Question:
How does a stricture feel and how do you know if you have one?
— patricia B. (posted on September 12, 2003)
September 12, 2003
For me, it was simply not able to keep down protein shakes anymore, much
less any food. Nausea, vomiting, being unable to keep even WATER down!! I
got really uncomfortable after drinking or eating anything and within a
hour or so, lost anything I ate or drank. Now... you might not have a
stricture if you are getting nausea and vomiting... you may just be eating
too fast!! That happened to me, too! LOL!
— Sharon m. B.
September 12, 2003
Hi, with me I have had 4 strictures in less than 8 weeks..they were caused
by an ulcer from taking Vioxx. The first thing I noticed was everything I
ate seemed to feels stuck right between my breast. In included severe pain
in that area. vomiting mucos and sometimes the pain would feel like I was
having esophegal spasms. I was scoped 4 times with dilitations and
hopfully it will stay open. This is the longest I've gone without being
scoped in 2 months. I had my surgery 2 years ago. The pain I had was from
the ulcer although when and if the food gets stuck it can be really painful
and cause spasms also. It's isn't fun. Take Care and feel free to email
me for more info.
— Karen Renee
September 12, 2003
When I had a stricture, I couldn't hold anything down. Everything came back
up. But it's not a big deal for them to fix it.
— Christy P.
September 14, 2003
I've had 5 strictures in 3 months since surgery....The symptoms can vary
depending on if the pouch outlet is completely closed over with scar tissue
or just partially closed.The first stricture that I had was completely
closed so I was vomiting up everything... food,water and even my saliva.The
last 4 have been partial strictures.The outlet is supposed to be about 11
or 12 mm and mine has closing up to about a 3 or a 4 sized outlet.So I have
been able to keep fluids down and some pureed food because it hasn't
completely closed up since the first time.Some of my symptoms have been
vomiting up frothy,mucous...feeling of something stuck in chest,Burping
alot and feeling like air is stuck and pouch pain when eating.Strictures
can be caused by too much acid being produced in pouch or just because it
is one of those things that can happen after surgery.Women are more likely
to develop them than men.A common time for a stricture to become apparent
is 3 weeks after surgery but they can occur at any time.A stricture is
usually an easy fix.You have an outpatient endoscopy where they use
balloons to dilate the narrowed or closed opening.This will usually resolve
the problem but it may take up to three dilations for the opening to stay
open.If you do develop another stricture after 3 dilations most g.i. docs
will recommend surgical treatment, as repeated dilations can rupture the
staple line...Since I have just had my fourth dilation if my stricture
returns I have to have a revision on the area where the intestines are
connected to the pouch.
— jennifer A.
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