Sleevers: leaks / non leaks + similar pains

[Sharonimo]

Hi guys,

Well apart from the fact that I have been so busy job hunting, I've hardly had time to pop on here much, I also started to experience pains recently that made me think I might have a leak (either I am hypochondriac or been reading too many sleeve leak threads! LOL!). On 29 May I contacted the Whittington bariatric team by email asking:

Since I had my sleeve 6 weeks ago I have been experiencing increasing pain in my left shoulder, left back, and left abdomen area. I would like to request an appointment with a member of the bariatric team to check that I have not developed a leak.

Their initial response was "We are fully booked, please see your own GP or A&E" ..... but then the bariatric nurse phoned me yesterday (30 May) and after I described my symptoms, they invited me in for a "procedure" today.

RESULT:
I do not have a leak, but I have severe gastritis. They did an endoscopy today at the Whittington and will arrange for a separate Xray / barium swallow test and blood tests sometime during the next 10 days just to be 100% sure, but Mr Sufi said the evidence from the inside of the sleeve is severe inflammation.

He said this could have happened for a number of reasons: not taking my Lansoprazole [I have been], eating things my sleeve does not like, eating late at night, or other non-compliant dietary behaviour.

As you may appreciate, as I have been running around like a blue arsed fly chasing jobs and stuff, I have been "eating on the run" somewhat (albeit small amounts) .... but the chosen food items have not always been the most sleeve friendly.

NOW GOING TO TRY: 3 or 4 days on milk, yogurts and soup to try and calm the sleeve down again.

And apparently, severe gastritis can lead to arm pain, shoulder pain and other ailments similar to a gastric leak -- the only symptoms I did not have were (1) fever, and (2) sickness.

 

[Ruthiep]

Oh Poor you.

What are sleeve friendly foods and what are not? I thought we kind of learned on the job what we could and couldn't tolerate?

 

[Natstar]

Geez I hope you are ok Sharon!?

Glad you got it all checked out though, leaking is a huge concern especially after reading some of the posts on here that some people have had to go through! Did they say if it was quite common and have they recommended the mill/yog diet etc?

Nx

 

[WIGLET]

I have had severe sickness for almost 7 months since I got my sleeve. 5 weeks ago I was diagnosed with severe gastitis. I was given a 7 day course of anti-biotics. Still feel ropey some days but hopefully it is getting under control. Nice thing about it is losing 6st 4lbs since sleeve put in. Due to get weighed again on 11 June.

 

[Sharonimo]

What are sleeve friendly foods and what are not? I thought we kind of learned on the job what we could and couldn't tolerate?

Well my sleeve does not seem to tell me immediately what it cannot tolerate -- it lets everything go thru and then gets irritated afterwards. I had been getting too ambitious recently and had some hard, dry toast and other things that possibly me sleeve does not like. I am going to go back to being a bit more cautious for a while.

Glad you got it all checked out though, leaking is a huge concern especially after reading some of the posts on here that some people have had to go through! Did they say if it was quite common and have they recommended the milk/yog diet etc?

I absolutely had to get it checked out as I could not contemplate relocating 200 miles away to Devon not being sure if I had a leak or not.

Mr Sufi did not say that it was common, and he did not recommend any dietary changes -- he just said continue as you are but make sure you take your antacids.

As i have been taking the antacids anyway, I decided for myself to go back to basics on the diet for a while, just to see if this might help.

5 weeks ago I was diagnosed with severe gastitis. I was given a 7 day course of anti-biotics.

I have not been prescribed anything, no extra antacids and no anti-biotics.

However, now that I am aware of what is causing the pain I can decide whether to see my GP and ask for anti-biotics or extra antacids -- see what the GP might recommend for "anyone" (i.e. including people without bariatric surgery) suffering from gastritis.

 

[Sharonimo]

UPDATE

Due to the lack of advice about what to do / how to treat gastritis from the Whittington yesterday (they were rushed off their feet and the clinic was running 3 hours late due to all the extra people they had fitted in at short notice) ....

.... I went to see a doctor at one of the city MediCentres at lunchtime today to seek their advice.

1. The first thing she said was "Have you been under any stress lately?" [Hmmmm, just a tad!]

2. She gave me loads of useful dietary advice -- she said going back to basics, liquid and soft food was a really good idea, and to wean myself back onto solid foods more slowly, but also to AVOID:

-- spicy foods (like the small portion of Thai Green chicken curry I ambitiously had recently)

-- citric foods (tomatoes and most fruit)

3. She also gave me a prescription for an extra box of Lansoprazole and advised me to take 2 x day both in the morning (she said this would be more effective than 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening).

 

[Bellydancer57]

Oh poor you. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[wannabeminime]

Hope you're feeling a bit better now! X

 

[Sharonimo]

Hope you're feeling a bit better now! X

The left shoulder pain has eased up since diagnosis, taking the extra Lansoprazole and going back to very easy liquid and soft food. Hopefully the sleeve will settle down soon as well.

 

[stuckinafatsuit]

My sleeve becomes very fickle when im stressed, as in food that is normally ok becomes painfull. Grrr, lifes a ***** at times!!

Kim

 

[babalon]

Wishing you well Sharon x

 

[DEANO76]

Spicy food can be a big no-no for gastric patients, i love spicy food but find i am rushing for antacids soon after, i also find the stomach burns last for hours. My sleeve lets me eat most things but i tend to find that, breads, pastries dont digest quickly and want to come back up. Glad to hear you feel better now.

 

[Sharonimo]

After the endoscopy I had last week, I had an Xray / barium swallow today at the Whittington and no sign of a leak. However, I have reported the rest of this on my main diary thread: http://www.wlsurgery.com/wls-gastric-sleeve/146110-sharons-new-weekly-weigh-diary-3.html

Apologies for separate threads, but when it first flared up it was something new and unexpected and I wanted to report back ..... now it is a minor irritation I am going to have to put up with for a while, hence blogging about it in my general diary thread.