3 weeks post op gastric bypass - advise please

Hi, I had a gastric bypass on 26th July. I am still quite sore and I find it quite difficult to eat any form of sloppy food. I also pass very soft and painful stools. Is this normal? I still haven't managed to take any vitamins yet as they are so big to swallow and the chewable ones are too sweet and make me feel sick. Feeling pretty low and regretful at this stage.

Laxatives. Start them now... Some use Miralax almost daily here, other's have found their 'secret' to keeping it regular... but keeping it regular is imperative! I had some really painful movements at the beginning, and I really thought I was in labor with another kid! It was awful! Be proactive and take something every day until you get yourself really regular... and then you may still need it every day, or every other day!

I am only 3 months out, and still have issues with eating. CHEW... and then chew some more, and then chew again... what are you eating? Even if your doctor has 'approved' something for you to eat, doesn't mean you are ready for it. I still can't eat a lot of the things that other people do at my stage. Go slow, and just concentrate on your water and protein - shakes if that's all you can get down.

I don't know what to tell you about the vitamins. I just bought a HUGE bottle of ones that I don't like to chew up either... and I wish I hadn't bought them... but I chew them up and just deal with it. Some people like the vitamin patch, maybe something to consider?

It does get better! Hang in there, and join us on the board for more support!

Thanks for the advise! Much appreciated. I think you may have misread my message though, my movement are very soft so I don't think taking a laxative will help ?. I am eating really soft chicken with mashed potato or soft chicken with advocado - so far so good today. I will persevere with trying to take the vitamins, they are so sweet tho that I worry I will be sick. Managed half of one today - guess that's better than none right? 

OOps, sorry about that... I saw painful and had vicious flashbacks to myself!

Hope you get things sorted out!

Can you buy your vitamins in liquid form?   I take Calcium citrate/D3 and B12 in liquid form.   Also, Senekot and colase are laxatives that have helped me.

If they are soft, how are they painful? Are you cramping when you go? Are they formed at all or very soft, like diarrhea? (Sorry, I'm a nurse...I get a lot from poo. Lol)

Hi Cathy, yes it's like diarrhoea. I was going numerous times a day, now only once a day. They were like water and violent but are now very soft. The pain starts about half an hour before I need to go. My belly feeling painful to touch, then I get a burning sensation and cramps. I then get wind which is painful to pass and I need to be near a toilet incase I have an accident. Nurses thought I had developed a milk intolerance so I changed to lactose free milk. This had the same effect. I have been tested for c-diff which was negative.

it is getting better but I still don't feel right. It was three weeks yesterday since my op and I was hoping to go back to work but have been signed off for another 10 days.

I wandered if it was late dumping, but it can happen 5 hours after eating (ie middle of the night). I am eating tiny portions - half ramakin. No sugar or fat - a tiny bit of chicken breast minced with mash and gravy.

i hope this helps ??

Ugh,,sounds painful. My only suggestion would be to try some probiotics. I haven't had my surgery yet so I don't know feat is typical, but antibiotics before or after surgery are very common. If you can eat yogurt, a couple spoonfuls of that for several days would give you enough time to see if it helps the diarrhea. 

I'm still really new to this, I only had my surgery on 8/15, but here are a couple of things my doctor told me.  For vitamins, maybe you could cut them into quarters and just take small bits of the vitamin over the course of an hour or so.  My doctor told me to cut them into anything the size of a pencil eraser or smaller.  The doctor also encouraged milk of magnesium to avoid constipation, but as you are moving well, maybe some Gas-X or something to try and make sure you stay regular? 

My doctor also said no soft foods until the 5th and 6th weeks, so maybe your body is telling you it is too soon for foods?  Not an expert opinion, but just a thought based on what my doctor told me. 

Good luck and I hope you start feeling better!