My Experience So Far And Constantly Spitting Everyday

[Jellyfish 2]

Firstly, I had surgery 8 weeks ago. My highest weight was 338 last year November-ish. I weighed 333 before my 1 week pre-op liquid diet. I weighed 316 the day before surgery. I now weigh 273. I've lost 65 pounds. I'm expecting to hit the 260's in the next 4 days. I am expecting to lose 70 pounds in the next 7 days. I want to Celebrate this but it was such an unhappy unpleasant process to losing this weight.

Let me break it down:

Week 1 post op - I was sore but recovered very well. I was always exhausted and I slept a lot. I was on a 0 sugar liquid diet. Keep in mind I was also on a 1 week pre-op 0 sugar or low sugar liquid diet the week before.

Week 2 post- I was weak. I could barely walk around. I gave up on the 0 sugar or low sugar part of the diet. I did not care what my doctor's nutrition plan said. Gatorade was my savior! Powerade was my friend! 0 artificial sugar added apple juice diluted with Water got me through the week. On top of that, I was starving. I tried to eat a spoon full of tuna on Wednesday but I threw it up immediately. I thought about food a lot. Someone told me i need counselling cause it was "head hunger". I actually collapsed one morning when I got out of bed and fell into the wall. That's when I knew It was not head hunger. I couldn't leave the house. I wasn't fit to drive.

Weeks 3 - 4 - I began to eat which was amazing. I was on a soft food diet. I didn't eat everyday because i couldn't. I couldn't always hold food down. I vomited occasionally. However, I was happy I could eat at all. It had been 3 weeks without food. Yogurt was like a blessing. Still I didn't eat daily and mostly drank cranberry juice and orange juice all the time with chew-able multi-Vitamins. I began throwing up pills. I think inflammation was making it hard for me to swallow anything solid. My throat was very inflamed so i switched to chewables.

Week 5 - Horrible. I was stronger thanks to the juice. My wounds were healed but I threw up fairly often wether I had eaten or not. I began spitting up mucus. I had Nausea all the time. I developed severe Acid reflux. I took chew-able tums. Itwas trying really hard to not let it interfere with my life and relationship but I had to stay home alot. I really wanted to be working out but i wasn't well. I found temporary relief in slushies and slurpees and began having one everyday from juice shops, cafes or 711. Some days I had 2. They just went down so easy and the ice particles felt amazing against my throat. Much of the inflammation went away. I was eating pho Soup and thin slices of meat in the beginning of the week but by the end of it, Slushies were my only thing. Food, just brought on too much acid reflux.

Week 6 - to now (week 8) - The acid reflux intensified to the point where I needed something better than tums. It was horrible in week 6. I started taking Zantac. Slushies and ice slushed drinks are still the only thing that go down easy. Most juices are intolerable because they are too acidic. By the end of week 7, the acid reflux calmed alot and I just had occasional heart burn. I take less Zantac pills now. . I either spit up or vomit up mucus almost every day for the last 2 weeks. Decongestant pills work for a day or two but makes me throw up horribly soon after taking it. I was throwing up bile. I started using therflu drink. It was working but now the taste is intolerable. Last time, i even threw that up. So I'm avoiding medication. I spit up everyday, all day, throughout the day. I keep a bottle in the car to spit in. I sometimes throw up mucus while driving. I felt strong enough to exercise so last week I went to the gym and jogging outside a couple times. I wanted to do more but then spitting up mucus became constant. I had to spit every few minutes. I had to stop jogging or walking sometimes to throw up. I spit when i'm out with friends. It happens even when I don't eat. I'm spitting into a bottle as I type this.

It will go away eventually and it isn't getting any worse than it is but it is definitely a burden. It doesn't hurt but It's gross. I usually eat once a day but not everyday. I didn't eat anything yesterday. The spitting makes eating too tedious. I ate alot on Sunday though. I ate like 6 or 7 bites of food that whole day because i was vacationing but i still spent the day spitting. Now, 2 days later i'm still full and haven't eaten anything. I drink milk, slushies and Vitamins. Surprisingly, I lost 5 pounds in the last 2 days. The eating may have actually boosted my metabolism. Makes sense given how little I eat.

