When food gets stuck ...

Hi everyone! I have a question for you ... what exactly does it feel like when food gets "stuck" in your stomach? A little background ... Sunday I was sick all day with the flu. Dry heaves, diarrhea, temperature, etc. I only ate 3 saltines and a couple bites of soup all day. Didn't get all my water in either but I tried. So, fast forward to this morning. I woke up feeling a bit crummy still but better. So I ate a piece of toast with a little peanut butter on it. About half an hour later, my chest felt like it was going to explode. I seriously was panicking because I have never experienced such terrible pain in my life! I didn't know if I was having a heart attack or what! And no matter what I did, it wouldn't feel better. I tried laying down, sitting up, walking around, etc. and nothing made a difference. It hurt BAD! My husband called my surgeon and he didn't know if it was partly because of the flu bug or what. So we went down to Urgent Care and started waiting the long wait. But then all the sudden I felt better (probably 2 hours after it first started). So, the only thing I could think was that maybe my toast got stuck? I've honestly never really had anything get stuck before. And as I got to thinking, if I only ate such a tiny bit on Sunday, did it make my pouch extra sensitive? Because toast wouldn't normally bother me. I ended up leaving Urgent Care because they said it would be another 3 hour wait. And since I was feeling fine, I felt stupid for being there. What do you guys think? Is that what it feels like to get something stuck??? You all are probably laughing at me now, huh?! I feel like such an idiot!!! Deanna

I have actually had that happen and for a couple days I felt like I had terrible heartburn even when I hadn't eaten. I downed tums.. did clear liquid but I just felt like my chest was gonna explode with pain. I threw up, dry heaved and in general thought I was gonna die. Than it just went away. It has happened to me a few times. My doc said I may have eaten to fast and didnt chew my food well enough. So yeah.. it may have got stuck in my pouch. I changed my behavior and i chew my food to death because I sure dont want to feel like that again. I havent had a problem since I started slowing down and chewing better.. I am terrible about eating to fast.

Hi Carla! Thanks for answering me so quickly! That sounds just like that happened to me. I even took a couple Tums thinking it might be really bad heartburn but it did nothing for me. My poor husband thought I was going to die! He was running around freaking out! I had no idea it could hurt so severely! Thanks! Deanna

yeah the tums didnt help me either.. I would try and lay down.. sit up.. i tried everything but standing on my head.. nothing worked. One time I didnt sleep the whole time.. i was sure I was having a heart attach or something. getting something stucks hurts like u know.. u've been there. glad it's over and you're feeling better..

Hi Deanna, I have gotten food stuck a few times and yes it is a horrible feeling. I get really bad chest pains and it also feels like I can feel the food sitting in my chest. It is usually from eating too fast or not chewing my food up well. I sometimes still get in a hurry and forget to chew, chew, chew. Another reason it happens is if I over eat. What I usually have to do is go in and make myself actually throw up, after I do that I usually feel fine. Please don't feel stupid because all of a sudden you felt fine or because you were not sure what was going on. I am sure this has happened to quite a few of us. I certainly hope you are feeling much better. Dawn

I've done the eat to much food thing too.. I am a bad girl i guess, but I have learned from my mistakes. I ended up throwing up the extra as well.. it does feel like you got a chunk of food in your chest just sitting there and it is a terrible thing. I did try throwing up on the stuck thing.. it didnt work for me.. it just finally stopped.. so i figured it pasted.. yeah.. one thing this surgery teaches you.. at least me.. dont over eat, dont eat fast and chew chew chew that food.. those are all bad habits i had that lead to my obesity.. I try to think about those things each and everytime I have a meal. I am sure it wont be the last time I mess up either.. this is gonna be a life long learning curve to stay with the program and eat appropriately

no no no Carla is a good girl her behaviors may be bad sometimes, it seems like semantics but it's important for us to remember that! We are inherently good people who sometimes react, say or do things that could be interpreted as bad .... if we say we are bad people we are saying that in our hearts we are bad or wrong etc etc. I was blessed because my mom was a therapist she helped get rid of ALOT of guilt for me. I sometimes make bad choices but in no way does that make me a bad person. ANDI

oh my lil sweet pea i'm sorry you were feeling so crummy, that's no fun at all! I hope you feel better soon. aNDI

Hey there Deanna! I don't know about "stuck" - but I get what you are talking about. Anytime I am sick and don't eat for a day - the first meal or two when I am feeling better do NOT go down well. I have to eat VERY VERY slow and chew the hell outof it - just like I am newly post-op. I have NO idea why. Maybe our little pouch just doesn't like to be empty for so long. Sorry - not much of an "answer" - just a "I hear ya" After surgery - I didn't eat for about a day and a half. I got nauseaus for about 2 days after that and could only eat a few bites at a time. Same thing anytime I have had the flu. Really jump starts the weight loss though - lol!

The very same thng happened to me two months after my surgery. As it happened right after eating I knew it was something "stuck" I called my doc, his office told me to mix some meat tenderizor in ho****er and drink it, this believe it or not did the trick. Tasted disgusting but it moved the chicken down. Thankfully it has never happened again but I'm keeping the meat tenderizor around just in case.