Throwing up (tmi I know)

I suffer extreme nausea but this is not from the sleeve, but motion sickness. A good test is to actually try anti nausea meds to see if it is nausea itself making you vomit or over eating or chewing. I take maxalon. If it is over eating or not chewing correctly you will still vomit. Your GP can give you a script for it. Just be warned in some people it can make them drowsy tho it doenst do that to me. Even if you just tried it for the weekend and worked out just what the problem was. Elemenating things until you find the trigger. As in if the vomiting still continues then maybe try some ant acid, I take somac. If after both those and you are still vomiting you can pretty much say you are not chewing enough or eating to much to fast. BUT do not fear by about 5 6 months from memory both the male of the species and I where back to eating chewing and drinking pretty normal tho we may have learnt to chew a bit better and slower and not noticed it. Now a year out everything works fine besides being a tad careful when drinking fizzy drinks out of a bottle/can though a straw. They can still make me feel over gassey. Better to drink from a glass or even the bottle and take smaller mouthfuls.

applesauce

Hi Bee,

Aren't you pregnant? This could be the cause of the vomiting. I had a neice and a cousin who had all day vomiting for most of their pregnancies. Even had to be admitted to hospital as they were so ill.

steph

Hi All,

Shanna, I was told by my dietician last week that the nausea can be cause by a build up in the acid in your stomach because you havent eaten (as opposed to reflux). In our old stomachs this would get the ghrelin going and tell our brains to eat. Because we dont have ghrelin we dont get that message. She told me if I feel I cant eat (because of the nausea) to have nourishing liquids until the feeling passes. I hope that helps. I also got the usual chew 45 times, eat slowly etc - both of which I have also struggled with, luckily I havent vomited in the two weeks since I was sleeved- there is still plenty of time for that!

Trace

interesting topic! I discussed this with my GP yesterday as I had forgotten to ask the surgeon and anyway was worried I may vomit up my tablets and he said you only vomit if you eat the wrong thing ect..like you guys have posted. He said if I vomit up my epilepsy tablets he'll just given me rectal diazepam for the seizures. I don't think I'll eat ever again after my surgery, i'll be too scared I'll vomit and there is NO way I'm having diazepam stuck up my bum!! :[img]http://ww

Hi Shanna,
That would be my hardest learning curve is to chew slowly and eat smaller mouthfuls. With my job I may get a 10 minute lunch break and I tend to throw the food in then get the chest pain and wish I had taken the time to chew. Learning everyday.
Ang

Hi Shanna
Well, I know you had that advice before and were following it, because we talked about it.
But of course there's the matter of degree, isn't there?
I hope that it does help, but if it doesn't, don't be afraid to call him again to discuss it.
Chris

Well, this is a bit embarrassing to admit but here goes....

Yesterday I went for my first post surgical doctor's visit- I am two months out. I have had many many bouts of nausea and many (at one point almost daily) bouts of throwing up. And I asked the doctor why and what to do about it. His blunt response was eat less, eat slower, chew more. Which is embarrassing because I thought I was doing those things but he says 99 times out of 100 the patient is so used to their former eating habits that even though they have made changes, they haven't changed enough. So, last night I had some chips and some cream cheese, and some tuna salad, and today I am starting to follow his advice. Will let all of you know how it goes.

If I throw up less at least one member of my family will be disappointed. Twice I threw up on the tile floor (couldn't get to a bowl in time), and went upstairs to get a cloth to wipe it up, and by the time I came down it was gone. Which made no sense because my husband wasn't home and my daughter has a mortal fear of throw up so what could have happened? And then I saw Muffin, my havanese, looking at me expectantly as if to say - do it again Ma, do it again....

So far I have only thrown up once in two weeks since being sleeved. And it was weird, I was eating an orange sugar free popsicle and it didn't want to stay down. I eat them all the time but for some reason this one didn't want to stay down. I hadn't eaten anything else in 3-4 hours too. Weird. I just thru it up but didn't really feel bad or anything. So far I haven't had anything that made me sick. Sometimes I feel like I didn't even have the surgery. I can, however, tell when I've had too much food though. I feel like I have to lay down for a little while if I've eaten too much. Then in a few minutes I feel better.

chrisbychic wrote:

That's great, Portugal Sleeve - glad to hear it.
And I agree - newbies, not everyone throws up at all - in fact, it seems that most don't. Which is why I was so pleased to hear about others who do! LOL
Chris

applesauce wrote:

