THROWING UP!

[Kittykatkris]

Hey everyone, I am sure by now most of you know lately I have been having a hard time wanting to eat anything.

I bought the 42 gram protein shots that my doctor recommended and that is the only thing plus some water and G2 that I can get down and keep down.

I tried:
Cottage cheese
Ricotta
pureed chicken and turkey
a few other things

and 2 outta 3 times I have either heaving like im going to throw up but sour comes up or I actually throw up. 3 outta 3 xs it is very painful like a complete traffic jam down there or something is the best way I can describe it.

I can eat a few things without TOO much issue which is apple sauce, yogurt, and those protein shots.

I had my surgery Dec 7th, so I am 5 weeks out.

WAS IT LIKE THIS FOR ANY OF YOU?? Is there something wrong?
Any ideas for some other foods I can try?

Honestly with the pain and dry heaving and throwing up it makes me NOT want to try to eat anything.
Im depressed and tired and in bed all the time, IT REALLY SUX RIGHT NOW!

 

[southernlady]

Right now, your sleeve is still pissy as hell and swollen. No, throwing up is not normal. I ONLY got nauseous (DID NOT throw up tho) once in the first 2 months and the second time was 3 years out (I think I was just sick cause I hadn't eaten). So no, vomiting isn't normal.

Have you mentioned this to your surgeon?
Did he give you some anti nausea meds?
Are you on a PPI?

Yogurt is not a bad food to live off of for another week. Chicken and turkey are usually VERY dry unless loaded with mayo.
Try tuna with lots of mayo
Egg drop soup
Scrambled eggs (this may or may not work)

 

[JuliaDS]

I second the egg drop soup. It really saved me when I couldn't keep down pureed meat or tolerate a sweet protein shake. Something about it - not sure but it went down easily, tasted delicious and made me feel nourished for those couple of weeks until I was able to try pureed meet again. It will get better!

 

[robs477]

A close family member of mine just had the VSG done last September and she has experienced the EXACT same thing you are. We thought her sleeve was too tight, but, what we have finally deduced is that the sleeve constricts the very second something hits it. Her Dr. said it is just going to take time for the electrical signal paths to “re-synchronize” and “Re-learn” the timing of the open close sequence of the esophagus and pylorus valves. If she soothes the stomach with a warm tea or broth prior to eating, that helps to relax the stomach muscles and decreases significantly the constrictions. She had a glass of wine a few weeks ago and it relaxed everything so well, she could eat almost normally. Tried it a 2nd time a few days later, same results, so we’re for sure it’s the stomach in a constricted non-relaxed state. This happens in a VERY small minority of sleeve patients and based on your symptoms, I am close to 100% for sure it’s the same phenomena. It WILL get better with time, BUT, it will most probably be very slow going to get it re-stretched a little bit, swelling to go down and re-trained electrically and that will take time. I wish you the best and hope some of this helps.

 

[Larra]

It's probably as described above, but definitely let your surgeon know what's going on. Strictures are very uncommon with sleeves or DS, unlike with gastric bypass, but sometimes they do occur, so keep your surgeon in the loop.

 

[Kittykatkris]

Ok so thank you everyone for your input. I am seeing me surgeon for first time since surgery on the 22nd so I am going to bring it up. But honestly that whole office makes me not want to open my mouth about anything. Not because they are stupid or mean, but when it comes to the DS they give such HORRIBLY wrong advice and say the most ridiculous things I just want to scream at them lol.

Right now, your sleeve is still pissy as hell and swollen. No, throwing up is not normal. I ONLY got nauseous (DID NOT throw up tho) once in the first 2 months and the second time was 3 years out (I think I was just sick cause I hadn't eaten). So no, vomiting isn't normal.

Have you mentioned this to your surgeon?
Did he give you some anti nausea meds?
Are you on a PPI?

Yogurt is not a bad food to live off of for another week. Chicken and turkey are usually VERY dry unless loaded with mayo.
Try tuna with lots of mayo
Egg drop soup
Scrambled eggs (this may or may not work)

I will mention it on theh 22nd...maybe lol I just dont want to deal with them giving me more misinformation.
I just ran out of Anti Nausea meds, and I dont know if they will refill them might need to go to me PCP for that.
I am not sure what a PPI is, sorry if its common knowledge, Im still learning.