Is there anyone with this spitting problem? Is their a temporary solution? I've lost weight but in a very crappy way. I've been unwell most of the last 6 weeks. It's affected everything. My relationship, my social life and my career moves have mostly been on pause. I believe that this is just a temporary problem and that the body will recover from it eventually. I just wish i had a temporary solution for this one. In any case, I plan on working out this week. I really expect to lose alot of weight by the Friday of next week. Atleast 10 pounds is my goal but we'll see .

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

CONGRATS! Welcome!

[readyforachange 51]

What has your doctor said about all of this?

[Blake Anderson 1]

Jellyfish, search this forum for spitting dehydration I think you'll find your dehydarted. This can become serious so please keep hydrated.

Good luck and great job!

[Wheetsin 714]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but either you or your doctor are being really, really... ridiculous. I don't mean that as an insult, I'm just not good at sugar coating things. Either you were not given proper information, or for some reason you are opting to ignore it. From what you've said, I'm guessing it's a combination of the two. Considering that, nothing about what you're saying is a surprise. It sounds like exactly what someone might expect to experience in thise same circumstances.

Please provide some more information so that you can be steered in the proper direction:

1. What did your surgeon say when you told him/her this?

2. Were you given any post-op eating instructions other than carb free liquids? Or are you choosing to ignore them? You should have received a graduated meal plan that slowly introduced food items over a period of several weeks. Two weeks out your focus should not be on zero calorie drinks. When were you told to introduce Protein drinks? What about full liquids like cream of X Soups?

3. meats such as plain tuna are generally not part of an approved diet 2 weeks in. You should be working through pure liquids to full liquids to babyfood/pureed to soft solids. Soft solids is when something like a really moist tuna salad might be tolerated. Just tuna, 2 weeks out... does your literature say that's ok??

4. Are you not on a PPI? If not, call your surgeon. You need to be.

5. Acidic juices?? Just say no. Most plans even have relatively harmless beverages drink like tea on the no-no list for sometimes upwards of 6 months, just because the acids & tanins can irritate your stomach. You should not be touching citrus or acidic juices with a 10 foot pole.

When you say that you're spitting up or vomiting mucus, I'm guessing that you're actually brining up "slime" -- the thick, pre-emesis saliva our bodies create. Does it have an egg white consistency? If you're spitting it up multiple times a day, throughout the day, I'm guessing something has happened to where you cannot pass your own saliva, and what you're bringing back up is, effectively, your swallows that you can't swallow. A few things come to mind that could cause this, and none of hem are likely to easily resolve on their own. You really need to call your surgeon, like, 6 weeks ago.

How much Fluid are you getting in & keeping down each day?

[Shoppingbeemom 31]

About the slime...Do you have allergies? If you do, you may want to switch to a nasal spray like flonaise. The 'snot' can make a sleeve fill up and irritate it so that you throw up. Latter you may be able to switch back to pills. Best wishes

[Jellyfish 2]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but either you or your doctor are being really, really... ridiculous. I don't mean that as an insult, I'm just not good at sugar coating things. Either you were not given proper information, or for some reason you are opting to ignore it. From what you've said, I'm guessing it's a combination of the two. Considering that, nothing about what you're saying is a surprise. It sounds like exactly what someone might expect to experience in thise same circumstances.

Please provide some more information so that you can be steered in the proper direction:

1. What did your surgeon say when you told him/her this?

2. Were you given any post-op eating instructions other than carb free liquids? Or are you choosing to ignore them? You should have received a graduated meal plan that slowly introduced food items over a period of several weeks. Two weeks out your focus should not be on zero calorie drinks. When were you told to introduce Protein drinks? What about full liquids like cream of X Soups?

