jansluv

I could only sleep on my left side, also. I still cannot sleep on my back after 4 months. And up until 3 months could not sleep on my right, but now its not a problem.

I think you m might just have to battle through. Pretty much everyone that has written about their experience had nausea the first day or so. Good luck!!!

Why do you think your throat is sore? I few times, I had some acid back up during the night and woke with a brutal sore throat. Do you think its acid or just the procedure? I am a little nervous about taking it out, more so than having it put in!

HI there! I was nervous too the days leading up. But honestly, I felt pretty darn good when I came out of the procedure, except for a strong, although brief case of hiccups! I felt totally fine and was released within 1 hour. They had me on a saline drip while I was at the facility so I was plenty hydrated. I only sipped water that night. And yes, I was nauseas later that evening and did throw up that night once. And then again a few days later. I was able to drink protein drinks and warm broth the next day. And by the third day was feeling good enough for a little solid food - although the doctor recommended only soft, liquid foods for a week. Try to not have anything on the calendar those first few days so you can take care of yourself. Sounds like your kitchen is fully prepared - bone broth is a good source of protein, too. Good luck.

I exercise regularly, but after the insertion of the balloon, it took me 4-5 weeks to feel good enough in the morning to exercise again. The mornings were tough as I always felt a little nauseas when I woke up, with the fear of spitting up or diarrhea, I didn't want to risk it. I could have worked out in the afternoons but that wasn't convenient with my schedule.

Hi. I have had the balloon for almost 4months. My weight and height similar to yours (211, 5'5") I chose the balloon because I did not want major surgery. I wanted something relatively non evasive that would kick start weight loss while helping to retrain my brain to see food differently, retrain my stomach to adjust to smaller quantities and retrain my psyche into not needing food to comfort myself! And yes, the balloon has done all that. Its been a very uncomfortable adjustment. Its not easy to have this thing take over a huge portion of your stomach. There are lots of uncomfortable side effects, besides being full. But that is what has changed my relationship with food. After four months, I can easily say I have no cravings of any sort. I do not crave cake or burgers or fries like I did before. If I see them, yes, I will take a few bites, and those bites are enjoyable, but I can also walk away...because I know if I eat too much I will hurt my weight loss goals and there are undesirable side effects. Is this new outlook on food sustainable after the balloon is removed...I don't know. And I am afraid it might not be. But I am eating so much healthier than I have ever done before and honestly relieved that my carb/sugar carvings are gone.So am hopeful I will be more aware of what food does to my body, moving forward. As I am sure you have read in your research...the balloon is just a tool. It is not a magic pill to weight loss. I have to count my calories (I keep them 1100 a day) and I have to exercise (3 times a week is good, but 4 times guarantees a good weight loss that week) I am very aware of every food I eat....I always try to make good choices (not necessarily perfect, but good enough). So at a burger joint the other night, after having a great weight loss, I wanted to have a nice meal with my family - I had a burger, no cheese, whole wheat bun and asked for a side salad instead of fries. Was it the best choice, no I could have had just the salad, but it was wonderfully satisfying. The balloon keeps me full so I am not starving all day on such little calories and allows me to eat only a 1/3 of my former portions. I have lost 23 pounds and hope to lose 10 more before its removed in 2 months. You will read plenty of people who lost much more (40-50lbs)- but always take into account their starting weight because others may have a lot more to lose than you do. I did not qualify for the sleeve or lap band or by pass, but really was not interested in anything so dramatic. I just wanted to lose some weight fast, get healthy again so I could enjoy working out again. Please read lots and lots before committing to this. The side effects are unpleasant and require major adjustments in what and how you eat. But it does work and you will lose weight. Good luck!

Congratulation @@monniet50! You made it through and with such tremendous outcome!! You should feel so excited!! I have another 2 months to go and its been challenging. This process is certainly not for the weak of stomach! lol. I too have not felt myself, and it took every every ounce of strength I had to fight through calling my doctor and having it removed. But the weight has come off and like @@Wayward Traveler said, I have a new lease on life and feel younger, thinner and happier. I was told that I would be on a very strict liquid fast the two days prior to having it removed because they want to make sure the balloon is 100% free of any food debris as it could possibly get breathed into your lungs as they remove the deflated balloon from your throat. Sounds a bit scary, and definitely gross. So, I certainly plan on following those orders...and maybe I'll get another pound or two off in the process! Good luck and please report back how the removal went. And congrats again, you should be so proud!

