Awful complications

[BeeCat 99]

So I had rny at the end of July. I was eating around 700 calories a day and working to get my Water in. About 2 weeks ago I began getting nauseous and vomiting after eating and was only getting around 300 a day. My surgeon did another EGD on Friday 9/21, enlarged a stricture a found a large ulcer. I felt much better over the weekend then early Monday morning I began vomitting large blood clots!

My surgeon sent me to ER and I was in ICU for a day and a regular room all week long. I guess the ulcer eroded a vessel that needed clipped and I’ve been without food for the last week.

I hope to go home tomorrow, I’ll be back on Clear Liquids and go through the progressive steps all over again. Not eating or drinking ANYTHING is really rough, especially while lying in the hospital and watching TV all day!

Dr says ulcers like mine are rare but a potential complication. Lucky me, I’ll be on a gastric acid inhibitor for life. NBD, I just want to go home!

[Frustr8 7,886]

yeah I can understand that They want me to keep taking omeprazole, never worked that well for me, that's why I was on Dexilent for GERD, gastritis and Hector my little baby ulcer. Why not now? Don't know if Dexilent comes in not ER form. But I do not want another ulcer, especially,in Precious Pouch, so I will,try to go with the flow. What kind will you,be on from now on? Sending you a hug, get to feeling better, you hear?

[elmatador 167]

Sorry this happened to you, BeeCat. Heal up quickly! Hopefully nothing more than a speed bump on your road to recovery.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

Dang! Feel better soon. Glad your doc was on top of things and knew how to fix it quickly!!

[Matt Z 4,138]

13 hours ago, BeeCat said:

So I had rny at the end of July. I was eating around 700 calories a day and working to get my Water in. About 2 weeks ago I began getting nauseous and vomiting after eating and was only getting around 300 a day. My surgeon did another EGD on Friday 9/21, enlarged a stricture a found a large ulcer. I felt much better over the weekend then early Monday morning I began vomitting large blood clots!

My surgeon sent me to ER and I was in ICU for a day and a regular room all week long. I guess the ulcer eroded a vessel that needed clipped and I’ve been without food for the last week.

I hope to go home tomorrow, I’ll be back on Clear Liquids and go through the progressive steps all over again. Not eating or drinking ANYTHING is really rough, especially while lying in the hospital and watching TV all day!

Dr says ulcers like mine are rare but a potential complication. Lucky me, I’ll be on a gastric acid inhibitor for life. NBD, I just want to go home!

That's nuts! But glad you caught it and it's being worked on!

[James Marusek 5,244]

According to the internet:

Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present.

1. So generally the advise here is to avoid NSAIDs such as aspirin and excedrin.

2. Use a proton-pump inhibitor or sucralfate which is a gastric acid inhibitor. [My surgeon directed me to use Omeprazole (OTC - Prilosec) for the first year after surgery so that my stomach would heal properly. After that to discontinue use. I did. I am now over 5 years post-op.]

3. Make sure you are tested for H Pylori Infection. This is a very common infection. About half of the world population has it. And it is very difficult to kill. It may take several treatments of antibiotic cocktails to kill it.

[elmatador 167]

I don't think acute post-op ulcers are caused by H Pylori

[Ed_NW 684]

1 hour ago, elmatador said:

I don't think acute post-op ulcers are caused by H Pylori

If it's on the interwebs it has to be true!! (Just kidding)

[Frustr8 7,886]

My pre-surgery ulcer, Hector, was caused by excessive NSAID usage. It would be a beautiful world🌏 if this does NOT predispose to post- surgery ulceration.

[Redmaxx 740]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I am almost 2 years out and had a bowel blockage (complication from my RNY surgery). I am happy to hear that you seem to be on the mend. It sucks being in the hospital.

[Ronnysgal 56]

So sorry you have not been feeling well. Everyone's body responds differently to this procedure. I was the exception to the rule in many regards.

No ansaid usage, chewed until I was tired of chewing, drank constantly, either appropriate shakes for the benefit of the Protein as well as getting the liqueds in. Side note: Premier shakes are not the type of shake that by-pass patients should be using. They are not the right kind of protein, as they are slow digesting shakes not whey protein isolate. In other words when you drink them you are not getting the benefit of the 30 gram of protein.

As far as ulcer at the staple site this is a very common result of the surgery and mine were quite severe where I was also throwing up blood. 3 EGD's later and months of protonix and Carafate with no benefit to the ulcers as well as non stop weight loss led to Gastric Bypass reversal.