Food stuck - suggestions?

[Daisee68 2,493]

So I must have eaten too fast again! I don't know where I went wrong. I set my timer to make sure my bites were at least 1 minute apart. I was only able to get 1/2 of a saltine, 1/3rd of a piece of thinly sliced turnkey (deli meat) and 1/4th of a 2% cheese stick. I REALLY don't want to vomit again like last night. It's been nearly an hour. Any suggestions / tricks how to make it go down? (lunch was pureed meat and it went down and stayed down fine. Maybe I am just not ready for real meat...)

[Djmohr 6,965]

I am surprised you are eating crackers so soon. I would not have been able to touch them until I was 10 weeks and even then crackers, bread and bread like products actually make me feel like my tummy is clogged, I don't dump but the wrong foods can make me miserable and once that happens, I am shot for the day. I get pain in my chest right below my breastbone when I eat or drink too fast.

Not sure if this is what is driving it but honestly it would be my best bet.

Are you able to get fluids in now? Or is that coming up? Fluids might help push it down.

[Daisee68 2,493]

Gotcha! It was on my approved list but I cannot say I will try it again anytime soon! I haven't tried any fluids yet because I was hoping it would settle. It seems much better now so I am going to try a shake. At least it didn't come back up this time!

[SkinnyDown 409]

Crackers are on my approved list too. Melba toast, wheat/whole grain crackers, and saltines. Allowed 2-3 crackers with tuna salad, chicken salad, as part of the soft diet. Whole wheat bread (toasted) is too, but I haven't tried any bread yet. I have had crackers with no issues. I chew them very slowly and take very tiny bites, but I haven't done it much, I would rather not tack on those extra carbs.

Again, that's the crazy difference of all these different Bariatric centers. I have no idea why they are so wildly different in what is ok and what is not.

Edited July 8, 2015 by carolm1965

[Djmohr 6,965]

Hopefully you are feeling better today!

[Daisee68 2,493]

Well better a little - had to get the food back out around 10:30 (4 hours after eating). It just wouldnt' really go down. Really exhausted today but sticking with liquids for the day as you suggested to give my stomach a break and tried warm tea for Breakfast to help with nausea. Didn't really help yet so I took a Zofran which did. Working from home again and hoping working from the couch / resting will help.

[nuzzlebear40 29]

I was allowed crackers at 4 weeks post op, and I haven't had any trouble with them at all. But I have had food get stuck, and it's not pleasant and I hate to throw up!! My NUT said to take papaya enzyme if food gets stuck, and it works very well, I use the nature maid version you just chew up these four very yummy little pills and shortly after the food moves on through!!!

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@nuzzlebear40 - Thanks for the tip! I was actually researching that online last night. I have a friend that used to use it for IBS. I am going to get some today.

[nuzzlebear40 29]

@@nuzzlebear40 - Thanks for the tip! I was actually researching that online last night. I have a friend that used to use it for IBS. I am going to get some today.

You are most welcome they also have this recipe in my post op book but I have not tried it since the papaya has worked so well, its as follows though: 1/2 teaspoon Adolph's unseasoned meat tenderizer, 1 teaspoon lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup of Water, Mix Well and Sip Slowly.

[ohjul 51]

A friend told me to keep a small can of soda w me so if something gets stuck- you take a sip of soda and it will come right up.

[BostonHopeful 6]

I'm revising from the band to bypass--and it is mostly due to the fact that almost everything I have eaten for 6 years gets stuck. Its a miserable feeling! But here are the tips I have learned along the way:

1.) I NEVER try to push food down with liquid. It literally will only bring the liquid up. I only drink when I am at my wits end and know that vomiting the food up is the only way to get relief, but it's a last resort.

2.) Get up and move. The sitting position does not help the food settle.

3.) After a "stuck" episode go onto shakes/liquids/yogurt for at least 12 hours to let everything heal. Your esophagus just had a traumatic events, and if it doesn't rest, it's likely to happen again the next time.

Hope that helps, and I sincerely hope it doesn't happen again!

[mmrennau 58]

I wonder if they are experimenting which bariatric centers have best results. Like some kind of study. Which would explain the huge differences.

[Brian88ss 59]

If I were to guess why one of the reasons the post op diets vary so much from bariatric center to bariatric center is probably due to the fact each has a different NUT and each try to utilize their nutrition differently. Since you come out of surgery on such a low calorie diet they way you get your nutrition is limited to only a hand full of options. It's like taking ten people to a grocery store and giving them each a hundred dollars to spend on groceries and tell them to make healthy choices and then check how each one spent their hundred dollars. It's really not that much different, you have a budget of calories, and with that each program spends that budget differently. Some programs make higher priorities on different nutrition than others and choose to more wisely spend their calories on certain things it's probably up to the NUT that came up with the guidelines that the program. Also worth mentioning that those guidelines are the ones that their program has seen results with so if it working why change it. There are a hundred different ways to get some where but they all lead to the same place. But rest assured they all wish you to achieved your goal that is one thing I definitely can say they all are saying the same thing on. Follow the rules and you will succeed. I say that if you believe in the program you're in stay the course and listen to what they recommend, because they are ultimately the ones you will have to go to if a serious issue comes up, and if they didn't recommend it they more than likely won't have research to know how it will effect their program and they would only be speculating at that point. I guess what I saying in a long winded round about way is if you trust your program follow it, because each program is different and you got to have faith in something this is a hard enough thing as is without making more variables for you and your team at the WLS Center.