Question:
Help! I'm feeling discouraged.

I am five weeks post op lap proximal RNY. I have had no problems whatsoever until 9 days ago when I became nauseous. I am nauseous 24/7 whether I eat or not. I feel especially worse in the morning. Although I feel sort of hungry, food kind of gives me the shivers right now. I know I am not getting all my protein in and the only vitamins I'm taking are a multivitamin because I gag at the thought of swallowing any more. I'm also thirsty but it's tough to drink a lot because of the nausea. Help! Thanks! Bridget    — Bridget C. (posted on April 30, 2002)

April 30, 2002
Bridget, I'm sorry you're feeling so poorly but please don't be discouraged! I really think you should make an appointment with your surgeon and see if there is a physical cause for all your discomfort. You may have a stricture and that is easily treated. Take care of yourself and hang in there. Hugs!
   — Candace S.

April 30, 2002
Hi Bridget...hang in there. I had some similar problems at about 5 weeks. My Dr reccommended that I take some liquid maalox about 1/2 hour before each meal (half of an adult dosage). It coated my stomach and eased the nausea I was having. I have trouble with acidic things aggrivating my new pouch...like the crystal lite lemonade flavors..I stay away from them now. I am now 10 weeks post and my nausea problems have pretty much disappeared. I have also found that I do best with just meats, grilled marinated meats...tiny bites and lots of chewing. I hope this helps.
   — SARose61

April 30, 2002
hi bridget,don't worry i had the same thing at 8 weeks post op i hate that nautious feeling but definteley go get some of that maylox it does help so much don't worry it is going to go away mine just stopped 2 day's ago i am 10 weeks now just hang in there it will stop.
   — KIM B.

April 30, 2002
Hang in there, but it is critical you get your fluids in! Dehydration will make the naseau worse. Just take tiny sips every couple of minutes if you can. Try Camomile tea. It has a soothing effect on the tummy as well as the liquid benefit and my nurse suggested it every time my belly was bothering me and it worked great!
   — Angela B.

April 30, 2002
You have to force yourself to eat. You need to get 800 calories in a day. If you don't eat, this is what is giving you the nausea. Eat crackers. There a life saver and they do help settle your stomach down. Ask your doctor about the prescription drug Phenergan. It's WONDERFUL and will help control the nausea. I went through the same thing and once I forced myself to eat, I did feel better and the nausea went away.
   — Patty H.

April 30, 2002
I am so glad you asked this question as I have been experiencing the exact same thing - the first two weeks after my surgery were a breeze - no nausea, no "untolerance" of any foods to speak of, and now, for the past week and a half, I am hating life. Very weird. I thought it had something to do with starting back smoking (I know, boo!) but I am glad to see I am not alone with what I view to be a "reversed recovery". Anyway, I will keep an eye on the answers posted to this question, and I wish you lots of luck!
   — rebeccamayhew

April 30, 2002
I feel your pain! I was nauseous from months one to four. I spent about two months lying in a fetal position either on my couch or on the floor trying to get it to go away. Any movement I made just made it worse. Warm tea helped in the mornings. I had to force myself to drink-was hospitalized for dehydration once. I also began running a temp so the doctor put me on an antibiotic. After about a week, the nausea started to subside. Since then I haven't had a problem with nausea at all. I know how miserable it is, but have faith that it will get better. Make yourself drink your fluids-sip constantly. Hang in there!
   — Brenda H.

April 30, 2002
Try some sugar free peppermints... they do the trick for me! Good luck.
   — Ann B.

April 30, 2002
You need to call your doctor and let him know about the problems you're having. I was nauseous after I went home and he gave me medication to settle down my stomach. It was a life saver. For the thirst issue, I again had the same problem and my husband went to Walmart and bought me an ice crusher (snow cone). I chomped on ice all the time.
   — dolphins94

April 30, 2002
I can relate! I had 2 weeks of nausea and the mere thought of food sent me over the edge. I couldn't stand the taste of water. I drank Crystal Lite lemonade with ice chips the whole time so as not to get dehydrated, and Liptons chicken noodle soup and fat free saltines. I knew I wasn't getting enough protein, but I made sure to stay hydrated and to take my vitamins even if I had to crush them up. Stay focused and do what you can, and let your surgeon know whats going on. Also, be alert to how your food is going down. As a previous poster said, you may have a stricture. I developed one at week 5 and had an endoscopy, no big deal. Hang in there!
   — JoanneML

May 1, 2002
I Had the same thing about 6 weeks ago, I was severely dehydrated and needed to go to the hospital. I was weak and had constant nausea and dry heaves. I could'nt actually throw up because I had no desire to eat. At the hospital they gave me 2 bags of IV fluid with a anti-nausea med inside and sent me home with a prescription for a anti nausea suppository (although I didn't need it). Once I got home I started drinking liquids and havn't stopped since! It is the worst feeling and I don't want to expirience it again. Please call your doctor, it seemed to be a gradual expirience and then all of the sudden I could barely move and I felt "Loopy". Don't let it get that bad it is scary.
   — M. S.

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