Post Op Week 1 And Hungry, But Not Head Hungry!

[IwantTHATshu 5]

Hi everyone! I Had my surgery one week ago today! so far weight loss has been slow for me which is really irritating me as is, but now I am constantly feeling hungry! I know I'm not getting the amount of protien I should be getting in....so maybe that's why? All i know is it is more then head hunger because this that wakes you up in the middle of the night in pain, kind of hunger. Anyone else with either issues? slow weightloss the first week or feeling hungry already? I feel like I get plenty of liquids in, but nothings filling me.

almost wondering if they even took my stomach out! ha-ha.

[Looking Ahead 239]

I had alot of times on week one and two I thought I was hungry when in fact I was thirsty. Once I drank something, it went away. I also missed the "chewing" of food. I went to the tropical snow and bought an ice only and that helped. It was missing my "normal". Hope this helps. Im on week 4 and still not getting in my Protein. Having trouble stomaching the shakes anymore and the Isopure drinks are horrible to me. Tried the bullets of protein and they leave a nasty taste in my mouth. Going back to the dr tomorrow for checkup. Hopeful he has a suggestion. Dealing with diarrhea now since last Friday. Still learning how to live with the sleeve.

[Hauora 2]

Hi, I'm two and half weeks post op. I have lots of those hunger like pains at night. Its quite intense like I am ravishing or something. I am not 100% sure but I was reading up about it and it seems that it might be the stomach acid churning up. I take a Prilosec capsule in the morning and am going to try to also take one before dinner to see if that helps. Will let you know.

[jason 12]

Congrats first off. I got my sleeve a week ago as well. I can definetly say. That I'm not sleeping good now either. I wake up a lot. Could be the large incision ( which hurts ). I am getting all my Protein and Water. But I feel hungery in the afternoon all the way through bed time. I still don't know what FULL is I haven't tested that therory I don't want to mess up my sleeve. I read yesterday that it could take a couple weeks to get over the feeling of hunger, don't know if this is true. Protein time. Gotta run.

[clk 3,519]

If you're not on a PPI, that's your culprit right there. You need Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix daily to control the production of acid. A stomach bubbling with acid feels exactly the same way as a growling, hungry stomach.

You also still have grehlin in your system for a while post op, so you could still be feeling the hunger hormones.

Everyone loses at a different pace. I thought I'd come home from Mexico and be down a bunch of weight already but I was up on the scale. I lost all of my first month's weight in the last ten days of the month.

Relax. Let your body heal. Take a PPI. Sip liquids and stay hydrated. You'll know just how sleeved you are when you try to move onto soft foods!

Congrats on your new sleeve,

~Cheri

[LLuce 34]

I am going into my 4th week (my surgery was 6/27) I felt the exact same way as you. I was very frustrated that I felt hungry and began to wonder if they didn't take enough of my stomach out. But cheri is right when you start the soft food diet you will know that you've been sleeved. Just yesterday I had to force myself to eat so I could get all my Protein in. I am not hungry like I was in the beginning. I have lost 11 lbs since the day of surgery. I feel like that isn't as much as I thought I would lose but I am not letting that discourage me b/c I know it will come off it has to I am only eating 500-700 calories a day. Try not to be discouraged it will all work out give it another week or 2 you will feel better. By the way I read a lot of cheri's post and she has a lot of good advice. Take Care

[jason 12]

I just pulled out all my info from the dr. Then went to Walmart in search of a better acid reducer. Well I'll wait untill the pharmacy opens:(. I think it is my acid acting up. I've never had it in my life. So I guess I didn't know how it felt( acid reflux).

Other than that I'm down 21lbs in 8days

[clk 3,519]

Just yesterday I had to force myself to eat so I could get all my Protein in.

Thanks for the compliment. And try not to worry too much about Protein. You're ahead of the game just trying to get it in. I was so stressed about this in the beginning and really drove myself nuts because I just couldn't hit my goals. It made me actually hate food and eating...which is completely bizarre for someone whose favorite thing to do was eat! You're making good progress so far, keep it up!

