Spent yesterday afternoon at docs office... **PLEASE read and help me if you can!! (I'm...

PLEASE, if anybody out there can help me, I'm begging... For 3 weeks now, with the exception of just a few days of last Monday till Friday afternoon, I'm having awful nausea every time I eat anything!  I can eat something that didn't bother me a few weeks ago that does now.  I haven't physically journaled on paper because I'm eating so little and there's no rhyme or reason to this... because EVERY thing I put in my mouth makes me nauseated, be it food or liquids!!  I'm not eating things I've been told not to eat yet.  It has made me miserable most of the time.  Thank God I'm self-employed because there's no way I'd be able to be at a job right now. If I need to go somewhere or do something, I eat hours before so I have time to get through the hour long nausea routine by sitting still until it passes.  Before this, I was able to eat out but now I'm scared to do that for fear of getting sick in the car before we can get home.  I left home Monday morning headed to the Y to swim, and got about a mile down the road from my house and had to rush back home because if the nausea and that morning, AWFUL diarrhea.  (I don't usually have that but it lasted into the afternoon and I can't figure out where it all came from since there was so little in me to start with.)  I had eat some yogurt with some SF diced peaches in it that morning.   I literally sat in my chair for the rest of the day/night trying to stay as still as possible because that's the only thing that seems to help ease it.  I was wiped out for 3 days from that! Once the nausea spell is over (from about 30-60 minutes), I feel OK, just washed out/weak.  I haven't actually thrown up once.  I think I might feel better if I did. It's so bad I don't eat properly because I just plain tired of being sick, and I know as soon as I eat, I'm going to be nauseated, heart fluttering and hot flashing (dumping?)!  I cannot stand to be nauseated.  I'm having another stall because I'm not eating enough and my metabolism has halted, I'm sure.  Part of this is dehydration.  I have never in my life been a water drinker and that in itself makes me nauseated, but I sip as much as I can stand but honestly, I frequently just GAG drinking water.  I've mostly been sipping decaf tea just to get some fluids in me (even though folks keep telling me tea is a diuretic).  At least it is SOME fluid. I can't stand those little packets you put in water  anymore because they taste and smell like those protein drinks I tried to stomach early on, so they make me gag when I put in the water.  I used to just LOVE the punch flavored ones, but now that sweet smell does me in.  I've tried really hard to eat as much protein as I can because those drinks and shakes make me vomit.  I was liking and tolerating the Carnation Instant Breakfast drinks before these past 3 weeks have set in... even ordered boxes of the Vanilla and Variety packs online, but now since the milk issue has started, I can't drink those either.  At first sip, I'm projectile spitting that out! Yesterday I started sipping on Lite Grape Juice for a change of pace... and that's pretty good.  I used to like the Lite Minute Maid Lemonade, but now the lemon/citrus gives me an AWFUL stomach ache and sends me running to the bathroom and tears my stomach to pieces! I'm sure to some of you these sounds like a lot of excuses, but they are not.  I do not want to feel like this.  I'm doing the best I can but feel like nothing is working.  After 3 weeks now of nausea after every bite I eat, I'm so frustrated and exhausted because I don't know what else to do.

