Hi,
I'm new here but wondered what u think. I had gastric bypass in 2004 & the other night I ate some salad with veggies & chicken I had made. I also ate some popcorn. That night my stomach started hurting & I threw up but it seemed that not very much came out. It got very painful & I was so nauseous I couldn't even sip water. The next day I went to the ER & they checked me for viruses, but it wasnt a virus but they decided it was food poisoning of some sort. They put me on morphine & anti nausea medicine, then sent me home that night with loritab & anti nausea meds. Now the pain is much better and I can keep down liquids & jello, but haven't dared eat more than that. I keep burping & hiccuping (sorry!) but nothing really happens. I'm still quite nauseous. Do you think this can really be food poisoning or do you think I need to go back? I don't know what to do & I don't have lots of money to throw around at the ER.
Thank you!
It's been years since I had mine removed and I don't remember the exacts of the pain, well, exactly, but I do remember massive pain and nausea. Have you had your gall bladder removed? When you were at the ER, did they take any x-rays?
Thank u for taking time to reply! They said my blood work was clear so didn't think it was gallbladder. They didn't take X-rays or anything tho. I wish I knew if it is a blockage, if it can clear up on its own!
the big Q about a blockage is whether or not you can keep down water or even saliva. can you keep down water? and it can be uncomfortable or you could be nauseous, but the Q is just whether or not you can keep it down. With blockages, you can't even keep water or saliva down.
At first I couldn't keep water or saliva down but I think it's trickling through now. I'm just thinking it might be mostly or partially blocked. But I'm not sure if that's possible & I'm worrying over nothing :/
I know this sounds gross - but if it's staying down, you'll be OK. it might take some time. and remember, it also sounds as if your pouch is irritated - and it might be swollen a bit, which could account for the partial blockage feeling.
Food poisoning also usually comes with diarrhea and sometimes a fever - did that happen, too?
And trust me, i understand. there are times - even 10+ years out - when i can eat only a little bit before something gets stuck. and then there are times when i can just eat.
and having a blockage is NOT something to ignore. i once threw up for 30+ hours, couldn't keep down water or saliva, and ended up in the hospital with a blockage. it was NOT pretty. and they wouldn't do anything until i'd had a couple of liters of IV fluids because i was SOOO dehydrated.
but since you're able to keep down jello and stuff like that, just keep being kind to your tiny irritated tummy, and advance your diet as you can. and for heavens sake, make sure your doc knows that this is happening! just to be on the safe side!
I forgot to answer, I have not had diarrhea, but I think an on & off fever. So what did they have to do to fix your blockage? I'm surprised I would have one after this long but I don't know what else it could be
I'm thinking that you don't have a blockage because you can keep down jello. you probably did/do have an infection of some sort, and that's probably left your tummy and digestive tract irritated. BUT having said ALL THAT - since it's been several days and you're still feeling miserable [or mizzable, which is a zillion times worse than miserable], it's time to check in with your doctor to make sure that you're on track for getting better OR that there's something that needs more investigation.
as for the blockage - they wheeled me into the endoscopy suite, sedated me [yay!], sent a scope down, popped out what they determined to be a vegetable bezoar [also known as a wad of vegetable matter that got stuck], and brought me out of the sedation. Just in time for the gastro guy to say 'i gotta go tell everyone -this is the first time we've ever had a vegetable bezoar. '
and with that, he ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and left the nurses and me rolling our eyes.
It could just be a run-of-the-mill food poisoning or stomach virus, ie, nothing related to your surgery. I think we have a tendency to blame our surgery or worry that something is surgically wrong, when in actuality, the problem is something anyone can get.
The most important obstacle is staying hydrated. If you can't keep food down, though, after a few days, you might want to call your PCP or surgeon to get their advice.
FYI, popcorn is on my surgeon's "never to eat again" list, as apparently it can cause irritation. It's one of those rules, like drinking with a straw, that I tend to ignore.
it was YEARS before i even considered popcorn - and it's not usually the best thing to eat. neither are potato chips <sigh>. they just seem to compact down really fast and get stuck. i guess that's a GOOD thing overall.
I did not eat popcorn for 18 months, but then I had a bowl at a Les Miserable party. I had forgotten how yummy it can be. I have it about twice a month now, but I share a 100 calorie bag with my fiancé, and don't end up eating much.
My surgeon also has pizza on their "never to eat again" list as well. Their reason? It's unhealthy. Sorry, there are lots of unhealthy foods in the world, including cake, ice cream, cookies, etc., all of which WEREN'T listed. I decided then to use my own best judgment regarding what to eat and what not to eat. Probably not the best decision, but I felt their do's and don'ts were a bit too subjective (and preachy). I just mentioned it, as popcorn could be her culprit,as well.
Food poisoning or blockage?
