Question:
What is this pain?

I've been having some pain/discomfort for the past 5 days. The area is between my breasts in the upper sternal area. I have also had some occasional discomfort in the lower abdominal area. I have had no nausea, vomitting, diarrhea or constipation. It appears a few hours after I've eaten. I had open RNY almost 11 weeks ago. Does anyone have an idea as to what's happening with me?    — [Anonymous] (posted on January 28, 2002)

January 2, 2003
Hello, I recently asked my Dr the same question. He told me that this is how Heartburn feels after RNY surgery. I had the Lap though. He gave me a prescription for Nexium and told me to also watch the size of the bites I was taking and how fast I was eating. Good Luck to you I know how painful that is.
   — kandm331

May 3, 2003
Did you have your gallbladder taken out at the same time? I had my surgery the 15th of April but had my gallbladder taken out in September. I had chest pains like I was having a heart attack every morning. I had not eaten anything. What had happened is that a sphincter of Oddi was spasing and they had to do an ERCP to cut the duct. I have not had any pain since. Hope this helps.
   — classydame1

May 3, 2003
I'm not sure about anyone else here, but up where my heart is located, is where my pouch is. Therefore, I get pain there (feels like chest pains/heart attack) when I eat at times. Hopefully I don't really ever have a heart attack, because I may not know the difference. Yikes.
   — Kim L.

May 3, 2003
I know exactly how you feel!! I got the very same pain, excrutiating to the point of tears, this evening at dinner time. I felt as though someone were driving a stake into me right at the tip of my sternum. I believe it occured because I wasn't paying attention - I was chatting and not focusing - and even though I only had 3 tiny tiny carrots, 2 butter beans and a bite of pot roast, I ate WAY too fast and apparently too much in that time. It felt as though the food was not only in my stomach but coming up my esophagus also. The pain was pulsating so I knew it was from peristalsis as my esophagus was trying to move the food to my pouch, and the pain was because the bolus of food wasn't budging!!! Sadly, I had to make my self upchuck to relieve the pressure. Won't do that again!!!!!!!!! Because yours happens several hours after eating, it probably is heartburn... you might want to try pushing fluids starting 1 hour after eating to help keep the acids dilute. Good luck!
   — Judy N.