Dear Dr. Joshua,?
 
I am a twenty seven year old woman that had gastric bypass surgery over?
three years ago. I have been experiencing some severe cramps in the right  
side of my abdomen. Also, I have been having more migraine headaches alot  
more often.The pain from both are so bad that I can no longer tolerate the  
pain. Most of the time that I do have these pains it’s usually during the  
night or the middle of the day. I was wondering if the stomach cramps could?
be coming from me having a Cesarean section or is it from the gastric? I  
had the C- section over eight months ago, and I had a very hard time with  
the recovery.  
 
I also have some other questions to ask you also if you don’t mind? When I  
had the gastric bypass I was told not to be smoking. I have been smoking,so  
my question to you is would that be causing me to be having these pains? Also?
I do know that I don’t eat like I really should be. I try to eat but most of the?
time I can’t because I will vomit most of the food back up. Also, please send some tips on how to stop smoking for good.

Dr. Joshua’s Answer

I can’t diagnose your stomach cramps over the Internet, but it seems more likely that if they are indeed related to some previous surgery, it would be the gastric bypass surgery rather than the C-section. However, the pains may be unrelated to previous surgery. It’s beyond the scope of this answer to list all possible reasons for stomach cramping (it’s a long list), so my advice is that you see your primary care physician about the cramps, and, if possible, talk to the surgeon that did the gastric bypass surgery.

Have you received instructions on how to eat properly following gastric bypass surgery? Eating properly is essential to avoid digestive problems, especially after gastric bypass surgery. If you have not received clear instructions, contact the surgery center and ask for more specific information on how to eat. Vomiting the food back up may be caused by trying to eat too much at a time - eat small amounts regularly. The bypass was done specifically to prevent you from eating large amounts at a time. Your stomach is capable of accepting only very small amounts of food at one time. You should also eat slowly.

Please remember to vary your diet and I suggest that you take a multivitamin pill each day to ensure that you receive all the necessary vitamins. If possible, try to talk to a nutritionist.

Regarding smoking, you should definitely stop smoking and see if the pains ease. In any case, talk to your doctor about your stomach pains. I have previously answered a question on how to stop smoking for good, here’s the link:
How To Stop Smoking

Good luck, and keep us posted on the forum!