Nausea from not eating soon enough? Dumping? Dry heaves? This is long and graphic...

Hey. I've been having a rough few days with nausea.

Mornings are the worst. I'm trying to get in a warm beverage to help ease some breakfast down, but lately, I just don't feel like eating, but end up with a hollow and empty type feeling in my stomach. Tuesday, I had no breakfast, lunch was a very small amount of deli ham. I got that hollow feeling again around 4, so I had a few small bites of cheese. When I got home that evening, I poured myself some diet cranberry juice ****tail and was about ready to have an egg for dinner, but the little bit of juice I did drink, came back and since there wasn't much in there, I had some pretty painful dry heaves.  

Wednesday seemed better. I got in some apply slices for breakfast after some hot tea. Lunch was about 3 bites of egg. I had a bite or two of cheese around 4. And dinner, well, I ate less than a quarter cup of low carb icecream with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. It stayed down and I did my sleeves version of dumping with a quick run to the restroom, but it seems pretty uneventful. HOWEVER, I worked on finishing up my fluids for the day and went to bed about 11. I'd forgotten to take my meds not related to WLS, so I took the first 2 pills with a little water, then the nausea hit. What I threw up it had a little white to it, which I assumed was where my stomach was breaking down my meds, then the rest was all clear or spit like and mostly dry heaves. My mouth continued to water and the dry heaves came on and off till almost 1. I got the shakes from heaving nothing. My body hurt and my chest and throat felt like someone had just left a brick laying in there. 

I called my mom when my chest started hurting, but she thought the act of throwing up and the dry heaves had just put a lot of pressure on my body and that the chest pains were due to that. 

Anyone else have episodes like this? I've had more issues with the nausea and throwing up in the past few weeks than I have since I had my surgery on March 31. I'm 8 weeks post op...

Any thoughts? THanks in advance.

Could you be constipated? When I was having trouble with nausea my doc asked about my stools because severe constipation can have this symptom.

I think you should call your doc, but in the meantime my PCP suggested Emetrol, Flat Ginger Ale, and Ginger Tea to control the nausea with over the counter options. She also suggested I use full sugar soda because sugar is a natural soother for your stomach... doesnt that figure?

Hope you get to feeling better soon. That sucks.

Email your NUT and your doctor. They'll be helpful.

Myself, once I throw up, my tummy is very tender for several days. I try to go back to soft, chewable proteins (tuna with a little mayo, cottage cheese, etc).

Good luck, Lois

Soft food is a great suggestion. Thanks!!

Are you takin anything for acid reflux. This is what it sounds like to me. My daughter has acid reflux and if she skips meds, she gets nauseous and throws up, everything you described.

Thanks for all the input so far. I haven't had my acid reflux meds for quite some time. Can't keep meds down most days. I'll try again this afternoon.

Pretty sure constipation isn't the issue. I go once a day or more.

Putting in an email to my nut.

Thanks again, ya'll!

It sounds like you may have a few things going on, which can kick in at about the two-month mark after VSG, which is where you are right now.

A double-dose of over-the-counter Claritin at bedtime is worth a try in preventing the morning difficulties. Claritin works as a drying agent in the upper respiratory tract, which prevents mucus build-up in the stomach overnight. Mucus can be very nauseating first thing in the morning.

A few other things occur in the healing phase of VSG which patients may notice. The pressure in the sleeve is higher than the pressure in the stomach before surgery, which temporarily contributes to reflux and food intolerance. The staple line can also become irritated during the first two months, which can result in an upset stomach, if not an outright ulcer. The scarring from healing - with or without an ulcer - can sometimes result in an "hourglass stomach", which usually occurs later, but is not unheard of this soon after surgery. That is a problem that is fairly easy to assess.

 Dr Husted, thank you for your reply. I appreciate the information as well. Today has been better and not much nausea to speak of as of yet. 

Thanks again!!

dj

I think you are not getting enough nutrition,period. If you add up a couple of bites of egg,a couple of bites of cheese and 1/2 cup of ice cream,it is not very much. You are starving yourself,unintentionally,I know,but starving none the less.

You need to mak a dai;ly menu of what you are going to eat and EAT IT,whether you are hungry or not. You need to eat at least 3 PROTEIN meals if not more like 6.Set your cell phone to alarm every 2-3 hours and eat whAT IS ON YOUR PLAN.

yOUR BODY HAS TO HAVE PROTEIN TO RUN. muscles LIKE YOUR HEART,LUNGS,KIDNEYS ARE muscles! yOUR BODY WILL CANNIBALIZE ITSELF TO GET WHAT IT NEEDS.

You could also add a couple of protein drinks or protein pudding in for a while.
Good luck and keep us posted,
Holly

Holly, thanks so much for your reply. You've got great information and suggestions. The past few days have been really weird. I've been eating more than that and adhering to my surgeon and nut's eating plan, so this is rare. But I do agree I need the protein and nutrition. My surgeon has a strict vitamin regimen, but when I can't keep them down, they do little good.

I've got a call into him and hope to hear back tomorrow.

Thanks again...