Symptoms of a Stricture?

Could someone please tell me what the symptons are of a stricture? I suffer almost constantly from "gurgling" way down in my throat, gas, and lately now heartburn! Whenever the "foamies" start I know to head for the bathroom to I have been at least once a day since my surgery, but my surgeon says since I haven't lost an excessive amount of weight, and am not dehydrated, I don't have a stricture. Anyone have any ideas for me? I sure would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance! Kathy

Yeap the Foamies are a sure sign of impending VOIMT. At a few weeks out it is not uncommon. Structuers can have PAIN as well as vomiting. The pain is for me feels like what my galbladdr pain felt like sort of waves .. and hard. Oh the tummy can also be vvery hard. Structuers happed when the opening between the pouch and the intestions ( the anastomosis) becomes irritated and inflamed. SO *** what are you eating...... This area ia a major point of the surgery and need close to 8 weeks to heal.. *** Are you drinking WITH MEALS...... NO NO!!! this makes the food there all gushy and sludgy ( yeap those are mdeical terms!) and pushes the food through too fast causing the opening to streach and become irritated and swollen. THEN YOU VOMIT! You may be able to weat one meal and be somewhat OK.. then when you eat again or even the next time you wil get those foamies and .....well you know the rest Try to keep track of What you eat When you eat. Amounts you eat How long it takes you to eat. water.... wait 30 min ... food make meal last 30 mins. .... wait 30 min. MORE WATER/liquid..... reapeat till bed time. www.fitday.com is a great online resource for keeping track. If you get sharp pains that do not go away with a heating pad or by sticking to the meal plan.... CALL YOUR MD ASAP.

Thanks so much for your reply! No, I don't have pain. I don't drink with meals and wait 30 min before drinking anything(tiny sips are the only things that I dont' throw up). I can't eat more than one measuring tablespoon of anything at a time. It takes between 15-25 min to eat it. I usually throw it back up. It seems that I have tried everything. I cut out milk just in case I am lactose intolerant now. I can't even hold down the protein powders. Man, this is frustrating because no one seems to have experienced this. Doing all the right things and still having trouble! Thanks again for your ideas! Kathy

I would ask your MD to do an Upper GI testing ( barium swallow) to see if there is a narrowing of your anastomosis. From there maybe an ENDOSCPOIC eval. Are you throwing uo with EVERY attempt to eat? if not them as above you couldbe irritating the opening on the first "meals" and then each one make sit close uop more. Also if you feel beter in the AM another sign of irritation . I would call your MD

I didn't lose more weight than I was supposed to after the surgery, but I knew from week two that something wasn't right. I never made the transition to soft foods. I threw absolutely everything up. My doctor kept telling me that it was too early for me to develop a stricture, that they usually happen later. Not having known anyone else that had the surgery, I didn't know what "normal" was. I went all the way to four months before I finally insisted to my doctor that something wasn't right. The opening to my stomach was supposed to be a 12 and it was only 6! The doctor that did my procedure said it was very tight, and he could only blow it up to a 10 but it made all the difference. Before I had the stricture blown, it didn't matter how much weight I lost because I felt absolutely horrible and wished every day that I hadn't done it because I was so tired of throwing up. My face had busted blood vessels from puking. I even had a former bulimic counsel me on how to throw up better. The very same day I had my endoscopy I was able to eat dinner. I would say though, that a barium swallow test will not necessarily show a stricture. I had two done but liquid passed fine. It was food that wouldn't go down. If you find that you aren't improving, be insistent that you at least get scoped by a gastroenterologist. It made a world of difference for me! Good luck, Annie

Hello Annie, It is such a relief to see that someone is going through the same as I am!!!!!!! I am sooo frustrated right now! My case is very similar, except that this just started after a port replacement. It is weird how this didn't happen with my initial surgery but is happening now. My simptoms are exactly the same, I am 7 weeks post-op (replacement) and still can't hold my food down. Like Kathy, have lots and lots of air, throw up constantly and a week ago I called my doctor to let him know and he said that I should go on a complete liquid diet for a week (again) which I just did and still, today, when I had a little bit of bread I threw up, yesterday was a smoothie, you know the story. Do you have any other advice? What do you mean that just after the endoscopy you had dinner? Did it help open up your band? Would you mid explaining a bit more? Do you have a doctor I could perhaps talk to? I am frustrated and getting desperate. This has been a hard road to travel... Thanks, Cristina

I am not sure if my situation would apply to yours since it appears we had two different procedures and I don't know much about the lap band. I had laproscopic RNY, where the surgeon makes a smaller stomach out of the top portion. The opening to the stomach can form a stricture, or tightenting, due to scarring or just the healing process. For me I noticed it as soon as I tried soft foods. For other people, it begins around 7-8 weeks as the healing process is further along. The only way to definitively tell if it is a stricture is to have endoscopy performed by a gastroenterologist. That is where they put a camera down your throat and look at the opening of the stomach. If it is tight, the doctor will place a balloon in the opening of the stomach and inflate it to enlarge the opening to the stomach. The procedure didn't take long at all, and I was able to eat tuna salad for dinner that night. I hope you feel better soon. Annie

Annie, My daughter had the surgery (RNY) on August 29. She is experiencing the same symptoms as you were. I'm so glad you posted because I hadn't read anywhere else of something similar. Two questions: How many times did it take to stretch the opening? Just the one time? and Did your vocal cords get damaged or did your doctor mention that possibility? Thanks. Sherry

How many times did it take to stretch the opening? Just the one time? and Did your vocal cords get damaged or did your doctor mention that possibility? well if the GI doctor knows what he is doing, it should only take one time. Why would your vocal cords be damaged? They have nothing to do w/ an endoscopy. Maybe you are referring to when she was under General for her RNY that her voice/throat was sore. This can happen from the respirator they put in you while you are having surgery to help maintain your breathing. they dont use the same anesthesia for endoscopy. The usually use something called, "twilight" which you go half in and out of sleep but dont feel pain.

It can take more than one time to stretch it out, depending on how tight the stricture is. Because mine was a 6 and the doctor can only safely stretch it 4 mm without risking a rupture, I have the option of going back in and having it stretched more. I have waited two months (at my doctors suggestion) to see if I will do okay with the opening at 10. I am doing much better than before, but I still throw up red meat and pork. I have decided to go back and have it done a second time. No, no one mentioned any possible damage to vocal cords. It was a very easy procedure and I really did feel fine directly afterwards, just a bit drowsy from the lovely drugs!