Lactose Intolerance & The Gastric Bypass

I spoke to a mate today (you know who you are!) and we nattered about how this vomiting may be linked to me being lactose intolerant as some RnYers can develop this post op and this can come and go throughout the post-op's RnYers journey.

I searched the net and came across this article which states: "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 symptoms, according to the article, of someone with lactose intolerance are developing "crampy abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea"

The only way to cope with this is to change your diet, the article goes on to say that "the strategies to deal with lactose intolerance that develops after surgery are to take milk products more slowly, eat thicker products such as yoghurt or cheese rather than liquids milk, avoid milk products all together, or take an enzyme substitute Lactaid with meals."

I am not particularly a fan of Soya Milk but will give it a go as I love my cereals in the morning so will pop out after my diabetic nurse appointment tomorrow to pick some up.

As for the vomiting, I had 4 Carrs Cheese Melts this lunchtime and I pushed it by trying some Robinsons Low-Cal Orange Squash an hour later and was promptly sick. So I am back on water. I have also managed 2 little individual Cheese portions which went down ok.