Constipation after NF

Welcome to the forum.

Refer to your doctor's or hospital's Post Nissen Diet. If they didn't give you one you can look up some very good ones online. I like the UPMC one. But you really should ask your doctor about this. Some of us were on soft foods for months, some only a day or two.

The critical thing about eating post Nissen is getting the food swallowed past the repaired valve (LES) because it's been wrapped with part of your stomach. Part of the solution is choosing foods that will go down; another part is chewing food well enough. At about 2 weeks it's often posted that the swelling is at it's worst. Even if you go home able to eat anything, that can change and scare you to distraction when the wrap swells up. After all, there was a lot of damage, cutting and sewing and tying that happened to your stomach, esophagus and diaphragm. It can be worse if you had a hernia repair.

Personally, I don't eat cereals except for a very few made from rice, which don't have enough fiber to do any good. I'm allergic to the sulfite in the molasses and on the dried fruit. I never found that cereals made much difference before I found my allergy anyway. It's so easy to get fiber by adding a little Benefiber (available in generic). But Miralax (also available in cheap generic) works best for me. They both dissolve in water or anything with water in it and are tasteless. I put them in coffee, tea, soup, applesauce ... It takes 2 - 3 days for them to work, so don't overdo! Once a day of the recommended dose works for most people.

If you're using pain meds still, that's probably the cause of the constipation. When you get off the meds the problem should go away with a little time. If the problem is really bad, consult your doctor. He should have given you a Rx for a liquid laxative, although there are a lot of pretty good tablet ones.

We're not doctors, so anything you read is just opinion and experience from lay people. Your doctor knows you best.

Thanks I bought Fiber One yesterday and hope it will help some. I am on no pain meds. Have no pain. It is hard to eat foods that have fiber now. I did put Benefiber in my coffee also. When can we start eating salads? I think that might help. Have to drink more water. Never drink enough.

Here's the link to the UPMC diet. BTW, UPMC is University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/nutrition/pages/diet-after-nissen-fundoplication-surgery.aspx

I thought it was not good to eat carrots. They are too hard. Thanks Andy and Sharon Z

I think the diet calls for cooked carrots, not raw. Cooked to soft!

How far out from your surgery are you? The worst swelling of the new wrap is around 2 weeks. That's when you really don't want to eat anything you can't swallow.

Lots of people I know personally say drink grape juice to get things moving. I need lots more than that, but it's worth a try. You might have to eat the grapes whole, but don't try that unless you ask the doc.

Bottom line is ask the surgeon! He should have given you a diet!