Suggestions for Post Nissen Gas/Bloating

That is what I did was the walking and taking gas-x, it is one of the worst parts at the beginning. I hope someone else can come up with something different for you.

Hang in there,
amo

There's light at the end of the tunnel! I'm finding that I'm less bloated these days. I still definitely can't burp, but I find that I'm not getting bloated as nearly as often as I used to. Part of the problem is that we have a habit of involuntarily gulping air when we eat as a consequence of the reflux. I found that exhaling through my nose before I swallowed helped that tremendously to the point where I automatically do it now without thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, I still get bloated on occasion. Usually when I've eaten on the go or am in a hurry (I really need to stop doing that!). I enjoy my regular diet now...including salads, fruit and mineral water. Even a beer here and there doesn't give me problems anymore. It gets better!

Be well,
-TonyG-

StephanieJean,

You had the Nissen around the same time as me in August. I had a stomach bug 2 weeks ago. How are you handling nausea? Are you taking the meds? I noticed you mentioned no dairy. I just saw my PCP and I have a UTI. I am guessing because I am not drinking enough fluids. How are you handling your water consumption?

FC  

Hey FC
I was following your posts on your stomach bug, not fun. How are you doing now? I bet your wrap is very irritated.

I had a few bouts of nausea, the last was around halloween after eating some dip at a party. My boyfriend and I both got really bad heartburn and gas and nausea. It was the closest I felt like I was coming to throwing up. Honestly, I took 8 mg of zofran sublingual and a xantac and fell asleep sitting upright on the couch. Thankfully that did the trick. I hate and love zofran because it works, yet it constipates me for days. So I try to save it for real emergencies. For occasional upset tummy I have a low dose of Phenergen which I think works really nicely and doesnt stop me up at all, but its not quite enough to combat the worst of my nausea.
UTIs are terrible. Back in 2010 I had a bad one, and then had to go on strong antibiotics to rid myself of it, but in the meantime the antibiotics killed off all my good bacteria and I had horrible systemic yeast infections which kept driving the UTI back over and over. I had one once a month for 6 months until I started taking lots of probiotics and eating Kefir and yogurt. I have not had a UTI since then.

As far as water, I think I am drinking too much during the day and it is contributing to my gassyness.
I have had no trouble staying hydrated though. I think if you can tolerate the taste, coconut water would be great for you. That was part of my success in the beginning. Coconut water and its great electrolytes as soon as I was cleared in the hospital for fluids orally.

I actually was reading about activated charcoal and how much that helps with gas and stomach issues like indigestion and nausea. Have you heard about that? 100 capsules at the natural foods store down the street was ten dollars and I thought I would try it. some people swear by it and I figured it was pretty safe so why not. I will definitely report on how that works for me as well. Gas x does nothing for me.

Thanks Tony. I do fine now and eat what I want. I even had a Jack and Coke earlier this month, but nursed it for almost an hour. No problems with that, but I will slowly ease into a half glass of beer in another month or two. I'm not a big drinker, but I do miss an occasional one from time to time. Tony, take care....

Hi StephanieJean,

Have you tried BEANO with veggies/gassy foods?  That helped me in the beginning. It's an enzyme that stops the gas from being formed.  I think I remember hearing you were trying enzymes to see if they help.

If you were better, and have gotten worse, I'd guess it is related to where you are in recovery and the foods you've introduced. You could back off to an earlier eating protocol and see if that is helpful.  In any case it'll take several weeks to see a definite improvement if there is one.

Be very careful with what and how you eat.  Slowly, small bites, and choose foods that you were able to eat earlier without a lot of bloating.  Remember you've still got a lot of healing to do, so be kind to your stomach.

Good luck!

Denise

hi Laurie,

Your wrap isn't yet functioning the way it will when you're fully healed. The vast majority of people find their flatulence/bloating issues hugely improved once they've healed.

I can still get it occasionally, and definitely have more than I had pre-Nissen, but it's nothing that is frequent or severe enough to cause me problems. My husband, who was never wrapped is FAR WORSE than me!

I used the BEANO whenever I was about to eat something that was likely to produce gas...veggies, beans, etc. I took 3 chewable tabs JUST before taking my first bite. It's important to take them before the gas even gets started. Enzymes work best that way.

Give them a try...not much to lose. They worked for me.
Happy healing,
Denise

Thanks everyone. Things are getting a little better. I am really paying attention to my diet and taking my charcoal. I just got some enzymes (like beano) that I am going to start taking with meals.

these gas episodes come and go, once they come though, its like it is very difficult for my body to recover. The gas irritates my stomach and my wrap making things tighter, making more gas get trapped, making things get more irritated and tighter and so on.

I have a follow up appointment with my surgeon on December 3rd. I plan on bringing this up. I think a lot of my rib pain I was having is actually gas pain. Not sure what else they would really do for me. I will be diligent in managing this on my own and watching my foods. This time of year doesnt help. My post nasal drip makes me swallow a lot more than normal and I am sure that isnt helping

I did not have beano at home, but I did have a nice blend of digestive enzymes which should cover everything I want to eat.
Today is day two of really restricting my diet, no dairy, no grains (except rice), no raw veggies, no beans, and I still have not had anything fizzy to drink, so that is omitted by default. no coffee, only herbal tea...

My stomach is much flatter, the pain is still there, but I think after a week and a half of bloated abuse that is kind of expected. Although my diet is really limited, I can still eat healthy foods, actually probably healthier foods. I am feeling a lot better and I am sure the lingering pain will go away soon.

I have also taken the charcoal since Friday and I really do think that it is helping along with dietary changes. I have also been walking twice a day for about 15-35 minutes each time. That is really helping too, but I think some pain is because I am moving around a lot more as well. its very mild pain, but lingering.

Hi Wilmariley,

At five and a half weeks post op, you're still in the infancy of your recovery.  I takes six months for most of the healing and a year for the rest.  In fact, I continued to see improvements past the year mark...even past the two year mark!  So take heart...it will get better, but it takes patience and trust.

Yes, you will be able to eat your pizza, and drink Coke in moderation (maybe even more than moderation...I wouldn't try it, but you could try drinking lots).  The champagne could be a problem, though.  My son got engaged when I was three and a half years post op, and I had two glasses of champagne in celebration.  I have never had a lot of bloating issues, but I had painful bloating after the champagne.  I can drink a couple glasses of soda without a problem, though.

Even though you can eat anything, don't forget to eat more slowly and chew your food completely before swallowing it.  It will go a long way to protect your wrap, and help your stomach feel more comfortable.  When people have stomach issues after being given the green light for eating whatever they'd like, they very often start writing about discomfort and stomach complaints.

Your stomach has been through MAJOR surgery, even though you wouldn't know it with the little slits you have on the outside fully healed.  It takes time for your stomach to heal and your GI tract to adjust o the changes that were made.  Hang in there!  You'll be back to comfortable eating of all the foods you ate post-op. This recovery definitely takes patience. Bill, another moderator, reminds us that it's a marathon, not a sprint toward healing.  Patience!  It'll happen!

Happy healing,

Denise

 

StephanieJean,

I am avoiding a lot of the stuff you listed. The gas buildup is now causing high blood pressure and headaches. Are you having headaches?

FC

StephanieJean,

You had your surgery in August like me. How are you doing? Do you have tightness in the chest? Mine is from bloating. Still experiencing this issue. I don't burp but air comes out like I am blowing out a candle.

Michelle