LadyBlue

I've had my band since '07. Got in the summer. Everything was great until December. That's when the heartburn kicked in - no matter what I ate or drank, it burned. Long story between then and now, but I will say that even though I do not have a lot of Fluid in my band, it will still seem to tighten on it's own - I've discovered the weather has a lot to do with it. If it's going to rain, the barometric pressure drops or if it gets cold, my band will tighten up. It's these times I try to stick to warm liquids until it passes. Pay attention to when you have problems that seem to pop up out of nowhere -- what's the weather like at that time?

Bread is not one of the best things to eat at all with the band. It goes down better toasted. I do bread once in a while, but try to make sure I take small bites and chew very well. Otherwise it can get stuck in a gooey glob in the band and just sit there for a while - and yes it can be painful. Sometimes I don't chew very well and end up with something stuck -- it's too far down to want to throw it back up, but yet hasn't gone down all the way. And that just hurts! I drink hot tea to get the heat in it to help release and ease it down. It seems to help.

Hopefully Velvet, they were mistaken. It's definitely too soon. You need time to heal thoroughly before starting fills. I believe my dr. has patients come for the first fill (it's been a while, so can't remember for sure as I had my band in '07) at least 4-5 weeks after surgery. Good luck on your journey!

I had the band about 5 years ago. Everything went fine until December. I had severe heartburn and problems with fluids coming up, etc. Long story short, I realized (as my Dr. has at this point also) that the weather can affect the band. When it's cold out or the barometric pressure drops (basically when rains are coming) I get extreme restriction. During these times, I stay on liquids and basically "baby" the band until it passes. I wish I had known this before I'd gotten the band. I would've know better how to handle it instead of the fill yo-yo we started on and ultimately having to have revision surgery. When you start having issues with tightness and heartburn/reflux, pay attention to the weather......that could be part of the problem.

If I've missed this being answered someplace else, please forgive me! I've tried to search for the subject first before posting. I'm one of those who have stretched the pouch. Not once, but twice. The second time, being almost a slip and blockage, my doctor opted to remove the band and put a new one in. I know that once you stretch the pouch, it's easier to do it again. I waited 4 months before getting a fill, then after 2 weeks had it removed because the weather changed and I started having the tightness/problems that I get when the barometric pressure changes! I have not had another refill yet, and will probably wait until after the holidays, for financial reasons. But this is my question: Yes -- I know it's easy to stretch the pouch after having done it, but when that stretch happens and the fibers in the top portion of the pouch are stretched (the ones that tell you you're full and don't have much of an appetite anymore), can they go back to normal? In other words, am I fighting a losing battle because I've stretched the pouch before? Will I never be able to get to that sweet spot again? Anyone with any experience in this, if you could offer me some insight, I'd appreciate it! I feel so discouraged and just wonder if it's hopeless at this point, or do I still have a chance at success?

They refill it a little at a time -- you basically start over with the fills.

If you don't have any restriction, you're not going to stretch the pouch. After the healing process and the swelling goes down, you can fit more food down, so it's natural to be eating more or feeling hungry sooner. Like Jack says, you have to learn the difference between head hunger and body hunger -- it's very hard to undo the head hunger habit. It'll just take practice. As you start getting fills, you'll soon realize and feel the restriction. It's a learning process constantly. Good luck.

xemi, I PM'd you. And Gonna Lose It, you won't stretch it out if you don't eat what you're not supposed to and you stop when you're full and only eat the amount your dr. says your pouch will hold. I did well for a while, had 3 fills then hit the sweet spot. It was a month or two after that that I started having severe heartburn & Fluid coming up when I was laying down. It turned out I was too tight and it was the weather changes causing it. When the barometric pressure drops, it can cause restriction, as can cold weather (for me anyway). That's when the problems started. I didn't have that sweet spot anymore after having fluid removed for a while and we kept trying to get it back. I was eating when I knew I'd had enough -- it was just hard to not eat it if it was in front of me. (When you eat out, have a to-go box brought to you immediately and leave out the portion you're eating for dinner and box the rest of it away.) It may not be easy to stretch it out initially (so says your dietician -- I think individuals vary on this), but once you do, it's so easy to do it again. Good luck!