I called Dr. Mac's office Monday and talked to Bobbie and she said he is out all week. She wasn't sure what to tell me except to maybe go back on liquids for a while.  UGH! She said to call her by Wed. if I needed to come yesterday or today to see one of the other docs, but I didn't do that because I figured I'd just drive all the way to G'ville to hear them tell me what I already know.... to eat and drink more.  The thought of going back to liquids is enough to induce nausea since I'm not tolerating anything creamy or dairy, except occasional yogurt, so that would mean broths and jello and no creamy soups.  Before surgery, I was the milk queen, but have lost my tolerance for that and just threw out a 2nd half gallon of milk that went bad and I hadn't even broken the seal on either one of them.  My friends cannot believe I'm not drinking milk anymore because that was my pre-surgery favorite food! I KNEW I was becoming really dehydrated.   A couple of nights ago, I happened to be tuned into the "Big Medicine" show.  There was a girl on there who was having bad nausea after eating in the first few weeks (up to about 7-8 weeks) post surgery... just like I've been having. She told the doc it starts about 20-30 mins. after eating and she dry heaves.  I'm not doing that much (dry heaving), but close.  The doctor told her it was probably ketosis. So I immediately started researching online and read about ketosis and how dehydration can cause that.  So yesterday I called my girlfriend who works at my GP's office and she told me to come on up there and we'd test strip my pee for ketosis.  The gal in the lab said "Wow, you're dropping a LOT of ketones AND proteins too." Talked to the doc who said I needed hydrating but not sick enough to go into hospital (thank God) so I asked if they could give me fluids there in the office and they could, so I was there for a couple of hours getting almost 3 bags of them. I did feel better for a while, but when I got home, I had some clam chowder (I started craving while sitting there getting those cold fluids) and couple of crackers and as usual, here came the nausea!  I was really hoping that if I got re-hydrated that would help with the nausea and I'd be "caught up" again and could work harder to keep myself hydrated.   Again, I get up this morning and before my feet hit the floor or I have even had anything to eat or drink, I'm nauseated.  I need to get in the kitchen and have SOMETHING to drink and eat, but I sit here pure gagging at the very thought and can't think of anything to eat or drink that is appealing.  I've gotta do something since I have to get out and take daddy to a PT appointment AND pick up my 3yo nephew this afternoon and keep him tonight! I'm SO DAMN TIRED OF BEING NAUSEATED!   I'd rather be about anything that that.  I feel so wiped out and terrified to eat because I know what comes with eating.  I WANT to eat.  I LOVE to eat.  I'm a chef... food is my passion and fun.  But now, it's become dreadful.  I don't feel like doing anything.  I did make it over to the Y on Wed. AM to my swim group, but was still sto weak from the Monday episode, I was white as a ghost and the instructor and this old man in the group kept asking me "Are you OK?" Does anybody out there have any suggestions for me?  I did get an RX for liquid Zofran for the nausea from my doc yesterday, but I didn't fill it yet.  I can't live on that stuff all day!    Night before last, I got online and ordered ginger gum, ginger chews, ginger Altoids, ginger hard candy, SF Queasy Drops, and even some sort of $15 inhaler that supposedly stops nausea by sniffing on the thing.  I'm waiting for those boxes of stuff to get here in the next few days. I'm desperate for anything that will STOP the nausea.  Has anybody out there experienced such nausea?  If so, what did you do and how long did it last?  Any other ideas on what could be causing it and what I can to do fix it?  I'm about out of my mind from N.A.U.S.E.A. I'm open to all suggestions at this point... Please HELP ME!   and thanks!!!

(((((Wendy))))),

I'm sorry that I haven't had personal experience with the nausea that you are experiencing. Someone who had her surgery the same week I did at Duke was experiencing this and didn't go call or go see the Dr. When she came in for her 3 month checkup she had lost over 90 lbs, but of course looked awful. They were able to get her some medications, hydration, etc. to get things on track for her. So please call your Dr's office. You need to be seen. If he's not in, you need to be seen by an associate. I understand that you were given some IV fluids, but it may not have been enough. You may need to see about getting an Rx for phenergan to manage the nausea for a little while. Dehydration is nothing to mess around with. Consider making some chicken soup. It may well stay down.

Also consider cross posting your post to the main and the rny boards ... casting a big net, might allow you to "catch more fish."

I look forward to hearing that you are felling better soon.

((((Hugs)))),

Barb

 

I hate to hear you are having such a horrbile time...  Has your doctor mentioned Prosec ( SP ?  ) a pill to help your pouch settle, I had to use it for awhile , say a month after surgery.  Also Tums are wonderful to calm the belly. MILK --- no can do, like you before surgery I loved milk, but my system will not take it at all... Cheese is okay but yougart, ice cream or milk will cause me to dump.  Stay on your doctors office call back, they must have a on call doctor call when the other is out.  Also can you try some Toast Chez Lance crackers , when I am feeling a bit down in the belly , I can nibble on them and they help calm the beast.  Take care,   Allison

I'm going to hold off on calling docs office until Monday, unless I get worse off today.  My GP's office did fax down the "pee report" to G'ville so they may call me when they see that.

