Question:
How does a stricture feel and how do you know if you have one?

   — patricia B. (posted on September 12, 2003)

September 12, 2003
For me, it was simply not able to keep down protein shakes anymore, much less any food. Nausea, vomiting, being unable to keep even WATER down!! I got really uncomfortable after drinking or eating anything and within a hour or so, lost anything I ate or drank. Now... you might not have a stricture if you are getting nausea and vomiting... you may just be eating too fast!! That happened to me, too! LOL!
   — Sharon m. B.

September 12, 2003
Hi, with me I have had 4 strictures in less than 8 weeks..they were caused by an ulcer from taking Vioxx. The first thing I noticed was everything I ate seemed to feels stuck right between my breast. In included severe pain in that area. vomiting mucos and sometimes the pain would feel like I was having esophegal spasms. I was scoped 4 times with dilitations and hopfully it will stay open. This is the longest I've gone without being scoped in 2 months. I had my surgery 2 years ago. The pain I had was from the ulcer although when and if the food gets stuck it can be really painful and cause spasms also. It's isn't fun. Take Care and feel free to email me for more info.
   — Karen Renee

September 12, 2003
When I had a stricture, I couldn't hold anything down. Everything came back up. But it's not a big deal for them to fix it.
   — Christy P.

September 14, 2003
I've had 5 strictures in 3 months since surgery....The symptoms can vary depending on if the pouch outlet is completely closed over with scar tissue or just partially closed.The first stricture that I had was completely closed so I was vomiting up everything... food,water and even my saliva.The last 4 have been partial strictures.The outlet is supposed to be about 11 or 12 mm and mine has closing up to about a 3 or a 4 sized outlet.So I have been able to keep fluids down and some pureed food because it hasn't completely closed up since the first time.Some of my symptoms have been vomiting up frothy,mucous...feeling of something stuck in chest,Burping alot and feeling like air is stuck and pouch pain when eating.Strictures can be caused by too much acid being produced in pouch or just because it is one of those things that can happen after surgery.Women are more likely to develop them than men.A common time for a stricture to become apparent is 3 weeks after surgery but they can occur at any time.A stricture is usually an easy fix.You have an outpatient endoscopy where they use balloons to dilate the narrowed or closed opening.This will usually resolve the problem but it may take up to three dilations for the opening to stay open.If you do develop another stricture after 3 dilations most g.i. docs will recommend surgical treatment, as repeated dilations can rupture the staple line...Since I have just had my fourth dilation if my stricture returns I have to have a revision on the area where the intestines are connected to the pouch.
   — jennifer A.