Struggling :(

[JillianMarie 0]

I got sleeved on the 17th and have been having a lot of trouble getting things down. Every sip of Water, juice, Protein Shake, etc.. that i take, i hear gurgles and growles and every swallow feels like a ton of bricks in my stomach. I am having a really hard time staying hydrated because i can't get in enough liquids going this slowly, even if i sip all day. Also, after only a few bites of yogurt or Jello, occasionally it will just hit me and i get nauseated and get the case of the "foamies". Last night i had a couple sugar free fudgecicles, slowly, and yogurt before bed, and woke up at 3am and dry heeved 3 times. Nothing actually came up, but it felt like knives in my stomach and that something needed to come out. Also, my mouth occasionally starts watering and i feel nauseous for no reason at all. Gum makes my mouth produce too much saliva, and hard candies. I have been going slowly and taking very small bites, I feel like i am running on empty because i can't seem to get in more than 300 calories a day and i have absolutely no energy. After i eat anything it tends to go straight through me. I researched "dumping syndrome" and i seem to get those symptoms although i got the sleeve instead of gastric bypass. I am also so paranoid that eating will make me vomit, that i almost want to just push through the hunger and extreme fatigue and go completely empty instead of risking another case of the foamies.This is really discouraging. So far, i've been dropping weight fast, which is great, but i don't want to put myself into starvation mode and i can already feel it happening to my body. I know that i am only a week out since surgery, but right now i feel like i wont be able to ever eat solid foods again. :thumbup: I need some encouraging words please! Has anyone experienced this?

[Tiffykins 673]

It happens to a lot of us. Extreme swelling is pretty common. Have you tried warm liquids like broth or warm Decaf tea? Those always worked better for me.

The nausea is a common occurrence as well, but if it persists I would recommend calling your PCP or surgeon and getting an anti-emetic prescription. Zofran worked great for me when I had extreme nausea related to being on heavy-duty antibiotics.

If you get dehydrated, it can actually intensify the nausea. You may have to get iv fluids. You could also try some Gatorade or Pedialyte to help replenish the electrolytes.

If you are drinking milk products, a lot of sleeve patients experience lactose intolerance. I couldn't drink milk at all post-op for several months. From everything I've read when people describe these "dumping episodes", I always see a connection that these episodes follow heavy dairy product like ice cream, and other heavy milk product choices.

Be careful, and if you need to seek medical attention please don't wait.

[seaview 2]

You may want to try warm liquids..they are easier on the stomach...tea or chicken broth...you may have acid in your stomach which is making it unhappy...are you taking an antacid?..you may have lactose intolerance which i got after surgery and got sick when i had milk or milk products...also

you may just be experiencing nausea...in which case your doctor should give you and antinausea med for that....so I would try warm liquids...the foam stuff is just nausea...you'll be ok...but do talk to your doc...at 17 days you should be getting your Protein and liquid in fairly easily so you need to consult with him...good luck...seaview

[Lee 19]

I'm so sorry you're not feeling well. At your stage I was just moving to full liquids. I don't think I would have kept down yogurt yet. I discovered that I was reacting to the whey in Protein shakes from day 5 to day 10 and had violent runs. I moved to Protein Shakes without lactose and it started to get better.

I had the gurgly sleeve for a long time. When I saw my surgeon on Friday he gave me a liquid called Carafate that is generally given to RNY patients. I'm using it 4x a day and it's soothing my stomach so that things stay down better.

Can you drink broth for a day to soothe your Sleeve? Try popsicles, not fudgecicles to suck on. Each popcicle is 2 oz of fluids.

You'll get to solid foods but it's still really early out. Be easy on yourself and just try to get hydrated. food will come. I was eating less than 250 calories a day until two weeks out. I promise it will be fine. It's very normal to be low energy after surgery.

Feel better!

[JillianMarie 0]

thank you to those who have replied. broth does seem to help, when i sip it it seems to go down easier and with less gurgling than cold drinks. It seems to sooth the most. I am worried about not getting any nutrition in though at this point. My hair is falling out and i can't get my Protein in. What is the easiest way to get in protein requirements without upsetting the tummy at this point?

[Tiffykins 673]

Find a soy Protein if you can that is lactose free, and mix it with Water.

Protein is not going to keep your hair from falling out, but it will help with your energy level. Unfortunately, it's going to happen due to your extremely low weight, and the traumatic surgery your body just endured. The lack of nutrition at this point is pretty common and only getting in 300-400 calories is pretty normal for the first couple of weeks. The big difference between the majority of sleeve patients, and your case, is that you only had 30lbs to lose, where most of us have/had 100+ pounds to lose so we had more fat stores for energy to be burned, and get us through those first couple of weeks.

[lmmore 0]

Everyone has given you good advice. Try to get the liquids and liquid proteinds down. hopfully you are on Prilosec or something. That will help your hunger and any antacid. Try walking. I hope you feel better.

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

Maybe you should get a prescription for some nausea medication. There are a lot of people who had to be on it at first. You will get dehydrated if you don't take in enough liquid, so speak to your doctor about a prescription.

