Update 9+ years post op--can't eat meat

Morning!

If you recall, a few weeks ago, I posted that I have been having problems (nausea, pain and general discomfort) any time I ate meat (beef, chicken, turkey, seafood, pork).  I saw my surgeon last week who put me on prilosec, as she believed I might be having issues with GERD, she told me to avoid any caffeine, citrus or acidic foods and she ordered me to have an EGD to see if there was any narrowing or problems with my pouch.  I had the EGD on Monday and there was nothing.  No ulceration, restrictions, narrowing or obstructions.  He was stumped.  He plans on talking with my surgeon so I am waiting to hear from either of them for my next step.  I haven't even tried any meat since last Friday, as that didn't go well at all.  I will post more when I have more information, but wanted to share that the EGD showed nothing.  I also had lots of blood drawn on Monday, so we will see what those show.

Michelle

Thanks for the update. Praying that they can get this figured out quickly so you can begin to feel better.

Awww I hope you feel better soon and figure out whats going on. :(

I am only 9 weeks post-op and I have a hard time with meat. It feels like it gets stuck before my pouch and backs up into my esophagus, then I throw up. Doesnt matter how small the bites are either.

I suffered from GERD for about 8 years before my surgery. It is not as bad now, but I take protonix just in case. The last two days I had a flare up, and today its not that bad.

Caffeine will wreak havoc on GERD, also spicy food and DONT EAT like four hours before you lay down cause it will flow back up your esophagus. 

Good luck to you!!!!  I hope you can find comfort soon! :)

Michelle keep us updated. I hope everything is OK.

Hi, Michelle.  I just wanted to ask a question, and I hope I am not suggesting something that you have already tried.  Have you tried pureeing the meat, and adding meat tenderizer?  Pureeing breaks it down into very small bits, and meat tenderizer works by breaking the chemical bonds that hold proteins together.  If you are cooking meat, and leave tenderizer on too long, it makes the meat "mushy", because it is broken down.  From what I read, meat tenderizer mimics the digestive system's function of breaking protein down into a state that allows absorption.

        "Meat tenderizers are proteolytic enzymes. These enzymes break the peptide bonds between proteins (amino acids) found in meat. Collagen is the complex protein that holds meat together. Some tenderizers are made of pineapple stem and papaya. These have natural proteollytic enzymes."

Please let us know how you are doing.

My surgeon believes in a plant-strong diet.  You can live healthily without animal protein. 

I have had alot of issues with meat since my RNY 4 years ago. I still do from time to time and I revert back to a vegetarian diet. Meat hardly appeals to me anymore just because it has caused me so much pain and discomfort over the years. I think with me too...that eating slowly makes me slow down and think about what I am eating and a dead animal just makes me bleck.

If you have to for a while...vegetarian eating is not that bad. They figured out that my pouch was narrowed and I also had a marginal ulcer. Are you taking anything like Nexium and/or Carafate? Those will help and I have to be on the nexium for life.

They've got me on prilosec 2x a day for 3 months.  I've got a upper GI scheduled for Wednesday.  Had a few bites of chicken for lunch today, we'll see how that goes.  I don't mind not eating meat, but there are times, I really want chicken or beef or whatever.  It's just odd that 'all of a sudden' it started bothering me.  They may find out nothing.  We'll see.

Michelle