Yes, Jessica, you really can stretch out the pouch. It comes from putting too much food into it and not stopping. The pouch is designed to hold 1/2 cup food....PERIOD. If you go over that, you risk stretching it. And once you stretch it out, it's very easy to do it again. Stretching it out can cause a slip -- where the pouch is overfilled and it starts to "balloon" out and the more food that is stuffed into it, it'll start to "lay" over the band. At this point nothing will be going through and you'll have to have surgery to reposition it, if you don't lose it altogether. The symptoms are heartburn/reflux and not feeling anything going down (I used to drink real cold Water to see if I could feel it going through). There could be other signs -- just do a search and you'll find them. How do I know this? It happened to me. So I know now how very easy it is to stretch it out and I have to be very strict about measuring 1/2 cup food at mealtimes. When you are at your "sweet spot" -- that 1/2 cup of food will fill you up and you won't feel hungry. Usually, when you need a fill -- you are hungry a lot and can eat more than you should (1/2 cup). Everything else feels fine -- no heartburn, etc. All you need then is a fill. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Since I've been through it, I don't mind sharing, as I know it can be a tough thing to know what's going on inside there. My band is very sensitive to the weather. When it changes (as it has does these past 2 days), I feel a lot of pressure and I go to warm/hot Clear liquids until the weather straightens out (rains/storms have passed). I hope this helps! Good luck!:thumbdown:

Unfortunately, you CAN stretch the pouch out to the point it will slip over the band, at which time nothing (or very little) will go through because it's hanging over it. Been there....done that....and had to have revision surgery. The chance of stretching it out with no restriction is slim, but when there's Fluid in the band, my doctor advised me to MEASURE NO MORE THAN 1/2 CUP food at mealtime. The pouch is designed to hold 1/2 cup. So it IS something that you have to be careful and watch out for.:sneaky:

Jachut is right! Don't risk having problems with the band. I've had to have revision surgery and believe me, you don't want to risk it. Losing a little slower than you'd like is better than losing the band altogether! Good luck!:smile:

Thanks! I'm in no way an expert in this, especially with the troubles I've had! But I realized that I was lucky enough to be able to get this band, when so many others would give their right arm to get it, and yet I'm letting it go to waste, in a way. I'm like you -- the first year it was so easy and it pretty much did all the work, but now it's time I do the work and help it! When you do your journaling, be sure to note the temperature/weather conditions each day, whether it's that time of the month, etc., as well as how you and your band are feeling so in the future when you look back to see if there's a pattern when you have problems, you'll know where to start. Today is my day to start regular foods -- and I'm already feeling stressed about it. But I know what I have to do to achieve what I want..... Good luck, sweetie, I'm glad I could offer you some help, or at least some things to think about. Like I said, I'm no expert on this band at all, but glad I could be of some help! Let me know how it's going!

