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Dumping syndrome does not prevent sugars from being absorbed/weight gain. It's a physical response that causes cramping but it doesn't stop absorption entirely. Supposedly, if you don't drink or eat too quickly while eating things with sugar you are less likely to dump because the food shouldn't be forced into the intestines too quickly. However, with the pyloric valve missing I am not sure it would be possible to manage dumping syndrome effectively.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I know a little about FMT. We included it in an article that we wrote on gut bacteria and weight gain http://www.mybariatriclife.org/trust-your-gut-bacteria-and-weight-gain-2/. At the time of the writing it was considered experimental and not covered by insurance. That may have changed by now. So I need to look into it. Thanks again for your support. It is awful to experience the pain and inflammation and bloating. Add to that the myriad of problems presented when I am in a public place, at the office, church, someone's home...

@emleyrose https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions http://www.healthline.com/health-news/bariatric-surgery-patients-see-weight-gain-after-honeymoon-period-080515#2 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2422341 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2174497/How-gastric-surgery-patients-ALL-weight-on.html

At 10+ years post op I'm also battling ups and downs. My story is different from yours but the bottom line is getting rid of the excess weight. Have you considered options besides revision surgery? I'm likely covered for revision despite relatively low regain due to other health issues. You may improve your chances of approval by focusing on co morbidities caused by regain. A revision would be successful, but until I live differently I may face the same situation in another 10 years. My BEHAVIOR caused my weight gain. INTERMITTENT FASTING is helping me control this need to be full. I'm training my body and brain to understand that feeling hunger is not the same as starvation. It is helping me to drop the pounds and revise my attitude towards food. Jason Fung (search YouTube and online) and others have been my guides. My desire to be full is my eating disorder. Fasting helps me to focus on nutrition and understand when I need to eat vs when I want to eat. As an advocate of health at any size, my diet for life keeps me in good health. Periodically I tweak my program because of metabolism issues. When I stay with my program I maintainin. When I slip from my program the need to get full emerges. Diets to reset my pouch as someone already suggested work well for me. However, eventually I want to feel fullness again and I'm attempting to reset more and more often. This is why I'm working to become content with an empty belly and a well nourished body. I wish you successful weight loss and good health however you decide to accomplish your goals.

Well, I am divorced so have no dh to tell, but my dear mom knows and she is actually the one who suggested I think about it as she knows how unhappy I am with my roller coaster of weight loss/gains over and over. I get so depressed about it. My sisters and brother know I'm looking into it. My brother's mother in law had it and he is very supportive in me getting it. ..and surely my dad will know eventually. I just know that at first he will be one that's not too supportive of it.... He just doesn't understand how I can't just make up my mind and lose it and keep it off. He just doesn't get that. ..and more than that....I fear he will blab it to others. That's what I don't like about him knowing, but he will have to know before hand. Other than them, just a few of my friends know that I'm planning on it, if all works out with my insurance and they are supportive, except my very best friend has some issues with it, because she has heard negative things, but she KNOWS my weight issues as we've been friends for many years. I think in the end, if I choose to tell her before hand, she will be supportive. There is one gal at my work that had it a few years ago, although she did not have the funds to continue getting fills so she hasn't done much to help herself lose anything more than the first 20 lbs or so. She knows that I'm looking into it because I have asked questions over and over, but she also knows that I'm not putting it out there for the whole office to hear. I am NOT ashamed of it, but like some others, I just don't want to hear the opinions of those who DO NOT understand the emotional eating/binge eating roller coaster of weight gain all their life. They DO NOT understand what it's like to be a thinner/healthier person inside of a fat and unhealthy body. I do not need them critiquing everything they see me eat.....as they sometimes do now . I don't do well with "food police". I would be under less stress with them not knowing. And I really do not plan on telling the manager/supervisor. I will just tell them I have a dr. appt. for each of the appts. It's none of their business why. And as for the sugery....I have vacation time to take still, so I'll plan it at least 30 days out if all possible. Also, after being banded.....you are not lying when you tell people that you are eating healthier, lesser amounts...etc. That is true. From what I understand, YOU are still the one making the food choices and how much....so even though you have a tool to help you, YOU are the one making the choices that lead to the weight loss, so I won't just automatically tell people I'm banded if my weight loss comes up. Most people I know, also know that I have been a follower of weight watchers for years. I have lost over and over to gain over and over. Now if they flat out ask if I'm banded, I cannot lie, so I will tell them...but also point out that it's all about the food choices I make, just as before. Educate them.

