Nausea and decreased appetite

[canon4me]

Today I have little appetite for things that normally I enjoy and I have a nauseated feeling, but have not thrown up. Is this normal for someone operated on ten days ago?

 

[Sten Osis]

Re: Nausea and decreased appetite

What painkillers are they giving you?

 

[canon4me]

Tylenol by itself or Oxycodone -APAP 5-235 MG
Generic for Percocet - take 1 to 2 tablets by mouth every four hours as needed for pain greater than 3 on a scale of 0-10.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

As you transition home, it may be the meds you are taking or the meds you are no longer taking.

I know I was on something for nausea while in the hospital but nothing was offered for home use. I'm really not nauseated anymore but eating is still an issue (it was noteworthy that I ate a whole piece of toast for the first time today).

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that as you sleep and exercise more, you will get to feeling better.

If it persists or interferes with your recovery, call your Dr. -- Suzanne

 

[Jkm7]

You have suffered much anxiety in the last several days. Perhaps that is a contributing factor?

 

[Bryan B]

If you combine not eating much with opiate pain meds the result is usually mild to moderate nausea, but probably not enough to make you vomit. Try to eat a little something before you take the oxycodone, it should help with the nausea if the oxycodone is the cause. It took 2-3 weeks before my appetite returned to normal. Food just didn't taste right which I learned here is normal after surgery. Our taste buds seem to be affected by the anesthesia for some reason and it takes awhile for it to leave our system.

 

[canon4me]

You have suffered much anxiety in the last several days. Perhaps that is a contributing factor?

I don't know about anxiety, but certainly physical trauma that includes muscular, skeletal and possibly metabolic trauma.

Something else I noticed that is happening today is that I have some neurons firing indiscriminately in my arms and legs similarly after I had back surgery back in 2003. It's kind of like Tourett's of the arms or legs. Every once in a while about 4 or 5 times today so far, my leg will kind of "kick out" on its own or arm extend not willfully. Neurontin used to control this stuff.

 

[epstns]

canon - I can't speak to the random neuron firings, but I did have some "low-grade" nausea after I came home. We think it was the result of taking the narcotic pain meds on a nearly empty stomach. My stomach was nearly empty because food tasted terrible - most things I liked before surgery tasted like chemical junk after. It took a good 6 or more weeks before my sense of taste normalized. Until then, I had to eat carefully, choosing whatever would taste right, then eating enough of it to keep me going. I ate lots of saltine crackers, simple cookies, toast, turkey sandwiches - all the simple stuff. I lost weight, but it didn't stay off.

 

[Rachel]

I had similar experiences, for about a week after surgery most food tasted horrible and I was HUNGRY!!!! I was off of all pain meds the second day after my surgery so I didn't get the nausea so much, but I did lose a lot of valuable weight.

Once my taste buds returned to normal I had fun eating all the time, and it took months before I started to gain my weight back.

These things take time

 

[Laggard]

The loss of appetite is normal and common. I rarely felt like eating and when I did nothing tasted good. I never felt sick to my stomach though.