I had the turkey and chicken with mayo...couldnt tolerate it.
Egg drop soup is touch and go sometimes great sometimes not so much.
Scrambled eggs...nope tried it Christmas morning and it was not fun I dont wanna even try again lol

A close family member of mine just had the VSG done last September and she has experienced the EXACT same thing you are. We thought her sleeve was too tight, but, what we have finally deduced is that the sleeve constricts the very second something hits it. Her Dr. said it is just going to take time for the electrical signal paths to “re-synchronize” and “Re-learn” the timing of the open close sequence of the esophagus and pylorus valves. If she soothes the stomach with a warm tea or broth prior to eating, that helps to relax the stomach muscles and decreases significantly the constrictions. She had a glass of wine a few weeks ago and it relaxed everything so well, she could eat almost normally. Tried it a 2nd time a few days later, same results, so we’re for sure it’s the stomach in a constricted non-relaxed state. This happens in a VERY small minority of sleeve patients and based on your symptoms, I am close to 100% for sure it’s the same phenomena. It WILL get better with time, BUT, it will most probably be very slow going to get it re-stretched a little bit, swelling to go down and re-trained electrically and that will take time. I wish you the best and hope some of this helps.

Ok so it makes sense to me kinds, thanks for telling me about it. I just worry something else may be going on since with DS that usually doesnt happen...but knowing me over my lifetime well that tends to happen sometimes things that normally dont lol.
I will try a sip of warm broth or something...I am not a big tea drinker in fact I dont like it never did but maybe I will give it another go, and I would love to try the wine thing but I am not sure if I should lol. If you have any other advice in this area especially on ways to speed up the re training of the electrical stuff that would be so great!

 

[DSRIGGS]

Ok so thank you everyone for your input. I am seeing me surgeon for first time since surgery on the 22nd so I am going to bring it up. But honestly that whole office makes me not want to open my mouth about anything. Not because they are stupid or mean, but when it comes to the DS they give such HORRIBLY wrong advice and say the most ridiculous things I just want to scream at them lol.



I will mention it on theh 22nd...maybe lol I just dont want to deal with them giving me more misinformation.
I just ran out of Anti Nausea meds, and I dont know if they will refill them might need to go to me PCP for that.
I am not sure what a PPI is, sorry if its common knowledge, Im still learning.

I had the turkey and chicken with mayo...couldnt tolerate it.
Egg drop soup is touch and go sometimes great sometimes not so much.
Scrambled eggs...nope tried it Christmas morning and it was not fun I dont wanna even try again lol



Ok so it makes sense to me kinds, thanks for telling me about it. I just worry something else may be going on since with DS that usually doesnt happen...but knowing me over my lifetime well that tends to happen sometimes things that normally dont lol.
I will try a sip of warm broth or something...I am not a big tea drinker in fact I dont like it never did but maybe I will give it another go, and I would love to try the wine thing but I am not sure if I should lol. If you have any other advice in this area especially on ways to speed up the re training of the electrical stuff that would be so great!

Definitely no on the wine.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Proton Pump Inhibitor. You should be on one immediately after the DS, Imo

 

[robs477]

That’s really the problem also. Getting these Surgeons to understand the actual post op care and whats needed. FORTUNATELY, in this case, in my LAY opinion it is Sleeve related and not DS, so, they may understand it better, hopefully.

And yes, again, IMHO, it IS a type of stricture but is significantly aggrevated by swelling, and self constricting. Kind of like how a leg cramp will constrict and tighten up the muscle. That happens in LESS THAN 1% of VSG’rs, but DOES happen and was conveyed to us by the Dr. himself, not second hand info. As said, it occurs because of these confused electrical signals to the stomach and is further complicated by the swelling that has yet to go completely down.

At 5 weeks out, I am NOT advocating drinking wine. We only tried it as an experiment and she was 3 months out before trying it. THAT BEING SAID, I don’t think one glass of wine would hurt you either, even at 5 weeks, just to try as an experiment, but, again, just my opinion.

I will say this however…..YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN! The “Medical Community” is F#*$ING CLUELESS regarding after surgery care, ALMOST everywhere, except maybe a Dr.K or two, so….experimenting and CAUTIOUSLY pushing the envelope, is an absolute necessity, but, again, IMHO….And again THAT BEING SAID, you should still bring it up to your surgeon and get his opinion as @Larra said. I desperatly wanted my family member to demand getting scoped, but, she has yet to push the issue with her Dr. whom keeps telling her, “youre doing great, it just takes time” and I cant do it for her, BUT, if it were me, I would want it (and demand) that it be thouroughly checked out.

 

[DSRIGGS]

@robs477 The reason I said I would advise no wine is that I think GERD is a distinct possibility in this case and alcohol is a big-time trigger. Otherwise one small glass wouldn't hurt anything, but at 2.5 years alcohol messes with my stomach

 

[Clematis]

I'm sorry you are going through this, KKK.

