Never hungry, but "empty" accompanied by nausea

[Hopscotch 57]

Hey guys, I'm just shy of two months post-op and I still never feel hunger. I feel what I've termed "empty". I get super nauseous and start to fight my gag reflex and watering eyes when my sleeve is empty. I've learned as soon as I feel empty I need to eat - if I wait I gag and I hate that feeling. "I feel empty" is a common sentence to my boyfriend, he thinks it's weird and it amuses him lol. Anyone else experience anything like this at all?

Edited June 23, 2015 by LadyRouge

[JamieLogical 8,727]

Are you on a PPI? This gagging thing really makes me think you might be suffering from acid reflux.

[Hopscotch 57]

Smf8386, yes I do, I drink almost a gallon a day of Water.

Jamie, I am. I'm on 20mg pepcid twice a day but I had GERD before surgery and I've never had this gagging thing. I notice when I do the gag thing it's an empty tummy, no acid issues.

[CatLu86 53]

This is exactly how I feel. Everyone said I wouldn't feel hungry, but I know when I need to eat And like you said, I feel empty. At first I was eating every 5-6 hours but since the 3 month or so mark I have started eating more like every 4 hours and that helps. Good to hear I'm not the only one.

[Itsanot99 3]

I too have that blah empty feeling and I am only 6 weeks out from sleeve surgery. I wondered if taking an antacid would help since if I eat a rolaids I feel better for a little bit then it comes back. Got a call into my doctor hope to get past this feeling, I don't like it at all!

[Hopscotch 57]

CatLu, yea I had to set an alarm every 3 hours at the recommendation of my nutritionist. It seems to be working I just forget sometimes because I'm a busy bachelor student in my last semester "ain't nobody got time to eat" lol that was my problem that started this journey, overweight because I wasn't eating enough and my metabolism was sluggish.

Itsanot99, it will probably help you hon, my surgeon prescribed pepcid twice a day for 3 months or so after surgery along with my Vitamin ADK. If I didn't have it, I'd be absolutely miserable as I had GERD before surgery and it's been exacerbated by the sleeve.

I'm so happy to know I'm not alone. Every time I post on here I seem to get advice but never anyone with the same experience, it made me feel like some alien who the sleeve surgery epic failed on lol

[JamieLogical 8,727]

2-3 hours is my requirement for eating. If I go 4+ hours then baaaad things happen. I get super "hangry". I don't even feel physically hungry usually, I just start getting mean. My husband and I were on vacation with my parents back in May. You know how it is on vacation. You are out and about and out of your routine, so you aren't necessarily eating on the same schedule as usual. My mom started carrying turkey snack sticks and peanuts in her purse and handing them to me when my hangry started to show. Sure enough, it was always right after I'd passed the 3 hour mark since the last time I ate. I didn't even really notice my shift in mood as much, but she noticed it right away.

[Hopscotch 57]

Haha I love that! Now that you mentioned it, I start to be a B word when I go a certain amount of time without food. My nutritionist actually recommended I graze, but in a responsible way. It's been working so far, but only if I remember. Otherwise the emptiness comes over me

[CatLu86 53]

I too have that blah empty feeling and I am only 6 weeks out from sleeve surgery. I wondered if taking an antacid would help since if I eat a rolaids I feel better for a little bit then it comes back. Got a call into my doctor hope to get past this feeling, I don't like it at all!

I did the antacid thing as well, it helps but then like you said it just comes back after a bit, Eating a little something (a couple bites of cheese, Pork rinds, lunch meat) got rid of the nausea (hunger) for good though... or at least a few hours.

I am over 4 months out now and it is just become routine, eat every 4 hours of so and i don't get an overwhelming feeling of being sick and i stay fueled up as well.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I am over 4 months out now and it is just become routine, eat every 4 hours of so and i don't get an overwhelming feeling of being sick and i stay fueled up as well.

Eating on a schedule definitely seems to be the best plan. I now eat 6 times a day: Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack. Doing that gives me enough structure to where I can avoid grazing, but also allows me to eat frequently enough to stave off hunger. When you eat every 2-3 hours, it easier to avoid eating out of boredom or head hunger too, because you've always either just eaten or will be eating again in an hour or so.