Question:
Why can't I drink water anymore?

I'm 18 months post-op. I have lost 150 pounds (half my size). I was doing really well up until a few weeks ago. Lately, water just upsets my stomach. It did that in the very beginning after I had surgery and it feels like the same thing again. Forget milk, except in cereal. To sit and drink a glass of milk, yuck! Every morning at work, I get a large glass of water with ice (can't drink anything without ice) and I may only drink 1/4 of the glass. I'm almost gagging on it.    — dolphins94 (posted on January 2, 2003)

January 2, 2003
i am 4 weeks post op and the pain from drinking water was terrible until i started taking prevacid. it works great and i have no pain with any liquids or foods on this medicine.
   — Lynn S.

January 2, 2003
Some people say the bottled water that has some additives like propel or dasani does really well. Something about the ph being a little off because of the additives. Someone also mentioned that they added a tiny bit of salt and that did the trick for them. Hope this helps.
   — Cinna G.

January 2, 2003
Call your surgeon, and push to get an appointment. Don't let anyone poo-poo this! I'm pre-op, but I know that this is not right for someone who is 18 months post op, even if it is appropriate for someone who is newly post-op. Good luck!
   — Beth S.

January 2, 2003
How does water TASTE?
   — vitalady

January 2, 2003
I had the same experience with plain water....tap or bottled, ice-cold or room temperature. It became such an issue for me that I would begin to gag before I could even get the water swallowed. I knew that I needed the fluid intake, so I began experimenting with adding very small amounts of decaffeinated instant tea mixes or Crystal Lite...just enough to flavor the water. Whatever the reason, that worked. It makes no sense to me at all, and it's frustrating for me as a nurse not to be able to give you a rationale for this, but it certainly helped me to get past that bump in the road. Good luck!
   — Diana T.

January 3, 2003
Maybe you have an ulcer or an infection of the stomach lining? Doesn't make sense for water to all of a sudden hurt when it didn't before. Ask the doctor to check you out.
   — Cindy R.