I think what @robs477 describes may be what is happening to me, as well. (I'm 2 mos out) I'm not actually spontaneously vomiting nor do I have nausea any more, rather after a couple small bites, the sensation is that everything has simply stopped at the base of my esophagus and has made an uncomfortable or painful lump. Nothing else can go down while that is there -- not water or vitamins. The only way to make that go away is to stick a finger down my throat. Because it isn;t really in my stomach, vomiting is super easy. Sometimes all I have to do is lean over and cough. The first up is always a wad of mucous/saliva. The human body produces and sends down one's throat 2 liters of mucous/saliva a day even though you are not aware of this. If the esophageal sphincter is spasmed closed/blocked with food plug, the mucous has nowhere to go so that will be the first out, like a jellyfish in the toilet. The food (and it is only a tablespoonful) comes next, undigested.

The good news is that if what robs477 says -- just a spasm from an electrical malfunction -- this should go clear on its own in a while. I hope and pray this is true.

I don;t know if this will help you but here's what I eat...

I live on 2 premier protein, 1 dannon lite & fit GREEK yogurt strawberry cheesecake (smooth w/o fruit, but I add crushed calcium pills to it). I lost the taste for cottage cheese, but I can nibble cheese and spreadable cheese. I try to avoid b/c (sorry to be gross), cheese and milk "revisited" is truly disgusting, whereas anything else I vomit has no offensive smell with a PPI. Canned refried beans with a bit cheese works well (but a lot of carbs). Can't keep down eggs, although I have made a soft boiled egg and just eaten the liquid yolk with a spoon, leaving the white. I can;t eat tuna with mayo or salmon. Curiously, I can eat nuts, I think because I can pulverize them to slush. (Unfortunately I CAN eat carbs w/o any stomach or bowel effect, like crackers, and I had 2 french fries off my son's plate for lunch yesterday when I couldn;t eat what I had ordered. I avoid carbs, tho.) In the past few days I have eaten shrimp sautéed in butter and garlic with a tarragon cream sauce. (I only manage 2 small shrimp in tiny bites over time.) I managed a teeny amount of beef short rib two weeks ago (t's moist and the filaments fall apart) but couldn;t the next two times I tried. I can;t eat any other dense proteins. I have 2 scallops in the fridge to try sautéing for dinner tonight.

Net net: except for a daily attempt at a tablespoon (total) of an animal protein, I'm on protein drinks and a tub of yogurt for now. I am not weak, though, and don;t appear to be ill (unless I get a blockage and then I'm not a happy camper). So I'm giving it more time.

Oh, the standard is being on nexium or prilosec for at least the first 6 months -- many docs say "forever". Please get one -- OTC or prescription.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Kittykatkris]

All of the really annoying thing is is whenever I try to get up and do something like I really want to clean and organize my house I've been waiting so long to do it and I just did maybe 15 minutes of it and I'm huffing and puffing out of breath have a pounding headache and I'm exhausted

 

[Kittykatkris]

I mean I give it a little bit more time I am of course going to mention it to my surgeon that I threw up a few times and it was sour and feels like a traffic jam but I'm going to give it more time

Where do I find a PPI

I just hate hate having no energy and extreme headaches

I have heard many times before that a lot of toxins are stored in your fat and if you're losing fat they're released into your bloodstream so maybe that has something to do with how I feel too

I was diagnosed with chronic neurological Lyme disease awhile back and was on meds for that but that community is all topsy turvy as well on their beliefs for cures. so I wonder if releasing some of those toxins and lyme from the fat is making me feel crummy

 

[southernlady]

Where do I find a PPI

I get mine at Costco. I use the Lansoprazole since Omeprazole doesn't work for me.

 

[DSRIGGS]

I mean I give it a little bit more time I am of course going to mention it to my surgeon that I threw up a few times and it was sour and feels like a traffic jam but I'm going to give it more time
Up
Where do I find a PPI

I just hate hate having no energy and extreme headaches

I have heard many times before that a lot of toxins are stored in your fat and if you're losing fat they're released into your bloodstream so maybe that has something to do with how I feel too

I was diagnosed with chronic neurological Lyme disease awhile back and was on meds for that but that community is all topsy turvy as well on their beliefs for cures. so I wonder if releasing some of those toxins and lyme from the fat is making me feel crummy

Kitty you have to have seen commercials for prilosec or nexium...... You can buy them at any place who has over the counter meds. I can't believe your surgeon didn't put you on one. Dr Marshall puts all patients on Omeprazole after surgery. FYI these meds are usually cheaper prescription than over the counter so call Dr or just buy otc until you can get a script.

This has potential to really make a difference