@aceman66
Chronic constipation 5 weeks post-Whipple is surprising to me; I'm almost jealous!

Seriously though, if you haven't already informed your surgeon of this fact, you probably should, just to make sure you don't have some kind of blockage, gastric paralysis, or delayed gastric emptying. Also, if you're taking any opioid pain meds, they are notorious for contributing to constipation.

I lost about 15 pounds in the first 6 weeks after my Whipple, but have been at a very stable weight for the year since.

My big side effect after Whipple was "steatorrhea," which may be similar to diarrhea in consistency and frequency, but noticeably more oily (floating) and orange in color, indicating the need for more enzymes (particularly lipase to digest fat if you're consuming any). I'm a big meat eater and coffee drinker (with heavy creamers), and was consuming some serious "comfort foods" (ice cream, banana nut bread w/ real butter) and other sources of fat that were wreaking havoc on my digestion day and night.

Since normalizing my diet somewhat, and starting enzymes (I didn't have any the first 5 weeks), it has all been under pretty good control. I seem to only get the extra gas with certain foods or if I take too many enzymes, but steaorrhea if I take too few. Three of the 36K unit Creon capsules is about right for me with a typical meal.

Your mileage may vary, and you may need another few weeks to get the right balance. It helps to back off most of your foods and drinks for a few days, then keep a journal as you start adding new ones. It's not surprising to still be a little out of sorts this soon after surgery.

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