Slimmap, according to my doctor, it's the weather around here, and they seriously think that's what starting causing it. The barometric pressure in the air, as it drops, it can cause the band to restrict. After getting more fills, then having too much -- as the yo-yo started, I realized that I wasn't stopping eating at a 1/2 cup. If it was there, I was eating it whether I felt full or not (I usually did feel full). So I was overfilling the pouch and that can cause it to stretch out and ultimately cause a slip, where it's wanting to basically "spill over" and lay over the band. Just before my revision surgery, I knew something was wrong. I found myself drinking a lot of cold Water to see if I could feel it going through. When it was normal, I can feel cold going through the band. For the longest time, I couldn't feel that. When I went in and they checked it under flouroscopy, it was not only stretched, but had started to go over the band -- so since it wasn't "straight", things were just barely dripping through. That's when the dr. said it was time to do a revision and basically start over. But I know now, that this is my last chance for this -- for several reasons. One, is we no longer have the insurance we had when I got it in the beginning and had revision surgery in April. My husband changed jobs and we can't afford their insurance, plus from what I understand, insurance companies won't pick you up and cover previous lapband procedures. Also, I know that the stretching was MY fault. I allowed myself to go back to bad habits instead of babying my band and treating it right. I know my biggest issue is overeating -- when I feel full, if I still have food on my plate, I want to eat it regardless. So that's why I've joined OA to help get a grip on that -- it's basically a disease and I have to learn how to control it. So if you don't think it's the weather where you are affecting the band, could it possibly be bad eating habits? That's why a lot of us are overweight to begin with and were able to get the band. If your band feels fine for a while, then it's suddenly giving you the restriction problems, then there's got to be another factor that influencing it and causing the restriction -- i.e. weather (you may have developed a sensitivity to it) or even hormones, that time of the month, stress, etc. Start a journal and see if you notice if things are happening around the time you start having the trouble. It's worth a shot. I had my fill Saturday. I'd gained 10 lbs. since April and I'm almost within 30 lbs. of where I started when I first had the band. So I'm ready to do things right and figure out why I don't want to stop eating, why I depend on food so much, etc. I've done everything to a "T" since Saturday like they told me. I've been cranky and testy and I know that is why -- it's hard to give up a vice you've depended on for so long. But I have to realize that I only need food to sustain my body -- not for anything else. That's a tough lesson and it'll be a life-long lesson. I wish I could give you more answers -- just realize you have to figure out what the outside factors are that can cause your band to tighten up one day, when it was fine before. This is a foreign object placed inside our bodies, and since everyone is different, it could be anything causing your sudden restrictions. When it happens, go to clear, warm liquids for a couple of days and see if that helps. Also, as I mentioned before, try journaling and see if you notice any patterns, etc. Good luck, sweetie and let me know if I can do anything else for you!

I was banded in June 07 and by October (3rd fill) I had also reached that sweet spot. It was great. I didn't get any more fills and life seemed to be good. In December, I started getting the acid reflux (real bad) to where it was waking me up at night because Fluid was coming up and I'd have coughing fits. This went on for about a week and I went in to the dr. They thought it was gastritis (or something like that) and gave me some meds for the heartburn. It didn't work. I went in again and they took some fluid out (not all) and the problem was immediately relieved! They said the weather can affect the band -- when it turns cold and/or rainy, it can tighten up and start to wreak havoc. I did not know this ahead of time. I wish I had, as I would've done what others in his care do -- go straight to Clear liquids for a few days until it relaxes and goes back to normal. When they took that little bit out, I went back a couple of weeks later for a refill. But soon after, the problems started....so after several fills and a little bit on the unfills, we ended up removing all the fluid and starting over. The problems started up again. Then with my frustration, I began to over eat, as that sweet spot seemed to be no more and even though I felt full, I was still eating. I ended up stretching my pouch -- so we removed the fluid again only to have a near slip a little while later with the same yo-yo fills. I ended up having revision surgery this past April and had a new band put in. I have not had any fills, as I have been scared to death to have fluid put in because I don't want to risk stretching the pouch again. So now afte 5 months with my new band and joining Jazzercise and just now starting to go to Overeater's Anonymous to get a grip on why I overeat to begin with, as well as some hypnosis/meditations I have gotten the courage to go in today and get a fill. I realized I'm putting the weight back on and I am miserable. Here I have this tool that can help me, and yet with no fills, it's doing nothing but sitting there. So I have to take control by using other tools available to me and hopefully with all of them combined, I will once again succeed and get to a sweet spot and be in control. So just be aware of the problems. Note the weather -- possibly write down what the weather is like when you experience tightness and see if there's a pattern of certain times when you're having problems. I live in Texas, so it can be 95 one day and 40 the next or no rain for months, then storms for a week. That will all have an effect on the band. So hang in there and go slow! Have faith that you will hit that sweet spot again and get back on track. I just realized that I have to have faith that I'm in control -- it's all I have shy of not having the band at all. I keep telling myself if I can quit smoking (and I loved it) then I can take control over food. I try to tell myself that "Just for today, I'm going to do......." and take it one day at a time. Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to share my story as I get ready to go in in a few hours and get that first fill in a long time and hope and pray that I can make it work again! GOod luck to you, sweetie!

