Pain When Eating - NOT Stomach Pain

[BrandiBird 21]

Hi there!

I had my VSG + hiatal hernia repair surgery on March 7th, 2023. I am 13 days post-op today, and at my one week-check up, I was approved to eat soft foods, take medication whole, and start gentle resistance exercises.

I am having moments of pain when eating certain foods. It hasn't been often. The first time was when I tried soft scrambled eggs, and I've since paused eating eggs because they just don't feel good going down. I've since eaten various types of soft foods - refried Beans, pudding, Soups, and tuna fish. The latter is one that I really enjoy and it goes down well. It's also how I try to get a lot of my Protein in for the day.

Today, though, I was eating some tuna and a little mayo, and it hurt. It felt like someone was poking me in upper center of my chest and it went through to my back. It's the first time I've had the sensation of feeling like food was "stuck" and that it might come back up. Luckily it didn't, but it was super painful for about five minutes of deep breathing. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and what might help? I can accept some foods not going down well for now, but I haven't had a problem with tuna until now! Any advice?

[fed-up 67]

Hi Brandi , I am 6 months post op and I am still having the same problem .I am still only able to eat runny food .If I eat tuna, mackeral , turkey breast -even soft salmon , it feels like barbed wire going down .I pretty much eat cottage cheese , Protein Shakes , yogurts , soft berries , soft Cereal and crackers .I don't have the solution .I saw a woman on tv eating chunks of apple !! how she managed it I have no idea .Hopefully someone who has managed to eat more normally will come on and share with us how they manage to do it !! Don't worry too much , you are still very very new and all could be well for you soon I hope .

[Arabesque 6,447]

Sometimes your tummy is just not ready (not healed enough) to progress through to the next stage of your restricted diet. You may need to go to a purée stage & not straight to soft. Sometimes soft is just not soft enough yet. It’s not uncommon for people to need a few more days on a stage or to go back a stage.

Coarse or dry foods can cause that stuck feeling & can result in the foamies (sticky thick salvia you spit up & then you may regurgitate the food that is stuck). Keep your food moist/sloppy so it goes down more easily & smoothly. Use gravies, sauces, stock, milk, Water, mayo, or whatever complements what you’re eating.

Plus your tummy can be like a petulant temper throwing two year old tolerating a food one day but not the next. It may be the taste or the texture that sets it off. Avoid that food for a week & try again.

Make sure you’re eating small bites (part or level teaspoons) slowly. Leave a couple of minutes between bites.

If it persists & these hints don’t help contact your surgeon.

[BrandiBird 21]

8 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Sometimes your tummy is just not ready (not healed enough) to progress through to the next stage of your restricted diet. You may need to go to a purée stage & not straight to soft. Sometimes soft is just not soft enough yet. It’s not uncommon for people to need a few more days on a stage or to go back a stage.

Coarse or dry foods can cause that stuck feeling & can result in the foamies (sticky thick salvia you spit up & then you may regurgitate the food that is stuck). Keep your food moist/sloppy so it goes down more easily & smoothly. Use gravies, sauces, stock, milk, Water, mayo, or whatever complements what you’re eating.

Plus your tummy can be like a petulant temper throwing two year old tolerating a food one day but not the next. It may be the taste or the texture that sets it off. Avoid that food for a week & try again.

Make sure you’re eating small bites (part or level teaspoons) slowly. Leave a couple of minutes between bites.

If it persists & these hints don’t help contact your surgeon.

Thank you! As I said, it's not really anything to do with my stomach as much as how it hurts my chest. I had added mayo to the tuna, but maybe I could've mashed it up more? I could probably do with eating slower/smaller bites, as well.

Thank you again! ❤️

[BrandiBird 21]

14 hours ago, fed-up said:

Hi Brandi , I am 6 months post op and I am still having the same problem .I am still only able to eat runny food .If I eat tuna, mackeral , turkey breast -even soft salmon , it feels like barbed wire going down .I pretty much eat cottage cheese , Protein Shakes , yogurts , soft berries , soft Cereal and crackers .I don't have the solution .I saw a woman on tv eating chunks of apple !! how she managed it I have no idea .Hopefully someone who has managed to eat more normally will come on and share with us how they manage to do it !! Don't worry too much , you are still very very new and all could be well for you soon I hope .

What kind of crackers do you enjoy? I'm trying to find some good ones that are soft and not too rigid so I can chew them really well.