Hi. I am almost 4 months in. Lost 21 pounds, less than I was hoping/expecting and losing weight has slowed to a crawl in recent weeks. I chose orbera because I did not qualify (BMI too low) for anything more invasive and also because I really was not too keen on the idea of more permanent procedures since I still have the belief that I have some control over my poor eating habits. I did not do a lot of research on the sleeve or by pass because I was just too concerned about the long term consequences of a permanent change to my plumbing...I guess I envisioned doubled over in stomach pain in the nursing home when I was 85 wondering why the hell I did that to myself! haha. It has NOT been easy. It is NOT a magic pill. There has not been one day that I have felt normal. Acid reflux is a real, every day/night side effect. Stomach aches if I eat the wrong food, too much food, not enough Water, sleep in the wrong position. The first 4 weeks were horrible. The next 4 weeks were bad, but livable. Month 3 was ok, but weight loss slowed a lot. Month 4, I have many more good days, and good nights, but I am very conscientious of everything I put in my mouth and the consequence it will have on my evening (night time is rough...with such a small pocket for food and drink, stuff bubbles up into your esophagus/throat when laying down.) I have not found many people who have written in these forums post 2 months so I do not know if my experience is normal or not. I will say, I would do this again. I feel healthier right now, given the weight loss and it has broken my love affair with food. I eat now because I am hungry and not because I have to have a sweet or comfort food. But I will repeat...this is NOT the cure for obesity. I need to work out, I need to count calories and I need to watch every bite I eat. Did I need to install a heavy balloon in my stomach to achieve that? Probably not, but I was yo-yo'ing with my diet and could not get my butt off the chair to exercise. Now every minute of the day I am aware of this thing inside of me so I make more conscientious choices. I have even contemplated having another installed to replace the old one at 6 months....we'll see! Good luck in making your decision. I have heard good things about the sleeve....

Hi @@Wayward Traveler. I am 10 weeks in. Lost 17 pounds. The thing I have learned from reading the few blogs I have been able to find, is everybody's body reacts in its own way to the balloon. I have read some people who throw up daily for a month. I only threw up twice. Some people lost 10 pounds the first week, I didn't lose anything that week. Some people can't stomach solid food for a week after insertion, I was able to eat solids after 48 hours. So, unfortunately, I think its up to your body and how well you listen to your doctor. I was very uncomfortable the first night (threw up and very bloated tummy) but felt ok the next day, except for being tired from lack of food, I think. You will find through trial and error what you can eat, how much you can eat and when you should and shouldn't eat. My first week was not bad at all. And I was able to get back to the gym by end of 3rd week. The balloon is not easy, nor is a magic diet pill. You may not feel 100% for the next 6 months. I generally feel at about 80%, always a little off, generally first thing in the morning and almost always in the evening. And your weight loss will plateau at some point. You will have to alter what you eat and you will have to add some form of exercise to get past those plateaus. I have had some really rough days, but its totally worth it in my opinion. My blood pressure has gone way done, my cholesterol is back to normal and my sleep apnea has corrected itself in just 2 months. So power through the rough days and keep your eye on the prize! Good luck!

I am so sorry! What a terrible experience to go through without any results. I would have it removed if after 2 months I hadn't lost anything. Not worth all the discomfort if there is no pay out. Good luck to you.

Me too!! I do not get a full to bursting/can't eat another bite like everybody else. When at a restaurant I am using all my restraint to only eat half, because I do NOT feel full or anything! About 3-4 hours AFTER the meal, I will feel like a bowling ball is in my gut. So, I end up skipping the next meal. My weight loss is slow and steady. I am 7 weeks in and have lost 15 pounds. I didn't lose any weight the first 2 weeks. I guess my body was trying to figure out what the heck just was going on. 7 weeks in...I am gradually getting used to this week. But I have to be honest, I haven't had one day where I feel good. I have stomach aches, really bad gas while I am sleeping, some reflux (although I am getting that under control now), and some mornings I am nauseas for hours with spit up always at the back of my throat. As far as food goes...I am simply making healthy choices. Like Oprah, I LOVE bread, but I limit to whole grain and once a day. I gave up alcohol. I limit Pasta or rice to once a week. I eat Protein at every meal. I allow myself one small dessert a week, like ice cream. I am sure if I was as strict as other people on this site, I would not be having some of the adverse side effects. Cutting way back on how much I eat at dinner really helps with the night time reflux. ...15 pounds gone. SO, I am still thinking this was worth it. I started working out about 3 weeks ago (boot camp, walking, swimming), but there are some mornings when all I want to do is lay on the couch and hold my stomach! If I could lose another 20 in my next 4 months, I will be ecstatic and this will all be worthwhile.

Its fairly new. It can cause stomach issues, so to minimize that, it is removed at 6months.

It's a saline filled balloon, about the size of a grapefruit that is placed in your stomach for 6 months. It is a non invasive non surgical procedure that makes you feel full so you eat less. The balloon is inserted, unfilled, via a tube through your mouth then filled once it's positioned in your stomach. At 6 months it's removed.