Sorry you had that happen! I've had to 'start over' several times, so I understand the frustration. I've never had a complete slip, but have 'been on the verge' a couple of times. Have you had the endoscopy done yet? What did they tell you about it? I hope all goes well. This can be a trying and frustrating process, but it teaches us more about what the band is all about. One thing I didn't know about before getting banded was that the change in weather can cause restriction. I was at my sweet spot after my 3rd fill and was there for several months in the fall of '07. After Christmas, I started having severe heartburn and spitting up liquid when laying down at night. My doctor told me the weather changes can cause restriction. It was so severe, they took out everything and I started over. I've since started over 3 times. It's a slow process, but I'm learning how to baby my band better! Let us know how your test went and how things are going!

Is there anyone in the Conroe/Woodlands area that would like to form an exercise group and get together several times (2-3) a week to exercise? I'd like to get a group together, and each time we meet, we'll use a different exercise video for variety and generally have exercise, support, etc. It's easier to stay active on a regular basis when there's a group to be accountable to and this is a free way to do it -- I know I cannot afford to join a gym or anything like that. I thought this would be a good alternative. Anyone in this area who's interested, please PM me and we can get started getting a group together. Have a great day everyone!!!:smile2:

I'm asking this here because I'm afraid where I originally posted it might not get seen and I'm really kinda scared. I appreciate any help! On July 2nd, I had a complete unfill -- I was having extreme heartburn and couldn't eat a lot of anything, but I was not vomiting often (I did ONCE, but it wasn't an extreme episode). My doctor does all the fills/unfills under flouroscopy, so when they originally were going to take a small amount out and looked at the picture, he said I was on the verge of a slip (I think the kind where part of the pouch wants to go over the band), so he was going to completely unfill to let it heal. liquids & mushies for 2 weeks. What does it feel like on that type of slip -- part of the stomach/pouch wanting to hang over the band? How does one know if that's actually happened -- doesn't liquid/mushies or basically anything that you consume get stuck in that "overhang"? I'm so paranoid about it now, that I'm afraid it has slipped. Last night I had so much gas & bloating that it made me feel nauseas a little. I had ONE bite of a small piece of very tender brisket that I chewed into a mush and I was real tired after having to get up very early, so I'd like to attribute that feeling to being worn out and the small amount of grease from the meat causing the gas. That was all I ate though -- everything else has been my full liquids. But I'm noticing today that I don't have much of an appetite -- shouldn't I have MORE of an appetite with a complete unfill? Now I'm worried about it and I've tried to search the forum for similar circumstances, but most of what I've found has pertained to a "regular slip" (if there is such a thing). Anyone have any experience with this kind of slip or can anyone shed any light on this for me? Thanks for any help!

On July 2nd, I had a complete unfill -- I was having extreme heartburn and couldn't eat a lot of anything, but I was not vomiting often (I did ONCE, but it wasn't an extreme episode). My doctor does all the fills/unfills under flouroscopy, so when they originally were going to take a small amount out and looked at the picture, he said I was on the verge of a slip (I think the kind where part of the pouch wants to go over the band), so he was going to completely unfill to let it heal. liquids & mushies for 2 weeks. What does it feel like on that type of slip -- part of the stomach/pouch wanting to hang over the band? How does one know if that's actually happened -- doesn't liquid/mushies or basically anything that you consume get stuck in that "overhang"? I'm so paranoid about it now, that I'm afraid it has slipped. Last night I had so much gas & bloating that it made me feel nauseas a little. I had ONE bite of a small piece of very tender brisket that I chewed into a mush and I was real tired after having to get up very early, so I'd like to attribute that feeling to being worn out and the small amount of grease from the meat causing the gas. That was all I ate though -- everything else has been my full liquids. But I'm noticing today that I don't have much of an appetite -- shouldn't I have MORE of an appetite with a complete unfill? Now I'm worried about it and I've tried to search the forum for similar circumstances, but most of what I've found has pertained to a "regular slip" (if there is such a thing). Anyone have any experience with this kind of slip or can anyone shed any light on this for me? Thanks for any help!

