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Mrs. P, I hope your friend is all right!! It is, or should be, common knowledge in the banding community that ongoing and persistent reflux can lead to significant esophageal problems. This is why everyone recommends that reflux be cured, not just treated with medications. Loosening the band is something that a lot of patients don't want to face, since they assume it will lead to stalled weight loss or even weight gain, but if reflux is a persistent problem it must be done. And if that doesn't address the reflux, band removal is the next step. But even given that it sounds as though your friend had other issues going on. She must have been having serious symptoms if her esophagus is damaged enough to require removal! And it's possible that even pre-banding she may have had a compromised esophagus or been suffering from reflux. I'm not discounting that the band may have added to her problems, and the story dramatically points up the need to be alert to symptoms and issues post-banding. I'm just saying that for the situation to have become as serious as it sounds, medical attention may not have been sought as soon as it should have been. Once again, I hope her surgery goes well and she heals quickly!!

I become ravenous three days before my period and stay that way until my period starts. There's nothing I can do but try to eat healthy. I do eat more during that time, but so far it has not caused weight gain. I definitely don't lose during that time though!

I'm so sorry to hear about all of this happening! I ended up with a hysterectomy at age 40 from endometriosis and wacko periods, etc. so I have total sympathy for you. I always heard Depo was bad for weight gain - so yea that is gone! Hang in there - it will get better. I, too, have found I get excellent support from female gynes - just been the case - so glad you seem to have found a good one! Hope you get back on track soon!

Karey yes. I was told that depending on my mindset, situation on child bearing (if I was done) then I should consider waiting 6 months from reaching goal weight or 20lbs above goal weight to have plastic surgery. Would make no sense to have a tt when you haven't given your skin time to bounce back, however....for me... I have always had a small flap, even before my son. I was ..oh gosh 120lbs - 140lbs and still had a pouch. I knew I'd get it right away because I knew the flap would never go away. The doctors that I consulted with did not disagree with me when I told them about my history with my pouch. They seemed to not be against the surgery. My surgeon was the only one to question every aspect of my weight loss and my plastic surgery goals and expectations. He factored in the weight I was before the sudden weight gain. My weight gain was due to pregnancy in 2001. I was 145lbs before my pregnancy with my daughter, then shot up to 240lbs. He asked me how active I was before the gain..which I was always very active. I swam alot, took aerobics classes 4 times per week and some light weight training. He then asked me how long ago I was banded and how much have i lost with the band. Asked me about my new eating habits, etc. Alot of probing and finally ...an "OK, I think you're ready".

Does anyone have advise for me? I am considering rebanding after my band was removed April 2006. I have gained 27 lbs. ,and each week another 2 lbs. jumps on board. I stayed in the hospital ,and , according to surgeon, almost died because the band hand completly cut off the blood flow to my stomach. I can't stand what's happening to me(weight gain); but I am scared, too. My rebanding cannot be done laproscopically. Advise, anyone! DDee

Hey Guys... Just a quick hello... thinking about y'all! Just got back from working with another adorable pup at the humane society... *sigh* if only I could take them all home! Mandy... So sorry about your sweet kitty... I have three and even thought they are all a little whacky their cute little noggins... it would be very hard to lose one of them. (((Hugs))) Kat... Oh man... the coughing would having me a little freaked too... hope RIck feels better soon and that his facial hair returns soon! My hubby started to grow a mustache at one point... it looked funky so I begged him to stop the process immediately! I still love the van... but they haven't called yet with the solution for the problem... it's still driving me crazy so I hope they call soon! Eileen...How's the back girly???? Hope you are on the mend OR... enjoying pain killers and muscle relaxants. Patty... How's the hip today???? I used to get sciatic nerve pain that sounds a lot like you are describing... Advil 800 mg every 6hrs, rest and a heating pad were the only things that helped. Hope the pain has taken a hike as I know you have a very busy life to attend to! Dianne... GLad you found some reading that is helping you find a little peace. Life isn't always a picnic... but most of the time it is a pretty big gift. (((hugs))) I am always more restricted when I am stressed and find that I PB more often during stressful times... when that happens I go back to a soft diet with foods similar to the mushy liquid stage and give my esophagus a little break. Beanie... Slow and steady is the way to go but I sure understand the frustration! Keep up the fight girl... you are doing great! Betty... Girl... I really think you are going to have to consider surgery... I can't imagine that having surgery would leave you with a worse situation then you already have with your foot. I would rec. that you get a second and maybe even a third opinion. It never hurts to see what othere options another Doc my offer. I'm feeling good... wishing I had a cig to puff on about now...lol... no worries... after this long I wouldn't dare relapse! I go in to have my thyroid hormone levels checked in Nov. We'll see if then if the radioactive iodine is killing off my gland. Mary... Sorry about the fish... hope it recovered! Giving me a fish is pretty much like signing their death warrant... gauranteed flush city...lol. Chris... Glad your port site is healing up well... it's never a good feeling when one has an open draining wound. Sounds like you are taking good care of it and I'm sure it will be all healed up in no time! How's everything else going now that you are in Bandland? SHerry... I think a lot of peoples bodies respond to stress with weight gain... guess it goes back to the days when stress was generally coupled with a decrease in food availability???? I should live a stressful life because mine seems to do the opposite??? I have always been backwards...lol. I sure hope that you are able to find a way to decrease your stress load at work... and the sooner... the better! Cindy... You are doing awesome... I think 4 pounds a month is darn fabulous! I can hardly wait to put your next set of before and after pics up! Pat... Where are you???? Miss ya! Sorry if I missed anyone... gotta go! My daughter will be home any minute and then we head off to piano lessons! TTFN!