I have been on this forum for 4 weeks and have read many different experiences. Every person's body is going to have their own reactions. I eat very little, never after 6, I drink water and my food choices are extremely healthy. But I get reflux and bad gas. And to top it off I have only lost 13 pounds. But, that's 13 I would not have lost if I didn't have the balloon. So I'm not willing to have it removed yet, just hoping the good days start to outweigh the bad and the gradual weight loss continues.

Thanks for your response. I really felt my practice was not listening to me about my symptoms. I certainly did not plan to take time off of work for a week and it wasn't recommended at the time I had booked my procedure. I wish I had. I am lucky enough to work from home this week along with some vacation time. I have to go back to the office. I told them today I had arranged for a driver and was coming tomorrow to take this out, but the doc asked me to try 2 more meds. If these don't work, I'm going on Monday to have it removed. I hope more people reply. What are you taking for the reflux? I was already taking 40mg of Nexium a day, and I have increased it to 2 a day...not that it has helped. Keep in touch! I take 20mg of omeprazole. Doctor says I can up it to 40 mg, but I only do that on days when its bad. He also said I can add Zantac when its bad. Its important, I have learned, to eat dinner early, before 6, and eat a light dinner. The other issue I battle is gas! Last night was the worst ever. I only had a small dry baked potato and 3 oz grilled chicken. You'd think I had a massive dinner at a Mexican restaurant...lol!

Interested in replies. I am 6 weeks in. At my four week appt I was going to schedule an early removal but felt better that day so gave the balloon another chance! I never feel normal. I had a brutal bout of reflux week 3-4. That is gone but now I have stomach ache every evening, like I swallowed a bowling ball. I can live with that, as long as it's not accompanied by reflux.

Wow! Congrats on meeting your goal!

I'm on week 5. Down 13lbs. I have started having very bad acid in the last week. I have taken some tums, in addition to omeprezole. It helped a little. I am going to start tracking when the acid is worst and what foods and quantity I ate prior. Every forum I read says you can't drink with your meals ... Which I was doing. They also say eat slowly, chew your food as much as you can and there are certain foods that can trigger it... Spicy food, mints, fried food (I ate pepperoni and fried chips on Sunday!) and foods that are very high in fiber might not break down as quickly so can cause trouble. My main problem is I don't feel full after eating for at least an hour so I'm having a hard time knowing when to stop. I'm Not eating a lot at all, but everyone says even one bite too much can cause trouble.

Oh I am sorry! Yup, that happens to me too. I hope you can sleep tonight!

I think because I always feel either nauseas or reflux, food has less and less appeal to me! I forced myself to eat an egg tonight.

HI all, I am 1 month post orbera balloon insertion. Lost about 10 pounds. It was very slow loss the first 2 weeks but picked up the last 10 days. My body needed to adjust I guess. I am having a hard time with nausea in the am (a threw up a lot this morning when I woke up...I didn't eat a lot last night, but it was spicier and cheesier than I have had in a month..Superbowl food) and the acid reflux is starting to get me down. I have it a lot. Almost every night. Its slightly better if I only have a liquid dinner...like soup or a shake...but even a bowl of cereal will start it up. My doctor has had me on omeprazole since a few weeks prior to insertion. But I don't think its doing any good. When I have anything even slightly spicy or minty, I feel my entire esophagus burning. I am thinking this can't be good. Seeing my doctor on Thursday and will ask if I should switch to something different.

I saw my thyroid doctor today who said my thyroid levels are perfect so I can't blame the lack of weight loss on that! He gave me a long boring lecture on cultural changes that have cause obesity to sky rocket. And I should be thrilled with a 1 pound per week weight loss. Really?? Not at the price I paid! LOL. Well, I can happily say I am fully adjusted to this abdominal intruder. No more nausea in the morning. And I only get the severe cramping if I eat more than soup or shake for dinner. I'm sorry both of you have had less than desirable results. This balloon is a pain and I almost had it taken out a few weeks ago, but I hope I can see some more success. I feel like the balloon works BECAUSE it makes me feel sick. The days I don't feel sick, I can eat almost normal portions. I try not to, but I don't really feel full. It just keeps me from feeling hungry. ( I am probably not making sense.) Basically, nothing ever sounds good, so I don't feel like eating. Most of the weight I lost came from the first two weeks when I was so sick I wanted it out. And again a few weeks ago when I almost had it taken out. Anyway, just some random observations. hmmm...you are probably right!! I feel great today and have been hungry all day! Maybe I should do a downward dog and get this thing to shift to make me nauseas again!