Question:
I am 14 months post op and have a lot of problems with milk etc.
I develope terrible gas pains and spend many hours on the toilet. I never had this problem before surgery. — Pat B. (posted on January 4, 2005)
January 4, 2005
Gastric Bypass: Lactose Intolerance
Lactose, the natural sugar found in milk products, is digested in the small
bowel by means of the enzyme lactase. About 10% of adults in the United
States are lactose intolerant. They do not have enough lactase to digest
milk. When they eat milk or milk products, they develop crampy abdominal
pain, bloating and diarrhea. Lactose intolerance can be acquired after
gastric bypass or other gastric surgeries by as many as 10% of patients.
When a person with a normal stomach drinks milk, it accumulates in the
stomach and then is released slowly into the small intestine. There is
enough lactase available to handle a small amount of milk at a time. After
gastric bypass, milk passes directly through the gastric pouch into the
small bowel at a much higher rate. The milk overwhelms the available
enzyme and the lactose intolerance symptoms occur.
The strategies to deal with lactose intolerance that develops after surgery
are to take milk products more slowly, eat thicker products such as yogurt
or cheese rather than liquids milk, avoid milk products all together, or
take an enzyme substitute Lactaid with meals.
— Kara J.
January 4, 2005
You are probably lactose intolerant. I happened to me too. I was
miserable whenever I had milk, ice cream or sour cream that was too rich.
I can happily report that 3 years post op, I can now have LIMITED amounts
of those things. You have to "re-train" your stomach. Think
about a new born baby. They can't go right into milk either, they have to
develop the lactose digestive tolerance. I tried Lactaid, didn't work,
used alot of Gas-X to relieve the farting, stomach aches, bloating, etc.
Hopes this helps. Good luck!
— becky53916
January 4, 2005
IMO you should STOP DRINKING MILK. Too much sugar! Besides....sounds like
you're lactose intolerant anyway. DON'T try to "train" your
stomach to tolerate milk (or anything else)... It'll come back to haunt
you.
— SJP
January 4, 2005
Milk is an integral part of the eating plan given by Barix Clinics (
formerly Bariatric treatment centers) I would guess that with >20,000
surgeries and followups under their belts that they have a handle on what
works. Milk is an excellent source of protein and calcium and according to
Mayo clinic milk drinkers are significantly less likely to develop
osteoporosis. Lactaid chewable tablets helped me tremendously. I only had
to use them for a while and my tolerance improved dramaatically.
you are going to get a variety of answers to this question. there are those
who say never drink milk, I simply do not agree.
As far as babies, they actually almost NEVER have lactose intolerance,
Human milk has lactose as do most cows milk based (ie Enfamil, Similac)
formulas. soy formulas and soy milk do not have lactose.Babies do not
tolerate straight cows milk because of the milk proteins that are larger
protein molecules than those in human milk are hard for them to digest.
formula processes the cows milk and balances the proteins, fats, etc to be
more like human milk. ( I know this how? 10 years of being an
internationally board certified lactation consultant and 15 years as an RN
working in Ob and neonatal intensive care.) BTW I am not promoting the use
of formula here!
Lactose is a milk sugar. It rarely causes dumping per se, but gastric
bypass patients can be lactose intolerant which may cause diahrhea &
gas etc. I found that my tolerance for dairy products has increased
dramatically since having gastric bypass.
If you cannot tolerate milk even with the lactaid, you could try soy milk.
Good luck!
— **willow**
January 4, 2005
I am almost 1 year post op and still don't tolerate milk because of the
sugar content. I tryed the low carb milk and it is great and have had no
problem since then. I don't drink tons of it however. Just in cereral and
an occasional glass. Try the adkins low carb. low sugar and is rich and
creamy. If your lactose intolerant you will still have problems with it.
Just a suggestion. 350/219
— Vitabella
January 5, 2005
It sounds to me like you have become lactose intolerant, meaning that you
will have to avoid milk, or milk-containing products. I have read that this
can occur after a gastric bypass. Hope this helps.
Debbie
— Deborah F.
January 5, 2005
I have not had milk or ice cream for over 10 yrs now. My doc forbids it as
a sugar, but no matter, as my body won't go for it anyway. Every now and
then I'll ask if "this has milk in it?" and am told no, but then
when I don't feel so good, "WEll, yeah, but only skim." It's not
about the fat, it's about the sugar! And my evening is truly reuined. NOt
very many times, just enough to keep me away. I can do all the non-lactose
dairy, like cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese (not overly
fond of it, tho), but since I don't absorb calcium from them, I get that in
calcium citrate form. I've been at my goal wt for 9 yrs, (except when I got
involved with sugar twice), so milk really is not necessary for anyone over
5 yrs old.
— vitalady
January 6, 2005
i can't do milk either. i'm 1 1/2 years out. i will be in the bathroom 10
minutes after drinking milk like clockwork. i can eat cheese and yogurt
without problems...i just can drink milk.
— franbvan
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