Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Dumping syndrome, otherwise known as rapid gastric emptying, is a condition that causes food to empty from the stomach and into the small bowel too rapidly after eating. It can lead todiarrhea,nausea, and abdominal cramping.
This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for people with dumping syndrome.
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What Are the Symptoms of Dumping Syndrome?
Symptoms of dumping syndrome depend on the stage of the condition. There are two stages of dumping syndrome. The first, early dumping syndrome, presents with symptoms within 30 minutes of finishing a meal.
The second, late dumping syndrome, causes more symptoms to develop between one and three hours after eating. Late dumping syndrome is often referred to as post-bariatrichypoglycemia.
The symptoms involved in early dumping syndrome include:
After these symptoms pass, a person will develop late dumping syndrome symptoms. Some of them are the same as those that occur in the early stages and can include:
What Happens in the Body That Causes Symptoms?In dumping syndrome, food moves through the stomach to the duodenum too quickly. The duodenum is the top of the small intestine, connecting the stomach to the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. It is responsible for helping break down food to absorb nutrients. In dumping syndrome, sugars go into the blood more quickly because of rapid gastric emptying, and the pancreas releases too much insulin in response. The result is low blood sugar and the associated symptoms.
What Happens in the Body That Causes Symptoms?
In dumping syndrome, food moves through the stomach to the duodenum too quickly. The duodenum is the top of the small intestine, connecting the stomach to the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. It is responsible for helping break down food to absorb nutrients. In dumping syndrome, sugars go into the blood more quickly because of rapid gastric emptying, and the pancreas releases too much insulin in response. The result is low blood sugar and the associated symptoms.
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What Causes Dumping Syndrome?
Dumping syndrome can develop because of surgeries, certain health disorders, and for no reason. Surgeries tied to dumping syndrome include:
Health conditions that can drive dumping syndrome include:
In some cases, dumping syndrome can be idiopathic (appear without a known cause).
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How Is Dumping Syndrome Diagnosed?
Diagnosing dumping syndrome involves a series of tests and examinations. To start the process, a healthcare provider will collect a review of your symptoms and medical history. They will likely ask if you’ve ever undergone bariatric surgery in the past.
When they have established that dumping syndrome is the possible cause of your symptoms, they will conduct several tests to confirm a diagnosis, such as:
Differential Diagnosis: What Else Could Cause the Same Symptoms?The symptoms associated with dumping syndrome could indicate the presence of several other conditions, such asceliac disease, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, andinsulinoma. Because of that, you will undergo thorough testing to rule out other disorders and determine the proper treatment for your symptoms.
Differential Diagnosis: What Else Could Cause the Same Symptoms?
The symptoms associated with dumping syndrome could indicate the presence of several other conditions, such asceliac disease, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, andinsulinoma. Because of that, you will undergo thorough testing to rule out other disorders and determine the proper treatment for your symptoms.
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How Is Dumping Syndrome Treated?
There are three treatment approaches for dumping syndrome: diet changes, medication, and surgery. Healthcare providers will generally begin with diet changes and progress if there is no change in symptoms.
Diet
Healthcare providers will advise you to change your eating habits. The anti-dumping diet consists of:
Treating Dumping Syndrome with Food AdditivesIn some cases, a healthcare provider will recommend you add specific food additives into your diet that can help slow down digestion, such as:PectinGuar gumGlucomannan
Treating Dumping Syndrome with Food Additives
In some cases, a healthcare provider will recommend you add specific food additives into your diet that can help slow down digestion, such as:PectinGuar gumGlucomannan
In some cases, a healthcare provider will recommend you add specific food additives into your diet that can help slow down digestion, such as:
Medication
Certain medications can help to reduce the symptoms associated with dumping syndrome. The most widely taken are octreotide and acarbose. Octreotide can be taken in two forms: short- or long-acting. The short-acting form is taken two to four times daily before meals, and the long-acting form is a single injection every four weeks. Acarbose is mainly to help ease the symptoms of late dumping syndrome.
What Are the Side Effects of Dumping Syndrome Medications?Both drugs that treat dumping syndrome come with side effects. Long-acting octreotide may cause diarrhea, weight gain, gallstones, and steatorrhea, whereas acarbose could lead to:BloatingDiarrheaFlatulence
What Are the Side Effects of Dumping Syndrome Medications?
Both drugs that treat dumping syndrome come with side effects. Long-acting octreotide may cause diarrhea, weight gain, gallstones, and steatorrhea, whereas acarbose could lead to:BloatingDiarrheaFlatulence
Both drugs that treat dumping syndrome come with side effects. Long-acting octreotide may cause diarrhea, weight gain, gallstones, and steatorrhea, whereas acarbose could lead to:
Surgery
Typically, surgery for dumping syndrome is a last resort. It is reserved for:
The surgeries involve reconstructing the stomach and gastrointestinal tract to control how fast food moves from the stomach and into the intestines. The surgeries often used for dumping syndrome include:
All surgeries are designed to stop the food from emptying into the stomach prematurely, and the type performed will depend on a person’s case.
