3 causes of digestive issues after WLS

Do you experience digestive dysfunction? Are you unaware of the real cause of this problem? 

Several factors can affect digestive function. Any break or defect in the digestion process will result in dysfunction. Tune in to learn more about the causes and solutions to digestive problems.

Check out the Audio transcript.

Welcome! Any defect in digestion will lead to dysfunction

Dawn (00:02):

Hello. I just wanted to pop on here and just have a quick chat about digestion and help you understand that any break or any defect in the whole..in any step of digestion is going to result in dysfunction. So what does that mean? Our bodies need certain things to work and to work at the right time at the right level, in the right strength and dose in order to effectively digest the foods we eat. So I think that’s why so many people take PPIs or proton pump inhibitors because we are missing some pieces in here and understanding how we can help ourselves in digestion. So if you do not have enough stomach acid, you are going to have issues, digesting foods, especially proteins.

Protein digestion

Proteins are broken down in your stomach. Well, first you chew them, but then they’re broken down in your stomach by the stomach acid.

Dawn (01:16):

And they are made into more of a liquid form. If you have chewed well. Then those proteins can be broken down appropriately and then pass through to your small intestines where they can get absorbed because those amino acids are gonna be broken down. The pro.. The full proteins are gonna be broken down into amino acids that can then be transported into your blood and then utilized throughout your whole body and do all the jobs that they do. So without that piece, guess what you are not going to have the protein broken down correctly. And then you can have protein fermentation in your colon, which creates all kinds of inflammation and imbalances in your gut.

#1 cause of digestive dysfunction

Don’t chew two or three times in swallow. I know living in America, we go, go, go, and it’s easy just to chew two or three times and swallow. So be present. Be aware and slow down. And make sure that you’re chewing your food well.

#2 cause digestive dysfunction

 And then making sure that you’re not staying on those acid suppressing medications longer than you absolutely have to. They were never intended to be lifelong yet. We have many people on them for decades.

Dawn (02:58):

So I think evaluate that find ways that you can try to get off. And again, I will be honest, there are some people that may need them. So talk to your doctor about that. And have an honest conversation. Is this something that I could get off of? Could I attempt to get off of. I’m not gonna say they’re easy to get off of cause sometimes it is complicated. So making sure that you are asking your physician or who the prescribing doctor to get off of those first.

But making sure that you’re not staying on those long-term, if they’re not necessary. If they are, then you just take them as prescribed. But I find that many bariatric patients are on these. And they, they got put on them right after surgery, which is fine, but then they never got taken off or they weren’t instructed really how to take to get off of them.

Dawn (03:55):

And so now they’re, they’re just on them. And they, they forget to take it or they don’t take it and then it comes right back. That’s exactly how it’s gonna happen. You’re gonna have rebound reflux when you abruptly stop taking any PPIs. So making sure you work with someone to wean off of them appropriately and add in certain support strategies could be supplements, could be additional medications. The key is that you wean off so that you can tolerate and manage being off of them permanently. So that is another, so that’s two.

Consequences of abruptly stopping PPIs

So let me explore the PPI thing one more, a little bit further.

Dawn (04:59):

So there is some association with PPIs and infections. C-diff infections and bacterial overgrowth infections. And I’ll do some other videos on the studies that kind of show that content and that information so that you can understand that a little more closely. I can talk about the studies cause it is a common thing to have. Both of those, I would say more bacterial overgrowth than C- diff for sure. But if you end up on rounds of antibiotics for various other conditions, which happens you could be setting yourself up for C-diff if you remain on PPIs.

What is driving digestive dysfunction?

So again, I think that’s where you have to kind of explore. What is driving this digestive dysfunction and when did it begin. You know, kind of timeline it did you go on a bunch of antibiotics?

Dawn (06:04):

Were you having some issues with ulcers and so you had to go on a PPI. When did all of these begin and that’s where you really have to think about all avenues and all drivers that are contributing to this. Okay.

#3 cause digestive dysfunction

So number three think of when it comes to a break in digestive function, if you have a dysfunction in your digestion. You have to think about maldigestion. So if you are not capable, if your body is not capable of digesting the foods you consume you would experience some.. For some people, pretty significant symptoms.