Hi everyone, thought I would let you know that I seen my Dr. this morning and when he seen my current UGI X-Rays he almost lost it. My esophagus is mega sized, real bad I was told by his coordinator that this constitute to mechanical failure of the band and there for a letter to my health paln is in the making when I don't know but I am trying to have revision surgery. All the fill has been removed and I ahve been places on a 6 week diet, the first two weeks only liquids and the remaining 4 weeks puraded foods anything that I can liquify in mushy sstages and sip through a straw the nurse said and he gave me a months supply of a diet aid to help on bad days. This is my third dilated esophagus since 2008 and well the band has helped me a great deal but it is not going against me. I will do my best to not gain weight and I was told as odd as it seems some of his patients that had their fill removed as me lost weight no weight gain so I think like me that had their band done several years post op might be able to handle eating smaller portions and carry on as if the fill was never removed, but sometimes it is hard to tame a hungry stomach.

I gained 14 pounds my nut told me what I was doing was completely normal that many do it. I was eating everything that I thought I could never have again. I had no issues as far as my weight gain and the surgery

First off I gained 5 lbs this week. Not lost. Gained. :thumbdown: Medications - Up until last Saturday I had been talking the following medications. Benicar - Blood pressure medication Antenolol - Blood pressure medication Furosemide - Heavy diuretic (water pill) Klor-con - Potassium pill (counter balance to the furosemide) It's great that I am able to go off these medications now and that my blood pressure is doing so well. My blood pressure reads on a continual basis to be in the middle of the normal blood pressure range. With my legs over the last week I have had a minuet amount of swelling not the measurable amount that I had in the past. I also have not worn the compression socks that I have so I will wear those over the next week and see if that makes a measurable difference. What I am not sure about is going off the Furosemide. I know that some of the weight I gained this week is water weight but I just don't know how much of that is. It's something I have to work through. Exercise - I have to say this has been a decent week for exercise. Of course walking every evening after work but also I have been good also in getting out at lunch time to walk. It feels great to know that I am pushing myself harder with this but I can tell that I still need more. I am going to have to add some additional exercises to my daily program to continue my weight loss. Food - I have made some bad food choices this week. There has been a couple of times that I snacked on stuff I shouldn't have and I know that I am eating more then I should. This has to change and is changing starting today. I can tell that I need a fill and I do have a scheduled fill on the 26th. I just wish it was sooner to help me with this hunger that I have been getting. I have to be strong once again and have the will to keep working at the weight loss. I am so close to breaking that 400 lbs mark and continue on down. Overall - Overall this week is a wash to me. Off medications and doing good with walking but bad food choices resulting in a weight gain. I have to really step it up more this next week. I have had a steady weight loss since the middle of October. In the middle of October I weighed 465 lbs and today I weigh 415 lbs. So yes that is a total of 50 lbs since then and since my highest weight in January of 2008 I have lost a total of 70 lbs but I have a lot more to go and need to keep focus on what it is I am doing. I guess this is my two steps forward and one step back week. Now get moving forward and don't let this discourage me is what I have to do now.

You will "slip" again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Get used to it. Only if you don't learn how to handle the food world (including situations like the ones you described). Then there might be a not-so-low possibility that you're one of the people who're gung-ho during their first post-op year, then "something" happens, the weight first stalls despite "still wanting to lose these 25 lbs" and finally the weight gain starts, maybe gaining until they reach their starting weight again. That "something" seems to be some kind of burn-out after having gone full throttle for some months. Other people say that "life happened" (however, I think burning out and "life happening" are related closely).

My PCP was not exactly thrilled either when I told him I was having the procedure. He too warned about the weight gain. I calmly explained everything to him on what I have learned and then he said "oh! Well in that case I wish you luck on your surgery!" Once he sees how success I WILL BE I think then he is evern the type to suggest it to other patients. But of course he was coming from a caring perspective. Your pcp was beiing an ass. He will learn the hard way when you go skipping your skinny butt past him if you are there that long. lol