3. meats such as plain tuna are generally not part of an approved diet 2 weeks in. You should be working through pure liquids to full liquids to babyfood/pureed to soft solids. Soft solids is when something like a really moist tuna salad might be tolerated. Just tuna, 2 weeks out... does your literature say that's ok??

4. Are you not on a PPI? If not, call your surgeon. You need to be.

5. Acidic juices?? Just say no. Most plans even have relatively harmless beverages drink like tea on the no-no list for sometimes upwards of 6 months, just because the acids & tanins can irritate your stomach. You should not be touching citrus or acidic juices with a 10 foot pole.

When you say that you're spitting up or vomiting mucus, I'm guessing that you're actually brining up "slime" -- the thick, pre-emesis saliva our bodies create. Does it have an egg white consistency? If you're spitting it up multiple times a day, throughout the day, I'm guessing something has happened to where you cannot pass your own saliva, and what you're bringing back up is, effectively, your swallows that you can't swallow. A few things come to mind that could cause this, and none of hem are likely to easily resolve on their own. You really need to call your surgeon, like, 6 weeks ago.

How much Fluid are you getting in & keeping down each day?

Oh boy. Here we go.

1. I haven't spoken to my surgeon. I intended to go to the doctor until next week.

2. No I wasn't suppose to have tuna until week 3. I was just really hungry in the middle of week 2.

3. I have no idea what PPI is?

4. I think I said this in my post. I stay away from juices because they are usually too acidic.

It's usually spit. Occasionally its mucus or "slime" or whatever.

I don't keep along of how much I drink but I'm drinking a slushy right now. Well actually its more crushed ice and a small amount of very watered down juice and a bottle of Water. I keep a bottle of Water with me cause i am not a fan of sweet things. Given that my diet is mostly liquid, its odd to think i'm dehydrated but now that I think about it, I don't drink a lot. I guess I should drink more. I have no problem holding down fluids.

[Jellyfish 2]

About the slime...Do you have allergies? If you do, you may want to switch to a nasal spray like flonaise. The 'snot' can make a sleeve fill up and irritate it so that you throw up. Latter you may be able to switch back to pills. Best wishes

Thanks. I don't have any allergies. I never tried a nasal spray because my nose isn't congested and I didn't know if that would work on chest. Decongestants do in fact work though. I'll probably force down some theraflu later but as someone said above, I actually might be dehydrated. I don't consume alot on a day to day basis. It didn't occur to me until someone pointed it out because I don't feel dehydrated. I feel normal and I drink but I'm looking at my drinks and I actually don't finish alot of my drinks. I usually never finish a bottle of Water. I generally sip on it slowly all day. So i'll try drinking alot more today.

[Jellyfish 2]

Jellyfish, search this forum for spitting dehydration I think you'll find your dehydarted. This can become serious so please keep hydrated.

Good luck and great job!

Thanks. I'll try to hydrate more. Unfortunately, searching that term in the search engine forums content only brings up your comment in my blog.

[SpaceyCasey 97]

My week 5 sounds exactly like yours did I'm six weeks now I got on a PPI which is an acid reducer and I'm no longer throwing up slim. Get a stronger PPI then tums and hopefully that helps it helped me.

[Blake Anderson 1]

Hey Jellyfish try this link if it works you'll see your thread on top and others who had the same issues in the past, hopefully you'll find more helpfull information in those posts.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

[Blake Anderson 1]

Jellyfish I just tried the link and it didn't work but if you put spitting dehydration in the search field then click on the grey box next to it that reads This topic a down box will open select Forums and search.

Hope this helps,

Edited March 14, 2012 by Blake Anderson

[Jellyfish 2]

I was told by the patient liason that the spitting is normal and not to worry about it because it hasn't yet been two months since I had the surgery. As of today, I'm 1.6 pounds away from 70 lbs lost. I'm not content so I'm calling back today to see if there is any kind of medication to help.

[Babeluvgrl 0]

Jellyfish please share your current status. I'm actually suffering from this exact same thing. Exactly what you went thru. Please tell me how you got thru it.