Dry Heaves

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

Hi all! I'm new here, and posting on behalf of my wife (Sorry for the long post) She had the sleeve procedure done about 2 weeks ago and up until this past Monday things were going pretty smooth. She went back to see her primary care physician for the first time Monday and that went well and he gave her a flu shot. He also told her to continue taking her two blood pressure pills, so when she came home from the Dr's she did and her blood pressure dropped kinda low, I think the lowest was 91/66, which for her is low compared to normal. She felt super weak and lightheaded the rest of the evening. Her BP slowly went back up before bed and when she got up the next morning she was real nauseous and started dry heaving. She stayed home from work and stayed in bed all day dry heaving every 3 hours or so, she's still on liquids for the most part and not actually throwing anything up, even after she's had something to drink. She had some nausea meds she was taking, but that didn't help any, they called in a dissolvable one and it didn't really help either. She called her surgeon up and they said that as long as she wasn't actually throwing up anything she shouldn't be concerned, it's just part of the processes and to keep drinking Water as much as she can.

On Wednesday she went for her first check up and they said that due to the rapid weight loss ketones build up and can cause nausea and dry heaves and can make you real sensitive to sweets and other things and that you need to kinda flush them out by drinking as much Water as you can. They did an X-ray and GI tract type thing just to make sure everything was looking ok and they said everything looked fine and the liquid they had her drink during the procedure went down perfectly fine, but they did notice some very slight re-flux, but it was nothing to worry about. They gave her another Rx for nausea, but it was for the phenergan she already had. So that's kinda where we're at right now. Over the last few days the dry heaves haven't been as bad, but they're still there and she's getting very discouraged by it and questioning if the surgery was worth it. I've been trying to tell her that, from what I've read on this and other boards, that this is pretty common and just part of the healing process. A friend of hers at work knows someone who is a licensed Bariatric counselor or something and told her that everything thinks it's a easy way out and thinks in the end you'll be able to eat whatever you want only in small portions and that's not true and she should be on baby food consistency type foods for months and months and months. I told her that another that it's nice that she's another source of knowledge and advice, but that you can't take what she says as gospel because there's not really a standard for this. Every person on here is on a different kind of diet plan, just depends on what your doctor wants to do. Anyways, I'll wind this up. I guess I'm just looking for some thoughts and advice on the whole nausea and dry heaving thing. I'm trying to encourage her as much as I can, but it's easy to say "It's just part of the healing process, it'll get better" when you aren't the one in the situation :/ Thanks for your time!

[mcwestfam 123]

I'm so sorry she is going thru this! It will get better. My first thought is do they have her on anything for acid (ppi). Prilosec etc?

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

Hi! They don't, and they said the reflux they saw was minimal, we didn't bother asking and they didn't mention it. That being said we've seen so many people on here that are on Prilosec so she bought some and took a pill last night, it says it can take a few days to "kick in" so we're still waiting to see how that turns out. Her nausea seems to be the worse in the mornings. The Dr said that it's probably due to ketones building up through out the night and by not being able to drink at night and that she should have a ton of Water in the morning to kinda flush them out. It's easier said than done though ya know?

[mcwestfam 123]

It sounds to me it might be due to the acid building up over night and nothing being in there to absorb or flush it out. Hopefully the Prilosec will help. And just keep pushing fluids as not to get dehydrated. And really keep an eye on that blood pressure. Low bp can cause lots if weird symptoms!

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

Hopefully the Prilosec will help. Yea she stopped taking the BP meds after that day and her BP readings have been ok.

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

I had severe dry heaves and naseau through out the day in the beginning and mine was not enough Water.

I switched to decaffienated tea and was able to get that down better than water through out the day. Also I kept water by my bed and woke up and drank some through out the night.

I didn't think this would work, it seemed so weird but it did and I was so relieved.

It is hard but it is the healing period. You are right to comfort her and remind her that the difficult part is temporary. She will need to really take care of herself and let her body heal.

She is in my thoughts.

I hope she gets some relief.

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

Thanks for the info & the tea tip! I'll let her know about that. She probably wont like this, but I'll suggest that she set her alarm for 2am or something so she can get some fluids through her so maybe it wont be as bad when she wakes up at 5 or 6 for work.

I had severe dry heaves and naseau through out the day in the beginning and mine was not enough Water.

I switched to decaffienated tea and was able to get that down better than Water through out the day. Also I kept water by my bed and woke up and drank some through out the night.

I didn't think this would work, it seemed so weird but it did and I was so relieved.

It is hard but it is the healing period. You are right to comfort her and remind her that the difficult part is temporary. She will need to really take care of herself and let her body heal.

She is in my thoughts.

I hope she gets some relief.