What did you mean by this statement? I thought you meant you were going to have an unfill..your not planning on going tighter are you? Please do not take offense to my post I'm only writing this out of concern and to offer you support but did you get the band to not eat? and only survive on two teaspoons of liquids or 1/2 cup of food for the day? . Sure you may lose weight now but eventually you will have to eat solids and then what? Your going to gain wieght back,how long do you think oyu can live like this with no nutrition? it is proven from liquids to solids there is weight gain. Its alos proven that if a person does not take in enough calories, their body goes into starvation mode and stores every calorie which wil lresult in no loss or even a gain. I sure hope it works for you. I know first hand of others in your situation who have lost their bands because they were too tight and did not take action and had the mindset you did..only to have their band slip. I can guarantee you that if Dr. Kuri knew you were not able to eat solids he would say you were too tight.I can also guarantee Inamed would feel the same way, the band was not designed to just live on Soup or 1/2 and not be able to eat anything of substance..I know Dr. Kuri's practice from several of my other bandster friends who have used him here in Orange County. Heck, other Dr.'s would think you were too tight..I know my Dr. would have a fit if I was just taking in soup and not able ot eat anything of substance, he would demand I come in for a slight unfill.....I'm sorry but It's thinking like this from bandsters that just frustrates the hell out of me..at what cost will you go to to lose weight? I got my band to control my protions, not live on liquids and not to be able to eat anything of substance..I'm sure others will agree! In your first post you say you can not eat anything of substance Then in your next post you say this What food are you eating since you can not eat anything of substance? Here is a link to Inameds handbook on the Lap Band..I reccomend you print it out and read it, you may find it very helpful and enlightening http://www.inamed.com/pdf/health/94829F_LB_Patient_Book.pdf I sure wish you the best, I hope you have no repracutions from leaving your band so tight.

I also have bipolar disorder and ADHD. I take seven different medications (lamictal, adderall,klonopin, navane, cymbalta and trazadone), and according to my shrink they don't really cause weight gain or increase in appetite. This is the cocktail that I have been on pretty much the past 2 1/2 years and it's working for me. The only new things are the trazadone, because I was having trouble sleeping, and we switched from ritalin to adderall. I know I can't stop taking my meds because my former psych wanted to detox me and kept me only on lamictal and valium, and I became so depressed it was horrible! Anyway, these meds have kept me out of the hospital the past 2 years and I thank god for that. I am now wondering if the lapband will affect my mood at all, since I will be taking in much fewer calories? has anyone felt a difference in their mood since getting their band? I keep having night mares lately that I'm in the hospital right after getting banded. Maybe I am just worrying too much!

I'm on Prozac for my downer moods with my Bipolar, it doesn't seem to make me gain weight..I had some that did though, had some that made me lose a lot too. I am also prescribed atenolol by him, it's for High Blood pressure, but I dont have HBP, he used it to help prevent migraines, helps a lot. I know it says there's a chance of weight gain on it, but I haven't had problems, but of course I only get weighed twice a month and I am on a diet. Lol.

I not a good example in a lot of ways because I put back the weight I lost on the pre-op liquid diet which was around 25 lbs, 10% of my body weight at the start. Actually I was around 253lbs when I started. Today I got on the scale and it was 245. something, no shoes though! Anyway a lot of my issues have been "head" related and not everyone has that easy of a time. But I refused to give up, jeese, after $30,000 for a little band I'm not going to revision because I haven't worked out all the "kinks", that's figuratively not literally. As many know I've had a few "fill" issues and are probably different for everyone. There have been some mistakes made in my fills which cost me some of my motivation. I'm also on some meds which tend to slow down my metabolism. I'm also almost 50, enough said. I have to move past this and even if I don't get down to what most bansters want as their goal weight, I'm looking at 200 lbs and am 5'6", I still am going to give it a try! Now if brandyII can get the GD scale moving on the down side instead of the wrong direction for a change then you guys can too. That hunger thing, is it around PMS time? I know it's my hardest time and I also have PCOS. It's the worse and when I want sweets which we all know miraculously go through the band like water!!!!! Or are you hungry all the time. I still get hungry and I think it's good to know what hunger feels like and if you have a band and eat food the hunger should go away. If this isn't happening I'd discuss it with your doctor and none of that I'm too embarrassed to see my doctor crap because I'm a failure. He gave you that band and he should seeing this thing through with you not against you! He's not the one that has to live in your body though so it's up to you to be proactive and get whatever help you need from your doctor. Fills are tricky things, believe me I know, getting one doesn't always help, it can work against you. Those that have hit the perpetual "sweet spot" are very lucky people because I myself don't necessarily know if it's possible, I believe they can change for many reasons anyway especially with weight loss it's going to change. Anyway we're here to support you, don't want you giving up by all means and if you need to talk and open up more about what you think is going on this is the place to do it. But don't forget your doctors are there to help you and I don't want anyone afraid to go discuss the weight gain/no loss issues with them because you don't want to face them. If they do have really, really bad bedside manners then I'd say get a new doctor but otherwise take control and tell him what you expect from your banding, you didn't go through this for nothing, brandyII.