[deletedsally 8]

Hi Jillian,

Sorry to hear that you are having some problems. The first week was rough for me too. I took Zophran every 8 hours for the first few days, then was able to cut back to taking it only at bedtime. When I tried to discontinue the Zophran at 1 week, I still had nausea, so I reduced it to 1/2 tab at bedtime. I continued taking the 1/2 tab at bedtime for about 3-4 weeks because if I skipped it I woke up feeling lousy during the night.

As far as the protein: I could not tolerate any shakes that were thick or sweet tasting. I ordered the unflavored powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury. It is whey Protein, but it is pure whey Protein isolate. This is much easier to digest than anything that contains whey protein concentrate, and it contains no lactose. When I needed more calories right after surgery because of limited intake, I mixed it with 1/2 Water, 1/2 fruit juice. (Then I switched to Water with crystal light pure fitness--no artificial sweetners).

If you do an internet search on protein supplements and diarrhea, you will find that body builders using protein often have diarrhea as well. I had severe (and I mean explosive) diarrhea during the preop phase until I switched to the Unjury). I still had some diarrhea for about the first week after surgery--but I have had that almost anytime I have gone from a regular diet to low carb, because cutting back on carbs causes most people to eliminate water. Diarrhea can be one of the ways that our body gets rid of Fluid.

My mouth was unusually "dry" and had a bad taste for about a week after surgery. Sometimes you are given medications during surgery to dry secretions, and those can have a lingering effect, so having a dry mouth would not be the best way to watch for signs of dehydration. If your urine output is greatly reduced or it becomes dark in color, you need to head to the ER for some IV fluids. If you are still seeing the boyfriend that is in the medical profession, he should be able to help you monitor your skin for other signs of dehydrations as well.

I was told to stay with Clear Liquids for 4 days after surgery. The next 4 weeks were full liquids only, and I was told that nothing should be thicker than yogurt and should have no small pieces. If your stomach isn't tolerating things that are thicker, then you go back to clears.

As far as the fudgecicles--you said you had "a couple" plus yogurt before bed. That sounds like too much food over a short period of time for the first week--or even the first month. I could only tolerate about 2 oz at one time every 4 hours. Also, did the yogurt have any fruit in it?

Another thing to consider is that Splenda/sucralose can cause severe GI problems. I did not use it at all after my surgery because I learned several years ago that it caused me to have nausea and stomach cramps. Do an internet search on "sucralose toxicity" and this will give you more information.

I don't think you have dumping syndrome, but you need to advance your diet very slowly and concentrate on getting fluids and some form of protein that you can digest.

Take care. It does get easier.

[LAN2k 18]

Another thing to consider is that Splenda/sucralose can cause severe GI problems. I did not use it at all after my surgery because I learned several years ago that it caused me to have nausea and stomach cramps. Do an internet search on "sucralose toxicity" and this will give you more information.

I'm with you Katt. I too did research only a couple of months after "Splenda" hit the market. After researching, I threw out the multiple box stock I had..and never touched the stuff or any product that contains sucralose, again. Ditto for aspartame! http://articles.mercola.com/sites/directory/Aspartame/default.aspx

Jillianmarie, It's rough going the first few weeks out for many of us. Take it slow and be patient. From the responses I've read here, you have some very sound advise. Stay connected for support and best wishes.

Edited May 24, 2010 by LAN2k

[lil.ole.me 0]

Please get in Protein in which ever way you can, I am six weeks out and am still experiencing the things you mentioned BECAUSE I am not getting in enough protein. I was severly dehydrated last week and the doc sent me to the ER for IV's. The more protein the better you feel.

[ouroborous 519]

Focus on Water, Protein, and Vitamins. If you can get those under control, everything else will be okay. You can live for a good two to three weeks without consuming a single calorie, as long as you're not dehydrated. For an obese person like me, probably longer.

Not saying that you WANT to do this, I'm just trying to help you settle your mind. If you have to, take tiny, tiny sips of Water from a 1oz medicine cup. Whatever you need to do. Just focus on water and Vitamins and Protein (probably in that order).

Of course, your doctor should be your primary contact, but still -- you'll be okay. It's rough at first, but it gets better!

[ouroborous 519]

Also -- Tiffykins and I disagree vigorously on this, but... you absolutely can get dumping with the sleeve. It's caused by something different (fast transit time), but the effect is the same.

My surgeon specifically told me that a percentage of sleevers get dumping syndrome, and I trust him. Ask your doctor!

[zebrajeans 0]

Unless you were on liquids for quite a while before surgery, you are not losing your hair due to lack of Protein. You are probably losing it due to the anestesia. I thank God that I don't have that problem, but the good news is it is temporary. Rogaine really works. My hair spontaneously falls out when I am really stressed (alopecia) so I have been there. Hair will grow back, don't worry. The fat will never come back. I went thru the whole dehydration thing too. Check with your dr. , but this sucky stage will pass, and you finally will be able to get enough fluids in.

[ouroborous 519]

Rogaine should only work for androgenic alopecia (too much of a testosterone byproduct called DHT). It's rare that it should work for women at all (except for some with hormonal imbalances). I would doubt that it would be effective on telogen effluvium (the post-operative hair loss that's so common) at all.

But who knows, if it helps you, great!