I agree nic the percentage of vomiting is very small and I would hate for people to think it is normal or even a terrible or distressing thing for even the majority of those who have suffered it. I would most defently put mine down 100% to my other medical conditions plus over eating rather than the sleeve. I do think a few to many things get lumped onto the poor old sleeve surgery itself than should. General reaction to an anesethtic can be be nausea and unsettled stomach for several weeks after surgery resulting in general nausea and vomiting. That is just off the top of my head. Lots more other general surgical things that can unsettle the tummy besides the actual sleeve surgery itself. We should be careful when pointing this out to newbies incase we give them the wrong impression. I had my gallbladder out and suffered shocking nausea and was told straight up it was the removal of the gallbladder part of the surgery that caused that not the sleeve part. Even tho you can get some nausea from the sleeve. the amount I suffered was a result of my gallbladder going and my MS, not my sleeve.

applesauce

I had my gall bladder out and have a neurological condition too and it was a breeze. I was in the shower making myself beautiful about 2 hours after I got back to the ward.

Everyone reacts differently to the same surgery because everyones level of disease is different.

That's great, Portugal Sleeve - glad to hear it.
And I agree - newbies, not everyone throws up at all - in fact, it seems that most don't. Which is why I was so pleased to hear about others who do! LOL
Chris

Nice to meet you too chrisbychic
. I'm seeing my doc next week as well as the nutricionist for a follow up diet guidelines.

I don't think it is the sleeve per se, because my girlfriend knows more than ten people who had gastric bypass and they had the same problem. As to the newbies think of it this way..... you have the chance to save yourself from disease due to excess poundage ... the penalty is that you might be queasy for a month, and throw up - throw up mind you - not retch for 3 hours but simply upchuck for a few weeks ..... mmmm lets balance that out. Not a hard decision for me.

I agree nic the percentage of vomiting is very small and I would hate for people to think it is normal or even a terrible or distressing thing for even the majority of those who have suffered it. I would most defently put mine down 100% to my other medical conditions plus over eating rather than the sleeve. I do think a few to many things get lumped onto the poor old sleeve surgery itself than should. General reaction to an anesethtic can be be nausea and unsettled stomach for several weeks after surgery resulting in general nausea and vomiting. That is just off the top of my head. Lots more other general surgical things that can unsettle the tummy besides the actual sleeve surgery itself. We should be careful when pointing this out to newbies incase we give them the wrong impression. I had my gallbladder out and suffered shocking nausea and was told straight up it was the removal of the gallbladder part of the surgery that caused that not the sleeve part. Even tho you can get some nausea from the sleeve. the amount I suffered was a result of my gallbladder going and my MS, not my sleeve.

applesauce

im so sorry to hear that some of you are having problems with vomiting...not nice
But
I wanted to let everyone know that its not like that for everyone...i had the sleeve done 13 weeks ago and i havent vomited or even felt like vomiting at all...just at times feel a bit too full.
Just thought i would add this in as we dont want to scare any pre-op people.

Nicole

Hi Shanna
Sorry to hear you're still having problems. Has the Nexium helped at all?
I'm glad to hear that you were able to keep down that meal, though!
Yes, it's a new thing to learn, isn't it - throwing out food, I mean.
Chris

Jezzybel- that is exactly the way the food comes up on me. Today I ate 3 mini chicken tenders thrown into the blender with some leftover Chinese restaurant soup broth- the first time I have tried anything more than cottage cheese in about a week... and much to my shock it stayed down!!! LOL It is amazing that now when I eat anything now I expect to upchuck and am surprised when it stays down!!! The acid reflux is a problem- my doctor told me to take Mylanta but I am a little bit at a loss that everyone else has prescription antacids but me.

I will say that I am throwing out a lot more food than I ever did in my whole life. One or two bites of a fudgical - chuck it out. Tried a new brand of lemon ices - too acidic - chuck it out. My refrigerator is filled with things that I tried and can't eat, and my family seems unwilling to oblige me by finishing the leftovers. Very frustrating. But the worst- the absolute worst is trying to take my medications and keep them down. That makes everything else look really, really easy. Just tried them in chocolate ice cream and almost gagged them back up.

Wow! Lots of responses. Its good to know throwing up wont hurt my sleeve. I have woken up feeling worse, so I definatly have a stomach bug, I knew as much, as throwing up just doesnt happen for me. Yuck! I am just drinking powerade atm to get in some electrolites and stay hydrated. My head is killing me.

