Why am I SO HUNGRY!

[aahizzel 3]

Just had my VSG 06/30. I'm starting to be a bit skeptical because from everyone I read I'm not supposed to to have an appetite at all especially this fast. Right at 4 days post op I begin being hungry out of no where and can eat everything in sight if I don't control myself. This is the whole point of surgery right to not have these urges especially when I wasn't like this before. I will say it doesn't take but only a few bites to satisfy the hunger but I just wish it wasn't coming so frequently. I haven't felt like this since being pregnant. Is this normal this quickly? My sleeve hasn't even begun to stretch but at this point I'm afraid when it does it'll be as though I never had an operation in the first place. Help me please.

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@aahizzel

Are you taking a PPI to control your acid?

Are you mentally hungry or physically hungry? Do you know how to tell the difference?

Have you contacted your doctor office? Where did you have surgery? What is your post-op diet?

Edited July 9, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[aahizzel 3]

I don't have any acid reflux at all if that's what you mean I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take a supplement for stomach acid or something. I'd definitely say it's physically hungry. In the first few days I couldn't really eat anything and didn't have it at all. Now my stomach constantly growls and I have to constantly snack on a little something to keep from over eating. The nurse told me I wouldn't have an appetite at all in the beginning an that's the complete opposite. I'm in the puree stage with a heavy focus on Protein. It's hard to get enough in though because I have to force it down the consistency is so terrible to me. Yes I've contacted them they have a follow up scheduled. I knew something wasn't right when on the barium test I could get four HUGE gulps down with ease. That's a bit odd to me when I was told it's supposed to be barely tolerable. I just wanted to ensure I'm not crazy. This doesn't seem normal I just had baritric surgery a week ago and I could eat pretty much the same as before if I didn't police myself

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@aahizzel

Your body doesn't know that most of your stomach is gone so it still makes acid like it is making acid for a full size stomach. So most doctors give patients a PPI to lower the stomach acid created for the first 3-6 months to give your body time to adjust to the new stomach size.

Where is the stomach growling coming from? Above or below your rib cage? Most of the growling you hear post op is from your intestines trying to wake up after anesthesia. If you are still taking narcotic pain medicines, as soon as it starts wearing off before you take the next dose, your intestines are going to start waking up. That growling and pain can feel like hunger pains but it isn't. Are you still taking pain meds?

I took a sip of my barium test, then I swallowed the rest of it like a shot. Did you see your sleeve on screen? Did it seem to be the appropriate size? Swallowing liquids shouldn't hurt and should not trigger restriction. You don't feel the restriction of your new stomach until soft foods. Not everyone is in a lot of pain after surgery, and not everyone has issues eating. Different people heal differently.

Where did you have surgery?

Edited July 9, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[aahizzel 3]

I had it in Margate Florida Northwest Medical Center. I'll ask him about the PPI as soon as I speak with him. The only time I felt restriction is up until day four after that I can basically eat lightly and I'm fine. I feel the rumbling below my rib cage. I have to be honest I'm not getting in nearly enough Protein and liquids as I should and thought maybe that was my issue. But I still didn't expect to have this much of an appetite this fast. I actually try and do Protein shakes for the majority of it and Soups for my main course meals because I ran out of options with this stage already. I'll look into the PPI thing though definitely. I've stopped taking my pain meds an the hunger came full fledge even more since then. I was a heavy carb eater prior to surgery and now I don't have any at all I wondered if my bodies response was to make me feel famished. I don't know I'm freaking out thought because I don't want my sleeve to fail me. I specifically asked my Dr day of surgery not to make it to large I wanted it as small as possible and he assured me he was pretty aggressive in doing them. I'm hoping this is all in my head and gets better. It's just very very very alarming Every person I know that's had this not a single one of them could stomach food often in the first few weeks. I know everyone is different but come on. If I tell you I could eat a slice of pizza right now with no resistance that's odd and I just had surgery 06/30. A week ago. I'm happy I'm healing fast with no pain or nausea or acid reflux but I'm a bit discouraged. I was looking forward to no appetite. Not feeling like I'm starving morning noon and night. I was never hungry in the wee hours of the morning before now I wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I haven't eaten all day it's really frustrating.

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Most of that sounds like acid so ask for a PPI but you can just use an over the counter one like Prilosec of Nexium from the drug store right now and you should have some relief in 3 to 4 days.

Just because you can eat pizza doesn't mean you should try it.

you might want to have your sleeve size checked by another facility just to make sure.

[aahizzel 3]

I'm going to try the PPI as you said and I'll update. I'm definitely going to look into getting the size of it checked as well I never got a chance to see the X-ray myself. I'm definitely not eating anything of the sort pizza or otherwise. I can eat pretty much anything but I'm staying away from it all I did this for a reason and just because it may seem like its not working I'm not going to lose faith. I'm trying to to ask and read up on all my symptoms to ensure its not normal in this stage and from everyone I've spoken to aside from getting in more fluids the acid makes alot of since. I don't have acid reflux so I thought I was clear. Actually come to think of it he did prescribe me Famotidine is that supposed to be a PPI?

