Rapid Gastric Emptying

Rapid gastric emptying, or dumping syndrome, happens when the small intestine fills too quickly with undigested food from the stomach. (Read about "Digestive System") Dumping syndrome is most often found in people who have had stomach surgery - for example surgery for stomach cancer - or bariatric surgery for obesity. (Read about "Stomach Cancer" "Obesity" "Bariatric Surgery") Surgery to correct gastroesophageal reflux disease may also increase your risk. (Read about "Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease")

• "Early" dumping begins during or right after a meal. Symptoms of early dumping include:
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • bloating
  • diarrhea (Read about "Diarrhea")
  • shortness of breath
• "Late" dumping happens 1 to 3 hours after eating. Symptoms of late dumping include:
  • weakness
  • sweating (Read about "Sweating")
  • dizziness

Many people have both early and late dumping symptoms.

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, as well as medication. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says 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 may need to take medicine to slow the passage of food out of the stomach.