Stomach spasms and hunger pangs five days post VSG.

Hi everyone,

I am five days post op and I have been experiencing the most excruciating spasms and hunger pangs (even though I'm not hungry). I was discharged the day after surgery and thought that the pains that I was experiencing was caused by gas, by day three the pain felt like it had decreased? But that night, up until now I can barely sleep. I called the on call doctor and she suggested maalox and to continue with the pain medication, stating that it didn't seem like I had cause for concern. Has anyone experienced this? If so, did it go away or get better with time? Did you need medication?

Thanks

Hunger pangs at this point are often due to acid or dehydration. Are you taking a PPI such as prilosec or nexium? How much liquid are you getting in each day?

I'm sorry that you're feeling this way! When I was early post-op, I felt an intense "empty" feeling that was just... weird and very hard to describe. It improved :)

Hi Gwen M.

Thanks for your reply!

Im taking 40 mg of Prilosec daily, getting in all of my fluids, and yesterday I got gaviscon chewables. I noticed that the spasms and hunger pangs stopped after taking the gaviscon about a half hour ago. So maybe it's acid? I was dx with mild to moderate acid reflux before.

If the gaviscon helped, that seems plausible!

It did, but only for a couple of hours.

I'm going through it now to me that's my body way of telling me to drink, and take pain meds when it's time. I'm sending my friend to the store to get me some gas strips. Are you walking I'm 3 days post op best wishes

Hi ApplesScale,

Thank you, I'm sorry that your going through it too!

Ive been following the example menu to the letter and getting in all of my fluids, but since the surgery I've had less water than what I'm use to. I'm a water drinker, so before the surgery I would have at least a gallon a day. Even though I'm getting in 50-64 ounces a day, it's a lot less water than my body is use too. The pain meds are barely taking the edge off.

This sounds familiar, re: the water. I had surgery on 6/5. I was a water chugger pre-op and it was a tough adjustment to take in less water AND have to take it in frustratingly small sips. But I want to tell you, it will get better soon. We can?t chug, but you?ll be able to take more water, more easily in a few weeks. It?s been slow-feeling for me (just a week or two, I finally got to 100oz per day), but it?s getting way better. If you fall behind, you can always mix water with a bit of Powerade zero.

As for spasms and pain, for me that was mostly at my right incision?the one they cut through your rectus muscle. I figure it was all the nerves rewiring, etc. My stomach itself just felt gurgly and ... I don?t know how to describe it .. jumpy? But it was not painful so much.

I wish you luck and hope things get better very soon.

Thank you PCBR!

The small sips are a little annoying after being use to chugin' it down all my life.

The pain is unbearable, and it started back up two hours after taking the gaviscon. I'm gonna call the surgeon in the morning.

Best wishes on your new journey!

Glad you're getting in touch with the doc. Is the pain in your actual stomach?

Sone of my worst pains were from little bubbles of the trapped gas migrating to certain spots and getting stuck in odd places (like my shoulder). That can seriously hurt. I hear some surgeons kind of deflate you before closing you up and I'm annoyed that mine didn't (or did and just didn't get it all, I suppose).