I am on Previcid (for my hernia and Barrett's Esophagus) and do try "nabs" (Cheese crackers).  Even those and plain crackers make me nauseated.   I just ate a couple of little pieces of country ham.  All my life, when sick, that is one thing that usually sits well on my stomach... must be the salt.  Waiting to see if that makes me sick too.  Gonna run jump in the shower right quick before the nausea sets in again! Keep posting your ideas... every little bit may be a new clue that helps.

Hiya Wendy!  I am so sorry you feel so badly.  I went thru a time at about two months where things I had tolerated even post op made me yucky.  I found that making any fluids with warm to hot tap water made a huge difference, you might want to try that.  I think the tea is only a diuretic if it is caffeinated (I know decaf has some, but not much).  Did your surgeon give you behind the ear patches for nausea pre op?  I still have some and they made a difference a couple of times.  I also wonder if you have the intestinal flu thing that's going the rounds out here near C-town?  I realize it's been several weeks, but maybe your resistance is down and it's just hanging on.  DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional and any suggestions I make are only from my own experience.  (Sorry, that's the lawyer in me).  Anyhoo, if it was me, I would spend all my time getting hydrated, no matter what the substance is that gets me hydrated.  It's crazy wierd how dehydration came make you feel.  I am now needing at least 120 oz a day!  Some days more.  And with the crazy weather, this is the time of year we get dried out anyway.   Maybe put the juice into water if that helps.  Maybe some flat sugar free ginger ale? Please post and let us know how you are doing. 

OK, just talked to Dr. MacD's office.  They want me there Monday to see him when he's back in the office.  Said it would be OK to take some of the Zofran over the weekend if that helps me feel better.

Sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. Give some chicken broth a whirl. I find that salty things help a lot with nausea.  Being dehydrated and having your lytes off will add to nausea so there is good reason that the salt and fluid may help.  If  you like the regular chicken broth, then check out the high protein one that smartforme has.  I didn't have major problems with nausea after suergery but I became intolerant of sweet things (protein shakes)very quickly.  Good luck!

For the time being tryin eliminating all milk products from your diet.  YOu may have developed an intolerance for it which is quite common in WLS patients.  Even clam chowder has some milk in it so be careful of cream soups.  Stick with jello, popscicles, crystal lite, tea, crackers.  How are you with egg beaters?  Give your tummy a real rest but stay hydrated by sipping water or using ice chips.  Treat this like a bad case of stomach flu until you can see the doctor.  Try low fat chicken broth.  Take small amounts every hour or so rather than trying to eat larger meals.   Take the Zofran and let everything settle down.   Good Luck. 

PATCHES!!! Great idea.... THANKS SO MUCH. I actually have several Trnasderm ones leftover from when I quit smoking.  I just looked and they only expired a couple of months ago so there's one stuck behind my ear as I write this.  Maybe THAT will get me through this rough "patch." THANKS BUNCHES FOR THAT IDEA...

Keep those ideas coming...

TAKE THE ZOFRAM!  OMG - I BEGGED for medication at the doctor's office yesterday.  I went in for nausea as well.  It started suddenly on my one week surgiversary - and suddenly I can't drink Crystal Light - and suddenly I can't stomach the taste of CIB (which I normally love) and everything seems to make me sick. Like you - no vomiting, just misery - and it's tough to get anything done because by the time it passes, you know it's time to drink something - and you don't want to because you need to get stuff done! My doc gave me something called Metoclopramide to help with the intestines and bowels, which may be taking a nap when I'm eating and causing problems.  So far, it's doing good things. My doc also said some people get it and some people don't - and it comes and goes without any sort of logic to it.  Like the gal on Big Medicine that suddenly found relief in pickles.  BLECH. Hang in there - we'll get through it!  Please do blog what they find and what helps for you - we're all different, but I'm always open to new ideas - especially when it's something this troublesome. Nikki