I just pulled out all my info from the dr. Then went to Walmart in search of a better acid reducer. Well I'll wait untill the pharmacy opens:(. I think it is my acid acting up. I've never had it in my life. So I guess I didn't know how it felt( acid reflux).Other than that I'm down 21lbs in 8days

It's so unfair that boys lose faster than girls! Yes, some omeprazole will make you feel better. If it doesn't kick in right away, a Tums smoothie - the ones that disintegrate into fine powder quickly - will take the edge off the acid until it does kick in. I had NO idea that reflux was what I was experiencing. As soon as the Nexium my doc gave me ran out, I stopped taking a PPI and I learned this lesson the hard way. I was miserable until I found something to control the problem, so this is always the first thing I suggest to people that exhibit similar symptoms.

Good luck to all of you newbies! Congrats on your sleeves, and thanks for being active in the forums helping each other out. I didn't post very much in the beginning and wish I had been more active.

~Cheri

[CdnExpat 49]

One of the questions I had for my doctor was about feelings of hunger - I had read that in the current version of the VSG, the fundus is removed in its entirety, thereby eliminating "hunger pangs." I've had chronic feelings of hunger, but mentally (and sometimes physically) gag at the thought of eating. The doctor informed me that though this is the norm, some people still experience a sensation of hunger. I'm one of them. He suggested that I use the sensation to remind me to sip Water constantly. This is what I've done, and I'm working (12 weeks out) into making it a habit. But the hunger sensation is real, not acid induced (I'm on a PPI and have been since surgery), and just something I have to deal with. The shrinking number on the scale is great incentive to think 'water' when my stomach acts like my throat's been cut.

Hang in there. As the others have pointed out, there could be a variety of reasons why you feel hungry, and with time and experimenting, you'll figure out what's up and adjust.

[IwantTHATshu 5]

I would have never thought it was stomach acid! I will have to try taking something for refulx and see if it gets any better. I'm actually going to my first post op appointment this afternoon so I will ask him about that as well. Hopefully he gives me more then "well yea, that happens sometimes but it will go away eventually"...that has been his answer for a lot of things, ha.

Thanks everyone for the speedy responses!! and congrats to all the new sleevers as well

[deb_fox 42]

I was sleeved on 6/11/12. My Doctor gave me a prescription for Prilosec to fill before I went in for the surgery so that it was at home waiting for me. He has all of his patients take it for 6 months after surgery. I never had reflux in my life, but I don't want to take chances, so I open the capsule everyday and add it to my crushed medications and I eat away with my yogurt or applesauce. By the way, my Doctor also says I have to crush pills for 4 months This makes me gag when I eat it.

[IwantTHATshu 5]

oh god! I have been trying to crush my pills but I have no idea if I even supposed to. When I asked my doctor if I should be taking my medications he just said yes take your medications, but said nothing about crushing them. I have been doing it as a just in case.

Hopefully I can get more answers today, because I felt a bit rushed out of the hospital and I was still kinda loopy and of course I didnt have any questions besides "when will this stop hurting".

[emptynesterpam 13]

oh god! I have been trying to crush my pills but I have no idea if I even supposed to. When I asked my doctor if I should be taking my medications he just said yes take your medications' date=' but said nothing about crushing them. I have been doing it as a just in case.

Hopefully I can get more answers today, because I felt a bit rushed out of the hospital and I was still kinda loopy and of course I didnt have any questions besides "when will this stop hurting".[/quote']

I am 2.5 weeks out and have taken all of my of my pills whole, and have not had any problems.

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[swizzly 901]

I always took all my pills whole, after the first week (in hospital they gave me soluble ones).

I've never lost my hunger from this surgery, and I've been on a PPI the whole time as well. It's not acid, it's not head hunger, it's just plain old hunger -- ie, my appetite. It's fine, though, cos this is still totally do-able even if you do have an appetite!! I have actually found it helpful so that I keep my calories up above 1000 (early out -- now it's more like 1500-2000 per day).

[SlimShadyinLV 7]

I was sleeved on 6/11/12. My Doctor gave me a prescription for Prilosec to fill before I went in for the surgery so that it was at home waiting for me. He has all of his patients take it for 6 months after surgery. I never had reflux in my life' date=' but I don't want to take chances, so I open the capsule everyday and add it to my crushed medications and I eat away with my yogurt or applesauce. By the way, my Doctor also says I have to crush pills for 4 months This makes me gag when I eat it.[/quote']

I had the worst time with my crushed polls until I decided to put V8 with the crushed powder. The Tomato and veggies really help mask the taste. For me it was the answer.