7 Causes of Diarrhea after Bariatric Surgery
Let’s phase it, no one likes to talk about this embarrassing topic of diarrhea.
In fact, chronic loose or watery stools are evidence something is off.
When you use the Bristol stool chart, then number five is considered a loose stool, with watery diarrhea being number seven.
Bariatric surgery alters digestion, therefore increases the risks of embarrassing symptoms like diarrhea.
Although Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and duodenal switch patients will likely experience more diarrhea, not including sleeve gastrectomy would be inaccurate.
So, seven non-dumping causes of diarrhea consist of…
Malabsorption of carbohydrates
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
Clostridium Difficile(C-Diff)
Bile acid malabsorption
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Dysbiosis
Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
-Certain carbohydrates are associated with poor absorption for some people. These include lactose, fructose, sucrose and FODMAPs.
-One underlying cause that leads to carbohydrate malabsorption is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
-C-diff is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and inflames the colon. Unfortunately, C-diff is highly contagious and needs to be treated with importance. C-diff can be quite debilitating, especially right after bariatric surgery making it quite concerning.
-Bile acid diarrhea is a common cause of chronic diarrhea and is characterised by excess bile acids within the colon. Resulting in increased colonic motility and secretion.
-Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is an insufficient secretion of pancreatic enzymes and/or sodium bicarbonate. It is a known complication after upper gastrointestinal surgeries.
-Dysbiosis is an imbalance in your gut bacteria. This includes too little good bacteria, too much bad bacteria or too much bacteria in the wrong location.
-Your liver is where bile is produced, and your gallbladder is where it is stored. Once the storage facility is removed there is a chronic drip of bile directly into the small intestines. When the majority of bile doesn’t get reabsorbed and recirculated back to the liver, it passes into the colon. This is where diarrhea occurs.
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