Fluids - really worried

VSG right around two months ago and at first, I was keeping up w/my fluids ok but over the past several weeks, I've not been able to keep up (more on that below) and wound up needing 2L of fluids at infusion center a week ago.  Today I'm about as low as I was last week so this is seriously worrying me.

Room temp to cool to cold water goes down with difficulty and sits like a brick in my stomach and immediately feels like it wants to come back up.  Ho****er is better (and the only way I've managed to get any fluids in over the past week or so), but even that can be challenging to keep up.

I don't care for sweet beverages at all but I've tried the water enhancers (powdered and liquid), tea (black and green), milk and herbal tea. I've avoided coffee because my program strongly discourages it.  Weirdly enough, the best tasting thing has been a few sprinkles of unsweetened Kool Aid powder into water, but that doesn't work warm on the flavor side and the cool side winds up not much better on my stomach than water.  I haven't yet tried popsicles but I'm afraid of the temp thing.  Protein shakes go down just "ok" but it's not like I can get my fluids all in w/protein shakes.

Any advice?  Anyone else had this problem?  Will it pass?  I saw my primary doc (she's the one who sent in the orders for the fluids) and she suggested that if it doesn't get better I may need to have some sort of port installed for regular infusions and that scares the bejeezus out of me.  I have a follow up appointment w/my bariatric team next week but I'm worried this week, ya know?

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated--not feeling great (in more ways than one) at the moment.

Thanks in advance--

Michelle 

Coffee is fine. There is no reason at this point not to drink coffee. 

Do you have problems keeping food down, or is it just fluids?

No problems with keeping food down at all--I was expecting all kinds of food problems like that, but that hasn't happened.  And nothing has technically come back up fluid-wise either, it just feels like it wants to (if that makes any sense).

I may try coffee since "hot" definitely seems like the only way I'm going to get fluids in.

It's clearly just a fluid problem then.

A common issue is that the fluid already in your system, most likely acidic, has a different surface tension from the water you are drinking. When you drink, the two don't combine. Picture oil and vinegar.

You can add a surfactant to your water. Something like crystal lite usually works. Coffee or tea sit better because their surface tension differ from plain water. Different temperatures can help as well.

Acid in your stomach might be causing most of the trouble. Even though you might not feel reflux, it could still be there. Are you on an acid reducer?

I drink around 70 to 80 ounces of decaf coffee and decaf green tea every day, then I try to get another 20 or so ounces of water in.

My sis has also had a VSG (about 3 years ago now) and she lives off of decaf coffee--we're talking pots, not cups, lol.  I was expecting to be able to drink it since she does, but then my program was pretty adamant about avoiding it since even decaf still has some caffeine.  Of course, if it's caffeine versus oh, kidney failure, I'm guessing they'd be okay with caffeine.

Sadly some programs give advice that is not rooted in reality :/ 

Eh, my surgeon says to drink away, and he's very experienced.  He saw my 40 ounce days and said he had zero issues.  The nutritionist dislikes it, though.  

As long as it's wet, calorie-free, and non-alcoholic, you're OK. Our stomachs are in rough shape post op, so do whatever works for you!

A few things that might work if you're good with hot beverages:

• decaf coffee, regular or instant
• mocha-flavored protein shake warmed up slightly in the microwave
• warm broth or bullion
• chicken-soup flavor protein powder (I think Unjury makes one)
• warm tea
• sugar-free hot chocolate

I drank a LOT of chicken stock in the first few weeks post-op because I never managed to find a protein shake I liked. I found several different kinds, and you can add some seasoning to it. Maybe it's weird, but I had really good luck with chicken broth with a little bit of garlic powder and hot sauce in it!

2 1/2 years out and I still can only get the bare minimum of fluids down. I also do the decaf coffee as HOT is better than cold for me. But I add SugarFree hazel coffee syrup, pre measured creamer (so I know exactly how many calories are in it) and Splenda. For the first year I also added 1 scoop of unflavored isopure zero carb protein to it (just mix the powder with cold water and then pour the paste into the coffee) it was the only way I can do protein powder... It's covered up (mostly) by the hazelnut :) 

I also drink  Powerade zero, at least 15 oz a day. I don't have to force it now but I used to. I did this so I would get potassium and it helps not getting into dangerous territory with dehydration. 

During the winter I get SugarFree apple cider and sugar free hot chocolate. Decaf green tea too, but I have to add a sweetner to it.. I still can NOT do plain water. I miss it :( 

Hope some of this helps you...