Frustration with Food after Fundoplication

I am so frustrated with the eating after fundoplication. Everything I do is wrong. I am 15 days post fundoplication and even following the eat every 30 minutes one to 2 ounces and grazing all day doesn't work for me. I get up about 7 am and by noon I am overfilled. I don't feel overfilled til it's too late. I am really skinny and can't afford to loss a lot of weight. I usually only get migraines a few times a year but have had 2 migraines since the fundoplication because I can't eat or drink enough to nourish my body. Any suggestions? I am eating a full liquid diet. I am eating relatively slowly. Also, I really scared that this overeating is going to ruin the fundoplication.

Hi newtummy,

If you're just over 2 weeks post op, I would guess that the feeling of fullness you're experiencing is the swelling of the stomach that is interpreted by the brain/body as fullness.

In the beginning I could not eat more than a few spoonfuls at a time before feeling stuffed. I would nibble a bit and then feel so full I couldn't fit another thing in my stomach. If I got a cup of soup at a restaurant, I'd probably get four meals out of it. It's a totally normal experience.

This feeling of fullness will subside over time. You will lose weight. It's inevitable. But each week you'll be able to eat a bit more, and eventually you'll be back to eating normally again. You can worry about gaining weight back after that.

Sorry to hear you're having migrane troubles. I don't have experience with those, so can't help you there. Perhaps someone else will come by who does.

Hang in there...it will get better.
Denise

Newtummy, when I started I couldn't tell when I had enough. I still can't tell 18 months later.
I had to eat a 1/2 cup and wait. When I felt empty I'd eat again.
Can you eat grits? If you make them watery like a soup they are very filling.
You might can eat broil fish, but chew very carefully.

Post Edited (couchtater) : 7/14/2011 4:26:31 PM (GMT-6)

Hello all

Well just reading all the post about this surgery is like really freaking me out. How you can only eat like 1 to 2 oz of liquid at a time.I dont know if i can go through this.,But i have had heartburns since i was pregnant with my oldest son.,He is now 20.I am up most of the night sleeping agaisnt the wall.Or i will be visiting the stool.I get sick all the time due to all the acid.everthing i eat or drink will trigger an attack.I been on meds for ever,I take like 4 to 5 acid reducers a day.plus my prescribed meds.plus i have the hitial hernia.So the dr says i need to have the surgery.how many weeks do you feel like you cant eat any food.How long do we have to eat a liquid diet.when will they usually let us go back to work.do you really feel full just after alittle bit of food.can we eat like the fruits that are in the baby food jars.i am just making me sick to my stomach reading all the post on all the sites.i seen the video of what they do.i hoping i get the laproscopoy one.instead of the open surgery.I know i shouldnt be looking at the videos cause i am freaking myself out.how did you guys prepare for this,then have to cook meals for the family and not being able to eat it.how do you tht.I am a major pop person.can i have pop.and how much weight do most people lose from this.thanks for listeing to me as i am 40yrs old and so scared.i ahve had alot of surgerys like facial reconstruction and like 5 other surgerys ut this one is making me the most nervous.thanks so much vista

I can tell you that I am 10 years post-op and it will get better. I was eating everything that I wanted at the 6 week mark of post-op. The worst for me was the first 4 days after surgery due to the pain in my shoulders from being inflated like a balloon for the laproscopic procedure. But, if it was done right, you will be fine in a bit of time.

I was on liquids for the day I was at the hospital after all 3 nissens. After that it was anything I could chew to a mush, except breads and most meats. My weight was down to 110 when I had the first surgery. After surgery I went down to 103, don't think I could go any lower. One thing I did throughout the day was to take sips instead of measuring it out. I know some drs say you can eat 4oz every so many hours so I'd measure it out but it was way too much for me. Take a small drink of something every 15-20 minutes. If you're still hungry, try a spoonful of runny oatmeal. Ensure is a good vitamin drink to have on hand. It takes time to adjust to what the surgery did. I still can't eat a whole sandwich or anything yet. Not sure if I ever will. But the first couple weeks is a really hard adjustment period.

Vista, I wasn't hungry for a few days but my appetite came back after that. The really hard part is figuring out how much you can tolerate. Every surgeon is different with their diets. I had liquid for the first 2 days, after that it was anything I could chew to a liquid for 2 or 3 weeks. Then I could try different foods. I think it depends what kind of work you do. If you don't do heavy lifting or a lot of bending, it could be earlier than 6 weeks. I think Joy went back fairly early. I didn't have baby food. I had pudding, jello, yogurt, applesauce, overcooked noodles, over steamed veggies, anything softer. As far as cooking for my family but can't eat it, I've been like that for a while. They would be having tacos or pizza and I'd be sitting there with my quarter piece of plain broiled chicken. It's definitely not easy but knowing that you could be in pain, or get something stuck at the wrap is what stopped me. A good thing to do is to prep meals a head of time. Cook the chicken, brown the beef, cut up the veggies, then you just have to throw it all together. I didn't have soda for a while unless it was flat. Some people can't burp after the surgery and the gas build up from the carbonation would be very painful. I could burp right away. It's definitely a more strung out surgery recovery wise. The incisions didn't hurt, I had one that was tender but I think that is because it was right on my rib. The gas pain in the shoulders was not fun but tolerable. The diet and learning what and how much you can eat is the toughest part...was for me anyway. But I was so ready to get rid of the reflux and pain it caused.

The nissen isn't guaranteed to work. Some people have to get them redone after a few years, some are too loose, some are too tight. Which is why you need to have a very very experienced surgeon. In my case, my surgeon thought the first 2 were too loose. He made them loose on purpose so I wouldn't have swallowing problems. I'm still have symptoms so I'm seeing a specialist that thinks I have a neurological disorder that is messing with my stomach. He said it's pretty rare. I'd go through the surgery again if it meant it would get rid of my symptoms but I'm a mysterious case! Lol

As for your job, follow your drs post op orders. It all depends on how you heal and the weight limits they give you. I heal fast so I just listened to my body. If I was too sore, I did too much that day. I know they say not to lift over 5 lbs for so many weeks but I have 3 kids, one being a year old at the time so I didn't have a way around that.

Just think, if you take your vacation after surgery and you're healed, you will have a better time than feeling sick!

I’m post op 3 weeks and have no appetite the first 2 weeks I was fine by 3rd weeks I start feeling full so quick and no appetite is this normal and how long it take to adjust I’m worried 😟

Hang in there Mereen. I am post op 5 weeks and I also have no appetite. Try to eat smaller meals 6 to 7 times a day. By fourth week I was able to consume semi solids and mince in small quantities.
Your appetite will return slowly. And if there is weight loss the don't worry, you will gain it back.