Question:
Problems with eating one year post-op

I am almost one year post-oop and have lost 132# -- 5# to goal. Up until about two weeks ago, I had no problem. Now, I believe I have depleted all my fat reserves, and have been getting dizzy when I don't eat often enough. (I forget, I'm not hungry, etc.). The evenings are my problem times, and I eat the most then. However, I have been having trouble with vomitting -- even jello -- but not all the time, and after eating my abdomen seems to cramp -- becomes hard and painful. Sometimes it's worse than others. At first I thought I got a bug and went to a liquid diet -- but that's when I got dizzy -- but after I ate the dizziness improved. I thought I was home free -- being almost a year post-op, but these problems started. It seems I have a variety of problems upon eating, and just feel better when I don't. Anybody else had this? I do have a call in to the doctor's office and gave the nurse all these symptoms, and she will get back to me after she talks to the doctor.    — Audrey M. (posted on July 2, 2001)

July 2, 2001
Could be that your Stoma is narrowing, go see your GI Doc. he might have to do an EGD, and dilated you,,,
   — Marie B.

July 2, 2001
Yes I'm 5 mos post op down 101# been having same problems. Went last Friday for upper GI and swallow test no problems other than it it took over 4 hrs for the upper GI med to pass I guess normal is 30 min up to 2 hrs but not 4 plus hrs. I have a constant lower dull stomach pain and last night I vomited pudding go figure. I will be interested in your results. I was told to go back on a soft diet until this Thur. and take Metoclopramide 10 mg 30 min before meals and at bed time sorry I don't know what it is.
   — Mike H.

July 3, 2001
Mike, the medicine you are on is the generic of Reglan and it's purpose is to speed the emptying of your stomach. I suffered from "Gastric Hypomotility" for several years and lived off of Reglan and Phenergan because I stayed nauseated from food not leaving my stomach and basically "rotting" in there as my gastro doc put it. Once Propulsid came out I switched to that and had much better results but of course now there is the lawsuit involving Propulsid and it is no longer available. I am happy to say that I no longer have this problem. Anyway, hope that my answer and experience in this helps. Like you, my upper GI showed that it took forever for the stuff to travel through my system. The Dr. then ordered another test in which I ate food mixed with radioactive material and laid under a camera for 1 hour while it took 1 picture per minute of my stomach and tracked the food. Within an hour, only 7% had passed through when it should have been 70% so I was diagnosed with SEVERE Gastric Hypomotility. I was told it's not very common but I've known several people since who go through the same thing so maybe it's more common than he thought. Anyway, good luck and I hope the medicine helps you!
   — Kellye C.