I feel sick and scared......

Well, I'm almost four weeks out. My first two weeks were clear liquids and that went ok. My second two weeks have been pureed foods. I was also told by my surgeon to drink 2 protein drinks a day. I usually start the day with a protein drink and use it to take my pills (Diovan, Lipitor, Toprol, Protonex, and Actigall). The last two days after I have finished the protein drink and the pills, I have felt really sick. I usually take an hour to drink the 4 oz. Of course the Actigall is a gigantic capsule and it the last two days it really feels like it is stuck in my throat. I take a little sip of water to try and wa**** down, and I have to run to the bathroom and feel like I have to vomit. I can't and the pain in my chest is awful... I end up throwing up nothing but a white foam. Then I can't drink or eat for about 3 hours or I get the nausea and terrible chest pain. Finally I am able to take some tea. I had some cottage cheese about 3 PM and that stayed in ok. I am now drinking some more tea. I have no appetite and the thought of food makes me nauseous. I don't think this is right. I feel like I am getting weaker and weaker and that my health is deteriorating. In four weeks I've never had a day with more than 350 calories. I'm getting worried that maybe I have a stricture. I am planning on calling my surgeon on Monday...I just wish I would feel a little better. Has anyone else felt this way? Hugs, Nancy

Hi Nancy. If it's any consolation, I too am feeling sick and very worried. I'm one month post-op and for the past two days I've been feeling just awful, unable to eat or drink hardly anything. I feel bloated and sick to my stomache, have dry heaves, am weak. It's horrible. I've heard that if you have a stricture, you throw up. I haven't actually thrown up but I feel like I want to all the time. It reminds me of when I was pregnant. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope someone on boards can offer us some good advice. I was going to call my doctor on Friday but felt stupid, like I was just being a big baby and complaining, so I didn't. Now I have to wait till Monday. I'm hoping whatever is going on will pass. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us. Merritt

Merritt!!! Call the Dr. immediatley. Gosh When i saw you Tuesday you looked great! I'm so sorry to hear you are having problems. I got a phone call on Friday from Joy. Did you meet her? She had surgery the same day as us too. She was right before me, you were right after me. She was crying on the phone to me, and said that she had so much pain, and Dr Suh was going to open her back up. She said she wasnt able to keep anything down either. Debra See my 1 month post op pics here. Woo Hoo!!!! http://www.picturetrail.com/pspingmom

Merritt, I'm so sorry that you are feeling sick too, but it sounds exactly how I am feeling. I feel bloated around my bellybutton and I feel like food sticks in my upper chest. If I think of food I am so nauseous - I have to make it without thinking about it and try to get some of it down. I am always uncomfortable and nauseous. I sip tea as much as I can - I can't drink water, it makes me want to throw up. I'm supposed to take my Actigall now, and I think I'll add it to applesauce, but I don't really know if I'll be able to eat it...especially with the medicine in it. I don't know what I would have done if I had to go back to work already. I still have two weeks before I'm supposed to go back - I hope we can get this resolved soon.... Keeping my fingers crossed for us too.... Nancy

Hey you two! I hope that you are feeling better. Those symptoms are not fun... I know, I had them myself. Actually, I believe that I did have a stricture, but it somehow resolved itself in the ER. If you have any doubt, page the dr and go to the ER. When I had my symptoms, I had a backache and pain right under my ribcage (and off to the left). Water would not pass through my pouch, and everything I ate for dinner (that would also not pass through my pouch) came up followed by a lot of dry heaving and frothing. It all ended with a huge case of diareah at the ER. Not fun, but at least I didn't have to have surgery. Another thing that may be causing your nausia is the protein drink. It may have too much surger for your body to handle. You can cut it down with some water... that should help things a bit. Also, try adding some protein powder (whey works well) to your drink for more calories and protein. As far as your pill, Nancy, I am surprised that your doc has you on a pill that says "Do not crush" that means it is time release. Time release meds do not work the right way in people who have had the RnY since so much of your digestive track is bypassed. I was on time released Effexor, but had to switch to the nasty normal Effexor. Yuck! I am so sorry that you are hurting. I hope that it passes and that you are feeling better soon!! (((Nancy and Merritt))) Beth

Hiyas Nancy... Sorry you're having such a hard time lately. I'd worry that your pills are too big if you feel they're getting stuck. Isn't there another way you can take the medication? I've done well since the surgery, but the past few days..seems I can barely eat at all...feeling that I will vomit after just a bite...and today...the worst gas pains in my belly...OMG... All I can think is..it has to get better..so I'm not letting it get me down... But for you, if the pills are a problem..talk to the doctor about an alternative way of taking the meds. Will keep my fingers crossed that you feel better soon. Linda

The symptoms you are describing sounds like the pill is getting stuck, this is what happened to me and when i made myself vomit i seen the peice of meat. I am not allowed to take any pills bigger than the end of my finger, so maybe it would be better to open the pill up and take it that way. Louise

Nancy, I had this problem. When I was leaving the hospital, the nurse quickly gave me an Actigall so I wouldn't have to worry about getting scripts filled immediately upon coming home. Big mistake! I got home from the hospital at 6pm and had my husband page the doctor at 10pm because it felt like i had a gigantic air bubble trapped in my esophagus. He told me to drink something hot. I chose chicken broth. It eased it up immediately. I ended spitting up some white foam. My surgeon called the following day to see how I was doing and my husband mentioned the foam. My surgeon says it's frothing, and the body makes that awful stuff to try to lubricate and pass something it's having trouble with. Only thing is, once you get that, unless you can break it up, it can cause a problem with everything else you try to swallow. irene

My surgeon makes you crush any/all pills for 6 weeks after surgery. Then I can only take stuff the size of an aspirin or smaller. Everything else must still be crushed. I got a pill crusher at Walgreens, and dissolve the stuff in a little bit of hot chicken broth then sip it down. The warmth helps my tummy to feel better. Jules

The pills I was taking had labels on them, 'do not crush', so I was out of luck. This morning I put the contents of the big old Actigall capsule in applesauce, and ate it down that way... no tummy ache and feeling much better today. Hopefully, that was the cause of my problems. Hugs, Nancy