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@aahizzel

If you are actually just having Protein shakes and liquids, there kind of is no limit on those. I think that is what you are saying but I am not sure. They do not trigger your restriction, they slide right through your stomach. So just because you can drink endlessly, doesn't mean your surgery is a failure.

Famotidine is Pepcid, and yes that is for acid but it is not a PPI. Have you been taking it?

Edited July 9, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

@@aahizzel

Your body doesn't know that most of your stomach is gone so it still makes acid like it is making acid for a full size stomach. So most doctors give patients a PPI to lower the stomach acid created for the first 3-6 months to give your body time to adjust to the new stomach size.

Where is the stomach growling coming from? Above or below your rib cage? Most of the growling you hear post op is from your intestines trying to wake up after anesthesia. If you are still taking narcotic pain medicines, as soon as it starts wearing off before you take the next dose, your intestines are going to start waking up. That growling and pain can feel like hunger pains but it isn't. Are you still taking pain meds?

I took a sip of my barium test, then I swallowed the rest of it like a shot. Did you see your sleeve on screen? Did it seem to be the appropriate size? Swallowing liquids shouldn't hurt and should not trigger restriction. You don't feel the restriction of your new stomach until soft foods. Not everyone is in a lot of pain after surgery, and not everyone has issues eating. Different people heal differently.

Where did you have surgery?

I just want to second what Outside is saying here...I'm a very new newbie (surgery 6/21), but I forgot about my PPI for a few days (I'm blaming it on the Oxycontin) and definitely felt more stomach movement/gurgling/unhappiness. Now that I'm taking it correctly, I never feel anything from my stomach.

Come join us in Late June Sleeve Buddies thread...no vets there to give advice, but it's nice talking with others who are right where we are

[aahizzel 3]

Yes I take it every day. When I say no resistance. I can eat almonds, chicken not pureed, salad, each day I eat something new and each day I can do it without any issues. I started with just Soups. I couldn't take the hunger pains so I started eating heavier things. I'm sticking to LCHF but I don't have any problem eating and I'm having a tough time knowing when I'm full. It's only when I feel I'm about to burst I really know. Then about an hour later I'm hungry as if I never ate prior. So I'm going to check into the PPI and instead of doing mostly liquids for Protein I'll try more animal Protein and powder maybe. I definitely am interested in knowing how large or small my sleeve is. If I'm not satisfied I'm getting it revised right away. I want to nip it in the bud as soon as I can.

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[missblonde20 72]

I agree that you should try anti reflux medication. When I woke up from surgery I thought I was ravenous! I could hear crazy gurgling sounds, I felt gas pain in my chest, and I really thought I could have slammed down a litre of Water. Of course I couldn't! But it messed with my head. Then 24 hours I was waking up and felt the weirdest pangs that I thought were hunger - but then I felt the acidic stuff come up in my throat. I am now on the medication and haven't even thought of hunger and haven't felt any weird sensations.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@aahizzel

You really don't want to test your staple line like that. Please don't advance your food stages. If you think something is wrong, see a different doctor in the area. ASAP.

My plan didn't allow salad until 6 weeks and I didn't eat check for almost 2 months, because it is so dry and dense.

Please don't let your hunger put your life in danger.

Edited July 9, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[aahizzel 3]

I just found another forum on here and there are more people just like me. I guess everyone's surgery experience has been very different. Some say they aren't hungry at all

(I wish) and some say their hungry like never before. Of course I had to be the one that's hungry like never before. All say the same get in to see the surgeon ASAP. Thanks for all your advice. I'll ensure I watch my diet as well. Their pretty lose on what can be eaten it's kind of alarming. I'm going to get a second opinion ASAP

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[aahizzel 3]

@@aahizzel

Your body doesn't know that most of your stomach is gone so it still makes acid like it is making acid for a full size stomach. So most doctors give patients a PPI to lower the stomach acid created for the first 3-6 months to give your body time to adjust to the new stomach size.

Where is the stomach growling coming from? Above or below your rib cage? Most of the growling you hear post op is from your intestines trying to wake up after anesthesia. If you are still taking narcotic pain medicines, as soon as it starts wearing off before you take the next dose, your intestines are going to start waking up. That growling and pain can feel like hunger pains but it isn't. Are you still taking pain meds?

I took a sip of my barium test, then I swallowed the rest of it like a shot. Did you see your sleeve on screen? Did it seem to be the appropriate size? Swallowing liquids shouldn't hurt and should not trigger restriction. You don't feel the restriction of your new stomach until soft foods. Not everyone is in a lot of pain after surgery, and not everyone has issues eating. Different people heal differently.

Where did you have surgery?

I just want to second what Outside is saying here...I'm a very new newbie (surgery 6/21), but I forgot about my PPI for a few days (I'm blaming it on the Oxycontin) and definitely felt more stomach movement/gurgling/unhappiness. Now that I'm taking it correctly, I never feel anything from my stomach.

Come join us in Late June Sleeve Buddies thread...no vets there to give advice, but it's nice talking with others who are right where we are

Okay yes please where's the link lol

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[missblonde20 72]

Let us know how you get on! Would love to know what's going on.