I feel like there's a golf ball in my chest! Help!!

Every time I take my meds and vitamins, I take them slowly (1 every 10 minutes) but sometimes, I get this tight feeling, like I swallowed a golf ball and it's sitting in my esophagus.  It is really uncomfortable and yesterday I even threw up an hour after (nothing but phlegm).  Help please.... is this normal?

I had my VGS on 9/21/07 and have been feeling great until Monday night. 

Thanks for any help....Jacqui

Oh how awful - your stomach is still quite swollen and I had a really hard time getting vitamins down for the first few weeks. I still have trouble swallowing them sometimes. It will probably settle down but it could also be reflux - are you still on liquids? do you have this trouble with real food? I suggest emailing your surgeon and asking her/his opinion
Lois

I agree with Lois...you are early out, swollen etc and you could totally have something else going on besides.
Are you on any antacid (protein pump inhibitor??). I didn't have reflux or anything like that before surgery but since have felt like I have a lump in my throat often. When I remember to take my omeprazole I'm a lot less likely to have that lumpy feeling.
Tums might even knock it back a little.
I wish you the best.
MC

I am on Pepcid and Antigall for my gallbladder.  The first week I took my meds and vits, I had no problem, this is only since Monday.  I am still on protein shakes and broth, jello, nothing solid yet.  Saturday, I was looking forward to starting 1 pureed meal a day... I don't know now. 

Thanks for the info - I have an appt with my Surgeon's PA tomorrow (haven't seen my surgeon since recovery room. 

Oh dear I know exactly what you are feeling..in fact I have that feeling right now. since surgery I have reflux really bad..not sure if this is what is causing it but probably your vitamin may have caused a little irritation going down...try to cut in half or even crush and put in applesauce...try some mylanta or tums or go buy some Prilosec otc. This really helps me a lot. The reason I have this feeling now is I just ate some pasta too fast and feel like I did not get it all the way swallowed...I keep drinking and it is going down a little bit...but I too have that lumpy feeling more often as I am getting into more solid type foods. I need to be more careful but the prilosec does help and the tums.

Talk to your surgeon about this tomorrow and hopefully he will know exactly what to prescribe so ask him before you go out and spend lots of money on prilosec...that reflux stuff ain't cheap! The drug companies make a killing off of us GERD sufferers.

I do feel for you...wish we could magically take the lumpy feeling away.

feel better soon

hugz

Sherri

Thanks Lois and Mary Claire for your thoughts.... I have been browsing the boards tonight and am now nervous that maybe my sleeve is too narrow.  Please tell me that it is just still really swollen and I need to give it more time!  

Another wierd thought I had..... before the surgery, I was a water FIEND.... no lie.... at least a gallon a day.  Now, water just tastes weird to me and I have been having (probably stupid) thoughts that maybe water doesn't agree with me anymore.  Silly right?

Thanks guys for your help.  It means a lot.

Oh I also used to drink (guzzle) liquids all day long...pop, water, had something to drink all the time with me. Now I have to fight to get my water in...it is hard..I just am not near as thirsty as I used to be...I think after this surgery our tastes and urges change and also because our tummies are still tender it feels a little different going down..not like before when guzzling was fun...now guzzling would make me double over. I think our tummies right yet are still swolen...I cannot get very much in at a time ..usually 5 -6 bites of something is all...I am a little over a month out and this has not changed for me any. But lots of things taste different to me now...I do not have near the cravings I once had.

 

Hi There

Boy can I sympathise with that.  I took my pills about an hour ago and they are still sitting in my oesophagus.  My mouth waters with the urge to vomit after I have taken them too.  I was worried about it too but it looks like maybe that will settle down after our stomachs get back to normal, as they are only new bananas.

Regards

Diana

Hi Jacqui, I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time with your vitamins, I had the same problem, my stomach was very swollen for a month or so my surgeon suggested taking a liquid multivitamin, which was great as it digested easier and counted towards my liquid intake, it's called Supradyn and it's not bad on the palate too.  It does get better but it's always best to check with your surgeon to be of the safe side.

Talia 

I second what Talia said. I think part of the problem is that it's requires maybe too much liquid in one sip to get the pill down, so the water is taking up space and the pill is hanging out in your esophagus until the liquid gets through. Try a liquid vitamin, it'll probably be gross, but it'll go down easier. Abby