Hello! I'm not new to 3fc, but I have been lurking on the wls thread for a while. I am in the "seriously considering" fact finding stage here, and one thing that concerns me that I can't find anywhere deals with diarrhea.

Right now I have major stomach problems. I basically experience on a regular basis many of the symptoms of "dumping" and diarrhea (tmi, sorry!). I am wondering if I go through with surgery- and I'm looking at lap band- if this is something I can expect to improve?

I've been tested for celiac, kept a food journal, and I can not find any one thing that seems to be my problem. I would love to live a life free of worrying about whether or not there's a bathroom nearby and other then complaints of constipation and vomiting- I can't seem to find anything.

Anybody?

Hi Lizzie,

I'm sorry to hear about your tummy problems

This is really something you will need to talk to your doctor/surgeon about, as none of us would know if you would still have the same problems after surgery. Lap band will probably not change your symptoms since it restricts the amount of food you can eat and not really what you can eat (to a degree, everyone is different). I can eat anything. I would also suggest talking to a nutritionist.. .maybe you are allergic to something? wheat ?? gluten??

Please let us know what happens and good luck !!

Leenie

hi lizzy - have your doc give you a THOROUGH exam - the symptoms you're describing are not only those of celiac disease, but also fo Crohn's, diverticulitis, and a few others. Please don't even CONSIDER the surgery until you have a diagnosis. really.

I've heard horror stories of people who've gone into the surgery with undiagnosed Crohn's disease - and they've had very very serious problems afterwards.

I would try to find out what this is regardless before you do any type of procedure or surgery. This is not normal and therefore indicates a problem in your system. Don't assume any procedure will make it better if you don't know what is causing it. You wouldn't want to make it worse!

Dawn

I agree with the other posters...get an answer to your diarrhea before you consider surgery. Crone’s disease, celiac (which is a gluten allergy, Leenie), diverticulitis, colitis, Giardiasis (a parasitic infection...had that, not good at all!) or anything that effects the intestinal tract most likely won't be treated by having surgery and can have negative side effects after surgery if your surgeon doesn't know what it is and how to treat it.

Good luck honey, let us know how this goes...

Angela

thanks for the feedback!! i have talked to my doctor and the most i could get was a test for sprue - which tests if i have celiacs which i do not have. otherwise they just tell me it's ok to keep taking immodium. if i do go through w/ surgery i will make sure that someone listens to me and get this checked out first.

thanks again!

i hope you and your doc figure this out SOON - whether or not you have WLS. a gastroenterologist can be helpful, if you can get a referral

let us know what the doc says!!!

i had been diagnosed with IBS combined before surgery. I knew that constipation was going to be a problem for me... I thought I'd still have loose stools on occasion too... but I never do now. In fact I have to take fiber and colace every day now.

and while I had dumping like symptoms before surgery, now I don't seem to... but I'm not really testing yet... no refined foods, no sugar (although I have had bbq sauce and not dumped)...

I really wanted to dump but it does not look like I'm a dumper... (only about 30% of all RNY patients dump is the number I see most often quoted.)