I can't imagine eating something like an apple right now. Anything super fibrous kind of makes me want to gag just thinking about it. Right now mashed potatoes, creamed Soups, Protein Shakes, and refried Beans are my go-tos. I did have some pimento cheese, and that went down okay, but it feels very heavy once it's in my stomach, so I don't overdo that.

[fed-up 67]

I am in the UK so I don't know if you get these - Nairns oat milled crackers .Nairns do a wide range of crackers but it's a Scottish company so I'm not sure if they are sold in the U.S. .But oat milled crackers of type are normally thin and smooth in texture ,I'm sure you'll find one like it !

[Arabesque 6,447]

What you’re feeling is likely more like your restriction - a pain or tightness or heaviness across the chest not your tummy. It makes me want to thump my chest to relieve it & get the stuck food moving - it doesn’t help.

I’d avoid any crackers for some time yet (but do check with your plan & your dietician) - even soft non crunchy ones can be too dry & coarse & harsh on your system unless you chew them to a mush before swallowing. Plus a carb. I wasn’t allowed any sort of cracker/biscuit until maintenance. Most of us just ate things like mashed eggs, tuna, hummus, etc. off a spoon. Later you can use a lettuce leaf as a carrier.

[BrandiBird 21]

10 hours ago, Arabesque said:

What you’re feeling is likely more like your restriction - a pain or tightness or heaviness across the chest not your tummy. It makes me want to thump my chest to relieve it & get the stuck food moving - it doesn’t help.

I’d avoid any crackers for some time yet (but do check with your plan & your dietician) - even soft non crunchy ones can be too dry & coarse & harsh on your system unless you chew them to a mush before swallowing. Plus a carb. I wasn’t allowed any sort of cracker/biscuit until maintenance. Most of us just ate things like mashed eggs, tuna, hummus, etc. off a spoon. Later you can use a lettuce leaf as a carrier.

My dietician and surgeon both said crackers are okay as long as I chew them well. I have had a few pita chips / crackers, and they go down nicely. Sometimes I don't have an appetite for much of anything, so plain things like mushy crackers sit well for me.

eggs are a problem, for me. They hurt going down. I was able to eat tuna yesterday with no problem (Honey BBQ Starkist). I think it must have been something to do with how it was mixed or flaked. I'm not sure, but it sat well.

Right now the name of the game for me seems to be like finding what I tolerate best and balancing it with my Protein.< /span>

[Grider 92]

I get pain when eat too fast or too much. Some foods like bread, rice or mashed potatoes omg —-ouuu. Quick relief. Gas X carry it everywhere. But portions are very important. Slow down eat in portions. Italians, take alll day to eat. Start at 7 and end at 11 pm. Think that way. Eat. Stop n then maybe eat more in 5 min. I only use little plates at home. No straws and slow in the drinking . Gulping is pain.

GS 07/22.

[BrandiBird 21]

8 minutes ago, Grider said:

I get pain when eat too fast or too much. Some foods like bread, rice or mashed potatoes omg —-ouuu. Quick relief. Gas X carry it everywhere. But portions are very important. Slow down eat in portions. Italians, take alll day to eat. Start at 7 and end at 11 pm. Think that way. Eat. Stop n then maybe eat more in 5 min. I only use little plates at home. No straws and slow in the drinking . Gulping is pain.

GS 07/22.

I haven't tried bread or rice. Mashed potatoes go down nicely, so I think I eat them slow enough.

I gulp Water unless I drink with a straw. It's the only way I can sip. I've had no problems with any liquids, either! I think what I'm learning right now is how important the consistency of foods are.

[Grider 92]

When I first got sleeved mashed potatoes was my thing. Everything went in that bowl. One thing is true, you change. Things I ate before - ugh, things I thought could not eat, I do great. One good I can always count on. hamburgers. Easy peasy, no bread. Can’t eat pickles. chicken so so. I can’t do sausages. None. Some eat everything I can’t. Can’t eat cake. What may have air or greasy or won’t break down, can’t do. I do spring mix salads. No romaine or iceberg. No cucumbers. I can eat eggs, some can’t. Expect changes. I don’t do plain Water often, but when I do. It’s a sip or hits like a log in my tummy.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Grider

[Roxane 8]

I'm learning so much from you all. This is not an easy journey, but thankful for all of the information.

