Hi everyone,

Lately I have been feeling like I have trapped gas for over a week. My doctor prescribed Prevacid 30mg, today is day three on it and no change. So last night I use an old remedy of baking powder and warm Water. I felt okay for a few minutes, then it was back. Today I called the doctor again and ask the receptionist I could drink a little bit of diet coke to relieve the gas and Dr. Madan must have over heard her talking to me and said NO. He thinks some food is stuck, so he told me to go home and get some meat tenderizer and water (warm?) and drink it. He said it is not the best as far as taste goes (ya think?), but it will help break up any food that could be stuck. So I'm gonna try it tonight. Have anyone else heard of this "remedy"?

Be BLESSED!

Sheila:help:

I have never heard of meat tenderizer. I do the coke when I do get stuck. My surgeon has told me not to make it a habit. But the belch after I drink it ALWAYS works for me. I would cringe at meat tenderizer...ugh...

Good luck dear! :mad:

I have never heard of meat tenderizer. I do the coke when I do get stuck. My surgeon has told me not to make it a habit. But the belch after I drink it ALWAYS works for me. I would cringe at meat tenderizer...ugh...

Good luck dear! :mad:

I know it!! Someone replied to my post on the january bandsters page and here's what she found out. Thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Sunshine2

I'm reading my doctor's food brochure right now, here is what they say on food getting stuck:

1) Try relaxing and take deep breaths

2) Walking around will help also

If it has not pass after a few minutes, use the following to help:

Mix 1/2 teaspoon of meat tenderizer, 1 oz Water, and 1 tsp lemon juice, mix well and sip.

This will assist in reductin the size of the object and should clear the opening.

So, there you have it, a remedy for stuck food.

Well good luck. I could never do it, lol...I gag too much! I hope it works for you. Let me know how it goes!

I also heard of using enzymes from a health food store to disolve the food or pineapple juice.

Here's a post from Mark (marjon9) about papaya enzyme tablets:

I just wanted to pass along my experience with this item.

I've been banded for almost a month and I've been having an awful time with too much restriction. Much of the time I have not been able to eat anything solid at all, even mushies have been too much. At least 2/3 of the time I've tried to eat anything beyond liquids, I've participated the ritual we all know and love, the PB. I've been PBing almost every day for a while, which is really not good, especially so soon after surgery. This has been quite a concern to me.

So, I've spent some time here on the forum looking for how to avoid PBs. It seems that holding your breath works for a lot of people. It does nothing at all for me. I've seen talk of pineapple juice and meat tenderizer. I'll try the pineapple juice. I'm not too keen on tenderizing my innerds if I can avoid it. I've also seen mention of papaya enzyme. I was quite skeptical about it, to be honest, but I thought I'd give it a try.

So yesterday I went to the health food store and bought some papaya enzyme tablets. I ate a few bites of pot roast, very tender, chewed to smithereens, swallowed it. And, of course, as usual I got stuck. The golf ball came next. Hiccups were not far behind. And I knew that the slime was hearing the call to duty. A PB was minutes away.

So, I opened my little bottle of papaya enzyme. They are sweet tasting chalky little things that dissolve quickly in the mouth. Nothing unpleasant about them.

Almost immediately the golf ball started to subside. Within about a minute I was unstuck. This is the first time since I've been banded that I experienced a golf ball that did not lead to a PB. I was impressed.

I tried it again today and it worked again. Not only that, I've been able to eat some solid items without getting stuck at all.

So, I don't really understand how any of this works. I don't know if it will continue to work. But the papaya enzyme has had a remarkable effect on me so far. I'm pretty happy about it. I feel like I can finally start to eat food again.

Besides that, my port incision has healed nicely now. I feel like I am finally a living, breathing bandster, instead of a person recovering from surgery. :clap2:

Basically, the enzymes are digesting the food in to smaller pieces for you

Anything thats low enough in pH will also break down the food, coke works b/c of the acid in the soda

Honestly, I think sticking with teh enzymes will be best..I think meat tenderizer will only break teh bonds on teh top of the food, so youd have to drink alot of it to work, also, try some lemonade or something, you might have to drink a lil more, but meat tenderizer UGH! If you do the meat tenderizer, try fajita seasoning, its one the best tenderizers that Ive found for my barbque..that is when I used to barbeque..now it wouldnt be worth my time to fire up the grill!

Thanks everyone for the advice, as you can see I am up early because I can not sleep. I mean this has been going on for over a week. I tried the meat tenderizer with lemon juice and warm Water, but nothing has changed. I also drank pineapple juice and nothing, so I may go in to see my doctor today. I will go by the health food store and look for those papaya enzyme tablets. Thanks again everyone.

Be blessed!