Question:
Horrible pains after eating?

I am 9 weeks post-op and after eating I have the MOST HORRIBLE pain that I have ever experienced. I know now that I have either eaten too fast or too much or not chewed my food enough. My question is: Am I stretching the pouch or is the pain just from the food not agreeing with my new stomach? This has happened 3 times and has gone away after about 1/2 hour, and each time it was with a new food or new texture. Do I just need to slow down and measure my food? I am more concerned about stretching the pouch early.    — Mary M. (posted on October 13, 2003)

October 13, 2003
You aren't likely to stretch your pouch this way but your body is sending you messages: slow down, chew and watch the amount. This is one of the ways the tool works but you do need to be careful not to get into bad habits that will eventually cause you to stop losing or to gain.
   — Patty_Butler

October 13, 2003
Hi, this is exactly what happens to me. Usually it's from eating too fast, but once in awhile something (usually meat) just doesn't agree with me and the pains start. About 3 or 4 times the pains haven't gone away and I then vomit. The good news is, the pain happens less and less as time goes on. I'm just over 5 months out now and it doesn't seem to have affected my pouch at all. Good luck. Bonnie
   — Bonnie R.

October 13, 2003
That happens to me too, but in my case is usually gas. You don't want to make yourself vomit too often because that stretches the pouch. My trick is to lie down flat on the floor. The pain subsides immediately. You need to start measuring your food and only have 3-4 oz of food at a time. I also time my bites. I take a bite every 2-3 minutes and chew for a long time. This has happened to me at the office if I go out for lunch and the food does not agree with me. God knows I have closed my office door, lie down on the floor and even have conference calls while lying on the floor. : )
   — earana

October 13, 2003
I have this happen to me once in a while also. It is usually because I did not chew something enough. It gets darn painful. I read and did try drinking some meat tenderizer helps if it is meat causing the problem. I don't know which is worse, the discomfort or getting the solution down!
   — Sandra Y.

October 14, 2003
If you go to the main page of our website and look under the topics they offer, you'll find that stretching the pouch is almost impossible - it's really not likely at all! What IS likely is that the amounts of food are possibly: too large, eaten too quickly, chewed too little. We definitely get signals by pain. if we try to pass too much food too quickly or in too much bulk into and out of the pouch, we experience some real pain! it's a signal to us, as we are striving to adjust our eating habits to a healthier level for long term maintenance. I hope this helps. And definitely, early on, meat is difficult and painful. I don't know the answer as to why, I just know it to be true! Diana.
   — Diana D.

October 14, 2003
I AM 6 WEEKS POST OP TODAY AND I GET THIS PAIN WITH MOST SOLID FOODS. EVEN IF I CHEW, CHEW, CHEW, SLOWLY...I HAVE RESIGNED MYSELF TO CONTINUE ON SOFT FOODS. I USUALLY GET THE WORST PAIN ON THE FIRST SWALLOW, ESPECIALLY AFTER A PERIOD OF NO WATER. I EVEN GET THIS PAIN ON MY FIRST SIP OF WATER. I FOUND THAT ROOM TEMP WATER ALLEVIATES THIS SITUATION. I AM SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO HELP OUT MORE, THE BOTTOM LINE AS MY DOCTOR TOLD ME IS THAT EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, SOME TAKE LONGER THAN OTHERS AND TO TAKE IT SLOW, WITH NEW FOODS.
   — njquintana

October 14, 2003
I too have this pain still 2 years out and I contribute it to eating too much cause if I lay down it goes away too after about a half an hour. But when I first had surgery it happened the worst after I ate hamburger and to this day I do not do good with hamburger unless it is really ground up. Maybe just go back a little and eat slower so you get that full feeling or measure things and see how that goes for a while, if it does not work then maybe it could be something else and should see doctor but I bet it is just something not chewed well or eating a little too much. God Bless
   — joannie H.