Sickness after meals.

[fredsonic]

I had my Stomach & lower Oesophagus removed about six weeks ago. Eating was OK to start with, but as time goes by I find I feel nausia within half an hour of eating, lasting up to an hour or so. I am guessing this is Dumping, my specialist nurse however reckons not. I have been prescriber Domperodone, but this does not seem to do a lot. I also take Para etamol & Ibuprofen for pain relief. Do these symptoms sound common? Do they improve with time? Spoke to my Dietician today, she says it is early days & not to worry. Suggested eating Bananas as an in between meals snack. I find myslef wanting to eat less & less. Any help would be appreciated.

[jay2908]

Hello Fred,

These are common symptoms and do improve over time. Post surgery I had a tendency to try and eat "normal" size meals. Try splitting your meals into 4 sittings and see if you get the same problems. Leave say 20mins between each sitting. Also, avoid high GI foods. What are you eating in a typical meal?

Regards

Jay

[jay2908]

Also, I personally would not take ibuprofen as it often irritates the stomach

[BRUCE]

Hi Fred As your dietian says it is early days,little & often is the story with your new digestive system leavng time for food to move through.It takes time to find an eating pattern that your body will accept I find everyone is different. Good luck but be patient & realise our bodies are not as before.. BEST WISHES BRUCE

[Hidden]

Try keeping a food diary, just in case it is worse with some things rather than others.

It might feasibly be to do with the quantity you eat at one sitting, so the 'little and often' advice is good. If the food does not go through the system at the right speed, then this can cause nausea.

It is possible that the prescription of domperidone might be adjusted perhaps, or an alternative found, and this might make a difference.

And, yes, it is common!

[yorkshirerose]

I agree with all the above. I am 16 months post op and still often feel nausea after eating, Domperidone worked for me, but there are alternatives. A food diary is definitely a good idea, I kept one and it has helped me isolate the foods that cause dumping.

And I would definitley stay clear of ibuprofen, it irritates the stomach and also casues more acid reflux.

Hope you feel better soon, it is early days but it will get better

Regards

Edwina

[cherrybailey]

I agree with all the above too, eating was one of my biggest battles, (could not taste anything) trying to gain weight too, no control of the bowel. Got a lot of help and support from specialists and dieticians, had menu's to try, kept a food diary.

The symtoms are very common, do improve with time.

It is all part of the recovery learning to deal with the new body.

6 weeks is far too soon after major surgery, I know we are all different in our recovery at 6 weeks I had only been out of hospital 2, in a wheel chair to get out anywhere.

You are doing well!! Try the banana I have often had that as my first eat of the day.

Can still sometimes get caught going down, but so can other things.

Try and force yourself to eat when you should, will be frustrating and not enjoyable but in time you will conquer it!!

Good Luck!!

[juliamac]

Hello Fred

We are all so different so it may not be of help to you....but if it is!...I use Buscopan for gut cramps and it mostly works. If Im still in pain I take 2 Paracetamol (soluble ones easier to swallow)and that mostly does the trick. I am over 4 years after my op now and am SOOOOOO much better. I used to have cramps , nausea etc etc every day but now its more like once a month and not so bad when it comes. I find sucking peppermints good for a low level nausea and/ or ginger biscuits.

I very much agree with all the comments which say try to take only a small amount at a time. I have found that very helpful.

6 weeks is really soon. I think tiredness kills the appetite a bit. I did also find a tiny sherry or bit of wine before eating helped that and has continued to do so!

Lots and lots of good luck and good wishes to you. I am sure you are at the start of an upward curve, even if it feels a bit flat at the moment!!

Juliamac

[DaveChuter]

Hi Fred,

It is a common problem so early after surgery, it will ease in time.

Eating small amounts more often during the day seemed to be the key for me, also record what you have eaten to see if there is a pattern emerging with certain foods, mine was milk and coffee in the first few months only but refined sugar seems to be my long term cause of dumping.

I found Ibuprofen and Paracetamol a problem as both caused more stomach problems instead of easing the pain, a hot water bottle or microwave heatpad across the stomach was more effective against the pain than anything else.

I am now 5 years 1 month out and any dumping is down to what and how I eat now.

Don't worry to much, it will get better but do try to record and weed out the problem foods (or even drinks with some people)

Does sound that your hospital team are on the case.

Best regards,

Dave C

[fredsonic]

Thanks for the advice. I should point out the Paracetamol & Ibuprofen are being taken to aid backache (that I developed as a result of the stay in hospital!) I have no stomach at all now so have no acid to cause reflux, but the Ibuprofen seems to be a common cause of nausia. I was certainly suffering the sickness before I was prescribed the Ibuprofen, but it may be a contribution to my general feeling. I will have a go with the diary & another trip to the GP.

[Hidden]

Here is another thought if you have trouble with milk:

In most oesophagectomies, part of the stomach is removed. The stomach produces an enzyme called lactase, the sole function of which is to break down lactose (a substance found in milk). Without this enzyme, drinking milk can be an uncomfortable experience, causing bloating, nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhoea. If your post-op stomach in not producing lactase, you might have developed this lactose intolerance. Try leaving milk out of your diet (for at least four weeks), then gradually re-introduce it. Former patients have found that they are able to tolerate milk again in this way. As an alternative, lactose-free milk is also available at major supermarkets.

[sensus]

I had my Ivor Lewis op 33 months and still feel slightly nauseous most of the time. I get a lot of reflux especially later in the day and sometimes in the night a lot of burning acid comes into my throat despite having an adjustable bed with the head raised. I have been taking 2 omeprazole tabs a day since my op and Gaviscon as and when but I'm afraid to say this a condition my surgeon said there was little he could do about and I just have to live with it. I keep telling myself "well I'm still here!" Sorry to sound negative but that's the way it is!

[twiggy in reply to sensus]

i had op may 2008 and still suffer badly after eating..although i feel hungry i do try to limit the amount i eat in one sitting, little and often is the by word!! But i still have coughing fits after meals and sometimes so badly that i'm sick..I also suffer at night, so now dont eat or drink anything after 6pm, am always tired so tend to be in bed by 9.30pm. I take 1 Omeprozol in the morning and 1 again at about 7pm..so far this has helped abit, has stopped the coughing fits during the night when I tended to be sick. and I also try to have a light meal in the evening, no heavy stodge..my main meal is usually at lunch time..twiggy.

[2Chrissie4 in reply to sensus]

I know exactly how you feel. I have the same problems with reflux and nausea. I had my Ivor Lewis done in 2004 and everything settled down pretty well for a while until about 4 years ago. I now have to take 40mg Nexium at night and again in the morning for the acid and i take 20mg domperidone 3 times a day for the nausea but i still get very bad reflux as the day goes on and particularly at night. I also lost so much weight before the 4 years that the doctors looking after me gave me a jejunostomy feeding tube to get my nutrients and vitamins overnight. My weight at the moment is fairly stable but for this reflux and nausea life could be a lot more livable.

[fredsonic]

Had my Ibuprofen changed to Dichlofenac soppositories. Much more effective, but they don't last all day. Nevermind. Seen the Physio about my back. Got some excercises to do. Feeling a bit better at the moment. Thanks for all the replies.