Just discharged from the hospital...obstructed stoma

Wedn at 4pm I thought it would be no problem to swallow a calcium supplement I just got in the mail. Well, not such a good idea. It immediately got stuck and the next 22 hours I proceeded to vomit on and on.....

Yesterday at 4pm, my surgeons office sent me for an UGI which showed the stoma was blocked entirely. I was very dehydrated by then so my surgeon had me admitted immediately. This afternoon, the gastr dr. came by and had me drink some water. It passed through, thank goodness! That big horse pill had finally dissolved after almost 48 hours!!

They kept me until 4pm and then I was able to come home. Tues I will have a EGD just to make sure I don't have a stricture.

Needless to say, chewables will be my only calcium source in the future :) Thank God for the wonderful staff at my surgeon's office!! I arrived at the hospital at 4pm yesterday...had the UGI and was in a room within 2 hours. They took such good care of me and I learned a lesson the hard way! So glad to be home!!

i'm happy to hear you got through it and you're doing well i was scared about swallowing my vicodon but so far no problems. and i only have the chewable/dissolving calciums, but surgeon hasn't asked me ti start them yet. i believe i start them next week.

So happy that it resolved itself on it's own.  I don't know that I'll ever feel comfortable swallowing a pill.  I'm 8 weeks out from RNY. 

I've had several episodes of food being stuck and I try for hours to throw it up (once it took 11 hours).  I'm not sure what I should do, nor how long to wait before taking medical action (like calling the doctor in the middle of the night, or going to the emergency room). 

Having had this experience, would you do anything differently (save swallowing the pill in the first place)?

Hi Cheryl,

I think I should have called my doctors office as soon as they opened yesterday instead of waiting until lunchtime. I just kept telling myself that it would dissolve on its own. I was very dehydrated by the time I called so if this should ever happen again, I will call my dr sooner.

I have had no problems swallowing my nexium or actigall, so I just thought the calcium would be no problem and I also thought if it did get stuck, it would dissolve pretty quickly. NOT!! :) Apparently calcium pills are the worst for NOT dissolving easily.

Lesson learned the hard way, for sure!

Char, I am so glad to hear that you are doing better.  What a bummer!  I hate those horse pills.  I recently ordered powder and liquid calcium through Amazon.  The products are:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SONA14/ref=oss_product

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00028P0ZK/ref=oss_product

Maybe these would be helpful to you as well.  Take good care.

Amy

 

Hi Amy,

Thanks for the product recommendations. Ironically, I get home today and I have a package at the door with my 5 boxes of creamy calcets. I also have ordered the Upcal-D and use the BA Lozenges. I just had it in my mind that a pill would be so portable and easy to pop....NOT!!

Glad to hear you are doing better now. So sorry you had to go through this.

Hope all goes well with your tummy and your stoma.

Glad everything is alright now, what a scare huh. Take care of yourself and plenty of fluids.

Char, I'm glad it finally disolved.  I didn't realize a pill could block your stoma like that.  I use the calcium chews and love them.  Raspberry is my favorite.

Take care of yourself.

Linda

Scary stuff! I'm glad you're home and doing well. I would never have thought a calcium pill would block things either!