Discomfort When Eating

[SweetPotato 142]

I totally get that. Sometimes we are doing something incorrectly, but don't notice it AND sometimes there is something physically wrong. It would be nice if it didn't automatically jump to us not following directions, but I also feel like there are soooooo many people out there that don't, either because they didn't understand the rules, misunderstood them, forgot, or didn't care for them, that it's hard for medical providers not to go there first.

I am not experiencing that feeling unless I don't chew my 30 times, but my experience isn't the only one. It sounds like you aren't alone in this and, even if you were, it causes you discomfort and should be addressed. I hope you get to talk about it at your follow up and together your surgeon and you can figure out what is causing this.

[Fame 53]

I am a little over 3 months out and 90% of the time I feel how you feel. 1 meal every now and then I feel very little restriction.. (love those!)

[LetItGo 73]

The only things I can eat where I don't feel restriction is club crackers, Jello and frozen yogurt. 2 out of 3 I probably shouldn't be eating!! I've lost 39 pounds in 8 weeks. I've got to find other things I can eat (chew and swallow) that go down without feeling stuck.

[LetItGo 73]

The only things I can eat where I don't feel restriction is club crackers, Jello and frozen yogurt. 2 out of 3 I probably shouldn't be eating!! I've lost 39 pounds in 8 weeks. I've got to find other things I can eat (chew and swallow) that go down without feeling stuck.

[cdsjjotn 516]

Wow I'm so glad I'm not alone. My daughter and I had our sleeve 6 weeks ago. She has no problem with food going down , me one the hand, everything gets stuck. I really try to eat slow and count 30 times but still gets stuck.. Good to know it eventually will get better

[IrishGermanRN 151]

What happens when it gets stuck? I had the band and if food got stuck I would have to slime or vomit. Every time.

Edited January 7, 2016 by IrishGermanRN

[rachelr28 3]

I'm just super uncomfortable and it feels like I wanna puke. Not slimy or anything.

[LetItGo 73]

It is just very uncomfortable, high up in your chest, like you've swallowed a brick. It takes about 2 hours or longer for it to subside. Plus, I have to take Zantac to stop the acid and sometimes Tums on top of that. I usually just get frustrated and go to bed so I don't have to deal with the pain. When I wake up the next day, I just start all over again.

[pta2007 3]

I would have to say that it probably took me 6-8 months to fully recover from my surgery. I still take antacids daily and can go 2 or three days without but then start to have symptoms return and need to go back to the daily antacids. I never had to take these prior to the surgery. I am extremely tight and can only eat about 1/3 cup of food at a time. I usually get one warning bite and if I go beyond that then I have those feelings as well. It takes a while to learn how to use your sleeve effectively and I may have been a quicker learner than most because I had the lapband for 7 years prior to having the gastric sleeve! I am significantly tighter now than I was with my band, but I no longer get stuck or have intolerable foods like I did with the band.

I hope that there is nothing seriously wrong with you and that you just need to learn how to live with your sleeve! best wishes.

[MariaFernanda 30]

i had my surgery more than 2 years ago...that used to happen to me a lot at the begining ....its probably what you are eating, try different

foods until you find something that does not make you feel that way...after a while that discomfort will go away...just keep chewing your food a lot and eat small bites....hope i this information helps you.

[mokt 58]

This has been very helpful for me at least. I have been consciously trying to slow down my eating as well as trying to really pay attention to what foods seem to make it worse. I have gone back to a little more of a softer diet and although I am still having issues it seems to be better.

Thank you for sharing your advice.

[MnDave 3]

Helpful info everyone. I wonder if Fluid intake may be a factor. Do I get this feeling because I am not drinking 64 oz per day?

Edited January 8, 2016 by MnDave

[WalkOnWaking 139]

But I feel like a lot of the time when you bring an issue to the doctor, it's something you're doing wrong right away.

I'm sorry to hear your surgeon is not a good partner in your success. Mine asks me to call his office and if after hours, he is paged. I have had to call him 2x since surgery and each time he called me back within 5 minutes.

I too had that feeling but only with some foods, specifically tuna or chicken. Moist is easier but no matter what I did, it felt stuck, like I swallowed a rock. It resolved after a few weeks for me. My surgeon's instructions were to go back to liquids for another week. Obviously if you are having this issue with Soup, that may not work for you.

[lwmatch 31]

I have been blessed with no swallowing problems. Even with double hernia surgery I have been fortunate about not much issues. Only had one issue with throwing up after I tried to chew some pecans up and body showed me who was boss.I was on Prilosec for about ten days and have quit taking it with excellent results. Good luck to each of you fighting your battles. I feel so much better losing the 27 pounds and would do the surgery again for sure.

[Mistie 201]

A few things.

My surgeon said take ONE bite and wait 10 minutes. Otherwise, we get a logjam, so to speak, up our esophagus, and it hurts! That one bite allows our tummy to slowly open up to food, it 'primes' it.

More moist food. Otherwise, it's like going down a Water slide with no water!

Finally, for me I've learned my tummy/esophagus has a timer. They do not like me trying to eat heavier food earlier in the day - they just do not go down. It's like it has to wake up. I think of it as it has been unused all night, so I have to gently get it use to food all over again every day.