[gottaloozit 27]

Okay,

(#1) I haven't been sleeved, so what I am going to say is not from experience.

(#2) I'm not a doctor or a nurse either, nor am I a nutritionist.

BUUUTT........ If it is possible that her dry heaves are coming from ketosis, and ketosis is a result of fat being metabolized, it would seem to me that eating / drinking something that would back her off of being in ketosis would help.

When I have dieted in the past I would have to deprived myself of enough calories in order to force my body to use fat for fuel, and then my body would enter ketosis (byproduct of fat metabolism). I would come out of ketosis by cheating and eating something with enough calories to allow my body to use the extra calories from the food I injested for fuel instead of making it use fat.

SOOOO, maybe she should have some kind of food / drink that is high calorie or highER in calories to give her body a rest from metabolizing fat and causing ketosis, thereby relieving the dry heaves.

First thing I am thinking of is a spoonful of ice cream, or anything that is small quantity but high in calories. Maybe too early for her to eat that, but sure sounds good.....

Just a thought - not saying I have ANY documented basis for it, but it might help.

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

That sounds pretty reasonable actually, I'll run that by her, she is on a strict diet though so I don't know if it will fly, but it makes sense. She was on a clear liquid only diet the first 10 days, right now she's allowed very soft foods for the next month or so. She's supposed to watch the calorie and sugar intake also.

Okay,

(#1) I haven't been sleeved, so what I am going to say is not from experience.

(#2) I'm not a doctor or a nurse either, nor am I a nutritionist.

BUUUTT........ If it is possible that her dry heaves are coming from ketosis, and ketosis is a result of fat being metabolized, it would seem to me that eating / drinking something that would back her off of being in ketosis would help.

When I have dieted in the past I would have to deprived myself of enough calories in order to force my body to use fat for fuel, and then my body would enter ketosis (byproduct of fat metabolism). I would come out of ketosis by cheating and eating something with enough calories to allow my body to use the extra calories from the food I injested for fuel instead of making it use fat.

SOOOO, maybe she should have some kind of food / drink that is high calorie or highER in calories to give her body a rest from metabolizing fat and causing ketosis, thereby relieving the dry heaves.

First thing I am thinking of is a spoonful of ice cream, or anything that is small quantity but high in calories. Maybe too early for her to eat that, but sure sounds good.....

Just a thought - not saying I have ANY documented basis for it, but it might help.

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

Just an FYI- sugar intake makes me feel horrible, I start to sweat like I'm in the desert and then my stomache cramps really tight like intestinal spasms. I've read other sleevers who have this reaction now to sugar so just wanted to give a heads up.

Also when I say sugar I don't mean a small amount, I mean like when I tried a SIP of milk shake or Apple juice etc.

I can do small amounts that are in say G2 gatorade or Greek yogurt etc.

So if that happens just know its the sugar.

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

Thanks for the heads up. Yea we've seen a few people say the same thing. I don't think she's had much sugar of anything really. Gatorade G2 is probably it. Everything else has been sugar free or unsweetened.

Just an FYI- sugar intake makes me feel horrible, I start to sweat like I'm in the desert and then my stomache cramps really tight like intestinal spasms. I've read other sleevers who have this reaction now to sugar so just wanted to give a heads up.

Also when I say sugar I don't mean a small amount, I mean like when I tried a SIP of milk shake or Apple juice etc.

I can do small amounts that are in say G2 gatorade or Greek yogurt etc.

So if that happens just know its the sugar.

[kristikay 60]

Wow, just wanted to say you have a very lucky wife to have such a supportive husband.

[DeadPlasmaCell 2]

Hah, Thanks. I'm trying my best. This is something she's wanted and frankly needed for a while. Her insurance didn't cover it the last few years and we only a few months ago did we realize that they covered it this year. Her company switched insurance plans again on Oct 1st and the new plans do not cover it and luckily everything went smoothly and she was able to get the surgery done 2 weeks before the new insurance took effect and she had already met her out of pocket deductibles for the year so it didn't cost her anything. This is a fantastic opportunity for her and I'm very glad she's able to take advantage of it. I'm big myself, but don't have insurance, it's just too much extra to add me to her insurance, so I'm trying to watch what I eat and work out on my own along side her so we can do this together in a way.

Wow, just wanted to say you have a very lucky wife to have such a supportive husband.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

Please don't have the ice cream, very bad idea. Try different liquids my first 8 days I had diluted, unsweetened apple juice and it was delicious, I felt it really settled my stomach as it wasn't just plain Water. This was Dr recommended on my diet plan.

[xlr8ahead 40]

Gatorade is good for your energy.it was th only thing that kept me going .for th past two weeks.