I had surgery on 5/29, was tolerating fluids well. On my second night home I awoke to what felt like hunger pains I had about 2 oz of protein shake and it seemed to subside but came back every couple hours. Day 5 post op I started having difficulty tolerating any and all fluids, regardless of how minute my sips it hurt and my stomach would cramp. Today is day 10 and I am tolerating warm liquids only. I am not able to get the protein shakes or clear protein liquids down. A

Has anyone else experienced this?

I couldn't handle protein for almost a month and like you had to heat my liquids to be able to tolerate them. Even until recently some days my stomach would feel yucky and some days it would feel fine. You're still healing so it's to be expected that you'll have ups and downs. Just try to stay hydrated first and foremost. Also I was not one of the lucky ones who's hunger disappeared. I was hungry day two and it was NOT head hunger or stomach acids but I'm able to ignore it much easier post op.

everyone keeps telling me its all in my head. I was beginning to think I was going nuts.

I've heard that before too! There's definitely a difference between head hunger and real hunger and to have it dismissed as head hunger for all of us is just ignorant. That would be like saying we all loose weight at the same rate and if you don't your just not following your program! Not the case....everybody is different.

1 hour ago, justmetj said:

I've heard that before too! There's definitely a difference between head hunger and real hunger and to have it dismissed as head hunger for all of us is just ignorant. That would be like saying we all loose weight at the same rate and if you don't your just not following your program! Not the case....everybody is different.

I don't think anyone on here dismisses head hunger. There is just different ways to deal with physical hunger vs. stomach acid vs. head hunger. Early post op, it is more likely to be head hunger or stomach acid vs. physical hunger. A raw sutured stomach isn't likely to be hungry, but over production of stomach acid is common, and being honest, most of us who have WLS have significant issues with cravings and head hunger.

4 hours ago, Tfarr38 said:

I had surgery on 5/29, was tolerating fluids well. On my second night home I awoke to what felt like hunger pains I had about 2 oz of Protein Shake and it seemed to subside but came back every couple hours. Day 5 post op I started having difficulty tolerating any and all fluids, regardless of how minute my sips it hurt and my stomach would cramp. Today is day 10 and I am tolerating warm liquids only. I am not able to get the Protein Shakes or clear Protein liquids down. A

Has anyone else experienced this?

This sounds like stomach acid. Are you on a PPI?

10 hours ago, Tfarr38 said:

I had surgery on 5/29, was tolerating fluids well. On my second night home I awoke to what felt like hunger pains I had about 2 oz of Protein Shake and it seemed to subside but came back every couple hours. Day 5 post op I started having difficulty tolerating any and all fluids, regardless of how minute my sips it hurt and my stomach would cramp. Today is day 10 and I am tolerating warm liquids only. I am not able to get the Protein Shakes or clear Protein liquids down. A

Has anyone else experienced this?

Your protein shakes can be added to warm liquids as creamer for sugar free hot chocolate, tea lattes and coffee (if you are allowed it)

This was only way i could tolerate them early on

Also whenever symptoms get worse instead of better over time you should contact your physician

Good Luck ?

8 hours ago, sillykitty said:

I don't think anyone on here dismisses head hunger. There is just different ways to deal with physical hunger vs. stomach acid vs. head hunger. Early post op, it is more likely to be head hunger or stomach acid vs. physical hunger. A raw sutured stomach isn't likely to be hungry, but over production of stomach acid is common, and being honest, most of us who have WLS have significant issues with cravings and head hunger.

I didn't say anyone is dismissing head hunger. I said they dismiss real hunger just like you are doing in your post.

I'm so bummed now. I thought we would have less ACTUAL physical hunger as some of the hormones like Grehlin (sp) are eliminated? Am I having 85% of my stomach removed to be just as hungry as I am now on an all liquid diet at almost starvation level calories?

Is there some sort of known % that get NO relief from true physical hunger pangs (not head hunger, not stomach acid, not cravings and not from someone who has stretched their pouch out)??

I'd rather know the unvarnished truth rather than be looking at surgery on the 1st thinking I'm...going to get one thing and yet, not be getting it at all in the end.

I'm sure there is but I have never seen an exact figure quoted. James M. usually knows such stuff and can quote the studies.

7 hours ago, KarenLR75 said:

I'm so bummed now. I thought we would have less ACTUAL physical hunger as some of the hormones like Grehlin (sp) are eliminated? Am I having 85% of my stomach removed to be just as hungry as I am now on an all liquid diet at almost starvation level calories?

Is there some sort of known % that get NO relief from true physical hunger pangs (not head hunger, not stomach acid, not cravings and not from someone who has stretched their pouch out)??

I'd rather know the unvarnished truth rather than be looking at surgery on the 1st thinking I'm...going to get one thing and yet, not be getting it at all in the end.

I do have LESS physical hunger but hunger never went away for me like some say it does. It is much easier to push through to the next meal than it was before surgery. I do have to have willpower to do it. The great thing about the surgery is that even though some of us still get hungry we can only eat a small amount. It is a great tool!

9 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

I'm sure there is but I have never seen an exact figure quoted. James M. usually knows such stuff and can quote the studies.

Hey, thank you. Do you know James' last name? I typed in '@JamesM but came up with only ones with full last name..

On 6/9/2019 at 2:08 AM, sillykitty said:

This sounds like stomach acid. Are you on a PPI?

yes I am on Omeprazole. Per my surgeon its a combo of acid and gas pains. It jas subsided.

I'm day two post-op and woke up last night with the same hunger pains. I couldn't believe it. I drank some protein shake, went back to bed, but woke up ravenous. I'm trying some bone broth, but it's not helping. I've done intermittent fasting in my past, and it never felt like this.

Any other solutions? Protein shakes aren't working. Neither is bone broth. I am taking pepcid at night.

This is miserable.

2 days post op sounds like gas/stomach acid. I had a kidney stone at a week out and it felt like hunger. They do mimic hunger pain and given that most are still mentally addicted to the bad foods its easy to mistake it.

I haven't dealt with hunger pains pre or post op, but my mother got this surgery before me and I saw her deal with it. Uncomfortable from being hungry, not liking things she used to (like tea), not tolerating the protein drinks (vanilla, chocolate, anything shake like really), and really just being so frustrated about it. My mom was an emotional eater for almost half her life. I worked my ass off years before getting this surgery to kick that habit and learn new, healthier habits (and no I don't mean picking up a carrot instead of a cookie). I begged and pleaded that she go to therapy because even the surgeon explains, if you are an emotional eater this surgery cannot fix that as it will eventually creep up again.

I agree with a lot of what everyone has been saying (stomach acid pain is no joke and its just likely that it could be the cause. Obviously no one can tell what the problem is besides a doctor), I'm just like a huge believer in therapy, and I hope this all doesn't come off wrong.