strictures

how can I tell if I have strictures?  Are they common after 5 weeks out or did I just eat to fast and now I am paying for it?

The only way to know for sure is to have an endoscopy so the doc can look at your stoma.  However, symtpoms of stricture include difficulty or inability to keep food down.  In severe cases, people can't even keep water down.

So I would be vomiting?  I feel like I have something stuck in my throat...but I am not vomiting...My problem, I eat so fast and maybe this is what it is all about...Need to wait and see I guess...

You'd probably be vomiting, and nothing would be stuck in your throat.  A stricture is when the opening between your pouch and small intestine gets too small.

I haven't spent very much time on here, but it sure is nice to know the information and helpful people are  here when I need them. I was just coming here to check out symptoms of strictures because I'm also having some pretty severe pain the last day and a half, and wondering if that could be the issue, and if I should call my surgeon....of course it's a weekend!....lol. It sounds like we're at just about the same point (I'm also 5 wks post-op), so now I'm REALLY wondering if this is a possibility and if this is about the time it might occur. I've been breezing through my recovery up to this point, but I'm wondering if I may be moving a little too fast on the next eating phase. After eating yesterday, I was in pretty bad pain (sharp and BURNING), so I went to my favorite go-to remedy, Gas-X strips, which I found on here. It helped, but it didn't last. I managed to sleep last night, and didn't feel too bad this morning, but as soon as I ate a yogurt, I immediately regretted it. I haven't vomited, but that's only because I will fight it until there is absolutely no other option, even though I prob would feel better if I just got it over with. So I haven't eaten anything else today, and don't have the severe pain, but I can also tell that the minute I try to eat anything else, I'll be right back where I started. So I'll do some looking around on here, and would appreciate any info or suggestions some of you might have to offer. Hopefully we'll both be feeling better very soon.

I honestly think my problem has to do with eating to fast..however I have not had breakfast this morning yet so we shall see...One thing you did say was you were wondering if it is the next eating phase..I was thinking that too..I ate fruit, strawberries and blueberies, without really chew, chew, chewing them....and I will take it easy on my poor knew stomach for a few days...good luck to you too and let me know how you are doing...Oh by the way, I had my surgery on 5/3

After all my reading last night, I decided it would prob be a good idea to call and run it by my surgeon (since they DID say call 24/7), and when the on-call doc very promptly called me back, he also thought it sounded like a stricture. So I'm to call the office first thing Monday morning, and meanwhile stay hydrated and try to drink protein shakes again. If I'm not able to do that, he said I may need to visit the ER, but I seem to be ok on at least that much, so it looks like I'll be visiting my surgeon Monday, and will most likely be scheduling the procedure asap. The timing isn't great since I'm already scheduled for a procedure for my back pain on Tuesday, but looks like I just may have to re-schedule that since I'd prefer to be able to eat....lol. Oh well, at least from everything I've learned about strictures, I'll be feeling MUCH better as soon as I can have the stretching done. I'm REALLY looking forward to another 1/2 turkey-burger!....lol. Good luck, and I'll try to remember to post an update afterward. Thanks to all for the great info here!

Well....I talked to my surgeon's office this morning, and was told that they usually don't like to do any stretching this early post-op (I'm 4 1/2 wks out) because it can cause a tear. And I'm also feeling a little dumb today because for some reason I was thinking I was already past 5 wks, and I think I progressed a bit too quickly from puree to soft/moist foods.....DUH! I also take alot of various pills (issues with severe back pain), and I don't think they were setting real well since I stopped crushing them.

I'm actually feeling quite a bit better today, although a bit weak from eating next to nothing for the past 3 days, and I'm able to keep yogurt and protein shakes down without any more problems so far. The surgeon's suggestion was to go back to liquids only for 4-5 days, go back to crushing my pills, and to start on a prescription of carafate to coat my tummy, which I've seen mentioned by others here as well, and he'll see me next week as planned for my 2nd post-op visit. If I'm still having problems at that time, we'll revisit the possibility of stricture or even an ulcer.

So I'm relieved that at least at this point, it sounds like maybe I was just progressing a little bit too quickly, and that I may not have to deal with strictures after all. Hope that things are going better for you as well, Char143. So much for that turkey-burger that I was just DYING to eat!...lol.

 Kimbercat you sound just like me!! This is such a new experience, but I am glad ou are feeling better, and the doctor is waiting awhile...I have been feeling good for a few days but tonight I made a meat loaf...burned it but ate it anyway...very crunchier.needless to say I didn't chew it well and I am in distress...will I every learn? I knew before I ate, but...anyway I see my m.d. Friday so I will run this by him and see what he says.  I may be back on liquids right along with you ... I will keep you posted

 Just please have your scope done by someone with experience with RNY.  I paid dearly not researching.  I had 3 scopes, that was nearly 2 years ago and am fine, no further issues. Best of luck