Hungry Gastric Sleevers!

[sleevesearch 14]

There have been a few posts lately talking about hunger, and the majority you hear about are the sleevers that never feel hungry anymore.

Well there seems to be some of us that are HUNGRY. My personal frustration with my hunger is that I feel it all the time, even after I eat and I know my belly is full and I don't want to put any more food in it, that hunger, empty feeling is still there.

I have been chewing on gaviscon or tums which helps alittle (like maybe an hour), but it always comes back.

I do take my PPI twice a day, but that is of little help.

I would like to know if there are any veteran sleevers out there that have been through this hunger thing and seen it go away. I want someone to tell me that this will go away at some point.

Let's use this thread to help each other with what we learn, and maybe find a solution?!?

[thinoneday 445]

There have been a few posts lately talking about hunger, and the majority you hear about are the sleevers that never feel hungry anymore.

Well there seems to be some of us that are HUNGRY. My personal frustration with my hunger is that I feel it all the time, even after I eat and I know my belly is full and I don't want to put any more food in it, that hunger, empty feeling is still there.

I have been chewing on gaviscon or tums which helps alittle (like maybe an hour), but it always comes back.

I do take my PPI twice a day, but that is of little help.

I would like to know if there are any veteran sleevers out there that have been through this hunger thing and seen it go away. I want someone to tell me that this will go away at some point.

Let's use this thread to help each other with what we learn, and maybe find a solution?!?

Ugh, I know where your coming from! I'm out 1 year now and still have the hunger thing! It's so irratating. . but the best thing to do (at least this is what I do) is fight it. . i will not let my stomach control me anymore. I am a control freak and I WILL CONTROL WHAT GOES IN. . . I fight it every day. . . if i know i've just eaten, I drink stuff, diet cokes, Water, crystal light, etc. . . it will NOT control me anymore! I will control it! Good luck

[sleevesearch 14]

Here is some helpful info shared on another post:

I may have some information that might be helpful to those like me with hunger pangs that won't resolve. I bought a book about the gastric sleeve, recently, so I decided to send the author an email. I was stunned to see him respond to me in only a matter of minutes. I asked him if I could share the information and he heartily agreed ... Here is the reply that he sent to me regarding my specific situation ...

... I've see this situation multiple times so don't think this is only you. They way to deal with is to do 5 or 6 small meals a day and add Gaviscon chewable tablets to your Protonix as you are taking it right now. What seems to happen is that there is a "rebound" of acid production once the sleeve is done. This will get normal but after some months so be patient. I hope this helps and let me know how this goes. I wish you the best on this 2011. Congratulations on your Sleeve. Have patience.

On my way to the drugstore with my fingers crossed

LowCHO

http://www.lowCHO.com

VSG 11/02/10

First 20 lb. loss was pre-op

[chilo1 62]

I still get hungry, not as much as presurgery, but i guess sometimes it is just headhunger. The good thing is that I do get full (physically and mentally) when I eat a small amount of something so I do eat small amounts but at least 6 times a day just like the guy of that book recommended. I try not to make a big deal of my hunger, or else I know that it will turn into an obsession as it used to be, so if I'm hungry I eat, a piece of cheese, chicken or some kind of Protein

[LittleSteve 4]

Yep, Hungry every 2-3 hrs. Is this a bad thing? I think not in the long term. I Have to be careful what I keep in my cupboards and weight loss dose tend to be slower but I like looking forward to having my small meals.

[pumpkin07 32]

I love to graze. Weekends are the worst when I am at home. I eat a lot of sunflower seeds or any kind of munchy. At mealtime I don't overeat but it isn't long and Im just munchy. I figure it balances out, bc there are days I cannot eat as much. It is when my sleeve is most relaxed that I'm munchy. If I'm tense I have trouble eating a lot and forget to chew well enough. The other night I took too many big bites at a party and it was like all my food was up high and I was not satiated.

I like to eat in a relaxed state. I hate when people argue during a meal or when there is some kind of problem. My husband and son argued tonight at Chinese food and I was so pissed. Ruins my whole enjoyment of my food.

