I had my oesophactomy 10th dec 2013 have been suffering from nausea ever since has anyone else suffered the same and what did they do.

[COL21]

Itsa a strange feeling inbetween im not feeling sick only when thinking about food or eating it.

[spanner16]

I had my oesophagectomy Jan 2013 and I too have felt nauseous ever since. It never goes away, most of the time its pretty mild and for the most part I can kinda forget about it now that I'm more used to it but it sometimes gets worse especially if i've eaten too much or something I shouldn't. Hope this helps.

[COL21 in reply to spanner16]

Thanks for your reply nice to know other people have experienced the same.

[spanner16 in reply to COL21]

All I can say is that it does get better - you're in the first 6 months which for me were brutal but now I'm back at work and like I said 'yes I basically feel nauseous all the time but its so mild that for the most part I kinda forget about it. If it gets worse then speak to someone about it there's hundreds of anti sickness / nausea meds out there which they could give you to take on a daily basis if it's stopping you eating - being able to eat is the important thing! Keep strong!

[strangetimes]

Could it be your new digestion system causing food to hang around and making you feel full up ?

Metoclopramide will speed things up and is also very good for sickness . But can take a few weeks ( 6 ) before effect on sickness kicks in .

I think you should speak to your specialist nurse or dietician as it's important to eat ,especially if you're due to start or have started post op chemo .

Don't leave it .

[jay2908]

It could be anxiety, I used to get it all the time but found that amitriptalene 25mg/evening fixed it.

[DavidP]

Hi,

Your stomach and oesophagus are still going through the healing process and it will probably take a while to settle. Metoclopramide worked for me as the food was staying longer than needed in my new "pouch" - it works on the nausea and speeds up the movement of food along the digestive tract. If you're having the dumping syndrome, domperidone is probably a better option as it works mainly on the nausea. Either way, your nurse practitioner and dietitian will be able to advise the best way forward and they'll prescribe it through the hospital or your GP. If it gets worse during your post-op chemotherapy there are stronger anti-emetic drugs that can help such as ondansetron and then there are further options such as levopromazine (but this may leave you a bit spaced out!).

[COL21 in reply to DavidP]

Thks for your reply its nice to speak to someone else.

[Hidden]

I agree. I do think it is worth going back to your medical team as it is a quality of life issue, and can make you miserable. Your nerve system affects quite a lot of this kind of thing and it can take time to settle down. Medication is probably the answer, but with a faint question mark about whether there might just be a physical reason for your food not clearing quite as well as it should do, with the pylorus sphincter at the bottom of your stomach perhaps needing attention, but your surgeon will be the best one to advise you about that.

[COL21 in reply to Hidden]

Thks Alan that's one thing I never thought about was the nervous system having something to do with it.

[1945jonjo]

Hello, I had my op 20 years ago and could not stand the sight or smell of food for about 18 months, the only food I could manage were Noodles, try them plain at first then I graduated to different flavours I had zantac morn and night, you will get over this phase eat little and often, avoid cheese and the sweet stuff, take it nice and easy and be glad you are recovering its a rocky old road, believe me it gets better, so don't be in a hurry avoid stress, hope this helps all the best to you yours John.

[COL21]

Thks John.

But what do eat to keep your weight stable. At the moment im having extra calories through a jed tube, because of losing weight but cannot continue this long term.

[1945jonjo in reply to COL21]

Hello Col, don't worry about the weight loss you will loose some but when appetite returns you will put it back, I went down to 8 st and am 13 now just give yourself time, there is a supplement called Maxijules but its a bit ghastly, don't push yourself too hard and be glad the glass is always half FULL all the best yours John.

[COL21 in reply to 1945jonjo]

Thks jonjo weight loss is a worry perhaps expect results to soon. Having post op chemo now which makes things a little worse with the nausea.

[gutlesswonder]

I had a similar experience.I overcame it by becoming what I like to think is a serious cook.I now do all the cooking in our family.

By focusing,even obsessing about ingredients,methods, taste etc I rekindled an interest in and desire for food.

The nausea is probably a protective rejection mechanism.

Our problem most likely arose from something not too dissimilar to anorexia. Post-op eating had become a trial even traumatic and from some points of view downright dangerous.Think choking and reflux.

In addition the normal critical hormonal mechanisms involving Leptin and Ghrelin and the brain have been completely disrupted , possibly permanently, due to vagotomy.

Now my problem is keeping my weight down !

But , in a possible corroboration of the above when my family is away and I am alone I frequently forget to feed myself for 24/36 hours ; I do not feel hungry in a normal way and need the social driver.

Freud could have a field day.

[COL21]

Thks for your reply that's exactly how I feel if my wife isn't nagging me to eat I wont due to not feeling hungry and feeling nausea. My wife frets about me not eating enough.

[Hidden in reply to COL21]

Yes, you will have to eat by the clock rather than because of hunger feelings. As GutlessWonder says, it is the absence of ghrelin that causes you not to feel hungry because it would be created in part of the stomach that is no longer there.

[COL21 in reply to Hidden]

Yes started to eat every couple of hours even if I don't feel like it. With added supplements

inbetween. Thanks for your reply