Confused about throwing up (sorry tmi)

[Tomo 1,138]

I have read ((and heard from friends who had the surgery) that people with gastric bypass do not throw up, and that their stomach doesn't turn since it's a pouch now. I just ate something that didn't agree with my stomach. and I started foaming. The stoma was plugged, I believe due to a piece of egg due to improper chewing. I'll try better next time. After I spit out all the excess saliva, my stomach "turned" twice and it forced me to empty my pouch. I didn't get nauseated at all, it just kind of happened on it's own but my stomach definitely "turned" both times.

Can someone please explain to me if this is common for gastric bypass patients? I'm sincerely confused about it all. I hope I'm connected alright & nothing went amiss in my surgery lol. Thanks!

[Jacks133 27]

You will hear all sorts of stories because none of us is exactly the same…. My daughter had her bypass 10 years ago and she can throw up - she also gets things lodged. It’s common to ‘foam’ first before retching. I had my bypass 8 years ago and I don’t get things lodged; I also couldn’t actually throw up for nearly 8 years, but would foam (that would be the first indication something hadn’t agreed with me) and then retch, but not bring anything up. After my first radiotherapy session for cancer (they blasted my whole abdomen) I came home and tried to eat something and threw up and retched for 3 hours until my family got hold of a nurse on the phone and she recommended flat Pepsi or coke…. Must be flat. It worked. It’s been my go-to drink ever since (Pepsi Max Cherry, completely flattened, with ice 😆). Since then I threw up medication also with the treatment, but not since.

The important thing is to know yourself. As I understand it the stomach, when it’s very small, is often not muscular enough to actually throw up, but now I know it can be done! 🙄 - not that I wish cancer treatment on anyone…

I’m sure you’re connected alright - you also know now that you can get clogged and chewing things properly is really important. I used to foam at the mouth and feel I was going to throw up every time I tried peas in the first year - I think because I didn’t chew them properly and they were rattling round like little bullets… 😜 x

[Tomo 1,138]

3 minutes ago, Jacks133 said:

You will hear all sorts of stories because none of us is exactly the same…. My daughter had her bypass 10 years ago and she can throw up - she also gets things lodged. It’s common to ‘foam’ first before retching. I had my bypass 8 years ago and I don’t get things lodged; I also couldn’t actually throw up for nearly 8 years, but would foam (that would be the first indication something hadn’t agreed with me) and then retch, but not bring anything up. After my first radiotherapy session for cancer (they blasted my whole abdomen) I came home and tried to eat something and threw up and retched for 3 hours until my family got hold of a nurse on the phone and she recommended flat Pepsi or coke…. Must be flat. It worked. It’s been my go-to drink ever since (Pepsi Max Cherry, completely flattened, with ice 😆). Since then I threw up medication also with the treatment, but not since.

The important thing is to know yourself. As I understand it the stomach, when it’s very small, is often not muscular enough to actually throw up, but now I know it can be done! 🙄 - not that I wish cancer treatment on anyone…

I’m sure you’re connected alright - you also know now that you can get clogged and chewing things properly is really important. I used to foam at the mouth and feel I was going to throw up every time I tried peas in the first year - I think because I didn’t chew them properly and they were rattling round like little bullets… 😜 x

Thank you so much for your thorough response and flat Pepsi max cherry tip. 😁 And... I am so sorry you had to go through all that. I hope you are healthy now, and will live a long life.

[Jacks133 27]

Thank you for your lovely well wishes. I had ‘no evidence of disease’ in May after finishing treatment in February. My next scans are in November and I’m keeping positive. VERY important to flatten your Pepsi - your stomach cannot cope with carbonated liquid - and get the Max (no sugar) versions as otherwise the sugar will give you dumping syndrome as it will metabolise too quickly…. I have one bottle in the fridge (flattened) and another being flattened on the counter 😂. I keep squeezing and shaking, then letting the gas out. Once the gas lessens I drop a tiny lump of sugar in, and close the top not quite fully… If you do this too soon it will spill over - if you get it right it will de-fizz away nicely. Then when you think it’s flattened pour on ice, and that will finish it off… if you’re not sure stir it with a metal spoon. I keep a glass full in a shelf in the fridge so I’ve always got one ready 😜. I am a determined person.

[catwoman7 10,874]

I've thrown up several times since my surgery six years ago. I've also had that foamy business. I've heard that some people can't vomit after surgery, but I think most of us can.

[Myaiku_Kuraitani 245]

Some of us do throw up, some of us foam and some of us do both...

I've done both. I've had gastric Bypass and had a lot of times when I did that... It was during the process of when I was learning what I could and couldn't handle.

[Arabesque 6,493]

I’m a sleever & I’ve found vomiting is different too. I wonder if it’s because we have fewer stomach muscles as well cause, on the handful of occasions I have vomited, it doesn’t feel like all my muscles are heaving. A win is I don’t have sore muscles after like I used to either. Plus I only need to throw up a small volume of food to empty my tummy.

I hate the foamies! I get them if my food is too dry, too coarse or fibrous. Begins with my restriction being more severe, followed by hacking & then spitting up small amounts of that foamy, gunky saliva. Can occur up to an hour after I’ve eaten.

