Constant nausea preventing eating after full gastrectomy.

Hello anyone who may be able to help,

My husband had a full gastrectomy in February of this year and seemed to be coping fairly well with eating in the beginning. However for the last couple of weeks he has had constant nausea which is preventing him from eating and has lost even more weight. He is managing to sip away at his fortified juice but even that is a struggle. Anti nausea pills don't work and his lower abdominal region is very tender all the time. Is this normal  or should I be reporting this to the hospital. Is there anything they can do to relieve his suffering? I am very worried. 
Thank you. 


 

  • I don't have any medical knowledge but after reading this I wouldn't hesitate to get in touch with the hospital ,if he's losing weight because he can't eat it needs reporting immediately I would say ,I'm sure they would want you to get in touch so don't feel like you're bothering anyone .

  • Thank you for your reply.   I've decided to do that in the morning even though my husband isn't keen for me to do it. I'm just so worried about him. 

  • Hello there,

    I am sorry that your husband hasn't been feeling very well recently.

    There could be many different reasons for this but it is important you get in touch with his doctor today so they can assess him properly.

    You can read about some of the problems patients can sometimes experience after a gastrectomy here.

    Get back in touch if needed.

    I hope things resolve quickly and that he is feeling better very soon.

    Take care

    Naomi

  • Thankyou for your reply Naomi. 
    I telephoned the hospital this morning and was told to set an alarm for when he should eat and drink and that he needs to force himself to eat and drink. Tbh I have tried reminding and  coaxing my husband to do this already but it's nearly impossible to get him to do this. He is so weak and doesn't have any weight left to lose so I'm really worried. The nurse said there wasn't anything they could do and just to contact the GP so that he could prescribe anti emetics. However, my husband has been taking anti nausea pills which haven't made any difference at all. My husband isn't keen to see the GP and he looks so downhearted all the time. I am at a loss. 

  • Hi there and thanks for the update

    I am sorry to hear you didn't get the response that everyone had hoped for from the hospital. 

    From what you have said it sounds like you are already doing all you can to encourage your husband to eat and drink. Offering food he fancies little and often can be helpful as well as the supplement drinks to increase the calories but if he is feeling so nauseous this may be a struggle for him.

    Sometimes it is appropriate for patients to be referred to a dietician if they continue to struggle with eating and are losing weight.

    We have some information about weight loss and stomach cancer here on our website.

    Whilst I can appreciate your husband being reluctant to see his GP, I really think it would be a good idea for someone to properly assess him and feel his tummy, so do ask him again if he would allow you to call the surgery.

    There are different anti sickness medications that can be prescribed and tried if necessary but firstly I would suggest he gets himself seen. NHS111 can also offer advice out of hours if the GP is unavailable.

    It is no surprise he is feeling down in himself as most people would be expecting to feel much better by now, whereas it does sound like he is going backwards rather than forwards at the moment.

    There is a section about patients feelings and diet problems here that may also be helpful to take a look at.

    You know we're here and if you ever prefer to call us then please feel free on 0808 800 4040, weekdays 9-5.

    Best wishes

    Naomi

  • Thank you very much Naomi. I have made the appointment with the GP for tomorrow and my husband has agreed to go, thank goodness! 

  • Hi Lizbeth 

    I know my father had something similar and took about 3 different anti-sickness pills before his sickness subsided. Many ask for a different type if it's not helping. 
     

    all the best