12 days post surgery and still nauseous!

[kwikwits 20]

Hi everyone! I was wondering when if ever will my nausea stop? I am 12 days post surgery. I am able to meet most of my Water numbers if I am diligent. My Protein numbers are a different story -- I can't seem to tolerate more than 2 shakes but now I'm doing one "meal" of Unjury chicken Soup or some of the high protein Soups I found at www.mybariatricpantry.com because I just can't stand the sweet flavors anymore,

My issue is I still get bouts of nausea. I am taking anti-nausea medication every morning with my PPI and Vitamins. The nausea comes sometimes after I've taken my other medications (crestor/hcz/zolft/welbutrin). Sometimes I wake up nauseous. When it is at its worst

I don't want to ingest anything. I just feel like anything I ingest even hot mint tea makes the nausea worse. This nausea has increased since the doctor removed my drain last Friday. I have no idea if that is related to nausea.

Veterans -- does the nausea go away or at least become less frequent? Feeling like I'm going to be sick is getting very old.

EJ

[ybnormal 21]

Hang in there...it gets better very quickly! My dr told me to take a teaspoon or two Gatorade G2 at a time every 15 minutes and be diligent with my Nexium twice a day to help combat the nausea. Don't worry, this part of it is really short lived and it happens quickly like "oh! I feel better now!" lol

xoxo Renee`

[MegInNOLA 531]

Oh, yeah, been there! So sorry to hear you're having such a problem with it. Today marks 1 week for me without throwing up, so I'm thinking maybe the worst has passed (and I'm at the 8-week mark). Some of your medications have nausea as a fairly common side effect. Is there a way for you to take them at night before going to sleep? Also, check with your doc to see if they should be taken with food (or Protein liquid, in your case) to be easier on your tummy. There are different medications you can take to control your nausea, but also you should keep in touch with your doc because your medications may need to be adjusted (titrated) down, even though you just got sleeved. My husband came off all of his medications while still in the hospital after his sleeve (having lost nothing at that point).

Best of luck to you--it really does get better. I seem to recall around week 3 things got a bit better, and now I've learned what to do/not to do and it's relatively smooth. Being nauseous is really gross, so I hope yours feels better fast.

Meg

[ybnormal 21]

I forgot to add, my doctor also said to take chewable or liquid dramamine for the nausea. This totally worked for me but it does make you a bit sleepy!

Renee`

[Valentina 2,642]

When in doubt, always call your doctor first! I don't know why people forget about that person who just fillet them, but that is whom you need to call first.

That being said, of course we VST people are always hoping to support and help in anyway we can.

Your nausea may be associated with your new sleeve, of course. It may also be that your old medicine regime is too strong for you post op. It may be time to cut back on some of your daily meds!!

Nausea is also sometimes associated with a recent head injury. If you have banged your head or been involved in some kind of accident (in home or out) nausea is a warning symptom to----------CALL YOUR DOCTOR .

Keep in touch,

Valentina

I forgot to add, my doctor also said to take chewable or liquid dramamine for the nausea. This totally worked for me but it does make you a bit sleepy!

Renee`

[kwikwits 20]

Thanks everyone for all the anti-nausea tips. Tomorrow I'm going to call my doctor/physician assistant/whatever and ask about the nausea.

I have decided my nausea could be related to my adding restaurant broth to my diet. I was craving better flavors especially NOT SWEET flavors so I have gotten some miso at one local Japanese restaurant, that one was okay. The other day I had a little bit of a spicier Asian broth that may have had too much seasoning for my blandness loving tummy. Then I tried another mushroom based broth -- that was so good. Not salty like miso just savory and delicious. I don't think that one was problematic.

Today I sort of pushed the limits and paid the price. I spent most of the day in Manhattan -- I had a medical appointment and then I decided to try out a new mattress, the whole time I wasn't drinking Water and I bet I was getting dehydrated. One thing about not feeling hungry or even worse feeling that if you did have something in my stomach it would just make me feel sick -- time passes and it is suddenly 4pm (I'm still not at work) and I only had one Protein shake in the morning. I get it into my head to walk over to Republic on Union Square West -- a little ultra modern place known for noodles and broth. I decide to get something simple. They have this delicious lime chicken broth -- with noodles, pieces of chicken too -- but I'm just going to eat the broth because even those it is 13 days since I've been sleeved I don't get anything other than thin liquids through June 22!