I spoke with both my doctor and my massage therapist about this. Our centre of gravity is changing. My question to my doc was well why didn't I feel like this when I gained the weight? Her answer? Because the weight gain was gradual. It took me a year to gain 40lbs and 2 months to lose it!

Hello, This is my first post so I am learning. In July I had blood clots in my legs that moved to my lungs and spent a few days in the hospital. The first thing my Dr said to me was Smoke and die, and Blood thinners for life! That being enough of a 2x4 upside the head, I quit smoking and started on my way to a 20 lb weight gain. Also i was unable to take ibuprofen anymore for my bad knees so I started excersising and walking less and less as they got worse and worse. This also led to a weight gain. I had previously lost 65 lbs on Adkins but had been stalled for a long while. I gained almost all this back in 4 months. Talking to my Dr about what to do with my knees, she suggested the surgery. I didnot realize my insurance co paid for this till then ( 90-10 coverage). My husband and i went to the informational meeting and I decided to have the lab band- less intrusive with my history. I think the hardest thing was calling a shrink! Anyway, surgery was Feb 7 2006 and my first fill is next wed. I was 337 before the 2 weeks preop of liquids. 325 at surgery and 305 now. I have been surfing this site for a few days and have learned a lot. Thanks!:clap2:

I wouldn't. I love my band and it's worth it for me to lose 130 pounds - but not for 30. The band isn't a miracle diet. All of us on this board are having to work HARD to lose weight. We have to follow rules or suffer consequences which include more than weight gain. The closer a person gets to their goal weight, the harder it becomes to lose. Being only 30 pounds overweight I expect you'd have to work at it just as hard with or without a band. I also think that you'd have a hard time finding a doctor willing to perform surgery on you, even if you went to Mexico or another foreign country. 130 pounds - yes. 30 pounds? Nope.

Couldn't have said it better myself! I'm 30 years old and I'm 2 weeks post op. I have been over weight since the age of 8 and have gone through all the cycles of losing gaining etc. My health started to take a turn gor the worst about 10 years ago when i was diagnosed with PCOS and honestly my 20's were a whirlwind of health issues and weight gain. But i have never hated myself because of my weight nor have i blamed my weight for what happened to me in life good or bad. The one thing i do recognize is that alot of my health issues were related to my obesity. Like my diabetes for example. I was diagnosed last year and was an insulin dependent diabetic (haven't had to use insulin since the pre op diet phase ) but again i have a girlfriend who didn't have health issues except being over weight and got the surgery done because she expected her whole life to change once she lost the weight she expected her husband to come back and everything to be just peachy. Well she has lost the weight and looks amazing but her husband didn't come back, her job didn't get any better, and honestly isn't even enjoying the attention she is getting from other men because they only want to sleep with her or use her. So is losing weight which ever way ypu accomplish it the answer to all your problems no it is not! I have been married for 7 years and have had peaks and valleys like most marriages I'm happy right now because my husband who is not overweight never has been, has been very supportive through this process just like all my other health issues I've gone through. My husband has never put me down verbally about my weight or anything else that's just how he is. Have i joked that I'm gonna leave him once the weight comes off, yes i have but i noticed about the 3rd time I said it (Which i wouldn't because I love him and habe no desire to be with anyone else) that he did kind of believe it and he seemed hurt so i will no longer joke about that. I guess I'm lucky that my weight has never been an issue in our marriage at least that he has ever ever showed me. We have been together for 12 Years and married for 7. I'm hoping this journey only brings us closer. But again who knows how he might feel or see me once the weight is off. Best of luck to all of us taking this courageous journey and best wishes to all your marriages.