My dad was told the same thing about the flattened cola with his chemo. It’s also useful for getting rid of the bad taste & reducing the coated tongue after chronic vomiting with chemo. Best of luck with your continued recovery, @Jacks133.

PS - Personally, I’ve never understood the whole ‘pouch’ description thing. Our tummies are exactly the same organ as they were before the surgery. They function in the same way as they did before (maybe a bit fussier). They are only smaller & for bypass have had a little shortcut rerouting to the intestines. They’re still stomachs.

[Tomo 1,138]

Thank you all for responding!! That is one less thing for me to stress about. All this time I kept thinking something was wrong with my new revision because my stomach actually "turned" twice. One person I know in real life scared me and told me that she couldn't throw up no matter what since she had her gastric bypass and something must be connected wrong inside me 😅. I think she had her surgery back in the 90s. Not sure if the procedure changed.

[Tomo 1,138]

5 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I’m a sleever & I’ve found vomiting is different too. I wonder if it’s because we have fewer stomach muscles as well cause, on the handful of occasions I have vomited, it doesn’t feel like all my muscles are heaving. A win is I don’t have sore muscles after like I used to either. Plus I only need to throw up a small volume of food to empty my tummy.

I hate the foamies! I get them if my food is too dry, too coarse or fibrous. Begins with my restriction being more severe, followed by hacking & then spitting up small amounts of that foamy, gunky saliva. Can occur up to an hour after I’ve eaten.

My dad was told the same thing about the flattened cola with his chemo. It’s also useful for getting rid of the bad taste & reducing the coated tongue after chronic vomiting with chemo. Best of luck with your continued recovery, @Jacks133.

PS - Personally, I’ve never understood the whole ‘pouch’ description thing. Our tummies are exactly the same organ as they were before the surgery. They function in the same way as they did before (maybe a bit fussier). They are only smaller & for bypass have had a little shortcut rerouting to the intestines. They’re still stomachs.

I understand what you are saying. I always called my VSG my sleeve or stomach, not pouch. I can kind of understand the pouch idea with the gastric bypass because things get stuck in our "pouch", which is the size of an egg, and not our stomach. Thank you for your response. I only threw up once with my VSG in many years. Then again, I had a very conservative surgeon who made it 10 ounces instead of the 3 - 5 ounces. I wish I could say the same thing that I never foamed or threw up about my revision to RNY. 😆

[Dinah55 27]

After my bypass, for about three months, I would get sick and throw up if I ate something that didn't agree with me (like meats, hot or spicy foods, fried foods). I would get an awful feeling of pressure in my stomach and then get the foamies and throw up mostly saliva. One time the foamies and throwing up lasted an entire miserable night. But now I can eat anything I like with no problem. So I wouldn't worry about your stomach turning and the foaming. It happens to a lot of us!

[learn2cook 494]

On 09/01/2021 at 14:19, Dinah55 said:

After my bypass, for about three months, I would get sick and throw up if I ate something that didn't agree with me (like meats, hot or spicy foods, fried foods). I would get an awful feeling of pressure in my stomach and then get the foamies and throw up mostly saliva. One time the foamies and throwing up lasted an entire miserable night. But now I can eat anything I like with no problem. So I wouldn't worry about your stomach turning and the foaming. It happens to a lot of us!

What @Dinah said, just happened last W/E. Lots of saliva and very little food. I didn’t chew my eggs as thoroughly as I should have. It reminded me of baby spit up, only my entire abdomen felt horrible.

[Laurie C. 47]

I have read ((and heard from friends who had the surgery) that people with gastric bypass do not throw up, and that their stomach doesn't turn since it's a pouch now. I just ate something that didn't agree with my stomach. and I started foaming. The stoma was plugged, I believe due to a piece of egg due to improper chewing. I'll try better next time. After I spit out all the excess saliva, my stomach "turned" twice and it forced me to empty my pouch. I didn't get nauseated at all, it just kind of happened on it's own but my stomach definitely "turned" both times.
Can someone please explain to me if this is common for gastric bypass patients? I'm sincerely confused about it all. I hope I'm connected alright & nothing went amiss in my surgery lol. Thanks!

What does "turning" mean and feel like?

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[Tomo 1,138]

Sometimes if I get stuck, I just have to cough and the foam will come out. Turning is similar to throwing up like before surgery when one gets sick. Stomach contraction, noise and all.

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[Lisa LoVuolo 63]

I have read ((and heard from friends who had the surgery) that people with gastric bypass do not throw up, and that their stomach doesn't turn since it's a pouch now. I just ate something that didn't agree with my stomach. and I started foaming. The stoma was plugged, I believe due to a piece of egg due to improper chewing. I'll try better next time. After I spit out all the excess saliva, my stomach "turned" twice and it forced me to empty my pouch. I didn't get nauseated at all, it just kind of happened on it's own but my stomach definitely "turned" both times.
Can someone please explain to me if this is common for gastric bypass patients? I'm sincerely confused about it all. I hope I'm connected alright & nothing went amiss in my surgery lol. Thanks!

Have you called your surgeon. My surgeon it could be dumping syndrom

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[Tomo 1,138]

1 minute ago, Lisa LoVuolo said:

Have you called your surgeon. My surgeon it could be dumping syndrom

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Hi Lisa. They said that I didn't chew enough and it sounds like I temporarily blocked my stoma.