Chronic Nausea with solids

[Discocactus 0]

4 months out and still naseous eating solids. Vegetable Soup out of a can is fine. Fats and oils bad. Sometimes the thought of food is enough. cheese is bad. Smoked salmon is bad. Even averse to dry crackers now. My surgeon says it's not gastroparesis (paralysis) due to vagus nerve damage.

My theory: If they feed rats a new food and then make them ill with radiation, they develop a food aversion. In people eating something and then getting stomach flu makes them averse to the food. Cancer patients on chemo develop food aversions. So:

What happens when you do major surgery on the stomach: you make us very ill so it's not surprising we develop food aversions.

The scientists say this happens at a deep level. It's not rational. Like when they want coyotes to stop eating sheep they put out poisoned lamb. The coyotes then stick to rabbit and when they see a sheep they run the other way.

Trouble with gastrectomy is that people get a range of other problems and get nausea due to the surgery so it's hard to separate the causes.

Anyway, that's my explanation but I don't think I'll bother trying to convince any doctors 'cos they just look at you with that blank stare.

The thing about food aversions tho' is that they take a long time to change. Just ask parents of picky eaters! I hope this strikes a chord with others of us who are still nauseous long after the healing has finished.

[Roseib 13]

I know what you mean. I still can't eat thin sliced

deli turkey and chicken for that reason.

It was a long time before I could eat an egg too.

[ybnormal 21]

Have you had an upper G.I. done to see if there is a problem? I would make sure everything is ok!

I'm so sad to hear you're going through this

Renee`

[Discocactus 0]

Renee

Will have another scan Aug 16 but my surgeon is not hopeful although the scan showed a twist in the stomach. Thanks for your thoughts. I will post the results of the endoscopy if it is a help to others with long term nausea/learned food aversion (LFA) issues.

Bill

Have you had an upper G.I. done to see if there is a problem? I would make sure everything is ok!

I'm so sad to hear you're going through this

Renee`

[lsereno 2,525]

Hope you are feeling better soon! You should be able to enjoy small amounts of some foods.

Although I have a wide list of items I can eat without nausea, I know what you mean about food aversion. After a couple of bad early incidents, I no longer like steelhead trout or tuna. And I'm sick of ham and turkey lunchmeat and chicken unless it's doctored till it's not recognizable, like the yummy PF Changs chicken Lettuce Wrap I had for lunch today. I have always disliked eggs and since surgery I've developed lactose intolerance, so cottage cheese and dairy products other than hard cheese and yogurt are also off my list.

Lynda

[KellyL 173]

I'm so sorry yoou are having these probems. I've been very fortunate so far, no problems with nausea. Everything I have tried has gone down pretty good. I keep thinking fish sounds good, like my body is craving it, but when I prepare something I suddenly don't want it. It just doesn't sound good anymore. I can do tuna salad ok. My favorite pre and post op is chicken, and I am able to eat it just fine. As long as its not dry.

If you had a twist in ur sleeve, it would definitely cause issues, i hope they are able to repair that. I look forward to updates on how you're doing.

[Disney 20]

I have had only one or two bouts with nausea so far, but I sympathize. I also agree with the food aversion theory. Whenever I would go on Atkins, I could not stand to even smell ground beef cooking, let alone look at it or eat it. Blechhh...Same for eggs and cheese, etc. Because that was ALL I ate. I still can't drink apple juice because that is what they gave me to drink right after surgery and that was such a traumatic time for my new tummy and realizing I could barely swallow anything at all, that it makes me sick to even smell it now.

I hope things get better for you very soon

[Discocactus 0]

I have had only one or two bouts with nausea so far, but I sympathize. I also agree with the food aversion theory. Whenever I would go on Atkins, I could not stand to even smell ground beef cooking, let alone look at it or eat it. Blechhh...Same for eggs and cheese, etc. Because that was ALL I ate. I still can't drink apple juice because that is what they gave me to drink right after surgery and that was such a traumatic time for my new tummy and realizing I could barely swallow anything at all, that it makes me sick to even smell it now.

I hope things get better for you very soon

Just thought I would update for general edification.

Endoscopy has revealed no physical reason for nausea which seems to be continuing at 6 months out. Seems to be mainly fats and oils. Surgeon says it will improve and that aversion to fats is a good thing but it sure cuts down your food choices. Nevertheless white wine seems to suppress the nausea so all is not lost. However, I think, like the experiments on rats, chronic nausea will lead to continuing food aversions because that's the way aversions work.

I noticed a report that said some people with chronic reflux who are intolerant to fats release a hormone from the duodenum that induces the nausea so that might be the mechanism. That is, the operation has changed the hormonal balance. Looks like a diet of white wine, muesli bars, fresh fruit and vegetable Soup might be my lot for the forseeable.

[KellyL 173]

Are you on a PPI/Acid reducer? Your comment about acid reflux reminded me that I have seen others mention nausea if they weren't on a PPI. Did the twist resolve itself?

[meggspeggs 0]

What did they do about the twist in your stomach? I imagine that would be quite painful and also cause nausea.

[Discocactus 0]

meggspeggs and KatyL

The twist in the stomach was non-existent according to the surgeon when he did the endoscopy. He said the sleeve was perfect. Re anti-reflux, I have used the pills without success. Every so often I try something out, for example I tried fish n chips the other night. Had a small serving but it was a bad experience. Also had a very bad experience with sushi even tho' rice is supposed to be only problematic with a band. I don't understand why I tolerate muesli bars fairly well. Maybe the fat is not easily accessible. Anyway the surgeon doesn't have any bright ideas and I'm not sure he believed me in the beginning anyway.

What did they do about the twist in your stomach? I imagine that would be quite painful and also cause nausea.

[Shooter03 1]

I finally found someone in the same boat as me. I'm exactly 4 months out and sometimes just the thought of food makes me nauseous.

I'm dropping multipul kg's in days cause I'm not eating and I'm feeling like crap cause I'm not eating.

I can can get some liquids in fairly easy but others I have no luck with. I don't know what to do, my surgeon wasn't too worried about it and my gp is still new to sleeve stuff. Have you found out anything?

[gwbicster 257]

I went through a phase of this. Thank God (knock on wood) it seems to be subsiding a bit.

My surgeon said that this is my sleeve sending me a "signal" since I don't get that full belly feeling I used to before surgery. He said as the swelling goes down it will go away, and it has!