Pressure in the chest

[Sally85 1]

I am 2 weeks post op and for the last two days have been feeling a heavy pressure in my chest 20-30 minutes after I finish a meal. It feels like I need to get a gigantic burp out. Is this gas pain? am I eating too fast or too much? Any help or relief tips would be appreciated.

[Djmohr 6,965]

Yes, yes yes. You are likely eating too fast, not chewing well enough and may even be over full.

Burps hurt like heck. I just had it happen tonight and I could not finish my dinner which means I am short on Protein.

[Sally85 1]

Thanks so much.

[Cervidae 2,389]

if you have a strong "need to burp" feeling but don't actually burp, it may be acid reflux. Does it feel like something is stuck just past your throat and is trying to get out?

[Sally85 1]

Yes that is exactly what it feels

Like

[Cervidae 2,389]

talk to your doctor about it, because if it is acid reflux (that's EXACTLY how it feels to me) it's pretty easily medicated, and when I went on meds eating and drinking became much easier. Hope you feel better!

[ForeverHealthy 22]

Isn't reflux supposed to go away with the RNY?

[Sally85 1]

I spoke with my doctor and looked over my food journal. It was the chicken, at 2-3 weeks out it is still too hard for me to digest.

[papoose 48]

I put all my meats in the crockpot and cook for 8 hours. Meats end of very soft. Make sure you add liquids to it. And I don't heat up leftovers in the microwave. I steam it wit liquids on the stove.

[SHOTzY* 114]

I'm lucky I found this thread!! As I write this, I'm having what I describe as cramping and maybe (???) some pressure right under my breast bone. It cramps for a few seconds, then edges down. It started while I was eating. I stopped eating and just sat up for a short period, just thinking. Of course, the more I thought, the more I scared myself to death!! So I thought id write in here and see if anyone had any ideas. I was eating some thin sliced deli turkey and a slice of Swiss cheese. I've eaten the same turkey several times since being allowed to proceed to limited soft Proteins. I've had cheese, too. But I'm wondering if the texture or the hardness of the Swiss was to hard to pass through? Or is it just my pouch? I realized-too late-that the Swiss was a very different texture and firmer than the cheese I had eaten thus far. Thanks for any help!

[DDN 58]

@*SHOTzY* I experienced something similar right after leaving the hospital, well before I tried soft foods. While in the hospital, I was encouraged to stay an extra day because the nurse noticed an "Arrhythmia" on the heart monitor while I was sleeping, which meant my heartbeat was irregular. When this shows up, it doesn't necessarily mean your heart is beating too fast or too slow. It just means it's out of its normal rhythm. It may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat, is "fluttering," or is beating too fast.

Arrhythmias can be an emergency, or they may be harmless. In my case, the surgeon determined that it was a part of the healing process after heart surgery. I wasn't feeling anything while in the hospital, but when I called and spoke with them about it, he suggested that it might be trapped gas or it could be the Arrhythmia. It hasn't happened anymore, but I'm scheduled to see my PCP on Monday and he will do a complete 21-day post-op work-up…I'm grateful that he's associated with the hospital where I had surgery and can pull my records with a simple click of a computer keystroke. I would suggest at least giving your surgeon's office a call…you want to be sure that the feeling is not associated with anything major.

I experienced a nagging feeling in the middle of my chest for the first time last night. However, it wasn't right after I thoroughly chewed and swallowed the dark meat chicken, but I feel it now and it's a tad bit irritating even when swallowing Water. I'm going to head back over to Clear liquids and pureed foods until Monday. I purchased several bottles of papaya enzymes for home, office, briefcase, and my car, which has been known to encourage proper nutrient absorption and aids in the digestion of Proteins, carbohydrates and fats—I will take it according to the instructions on the bottle in hopes of getting some relief.

As always, I wish you the best of health.

Edited February 25, 2016 by DDN