Rapid Gatric
Emptying
Article provided by the National Digestive Diseases
Information Clearinghouse
Rapid gastric emptying, or dumping syndrome, happens when the
lower end of the small intestine (jejunum) fills too quickly
with undigested food from the stomach. "Early" dumping begins
during or right after a meal. Symptoms of early dumping include
nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, and shortness of breath.
"Late" dumping happens 1 to 3 hours after eating. Symptoms of
late dumping include weakness, sweating, and dizziness. Many
people have both types.
Certain types of stomach surgery that allow the stomach to empty
rapidly are the main cause of dumping syndrome. Patients with
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome may also have dumping syndrome. (Zollinger-Ellison
syndrome is a rare disorder involving extreme peptic ulcer
disease and gastrin-secreting tumors in the pancreas.)
Doctors diagnose dumping syndrome primarily on the basis of
symptoms in patients who have had gastric surgery that causes
the syndrome. Tests may be needed to exclude other conditions
that have similar symptoms.
Treatment includes changes in eating habits and medication.
People who have dumping syndrome need to eat several small meals
a day that are low in carbohydrates and should drink liquids
between meals, not with them. People with severe cases take
medicine to slow their digestion.
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