Today is around 5 weeks since I hurt my knee and had to stop exercising. I must say it has been a very frustrating month. I have been doing therapy 3 times a week, now for 3 weeks and seriously there is little improvement. Not sure what I expected, "I think miracles". I guess my saving grace is that at least this did not happen at the beginning of my journey and I had already made progress. I have managed to maintain my weight loss and have even lost a few pounds. But I so much miss exercising, every time I see someone jogging or walking it makes me sad and makes me realize how much we all take for granted. Lap band surgery has given me back my life, I have so much more energy and has helped me re-build confidence in myself. I never realized how much being overweight had effected all aspects of my life. I wonder sometimes why I needed the lap band and why I could not have wrapped my brain around learning to control my portions myself. It took potential life altering health problems to shake me to reality and do something about my weight gain. The band truly is my friend and makes staying on track so much easier. I have thought many times over the past few months about getting a fill in my band so I would be able to lose weight faster. Patience has never been one of my attributes. I have always wanted instant gratification in what ever I did. I am glad I made the decision to work with the band instead of letting the band do all the work. I still have those days when I get stuck and PB, but they are usually because I fail to follow the rules and that is when I reflect back and realize if the band was not there to stop me I would easily revert back to bad behaviors. I honestly think I have found my "sweet spot" I can eat what I am suppose to eat, I rarely feel hunger, and food is not my main thoughts. I do occasionally splurge and allow myself a treat of a miniature chocolate or 100 calorie snack. The difference is I count these in my total daily calorie count. Yes guys I am one of those OCD people that has to count calories, I realize some think we should not have to do this but, I still do not trust myself, or maybe it is not trust but the fact I know myself and I know how easy it is to say: oh, that little bite won't matter, and a couple of desserts later your pants are too tight. I know a lot of you are still struggling to get to the place where I am. Don't give up on your self, each and everyone of us is work the trials and tribulations that we are going through. Believe in your self, because if you don't believe in yourself you can not expect others to. Don't let small roadblocks or set backs take away your focus. We all have common ground, this is a life journey and not a vacation from food. This is us building confidence in ourselves and learning to trust our selves alone in a room with the "evil" that lives inside. We all have our own demons to fight and all of our journeys are individual, we can't compare ourselves to one another and we all have to hold each other accountable. I am approaching my 1 year anniversary next month and I so wanted to be at goal but I know that I will not be there. But you know what? That's OK. Seriously, it is! I am pleased with my progress and realize that I will get there. So, I guess what I have learned most of late, is I have changed. I have moved from Diane the closet eater to Diane the obsessive calorie counter. I have always read that when you give up one addiction you usually develop a new one, well thank you God my obsession is managing my weight loss. So for all of you out there that are still struggling to reach that place where you are happiest, remember the happiness may not always be found in a number you reach on the scale but a happiness from within yourselves.

Hi All! I just wanted to check in and wish everyone all the best with their weight loss experiences and successes. I was banded on the 19th September last year and have lost 30kgs (about 65 pounds). I am so happy I had this procedure and really feel like I am on a 'new' track of life. Everyone's experience is unique and I have had my ups and downs, plateaus, vomitting, PBing, weight gain and all the 'normal' things along the way... but I am on my way as you all are or will be. Good luck to you all and here's to slimmer, healthier and happier us! Gabs x

Too many simple carbs (sugar) can cause weight gain. Plus....gas & stool you wouldn't like.

Don't take off the 15 the hard way. Just go get a fill and use your band. Tell them you are ashamed about the weight gain and I'm sure they will be glad you came in for a fill.

I really believe it is a multi-layered issue - I know that I am much better to able to control my own, as well as my family's weight gain and moods by eliminating processed carbs and sugar from the house. I read a great book last year about these issues called The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite - by David Kessler, former head of the FDA. http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Overeating-Insatiable-American/dp/1605297852 He himself wanted to lose a few lbs and found it quite challenging, as a scientist he started to do research as to why humans have been roughly the same body composition since the beginning of time (with considerations for improved hygiene, advances in medicine etc.) and why in the 1980's obesity numbers began to skyrocket. He talks about how the combination of sugar and fat is one that does not exist in nature - two substances that we are genetically hardwired to want to consume in quantity when available - our biology has not had time to catch up with our industry in nutshell. Lab rats consume 'rat chow' as their main form of nutrition, when scientists started to feed them layered combinations of fat, sugar, salt (as restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, and the like do.) these rats no longer would eat their nutritious yet bland rat chow - their dopamine centers lit up like a Christmas tree, setting up a cycle of addiction - so much so that these rats would cross electrified floors that would almost kill them to get to the bad stuff. These substances do the same things to us. It is a good read. One thing that the nutritionist at my surgeon's office said is that there are no essential carbohydrates - our bodies will make what we need from Protein and fats. I have noticed that when I drop the carbs down to 20g or less a day - which is akin to Atkin's induction levels and my pre-surgical recommendation - I am always satisfied with very little and do not have hunger cravings like I do when I consumed carbs, sugar, caffeine, and diet soda.

I have read that having your gallbladder removed can cause weight gain has anyone experienced this at all or any changes in digestion?