Question:
What exactly are tummy spasms? What do they feel like?

And what, if anything, can be done to prevent or ease them? I have often heard references to these spasms but never understood what they were. I looked in the library and didnt find the information I am searching for. Thanks to all and God bless :)    — Donna L. (posted on August 25, 2001)

August 25, 2001
I'm not sure this is what you're talking about, but I had terrible muscle spasms in my stomach around my incision as I was coming out from under anesthesia in recovery. The nurse said it was common, and had me take deep breaths. I had about a half-dozen or so of these spasms, and the deep breaths really made them go away. I never had another one after I left recovery. They were really painful, though, and scared me amidst the grogginess of the anesthesia!
   — Shawn K.

August 25, 2001
I had really BAD stomach spasms just once so far - after I tried eating finely minced roast chicken about four weeks post-op (I thought it would be just like the pureed chicken I had been eating) Apparently it was either too dry or too much like solid food for my pouch and I had EXCRUCIATING pain for about an hour afterwards with vomiting of acid (couldn't get the chicken back up and couldn't get water down) Lesson learned? Never eat more than a teaspooon full of a new food without first seeing how my body reacts to it and never assume that my body will now tolerate the same food prepared in different ways as the same thing. VERY painful lesson. :\ Hope that helps :)
   — Carmelina M.

August 26, 2001
Donna - this is common after surgery. My doctor prescribed a muscle relaxant that I took for a couple of weeks and I didn't have any more problems at all. Ask your doctor if he would give you something like that. Good Luck!
   — gina P.

August 26, 2001
I had surgery 8/14/01 and had excruciating spasms the first post-op day. What would've helped is knowing that it is not uncommon and that I would NOT split in two. It was incredibly frightening. Ask for a muscle relaxant right away.
   — Nancy G.

January 26, 2002
had open surgery on 1/11/02 and screamed immediately upon waking with the most excuriating spasms....they could not control the spasms & I thought I would die of pain....the only pain I really had was when I contracted (spasms),,,and they finally added flexeral every 4 hours along with the morphine drip and the epideral...No one thold me about these beforehand, and I csan not describe to you the pain....I spent 3 of my 4 days in the ICU with a full on oxygen mask and they tried desperitately to curtail the spasms....after the 2nd day the spasms were less frequent, but on day 1 & 2 I had about 5-10 every hour without warning....don't mean to scare you...as I feel terrific today (2 weeks post op)...but everyone is different, and this is what I experienced.
   — irene B.

January 26, 2002
I had really bad spasms after surgery. They made my morphine pump run continious and i could still push the button.....lol If you have a job where you do heavy lifting PLEASE tell you surgeon. They may be able to control some of the spasms after surgery and if they can't at least they will know to give you more pain medication. I'm a cna in a nursing home and we are lifting people in and out of bed all day. The nurse could see my muscles bunching up under my gown and immediatly called the surgeon to tell her what was going on. She increased the morphine....thank god. I don't really remember much of that first day, i was REALLY gone.....lol Hope this was of some help to you...debbie
   — deborah D.