Bariatric surgery and dumping syndrome

I had a gastric bypass done for weight loss and have now developed the dumping syndrome. Is there a medication that will work for this?

To begin with, you are in tough KAKA (that means big S..T). Dumping syndrome is a known complication of gastric bypass surgery. The symptoms can vary in severity but in all cases, make life very unpleasant.

In the past, surgical revision was the only option, but now there are a few drugs that can be tried. Mind you, there is little proof that these drugs work as there are no large clinical trials.

One common diabetic drug that is often prescribed is acarbose. This mild antidiabetic drug is known to interfere with absorption of carbohydrates in the gut, which results in lowering of blood sugars. Acarbose has been shown to decrease symptoms of dumping syndrome.

Now to the negative aspects. The drug prevents absorption of carbohydrates and this leads to fermentation of sugars in the intestine which can cause diarrhea. In addition, the accumulation of carbohydrates leads to excess gas, bad breath and bloating. The majority of people are not able to tolerate the drug because of these adverse effects.

Since now you have very few options, I would try a low dose of this drug-perhaps 25-50 mg and take it from there. Most people see a response at 100-200 mg. Good luck