Let me know how it's going!!!! I'll keep you in my positive thoughts.

You're definitely NOT alone in this! I just came from the dr. today and had a complete unfill also. Three weeks ago I had a fill. Two weeks before that, I had to have a little removed. I've had this scenario going on for several months now. Back in December (after having been at my sweet spot since October), I started getting real bad heartburn. After several days of this I was being woke up during the night literally coughing and choking on Fluid. I went to see my doctor and they thought I had gastritis (sp?) so they gave me some meds to treat it. There was no relief after a week, so I went back in & they discovered it was actually too tight. This confused me, since it was perfect for several months. They told me the weather, barometric pressure and sinus drainag can actually create more restriction. They removed some fluid and *sigh* -- what a difference. I had relief!!!! I've had this fill/unfill several times now. The weather has wreaked havoc on me so far this year --- whenever rain is in the forecast lately, I feel the heartburn coming on. I was feeling the burning/pain last week and went to liquids and by Monday of this week, all felt fine. I had no burning, but I did notice that I wasn't eating more than Soup and mashed potatoes. This morning, the burning was back, but this time I also had a 'heaviness' in my chest -- almost like I could feel the restriction. I finally decided I needed to get some fluid taken out and things heal completely. When they put me under the fluoroscopy, they said I had a 'borderline' slip --I hadn't actually slipped yet, but it was starting to. I asked him why that would happen -- I've had no vomiting or anything like that. He said for about 3% of people, it can just happen sometimes. They removed all the fluid and now I'm on liquids and mushies for the next 2 weeks -- ugghhh!!!! So don't feel bad, sweetie, I'm right there with you -- no fluid--no restriction and I want to eat so bad already!!!! I don't know if I can do this! Good luck!

:help:I was banded one week ago yesterday. Another lady was done the same day -- we had our pre-op teaching together & will have post-op together tomorrow. Our Dr. had us on Clear liquids 48 hours after the surgery, then on thin liquids (creams, etc.) after that. I was told that tomorrow at post-op we'd be put on food. Everything I've heard & read about says that's not right. That stage should be many weeks out. Now I'm concerned. When I first found my Dr. I went to a seminar of his & he was holding it with another dr. My friend mentioned to me that the other dr. has his patients on the liquid 2 weeks post op, and that the 2 drs. don't "work" together any more. Now I'm REALLY concerned. I don't want there to be any complications down the line because it's not being done right. I'm afraid to mention anything to them, hence hearing "who would know better -- you or the dr?" I called the "other" dr.'s office anonymously to ask why the difference and they basically said they couldn't help me that I'd have to take it up w/ the dr. who did the procedure. I asked if switching drs. is an option -- they said no. I hope I haven't confused anyone -- but I'm so scared now, I don't know what to do. My friend said that she's having trouble with her port area --- a lot of oozing and pain. Our dr.'s nurse told her that tomorrow during post-op, they'd go in and remove some saline. (What?????)) I thought it wasn't supposed to have any in it yet until the healing has taken place. I'm confused and scared now and don't know what to do???? Any suggestions?:help:

Thank you for the responses! I talked to the nurse at the office this afternoon, and she said it sounds like it's too tight also. I'm glad to know I'm not alone! Have a fantastic day!

I started getting bad heartburn symptoms right after Christmas. It was more of 'fluid' or 'liquid' of some kind that will come up when I go to bed (am laying down). It woke me up in the night several nights in a row and I'd be coughing and have to go spit a lot. I did go see my doctor and found out that ibuprofen had been irritating my stomach (I forgot I wasn't supposed to take it anymore). He gave me a prescription of something to help that I dissolve in Water before meals & at bedtime. It seems to help the burning, but I still get this liquid that wants to come up while I'm sleeping and I don't understand it. I will call the doctor again & ask about it, but I was wondering if any of you have had this happen? If so, what was the remedy? Thanks for your input!