemia.
Reactive hypoglycaemia = the condition in which blood sugars drop too low after eating.
Technically reactive hypoglycaemia is a feature of late dumping syndrome, but the terms are often used interchangeably. Bariatric surgery alters digestive anatomy and also impacts the function of gastrointestinal hormones such as insulin. Often there can be an increase in insulin production in response to meals which can cause blood sugars to drop too low - thus resulting in reactive hypoglycaemia.
Symptoms of Late Dumping include:
● Hunger
● Shakiness
● Weakness and/or fatigue
● Dizziness or lightheadedness
● Sweats
● Blurred vision
● Confusion or brain fog
● Rapid heartbeat
● In severe cases - fainting
How to Differentiate Between Early & Late Dumping Syndrome
There are a few key differences between the timing and nature of symptoms in early and late dumping, including:
Timing - Early dumping typically occurs within 30 minutes of eating, while late dumping is typically delayed - often 1-3 hours after eating.
Symptoms - Early dumping mainly involves gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, abdominal discomfort and loose bowels. While late dumping involves symptoms which are associated with low blood sugars such as shakiness, sweats and a rapid heartbeat.
Food Triggers - high sugar/carb foods can cause both early and late dumping, whilst high fat foods only cause early dumping.
Managing Dumping
Everyone’s tolerance and response to different foods after bariatric surgery is unique. Some people will experience very few symptoms of dumping, whilst others can be quite sensitive. This is not necessarily a bad thing and often those who don’t experience dumping are a wee bit jealous of those who do because it serves as more of a barrier to avoid certain foods that you might be trying to avoid anyway!
Managing dumping involves listening to your body and understanding your response to certain foods and eating patterns. With the guidance of your bariatric nutritionist you will be able to figure out how to eat in a way that best prevents you from dumping.
As mentioned, some of the symptoms of reactive hypoglycaemia - particularly confusion and fainting - can be very scary and potentially dangerous. There is a bit more involved with managing reactive hypoglycaemia because it is important to correct the low blood sugars at the time and ensure that you’re regular eating patterns are supportive of avoiding this going forward. This will be thoroughly discussed in our upcoming online webinar.
Join our Webinar: Reactive Hypoglycaemia After Bariatric Surgery
Join us for a 60 minute online masterclass with Registered Nutritionist, Nicole Freebairn, to understand what reactive hypoglycaemia is, why it occurs and how best to prevent and manage it going forward.
You can find out more about the webinar and register to save your space: here.
Disclaimer: this blog post is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice. For more support please always seek the guidance of your relevant health practitioners.