I had surgery on 10/13 and am suppose to be on clears for 7 days. I feel like I'm having deep hunger pain and I'm actually dreaming of food!!! I want to start my purée foods now but I'm afraid of leaks. Any suggestions???

Congratulations on getting sleeved! It's a tough road, but you're on your way!

I'm not a medical professional, but I don't think you're supposed to "feel" hunger this soon. I still don't get "hungry" per se, and I am almost 5 months out. Are you sipping, sipping, sipping Water all day long? it really helps.

Also, you've probably heard this, but are you on an antacid? I thought I was hungry and my surgeon doubled my does of omeprazole from 20 mg to 40 mg and it resolved that "gnawing" feeling in my tummy immediately. Best of luck to you on your journey and I wish you a speedy and complete recovery!

Holy smokes, you sound like me. I had cravings the day after surgery. Do some Jello and tomato Soup, just a few little bites, that helped me. I started on jello right away, and tomato soup (with a little melted cheese) a few days after and it helped. I then started on Protein shakes five days after surgery (okay I was allowed, but couldn't stand the taste), then had cottage cheese and pudding six days after surgery. Just little amounts, a spoonful or two, what ever made me feel better. I had horrible cravings and still do, but now when I cave to my cravings, it's not as tasty and exciting as I thought. My stomach is still healing, I think it takes two months for it to feel better and accept foods a little better. Just remember, soft, soft, soft. Slow and steady! I was sleeved Sept 14!

I'm great full to be on the other side! I'm wondering since I had been on appetite suppressants for years if that's why I'm feeling hunger. It happens when I smell food. With the sleeve you have many diffrent little pains and I'm getting to know each of them very well. I'll try a ppi and see if that helps but I kinda already got a panera broccoli cheese soup and felt fine and satisfied after a few bites. I know I'm testing the limits but I can't do clears any longer if I don't have to!

Again, you sound like me, I did appetite suppressant as well (for ever). Just be careful, little bites, little sips. I did broccoli and cheddar as well, and I chewed the broc and still did okay. I went crazy at the mere site of broth so had to move things along. your body will tell you a lot, and if you eat slowly it will give it time to say yay or nay. Just take little bites and little sips. I won't tell you what I ate and when as I'm a bad influence. My biggest craving is still chinese food, and I tried to go to my favorite resturant when I was home the last time and it was closed. I'm home in two weeks and that will probably be the first place I go. Your stomach needs to heal for the next two months, so be gentle on it, but don't starve yourself either..

I would definitely ask your NUT/surgeon first, but, it seems like 7 days on clears is a lot so maybe you'd be fine to at least switch up to full fluids. I know I only had to be on Clear liquids for a couple of days before full fluids, which were a lot more filling. You don't want to risk a leak though, so tell them you're starving and see what they say. Maybe it's a sign of healing if you're already experiencing hunger!

I had a dream last week I was eating a burger with donuts for buns. And I was hungry for the first week too

Your pre and postop diet restrictions are for such a tiny period of time. Just suck it up and follow your surgeon's instructions. No hunger pain or craving or food dream is worth a complication. It sounds like it's mostly in your head and that's something you'll have to figure out how to deal with. You will have to struggle with good and bad choices for the rest of your life. It is a huge blow to your mental commitment to go ahead and cheat so early in the game.

In the meantime Try the PPI...the physical "hunger" could be acid. My surgeon had me on 40mg Omeprazole mandatory for two months while the incision heals. Even with that, I would still take a Rolaids or Maaloxx when I felt hungry. It could also be thirst. Are you drinking at least 64oz/day?

Edited October 17, 201411 yr by Kindle

Definitely stick to the plan! For me what I felt right after surgery - intensely- was a head hunger. I'm not saying it's not real, because it feels very real, but it wasn't a physical hunger. It was more of me going through withdraw from years and years of bad food choices. Hang in there! I promise after the first few weeks it gets way easier.

Another thought is that acid reflux can present as a hunger feeling too. Are you on any meds for this? If so, maybe you need a change in type or dosage, and if not, maybe you need to be on one for a short while until your stomach starts producing the appropriate amount of acid for your new tiny tummy.

My first month I spent convinced I was going to open a vegetarian culinary school. I would watch Jamie Oliver on YouTube and dream about food all night long. I learned that I had a physical feeling I associated with hunger that was really a form of anxiety. Without food to sedate it my mind panicked and started to obsess about "the precious". Don't fight it. Feel it. Observe it. But do not engage with it. Study its habits so you know how to stab it in its eyeballs a year from now when it tries to sneak back in.

I too had endless cravings, hunger bangs and mourning of the foods I loved. Luckily I was able to take all my cravings for a test drive, the best thing I have done, as once I tried things I was craving, I no longer craved it. What was an obsession, is now gone. I tried it, I tasted it, I enjoyed it, but now the cravings are gone. I have done that with everything, I didn't deny myself what I was dreaming about, now I don't even think about what I thought I couldn't live without. Crazy.