[Bandedbut 25]

I am 6 1/2 weeks PO, (Feb 23) and was handling soft foods well, and completely sticking to plan. On Easter, I had ONE corn chip, and within minutes I had a pain like I had eaten glass just under my right breast. Hadn't experienced anything like that with other foods, It lasted until 3 in the morning! I start "regular" foods on Thursday, but now I am definately more nervous!

[Arabesque 6,447]

22 hours ago, Bandedbut said:

I am 6 1/2 weeks PO, (Feb 23) and was handling soft foods well, and completely sticking to plan. On Easter, I had ONE corn chip, and within minutes I had a pain like I had eaten glass just under my right breast. Hadn't experienced anything like that with other foods, It lasted until 3 in the morning! I start "regular" foods on Thursday, but now I am definately more nervous!

Very understandable. Too dry. Too hard. Too coarse. Plus all that artificial flavouring. Just like a baby your tummy is learning new foods, textures & flavours & you’re learning new eating habits. Go slowly & gently. And don’t think of this stage as ‘regular’ food like you used to eat. It’s still a restricted way of eating (I don’t like the word ‘diet’ but that is what it is.) Think of it as solid food & food that’s Protein heavy & nutrient dense. No foods with empty calories & little nutrition. So important to get those nutrients that your body needs to function effectively in especially with the small portions you’ll be eating. Still keep food moist & softer. You may find you struggle with chicken breast or steak because it can be too dry &/or coarse. Even though you can start to eat vegetables now, still eat your protein first, then vegetables if you are able & only after that can you look at complex whole/multi grain carbs. It won’t be unusual for you to only be able to eat the protein content of your meal. I remember only able to eat a green bean or a small cauliflower floret after I ate my protein & not every night.

[BrandiBird 21]

On 3/20/2023 at 2:07 PM, BrandiBird said:

Hi there!

I had my VSG + hiatal hernia repair surgery on March 7th, 2023. I am 13 days post-op today, and at my one week-check up, I was approved to eat soft foods, take medication whole, and start gentle resistance exercises.

I am having moments of pain when eating certain foods. It hasn't been often. The first time was when I tried soft scrambled eggs, and I've since paused eating eggs because they just don't feel good going down. I've since eaten various types of soft foods - refried Beans, pudding, Soups, and tuna fish. The latter is one that I really enjoy and it goes down well. It's also how I try to get a lot of my Protein in for the day.

Today, though, I was eating some tuna and a little mayo, and it hurt. It felt like someone was poking me in upper center of my chest and it went through to my back. It's the first time I've had the sensation of feeling like food was "stuck" and that it might come back up. Luckily it didn't, but it was super painful for about five minutes of deep breathing. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and what might help? I can accept some foods not going down well for now, but I haven't had a problem with tuna until now! Any advice?

Update! I am one month and three weeks post-op, and I've had some dramatic improvements. Chewing thoroughly has helped the most with the pain, though some foods still do not go down easy (smoked sausage, heavily fried foods, etc.), but not a whole lot. I got sick once when I ate some asparagus and tomatoes (cooked), but I think I ate them too quickly. It was not very bad, but it was unpleasant, as getting sick always is.

I also had blood tests, and all of my numbers went down! I'm most excited for my cholesterol, as it's 185 and was over 200 previously.

Most days, I start with a Protein Shake for breakfast, then a higher Protein Pasta with lots of Fiber (handfuls of spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.), and some pre-cooked meat for lunch. Lean Cuisine protein meals are perfect sizes for me right now, though I don't finish them all. I don't want to overly rely on frozen food, but on the days I don't feel like eating what I cooked, it's a nice option to have. Dinner is usually Soup - Proper Good is my favorite, made with lots of Bone Broth for extra protein, or Amy's Soups. Snacks include mini Babybel cheeses, protein puddings, Greek yogurt, and Braniac brain bars. I have PCOS, so I try to eat to balance my hormones with an emphasis on protein and a healthy amount of good fats and fiber.

I have lost 35 pounds so far, and I can't tell a difference yet physically, but my energy levels are SO MUCH BETTER. I don't feel like I'm constantly fatigued, and I've been able to do loads of spring cleaning after a full work day.

I was cleared to start resistance training, so in addition to walking for 30 minutes 5x a week, I'm incorporating 2-3x a week of resistance workouts. They're small right now, and not very intense (10 minutes tops), but I like to think it'll still benefit me. 😅

Thank you to everyone who's been replying to me. I really appreciate it!