Question:
Having pain like severe indigestion lasting 2-4 hrs at 3 wks post-op.

I am introducing soft foods but this pain comes 2-3 hours after I have eaten any food. It is in the center of my chest, under my lower ribs & between my breasts. It happened 1-2 times a day for 5 days (except one incident free day) & does not seem related to a specific food. It does not happen after each time I eat something. A couple of times I have vomited (not much in there, mostly liquid) and felt better right after. Other times it finally passes after 2-4 hours of discomfort. Any ideas or thoughts?    — blue0813 (posted on June 28, 2006)

June 28, 2006
"severe" pain is never normal. It sounds like you may have an ulcer. Call your surgeonASAP because it is severe. I hope you feel better!
   — SteffieBear15

June 28, 2006
You should of been tested for Ulcer's I would think.. I am 91 days post op & have experienced some of the same symptons as you have except for the vomiting. I remember that when I started phase II & III I felt the same way. I also use to love Hamburgers but found that I cannot stomach them now. SOOO I went back to what works for me, Cream of this and that... I really like the Cream of Chicken with Herbs ect.. So I have a 1/2 can of that for a meal with some low-sodium triskets soaked in. And I have to be careful with breads they cause me the type of pain your talking about.. Once you find a soft food you can handle stick with it for a while.. It will get better.
   — michaeljobie

June 28, 2006
I found that I had to really SLOW down and chew chew chew. It may take you forever to eat, but at least it won't come back up or feel stuck. I could not eat with my husband, because he is a fast eater. I found myself trying to keep up with him. I now just stay focused on eating slowly and making small swallows. Good luck! It will get easier!
   — shar

June 28, 2006
I am only a little over 2 months out, and I had that pain awhile back also. I got it from eating to fast, or taking to big of bites and trying to swallow them without chewing them well enough. My advice, eat slower, take smaller bites and chew better. You might think you are doing all this, but do it a little more, and see what happens. I am one of the 'lucky' few, that at this far out, I still have to chew very well, but I am able to drink a little with my meals, and I can also eat a little more than some. Good Luck! Keep us posted! Steph
   — squeekypete

June 29, 2006
I had the same thing and yes it was an ulcer but your surgeon can give you Carafate for i, that is what mine gave me and it worked beautifully. GOOD LUCK. And feel free to email me if you need any further help as I am a support group leader in our area but am always happy to help.
   — vlaster

June 29, 2006
I had somewhat the same experience. It turned out to be a stricture where the pouch meets the limb of the intestine. It can be easily corrected. I would definately tell your surgeon. He will probably refer you to a gastroenterologist. Good luck. Trudy
   — trudyd

June 29, 2006
i would call your doctor and see if you can be seen. It souns like it may be trapped gas. Try walking and movement and it might help. it does not sound like a food issue becasue the food does not stay in the pouch for very long. Maybe go back to fluids to see if that helps. Are you doing protein drinks it may be the wrong kind of protein. If is not pre digested whey protein, i would check. but call your doctor or your program cord. good luck
   — T. Rosario

June 30, 2006
I got like that if I ate too fast, or if I ate chicken (still do for the chicken). also, I get that if I eat too soon after drinking, or drink too soon after eating. At 18 mo, I still have to wait about an hour after doing one to do the other! Try that, and you should at least check with your doctor to be safe.
   — Novashannon