I arrive at Republic just as the sky is about to open up and pour down rain on all the Manhattan locals and tourists (Union Square is a popular tourist attraction because there is an outdoor food market everyday--plus it is the beginning of the Village). I sit down and of course order a small plate of mini dumplings and my lime chicken Soup. I also order a cup of green tea because I finally realize how dehydrated I am feeling. YES, I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE ORDERED THE LITTLE MINI DUMPLINGS (they arrive in a small bowl almost like a salad -- but there is shredded cabbage, bok choy,, cilantro and a black bean sauce over these itty bitty dumplings that look more like orecchiette Pasta (ear shaped) . Of course I taste the cabbage, cilantro and a mini dumpling. It tastes incredible. I push the dish over to the side. Eyeing longingly at the tasty veggies and mini dumplings. The soup arrives. You know they serve very big portions at restaurants even in NYC. It is a very large bowl of broth, noodles, little pieces of boiled chicken, scallions, bonito flakes and for some reason chopped salted peanuts. I start sipping soup with the ceramic spoon. Just broth and nothing else. The broth is mild -- chicken stock with a touch of lime. What a great combination. I look at the two dishes in front of me. The small bowl of ear shaped dumplings with black bean sauce maybe there is 2 ounces of food in that dish; maybe 2.5 ounces. I look at this HUGE bowel of soup with thin noodles, bits of chicken, bits of scallion, bonito flakes and chopped nuts. I can't believe I ordered so much food and I'm only supposed to be drinking thin liquids. I decide I'm going to have to bring most of this home. I can't touch the dumplings again -- I move them far away from me. I am still sipping soup, sipping green tea, and sipping the cold Water. I taste a little bit of the chicken -- chewy, not very flavorful. I chew it until it is nearly liquid. I swallow it. I take one round slice of scallion in my spoon and put it in my mouth -- that tastes a little better, a little taste of spring onion. I chew that little piece of scallion like it was a porterhouse steak. I keep chewing and chewing until I swallow the little shreds. More broth. A sip of tea. I feel like I stop for days between tastes. I decide to taste one long thin noodle --(very thin rice noodles like vermicelli). It feels like it takes me 20 minutes to eat this one thin noodle. I try to let it just dissolve in my mouth. Suddenly I realize I am too full. I feel a tightness in my upper chest and esophagus. The tightness is very uncomfortable I keep swallowing my saliva to make what ever it is that feels stuck go down further into my stomach. It isn't doing that -- I reach for the water take a sip and realize there isn't enough room for the water. Now I feel slightly worse. I calmly ask the waiter to pack everything up. I want to take a picture of the plates of food because I've never eaten so little in a restaurant in my ENTIRE LIFE. I want documentation. No one I know or who knows me would believe this in a MILLION YEARS. I would take a picture with my phone but I am concentrating on not throwing up something to make room for what needs to go down. I decide I can sit it out and wait. I get a call on my cell phone. My good friend Brian. I tell him I'm at Republic and had a taste of mini dumpling, a few spoonfuls of soup, a piece of chicken the size of a pencil eraser, a slice of scallion and a noodle and now I feel like I need to throw up. I ask him to talk me down -- if I just sit still and wait it will move along out of my throat, esophagus and move down into my stomach. He starts to tell me about his oldest daughter's prom and I say -- Brian I have to go I am going to be sick. I see there is a handicapped bathroom about 5 feet away to my right -- I see the waiters, hostess and other employees use it rather than going down the stairs to the guest bathrooms. I lunge for the door and tell the waiter, I hope it is okay if I use this bathroom because I am going to be sick. I get into the bathroom raise the lid and just wait. I don't vomit -- I spit up from my esophagus, not vomit from my stomach. I do that twice. Mostly water, saliva and the remains of that noodle I think. I try to do it again but it isn't happening because I don't need too. As much as I HATE THROWING up -- this wasn't traumatic -- no force, or spasms, no heaving at all. Just spit up like a infant. I wash my face and see if I feel better. I feel slightly better less like I am being choked or gagged. I leave the restaurant and make it on to the street. I am still feeling a bit stuffed. I decide I can walk it off. I start walking towards Union Square park and head towards the subway. Nothing better for a sick stomach than a subway at rush hour! I walk along the stone wall of the park because I'm feeling like I need to spit up again...good thing about NYC is it is very easy to discreetly throw up on the street. Once again I just spit up -- this time it is all saliva -- a decent amount of it but saliva nothing solid (how can there be anything solid I have been on liquids since 5/18!!!). I am feeling queasy and decide I need to move around before I head down the stairs to the subway. I walk around talking on my cell -- I'm telling my BFF that if you don't like throwing up on the street WLS may not be for you.

Now I know you can't drink too many liquids all at once - broth, tea, water. I also know my mouth is bored but my stomach is not ready for cuisine -- it wants everything very simple. Most important thing I realize is I have to order food for the me that is in the restaurant NOW not the me that was there nearly two months ago. My eyes, nose, mouth, brain all want food...delicious, savory, tasty food. My stomach is only 13 days from being chopped in quarters and 3/4 removed. That sleeve is a very little space and probably even smaller because it it still swollen. Remember how you used to describe being full as "I am stuff up to my eyeballs". This is how the sleeve works. There is a FINITE amount of space and once it is filled the food will just pile up oppressively sitting on my esophagus and do whatever is necessary to make room. I. E. spitting up. I got sick and survived. I even got sick on the street and survived. Right now and who knows for how long i can only eat a very little bit of food or drink some liquid. I can't do both if I'm drinking and not taking a sip.

I am not sure how I feel about eating like a baby bird. It is a very new experience. I hope I don't make myself sick every time I eat because that would really SUCK.

[ybnormal 21]

Last night I wouldn't have understood this post. Tonight, after consuming 1/4 of a scrambled egg and "spitting up" saliva / foam, I totally get where you're coming from. You just can't swallow it back down, there's no room and it just keeps coming up. Very gross and very frustrating at the same time. I'm glad I was home when this happened and I totally feel for ya being stuck on a subway...UGH! Hope you're feeling better tonight!

xoxo Renee`

[Valentina 2,642]

--and I thought I was being brave when I had a few spoonfuls of eggdrop Soup last night... I hope I will learn from your experience and not have to go through that myself! Be careful, my friend. I need you. You are my morale booster!!!

Keep in touch,

Valentina