HELP! Sight/smell of food makes me sick! What can I do?

[gottaloozit 27]

I am now 7 months post-op and I have a real problem - I can't eat. The sight and/or smell of food just makes me sick and almost nothing sounds appetizing. I THINK I want to eat but when I start, I get nauseated and have to stop and push it away. I'm wondering if it has to do with my very recent complication:

Last Monday at the end of work I started having a bad pain right in the middle of my front side, just below my sternum. I left work and when I got home I took a Zantac and soon the pain went away. Then during the middle of the same night, the pain came back but worse and lasted longer. I took Advil and a muscle relaxer, and finally the pain went away.

Tuesday I went to work and by mid-afternoon, I was freezing cold and shivering to the point where I had to go outside where it was warm to try to stop the shivers. That didn't work, and since I was aching too, I knew I had fever. I figured I was coming down with something so I went home.

When I got home, I peed and my urine was a very dark red-orange. I called my sister and she INSISTED that I call an ambulance and go to the emergency room. After a lot of her nagging I finally agreed and called an ambulance. When I got to the hospital, they did a urinalysis and drew blood. My fever was about 100.8. My urine was glowing yellow at this point.

The doctor ordered an xray of my midsection, and a cat scan and an ultrasound. When he got the blood results back, it turned out that my liver enzymes were off the chart and another liver function substance - bilirubin - was very high (this is what causes jaundice and turns people yellow). By this time my fever was 103 and I was miserable. The doctor ordered more blood work, this time they drew blood cultures. They admitted me shortly thereafter.

Here is the long story short: I had a severely inflamed, infected gallbladder that was chock full of stones. One or more of the stones had entered the bile duct and blocked the bile from being able to be released from the liver so the liver got involved. They did not know if the stone was still in the duct or not. Two doctors, a Gastroenterologist and a Surgeon discussed the options and decided to perform surgery to remove my gallbladder and check for the presence of a stone in the duct work and remove it. They decided to do the surgery Thursday morning.

In the meantime, it turned out that my blood cultures came back positive - I had a Staph infection in my bloodstream. They started me on killer antibiotics because at that point they didn't know if it was the bad staph (MRSA) or the normal staph infection. All antibiotics were administered through my IV. After the surgery my liver enzymes and bilirubin levels had begun to fall. They found out on Saturday that I had the "good" staph which was being killed by the killer antibiotics I had been getting. They released me Saturday afternoon.

I know it hasn't been long, but all of the rest of Saturday and all day today I have not been able to eat. I think I want something, but nothing sounds really appetizing. If I go to a restaurant, the sight and smell of the food just makes me sick. I was having some of this same kind of reaction to food prior to the gallbladder episode as well. In fact, all I have to do is think about food and my stomach turns.

How can I make this go away????

[VSGKasey 34]

I am so sorry to hear of your recent troubles! I would say go back to the basics, clean light food or just liquids for a few days, but call your surgeon and let him know what's going on. Best of luck to you!!!

[LouiseC 1,031]

It is normal to feel nauseous after what you have been through. Give it time, you are healing after a very difficult and traumatic experience. Your appetite will come back as you get better.

[LouiseC 1,031]

Oh I just realised you were struggling ore hall bladder as well.

I go through stages like this where nothing appeals. Sometimes even the sight of other people eating makes me feel ill. Once a waiter misunderstood that I wanted an appetiser for a main course and gave me the full size meal instead. The sight of the meal was just overwhelming and I could barely eat a bite.

I have learnt to not let it bother me. Sometimes I just can't eat and I am okay with that. When it happens I try and go back on the boring old Protein drinks as a way of ensuring I am getting something in.

[FeeIsMe2 508]

Yikes, I'm sorry that you have been so sick. Maybe the killer antibiotics, could still be affecting your appetite. Sometimes that can effect how things smell,, taste and can definitely make you nauseous. Give it a little more time....

[Arts137 1,811]

Haveing had my GB out in the bad old (open surgery) days, I guessed gallbladder by your second paragraph. After you heal, the GB surgery should not affect your relationship with food. (I guess you are going to have the GB removed?). Till then the GB reacts to any fat that you eat...

The use of antibiotics can cause altered taste due to changes in perception of the taste buds. This can occur with many antibiotics. Also using so many antibiotics might open you up to developing yeast or fungal infections in the mouth which too can alter the taste. in addition, sometimes many drugs can cause reflux leading to altered taste in the mouth. BUT you need to finish the antibiotics and talk to your MD.

It's yucky now, but this too shall pass...