Loss of appetite.

[Andytom]

Hi I have been trawling through everyone's mail answers re post op oesophagealectomy, as soon as my swallow test had been completed I found eating to be ok, since being home I have felt nauseous even at the thought of food, is this a common experience, the options for treatment would appear to be endless, from dietary measures to antibiotic medication. The high energy drinks seem to be the only calorie input I am able to cope with, emotionally it's more frustrating than depressing.

[Hidden]

Yes its a problem.I am 16 months post op and my appetite was bad for near on 12 months and the very thought of food was a ordeal.At around 12 months I could eat more but with the small stomach what I have now can only eat small amounts!!!!.While on pre op chemo and going into surgery my weight was 15 and a half stone and after op went down rapidly to 10 stone.Am now 11 and a half.Sometimes its hard to get a meal down now so have to push myself.I feel small price to pay as still alive and doing great.I understand how you feel as I struggled with it.Doing great now so yes it does get better and afraid it just takes time

[Andytom in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Griff, i am going to question my medical team tomorrow, to see if there is a magic wand hidden in a desk somewhere. At the end of the day, we are still here and in a position to go forward, which I also realise is a gift not to be talen lightly, thanks again for your support.

[Hidden]

I have tried to find magic wand! so if you get any answers let me know.As I say its a bind emotionally.I use to love my food and for me thats hard!!

[Hidden]

One of the causes of nausea can be that food does not drain away through the pylorus sphincter at the base of the stomach quickly enough into the rest of the digestive tract. They can give this a stretch to help things along.

The surgery and medication can play havoc with your taste buds and that sometimes affects appetite. The smell of food can help appetite and give some clues about what you may, or may not be able to cope with. An aperitif like sherry might help. The fact that you have problems with and after eating does not help the prospect of coping with the next meal.

If the nausea is the very thought of food, regardless of what you might eat, it might possibly be something to do with nerves perhaps. Your vagus nerve has no doubt been cut, and the nerve system affects an awful lot of aspects of digestion. They seem normally to put themselves right in their own good time, but it can be months rather than weeks.

I think that quite a lot of food problems do develop some weeks after surgery, so it probably is not unusual. It does not mean that you are not making progress though.

If you can tolerate the high energy drinks then you are doing the right thing to keep up with those. Do not worry about your weight as such because short term weight loss is not nearly the problem that most people think. As long as you are taking in nutrition your weight may well drop, but it will probably settle down to a new normal.

If there is something that you can eat, I would concentrate on that for a while, keep a food diary, and then gradually try extending what you have. Keep to the 'little and often' rule.

Are milk, fat, bread, or sugary items a particular problem? It might be worth trying, say, soya milk.

Dawn (0121 704 9860) will send you a Recipe Book - some people just have, say, ice cream or porridge, and add flavour to them.

It is very frustrating also if a loved one tries their best to prepare food that will make a difference and it still cannot be eaten no matter how hard you try. It is heart breaking for them. But often these things do gradually get better, but at a far slower pace than ever we would have thought reasonable, or fair.

Try and see a specialist dietician.