Foamies are the WORST

[Tinyhounds 57]

I’m 13 days out from surgery but my surgeon started me on soft food at one week out. The first time it happened was with scrambled eggs (I thought). It lasted about 40 minutes and was so painful and awful that I tried to make myself throw up. I couldn’t. It happened again last night. I’m now thinking that it’s not the food (cause last night I was drinking my Protein shake). I’m thinking it’s my big gel cap colace. This time it lasted 2 hours and it was AWFUL. Super painful, lots of “foam”, and this time my body was trying to make itself throw up. Guess that’s something I can’t do anymore. Racing heart, flushed skin, dizziness- This morning I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.

I’m almost afraid to eat. I would do an awful lot to prevent that all from happening again.

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 657]

I'm only about 10 days out, and haven't had the experience yet, but I've heard its awful. I'm so sorry you are experiencing this! It could definitely be the meds. I know I get sort of "crampy" if I don't space mine out well enough. Getting all my meds and Vitamins down is literally an all day thing. I've heard a lot of folks say that if you aren't doing well on the phase you're at, you can always go back to the previous one for a bit. So, if soft foods might be a bit too much just yet, maybe go back to full liquids/purees for a few days and then try again? Everyone heals at a different pace and it absolutely isn't a race. Go as slow as you need to. And of course, east slow, no drinking 30 minutes before or after, chew really well, etc. Hopefully it settles down and you can continue recovering!

[Arabesque 7,567]

Oh that sounds more like dumping than just the foamies. The racing heart, getting flushed or increased temp, cold sweats & feeling awful for hours after is dumping. With dumping you usually vomit (& that can be just a lot of saliva) but not always. The foamies are lots of saliva bubbling up. Wanting to vomit but you may only be able to spit up more saliva but without the other symptoms. When I have the foamies, my restriction gets really bad really quickly & doesn't ease until the excess saliva comes up. I also do this barking hack thing - bit gross. Usually I’m a little tender in my upper chest area after.

At this early stage, I’d think it’s because you’re not quite ready for soft food yet & your tummy is saying nope not yet. Go back to liquids for a couple of days or maybe try the purée stage for a few days. Your tummy is healing & can be sensitive & fussy for a little while. You may be able to eat. Something today but tomorrow your tummy says No!

Though trying to swallow a large tablet can set it off too.

Have a chat with your medical team.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Arabesque

[Tinyhounds 57]

Thanks. I do definitely plan on calling them. I have been sticking to liquids today (mostly out of fear). I also went and bought a smaller stool softener. Last night I also tried to take 4 pills within about 5 minutes of each other. I realize now that without any stomach acid, that’s probably a losing bet.

I’m just having a lot of trouble right now. Honestly, I thought I’d be more healed and capable. I still get dizzy when I stand and trying to get all my liquids, pills, supplements and foods in is a full time job. I miss actual food. I’m feeling very depressed an awful lot of the time. I knew academically what I was getting in to, but the reality has been harder than I thought.

My sister had the surgery too, about 4 years ago, so I know it gets better... it’s just... when? Lol.

Thanks for the responses. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

[Arabesque 7,567]

It’s all so new & you have no similar experiences you can fall back on so you are very much allowed to feel a little lost & feel it’s all you think about all day. Plus the stress of surgery & anaesthetic can mess with your head & emotions. That’s why I found this forum so helpful - voices of experience. Not always exactly the same but a lot of similarities or places to start. It takes time to heal. Think about how long it would take for a long cut on your arm with multiple sutures holding it together to heal. Same with your tummy - lots of sutures & staples holding your tummy, etc, together. And we all recover differently. Some people stay a lot longer on some stages because they’re just not healed enough to progress yet but that’s ok.

Spread your tablets out across the day as you can. I used to take one Vitamin in the morning the other at night to try reduce the nausea & how many I was taking at a time (so 2 tablets in the am & 2 at night).

The dizziness, light headedness, is likely low blood pressure. It’s from the surgery & the low calorie diet. Make sure you’re getting your fluids in, add a little more salt to what you’re eating & wait before moving on standing to give your heart a chance to get your blood back up to your head. It will get better (unless you’re like me & naturally tend to low blood pressure & then you just live with it 🙂).

It will get easier & you’ll start to feel more confident & comfortable about everything. Give yourself time.

[lizonaplane 1,613]

I had trouble taking all my 10 pills at night at first, too. They would start to just dissolve in my mouth and I'd herk them up. It would take me almost an hour to take all of them at first. Now at 3 weeks out I can take them all in about 5-10 minutes, but it definitely takes a lot more effort than before surgery, when I would take them all in one gulp.

It gets better quickly, or at least that part did for me. Good luck!

[ColieCallwell 129]

I'm about 5 weeks out from sleeve surgery, and my surgeon doesn't have me starting soft foods for another month almost. I've been on pureeds for the last couple of weeks, she had me on liquids only for almost a month. I'm always so surprised to read people are already on soft foods so shortly after surgery, (I'm also a little jealous - I can't wait to eat real food!).

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[Tomo 1,196]

Oh that sounds more like dumping than just the foamies. The racing heart, getting flushed or increased temp, cold sweats & feeling awful for hours after is dumping. With dumping you usually vomit (& that can be just a lot of saliva) but not always. The foamies are lots of saliva bubbling up. Wanting to vomit but you may only be able to spit up more saliva but without the other symptoms. When I have the foamies, my restriction gets really bad really quickly & doesn't ease until the excess saliva comes up. I also do this barking hack thing - bit gross. Usually I’m a little tender in my upper chest area after.
At this early stage, I’d think it’s because you’re not quite ready for soft food yet & your tummy is saying nope not yet. Go back to liquids for a couple of days or maybe try the purée stage for a few days. Your tummy is healing & can be sensitive & fussy for a little while. You may be able to eat. Something today but tomorrow your tummy says No!
Though trying to swallow a large tablet can set it off too.
Have a chat with your medical team.

True, true. I got foamies quite a bit during the transition from puree to solids. Now I am much better (Thank goodness lol). I never got any other symptoms like the racing heart, flushing, nausea, malaise... Nothing. Just every 20 to 30 minutes, the saliva built up so much it had to come out. It is a miserable feeling, and I hope to never experience again (I am sure I will though. lol).

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