I notice with bariatric patients, they feel like food sits like a brick. So you eat a few bites and you feel like it’s heavy. Like it’s not moving and some feel like they might need to vomit. Some people… They just they’re they’re miserable.

Dawn (07:16):

They don’t wanna eat anymore. So again, those are signs of maldigestion. That one, you may not have everything needed to digest the food that you are consuming. 

Protein maldigestion

You will especially see with the protein sources. So heavy meats. All meats are heavy. So chicken beef, pork even some seafood that’s a thicker texture. And you know, like a tuna steak more of the light flaky fish, or if you had a tuna salad that would not react the same because it’s gonna be creamy and have the mayonnaise and things like that. So you would digest that easier. Anytime you add condiments cream, soups, marinades, those types of things to a, the meat you’re going to digest it better.

Maldigestion and bile

Maldigestion piece and that encompasses not only stomach acid, but you’re talking about bile. And bile is either released from your gallbladder. If you still have that. If not, it’s released from your liver and this is what emulsifier or breaks apart all the fat molecules. so that your body can utilize it and you know, put it into our blood stream and utilize it throughout all, all our cells. So once all of that gets broken down, then it gets, you know, passed out through the body so that we can utilize those fat molecules. So super important.

And if you’re missing that piece where you’re breaking the fats down appropriately or, you know, you’re having some issues with you know, just bile flow that will impact it as well.

Dawn (09:36):

Then you also, so we’ve got pancreatic enzymes, you gotta think about your liver for the bile or gallbladder, both your liver produces it. And then your bile, your gallbladder stores it. So if either one of those are, you know not well.

Liver and bile

So if you have a fatty liver or if you’ve had your gallbladder removed those are all going to impact bile flow. So any piece of that, that is off is going to cause symptoms for you. Gas, bloating, heaviness with protein foods. You know, just overall issues with constipation or diarrhea, both. Or, you know, any digestive issues is going to be recognized when you are not digesting your foods well.

Pancreatic enzymes & gut bacteria

So, and then, so you got stomach acids protein comes with Pepsin and then you have your ox Bile for the fats. The pancreatic enzymes help you digest carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Dawn (10:50):

It kind of helps well round everything. And then your small intestines kind of take over once it gets dumped into your small intestines. And then they add some additional enzymes and then the bacteria. Your gut bacteria. Those play a role in you know, continuing that process of digesting the food. And if those gut bacteria are out of balance, something we call dysbiosis that is when you can also have digestive symptoms. So sometimes your upstream symptoms. Your heartburn. The heaviness. Are driven by downstream impacts that are forcing things up.

What is causing maldigestion?

Dawn (14:08):

And then the, the maldigestion you know, not digesting foods because you don’t have enough pancreatic enzymes, you don’t have enough bile flow, you don’t have enough acid, Pepsin. All of those things. So again, taking that big picture and just really focusing and working with someone that can help you is probably the key thing that will get you out of discomfort and get you out of these digestive problems that are occurring on a regular basis. I will say I find it interesting. Bariatric patients just assume this is normal. And they assume that they’re, this is just part of bariatric surgery. You just live with these digestive problems.

Solutions for bariatric patients

Bariatric patients just assume this is normal. And they assume that they’re, this is just part of bariatric surgery. You just live with these digestive problems. And I want you to see that you don’t have to. You do not have to live with digestive problems after bariatric surgery. There are solutions and there are ways to correct them. And then there’s ways to maintain that.

Dawn (15:15):

So it’s not going to be, you take one pill and it fixes everything. That’s unlikely. Usually it’s a combination strategies that you apply. Intensely for a short period of time. And then you start weaning off of all these things and get back to your normal life. So again, I think having the awareness. And know that.. Guess what. I can heal from digestive issues after bariatric surgery, I don’t have to live with bloating and gas and malodorous gas. That’s embarrassing.

That is so uncomfortable for so many people that they are worried to leave their house, or they don’t. That, every decision is made off of where the bathrooms are because they want to be able to use them more privately. So those are all things that you don’t have to do the rest of your life. You don’t, there’s no need to have these issues. So click the link in my bio. If you want more information. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I will tell you there are solutions. There is no need for you to suffer, and let’s get working on solving your problems. I hope this has helped you guys have a great day. We’ll see you soon. Bye.

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