Son is 1 week post step 1 of 3. He continues to feel nauseous. His stoma is working fine so no blockages. I encourage him to walk and drink and eat smaller more frequent meals. I assume everything is just adjusting. Has anyone else had this and how long for him to feel better? It's really getting him down. He is also very weak and still losing weight, which makes me nervous.
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Just a thought here but it does take awhile for all the meds used during/after surgery to leave our system and sometimes the presence of anesthesia meds, etc. leave us nauseated. There is a medication to help control nausea. While in the hospital I needed it I.V. It worked. I think an anti-nausea med also comes in pill form. Talk to your son's surgeon. Best wishes!
I agree - ask doctor about something for the nausea - yes, I had this and also threw up quite a bit on and off after step one. My sister had nausea too. But I think we got something for it -which helped - did not eliminate all of the nausea - but definitely helped. If you are worried, call doctor. Don't be afraid to go to ER if he starts throwing up a lot or seems very weak. This is a judgment call - he is going to be very weak - but if you see him decline really suddenly or something, by all means go to ER. AT the least, they will rehydrate him with IV and be sure nothing else is going on - it can give you peace of mind to do that even though it's a huge hassle. I think my sister had to go back twice and I went back once during the post op times.
Is he still on strong pain meds? Opiates commonly cause naausea.
yes, presuming he is still taking pain meds, and pair that with low food intake, the pain pills are probably the culprit.
my favorite anti-emetic (nausea med) is Phenergan, but it also tends to be sedative. After that Zofran. They even make a sublingual Zofran, though ive never had it, but sublingual would probably fastest acting apart from an IV. but note for some odd reason even the generic form Odanestron is expensive too. So I now take the generic for Compazine.
if he's taking pain meds he might pair the anti-emetic with it. and also try to eat then too. even if its just a few saltines.
He hasn't taken pain meds since tues. Maybe some is still in his system. I'm sure the dr will give him something today. I was just hoping this would pass with time.
keep an eye on his output if he begins to have trouble with output, that should also spark a call to surgeon even after hours. walking might help, he might have a bunch of trapped gas. walking will help to expel/process that. was his surgery open or lapro?
I always have nausea post op..first the anesthetic makes me throw up for about 2 days, then the morphine kills me again...most pain meds make me feel queezy...but beyond 1 week I start to snap out of it...my favorite drug against nausea? Ice...I fill big cups with ice and then breath in and out big gulps of icey air...calms me immediately...then I suck on the ice chips.
I also stick my head in the open freezer door at home whenever I feel nauseous. For some reason the cold helps me. Cold compresses help with the headach associated with the nausea too.
Sharon
Thanks all. Dr prescribed Zofran for about a week. Hopefully things will improve after that.
Thanks, Sharon! I've never tried putting my head in the freezer to help relieve nausea but I sure will do so next time!!!! Sounds so much better than taking something to relieve nausea!
Freezer good for when you go through menopause too - as all women who have been through that lovely experience know! Hope your nausea improves - so sorry you are dealing with it.
Yup...helps for a lot of things...ice packs on the neck for a few moments do the trick as well...calms jaggling nerve endings...helps with some headaches too (not all)...
I like my drug-free tricks because sometimes that is all it takes to get past the first 5 minutes.
Sharon
Yes I was nauseau for a few weeks and did not start gaining weight till after 3 months. I hope by now he is feeling better.
Candied ginger works great for nauseau.