Yuck

Bee

Hi all
There's some good info here, and it's nice to know I'm not the only one upchucking!
Nice to meet you, Portugal Sleeve - I'm very sorry that you're having so many problems with the reflux, though. Have you talked to your doc about it?
There might be a different medication that would work better for you.
Chris

Hi, I was sleeved on 4/9/08. Before the op, when I would over eat, I would vomit at the drop of a hat and clear the stomach. Since my op I cannot vomit even if I want to. The most that comes up is what is on the top, the excess I have eaten (when I over do it). Sometimes it is frustrating as I want to bring the stuff up, and can't. Anyway, par with the course I guess. I just wish I could get rid of the reflux. I'm on Omeprazole twice a day to try and help. There are some nights I wake up 3 times with acid choking. Other nights I sleep like a baby.

the male of the species can vomit or want to vomit if the food he eats is to tough as in tough red meat. it is very rare now but still on occasion happens. I only get the sensation when over full and I had this before surgery as well. I could vomit at the drop of a hat before surgery and that has not changed since. I prefer things to come back up rather than stay down and me feel ikky. My mother says I was born that way and could vomit then eat a meal 2 minutes later from a tiny age *LOL* I just feel over stuffed and it is a horrible feeling and i let myself be sick it easily just comes back up. It is very rare now as I know the signals of being full. It did take a while tho as I of course did push the point to start with. There is no real pain associated with the need to vomit and my tummy has been left a tad sore only once or twice but on both occasions I was unwell sick rather than over eating sick. I am actually unwell sick at the moment not vomiting at all but have a very painful tummy and even tho I have a house full of showbag goodies just can not face anything really I had a nibble of chocolate and it did nothing for me and I thought maybe something savory so tried some kettle chips and they where just vile it was like eating grease. I am use to samboy crinkle cut chips now and can handle a small bag of them no problems but those thin cut chips seem soaked in oil gross gross. I put my hand up to being a fussy cow these days and can physically gag if food I do not want is put under my nose. Yes not a good example to my kids I know. BUT then I am vegtable crazy and just can not get enough of chargrilled veggies so it is not good food I turn my nose up at. Okay I have so gone off track here hehehehehe

applesauce

Like some of the others, I found that whet I
a) ate something that was hard to digest, or
b) ate something just a bit too rich (lots of butter), or
c) ate too fast (most common for me), or
d) didn't chew thoroughly, or
e) had to get that one last bite in (second most comment for me), or
f) took in too little water or fluids prior to the meal

I can count on getting that feeling at the top of my stomach (not acid reflux and nothing like I've felt prior to the surgery) and having that item in there come back up and out. I haven't had the gut-wrenching stomach emptying event occur, just a mild reflux. About 10-15 minutes later, I feel somewhat better.

IMO, I've looked at these as "reminders" that I'm not the way I used to be and need to continue to refocus on what I've been learned to date and listen to my body.

Hope this helps.

It definatly wasnt a blockage or anything. I think I have a tummy bug, it doesnt feel to good down there

Oh, hey, I must be the queen of throwing up since the sleeve!
I started throwing up from the drugs in the hospital, and it hasn't done me any damage - but I don't recommend that anyone does it, if they have a choice!
And it's usually the gut-wrenching variety, and it's almost always a blockage. And blockages tend to happen, as Jezzy said, with new foods. Also if I eat too fast, or don't chew well enough. And sometimes for no apparent reason. Glad to hear I'm not alone, Jezzy, but sorry you're doing it too!
The times that it's not blocked, it's easy - and it's usually just that I've eaten a smidge too much, but that hardly ever happens.
You are not alone!
Oh, and yes, my tummy is usually sore afterwards. And I also usually give it time to heal, and just have light mushies or even just liquids for a day or two afterwards. Trial and error has shown me that it gets better faster this way.
Chris

Thanks for the reply Jezzebel,

I didnt have pain or anything, I hadnt even eaten that much, it was just an over whelming feeling that I was going to be sick, just like if you have a bug, it was all heaving. But now my stomach is sore, I know I wouldnt do any damage, as it is well and truley healed, I guess that was just my first fear. I basically never throw up the last time would of been....god I would of been a teenager, although i did throw up when I had the lapband, it was a different type, I know that doesnt make sense, but its true. I have felt 'off' the last few days, and havent really eaten anything at all, so maybe I do just have a bug. As long as it doesnt do any damage to my new tummy

Hopefully yours calms down soon...

Bee

Hey Bee,
I've had this issue a lot since my sleeve, and unfortunately it's still happening 3 months out. Most of the time when it happens, it's with a newly introduced, or 'difficult' food (think steak, bread, etc.), but sometimes it does seem completely random. It's most often a case of I feel like there's a painful blockage in my chest and (tmi, sorry) I lean over the toilet and it essentially just kinda slides out (really sorry, gross I know). Maybe half a dozen times though, it's been real, gut-wrenching, bringing-up-bile and over-the-toilet-for-+1 hour vomiting. I mentioned it to my surgeon last time I saw him (maybe 6 weeks ago), and he just said to chew thoroughly, and take my time - didn't seem too worried about it. It's definitely happening less often now, but still too often for my liking... I used to be someone who threw up once every 5 years. It's like my stomach is just hyper-sensitive post surgery.