[meangene 1]

I experience the hunger described in the initial post - I am hungry all of the time. I rarely get a reprieve from the annoying messages of "feed me now!" from my stomach. As suggested, I haven't gone the Gavison route, which I intend to do. I'm still very jealous of my wife, who was sleeved 2.5 weeks before me, because she doesn't feel hungry. It's a total distraction because it's far more overpowering than the hunger I felt pre-op. For example, for lunch today, I ate a 4 ounce steak and grilled vegatables; plenty to fill up my sleeve. Within minutes, the growling and starving feeling came back. The word is "sucks" and it's slowly becoming an awful experience.

[sleevesearch 14]

Meangene,

I think you will benefit from the gaviscon chewables. I use those, as well as tums (my store is out of gaviscon). And I do get relief for a short time (any relief is welcome). There are times I just plain forget about taking my tums because I have a hard time relating my hunger to an acid reducer.

But I am trying to be more diligent with it, as I do get some results from it.

Let us know how it works for you!

[HetKF 33]

OK......I am having the same problem. Hungry every 2-3 hours. I am already on sub-lingual prevacid so why would adding Gaviscon help your hunger??? I would also love to know the name of that book too.

[sleevesearch 14]

am already on sub-lingual prevacid so why would adding Gaviscon help your hunger???

Hi HetKF,

My understanding is that prevacid is a PPI which is an acid preventer, meaning it is supposed to prevent over acid production (which for us hungry sleevers, doesn't seem to be working). And gaviscon is an acid reducer, meaning it reduces the acids that are in your tummy right now, that why we feel relief almost immediately.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

Well, I can't say my hunger has been reduced 100% like so many sleevers here... and they truly are very lucky!! I can say though that my hunger has been reduced greatly - say maybe 65-70%. I honestly thought I'd never ever feel hunger, and boy was I mistaken!!

My stomach does growl and grow hungry if I haven't eaten in about 5-6 hours. I have never been able to go an entire day and "forget to eat"... I'll only "forget to eat" a few hours past meal time, then I'll remember because my tummy gets idle hands. The only time I could go the whole day without hunger is right after surgery. I was never hungry then, and even was turned off by the very sight of food. It's no wonder I lost so fast then, as compared to now.

I get head hunger REALLY bad though. Especially in anticipation of TOM. I guess that's pretty normal though.

I guess I really don't have anything else to add, and certainly no suggestions. I personally believe I've found the best PPI that is working well enough for me. I don't even really need the acid reducer tablets. I figure if I'm hungry after 5 hours, then by golly I SHOULD eat. However if it were only right after eating or even an hour, I'd definitely consider it.

Hugs all around!

[HetKF 33]

Hi HetKF,

My understanding is that prevacid is a PPI which is an acid preventer, meaning it is supposed to prevent over acid production (which for us hungry sleevers, doesn't seem to be working). And gaviscon is an acid reducer, meaning it reduces the acids that are in your tummy right now, that why we feel relief almost immediately.

Interesting....this is the first I have herd of this. Scenario: say I eat and in 2-2.5 hrs I am growling again...but it's time for my Protein...... I'm OK for a good maybe 2 hours again then the same thing happens...is this when I take Gaviscon?? OR am I misunderstanding?

[sleevesearch 14]

Interesting....this is the first I have herd of this. Scenario: say I eat and in 2-2.5 hrs I am growling again...but it's time for my Protein...... I'm OK for a good maybe 2 hours again then the same thing happens...is this when I take Gaviscon?? OR am I misunderstanding?

Well, my advice would be to take the gaviscon when you get hungry but you don't think its time for you to be hungry.

In my situation, I've been taking it within about an hour after eating (sometimes in 30 min). It's weird, there are times when I can still feel all the food is in my stomach and yet I get hunger pangs. The gaviscon/tums settles it all down. Alot of times my liquids cause the hunger to come on strong, gaviscon helps then as well.

Let us know how it works for you.

[HetKF 33]

I really appreciate the advice I went and bought some yesterday. We'll see what happens! I'm hoping my Doc. is right that this is only a 3-4 month thing initially with the acid issues. He said not everyone has it...Lucky us!!!!

[Cheri B 1]

OK......I am having the same problem. Hungry every 2-3 hours. I am already on sub-lingual prevacid so why would adding Gaviscon help your hunger??? I would also love to know the name of that book too.

The name of the Book is "Successful Weight Loss With The Gastric Sleeve" by Dr. Guillermo Alvarez. I found the book very informative.