How Long Does Dumping Syndrome Last?Dumping syndrome can clear up in as little as three months. For more severe cases, it could take up to a year and a half for the symptoms to go away entirely.
How Long Does Dumping Syndrome Last?
Dumping syndrome can clear up in as little as three months. For more severe cases, it could take up to a year and a half for the symptoms to go away entirely.
Summary
Surgeries and health disorders can lead to dumping syndrome, but it can also develop out of nowhere and for seemingly no reason. To ensure proper treatment, your healthcare provider will run some tests and collect a symptom and health history from you.
When you have a definitive diagnosis, you can begin treatment. Therapy starts with a diet change and progresses to medication. Surgery may also apply in severe cases. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any of the symptoms associated with dumping syndrome. With proper treatment, you can resolve it.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.van Furth AM, de Heide LJM, Emous M, et al.Dumping syndrome and postbariatric hypoglycemia: supporting evidence for a common etiology.Surg Obes Relat Dis.2021 Nov;17(11):1912-1918. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2021.05.020Chaves YDS, Destefani AC.Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of dumping syndrome and its relation to bariatric surgery.Arq Bras Cir Dig.2016;29Suppl 1(Suppl 1):116-119. doi:10.1590/0102-6720201600S10028National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of dumping syndrome.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of dumping syndrome.Vavricka SR, Greuter T.Gastroparesis and dumping syndrome: current concepts and management.J Clin Med.2019 Jul 29;8(8):1127. doi:10.3390/jcm8081127National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for dumping syndrome.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of dumping syndrome.Smolár M, Danova I, Krivus J, et al.Surgical treatment of severe dumping syndrome.Neuro Endocrinol Lett.2020 Sep;41(2):55-59. PMID: 33185991.BadGut.org.Dumping syndrome (rapid gastric emptying).
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.van Furth AM, de Heide LJM, Emous M, et al.Dumping syndrome and postbariatric hypoglycemia: supporting evidence for a common etiology.Surg Obes Relat Dis.2021 Nov;17(11):1912-1918. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2021.05.020Chaves YDS, Destefani AC.Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of dumping syndrome and its relation to bariatric surgery.Arq Bras Cir Dig.2016;29Suppl 1(Suppl 1):116-119. doi:10.1590/0102-6720201600S10028National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of dumping syndrome.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of dumping syndrome.Vavricka SR, Greuter T.Gastroparesis and dumping syndrome: current concepts and management.J Clin Med.2019 Jul 29;8(8):1127. doi:10.3390/jcm8081127National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for dumping syndrome.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of dumping syndrome.Smolár M, Danova I, Krivus J, et al.Surgical treatment of severe dumping syndrome.Neuro Endocrinol Lett.2020 Sep;41(2):55-59. PMID: 33185991.BadGut.org.Dumping syndrome (rapid gastric emptying).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
van Furth AM, de Heide LJM, Emous M, et al.Dumping syndrome and postbariatric hypoglycemia: supporting evidence for a common etiology.Surg Obes Relat Dis.2021 Nov;17(11):1912-1918. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2021.05.020Chaves YDS, Destefani AC.Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of dumping syndrome and its relation to bariatric surgery.Arq Bras Cir Dig.2016;29Suppl 1(Suppl 1):116-119. doi:10.1590/0102-6720201600S10028National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of dumping syndrome.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of dumping syndrome.Vavricka SR, Greuter T.Gastroparesis and dumping syndrome: current concepts and management.J Clin Med.2019 Jul 29;8(8):1127. doi:10.3390/jcm8081127National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for dumping syndrome.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of dumping syndrome.Smolár M, Danova I, Krivus J, et al.Surgical treatment of severe dumping syndrome.Neuro Endocrinol Lett.2020 Sep;41(2):55-59. PMID: 33185991.BadGut.org.Dumping syndrome (rapid gastric emptying).
van Furth AM, de Heide LJM, Emous M, et al.Dumping syndrome and postbariatric hypoglycemia: supporting evidence for a common etiology.Surg Obes Relat Dis.2021 Nov;17(11):1912-1918. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2021.05.020
Chaves YDS, Destefani AC.Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of dumping syndrome and its relation to bariatric surgery.Arq Bras Cir Dig.2016;29Suppl 1(Suppl 1):116-119. doi:10.1590/0102-6720201600S10028
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of dumping syndrome.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of dumping syndrome.
Vavricka SR, Greuter T.Gastroparesis and dumping syndrome: current concepts and management.J Clin Med.2019 Jul 29;8(8):1127. doi:10.3390/jcm8081127
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for dumping syndrome.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of dumping syndrome.
Smolár M, Danova I, Krivus J, et al.Surgical treatment of severe dumping syndrome.Neuro Endocrinol Lett.2020 Sep;41(2):55-59. PMID: 33185991.
BadGut.org.Dumping syndrome (rapid gastric emptying).
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