It's a proven fact that any kind of anti depressant slows down your metabolic rate. Many doctors will not tell you this. I was on Paxil and it was my demise with my weight gain. Also 1000 calories a day is not enough. Try upping it to 1200-1300 ...many people think if they do not eatthey will ose weight, you have to eat to lose weight. Eat more often throughtout th day like 6 mini meals to keep your metabolism going especially if you are taking and anti depressant. Just my 2 cents worth...good luck

Well, I am feeling a bit discouraged today. But I am right on track (according to my bandster way of losing). I haven't lost in ounce in almost 2 weeks. It seems that I will lose a couple of pounds then nothing for a couple of weeks. Go figure!! I was out of town again this past weekend and as usual happy to report no weight gain. That's a miracle in and of itself. I use to always gain weight when I went out of town. Glad to see so many of you doing great. Melissa Lea

Cam, I think taking Ray up on the offer was wise. The $1000K+ to go elsewhere is just too rich not to give Ray a go. He really isnt into yelling for weight gain and I am still shock to hear other Dr's do this. (But I know thats true). He also isnt into blaming everything on the mind until he is sure everything with the band is right. I have tried to explain hunger but until he is happy with the fills he said he wont go down that path> He believes thats too much of an easy out for him and he wont accept that yet. Last appointment I explained that my body is in conflict with itself. The bottam half is full and the top half wants flavour and food - a weird feeling when you know you are stuffed. He again said, until my adjustments are right he wont go there. Which is fair. I'd be suprised if he plays the blame game. Anywho, its worth a chat and from the board he knows you've had issues. He really does seem to take his role very seriously and is very open. All my appointments of late are in his lunch hour. Good luck

Bjean, you are not alone since my surgery 9/28/06 I have gaiend three pounds and it is very discouraging. Yes, the desire to eat will return and with a venegance. i have been also struggling with getting in the proper amounts of liquids, and I have only had two BM since the surgery. So I am also annoyed. I go back for a post op visit Thursday, and i am dreading getting on the scale. I never feel any restriction while i am eating and I find that I can pretty much eat what ever I like. I have noticed that if I eat too quick I get a very uncomfortable feeling. So I am trying to hang in there. I have been told not to worry about the weight gain but I can't help it. So you are not alone in the struggle.

I can relate to your situation First let me say all of my weight gain was from my Paxil I was on for 1.5 yrs and gained 70 lbs. Me too! The anti depressants will slow down your metabolic rate is what I was told by my PCP to almost zero, the meds are used for depression but after time for me I was more depressed from my weight gain then from what I was being treatedfor so I quit. Secondly, my son who is 19 is Bi-Polar he was also on the lithium whicvh made him a zombie, no motivation and all he did was sleep, then he went to depakote and his blood pressurewas so high the doctor was in fear he would have a stroke, so he quit taking that, then the prozac which did not do much so he is now smoking marijuana, he has one of those cards from his doctor where he can gfet it legally, it has been the only thing that has worked for him. No bi-polar episodes but every now and then he has panic attacks so takes an occassional xanax. Every person that I know personally who has taken any kind of anti-depressant has had weight gain, you may find that just getting off of the anti depressante will be enough and wil lstill be able to take your bi-polar meds my son never had weight gain taking his bi-polar meds if anything he lost weight. Have you ever tried lexapro, that is an anti depressant that my husband takes and has had no weight gain it works well for him, my doctor told me it has the least chance of weight gain..but everyone is different.

I used to be on Paxil CR and it worked very well for my anxiety and depression. After a few months, my doc switched me to the generic Paxil that was not controlled release and I gained 20 pounds in about 3 months! Withdrawls were HELL for me getting off Paxil. Sounds like you're going through the same thing with Effexor. I have also taken Celexa, but it didn't seem to work as well as Paxil. However, I didn't have any weight gain or withdrawal symptoms on it. I hope you find somthing that works!

Well I had my follow up appointment with my dr today! After hearing my story of what all had been happening she sent me right upstairs to her favorite OB...After talking with the OB and running alot of tests she is thinking that my depo shot and the lapband are fighting eachother...Basically one stores estrogen and one makes you get rid of it so they were battling since June and I think by the looks of it the band one...She says that my depo days are deffinately over...So she also has me scheduled for an ultrasound next friday just incase its something else and I have a follow up with her on the friday after that to get all of my testing results back and to talk to her about a new birth control method...She had mentioned the mirena which I had never heard of before...I just sits right inside the uterus and you dont have to worry about birth control for 5 years at a time, no weight gain (which I had alot from the depo) and it doesnt use estrogen at all (which is exactly what I need)...She said in most cases the patient doesnt even bleed during that time of the month but maybe spots just a little...I told her that it sounded better than finding a huge diamond in my christmas stocking...She will call if anything abnormal comes up with my tests but says if she dont hear from me that everything is fine and can wait till my follow up...Of course we have to wait on the mirena until after all my tests are back cuz she dont want to add insult to injury if something else is wrong...So far the estrogen pills are working pretty good, just a little spotting right now but nothing like it was thank goodness...It can only get better from here on!!

Well I had my follow up appointment with my dr today! After hearing my story of what all had been happening she sent me right upstairs to her favorite OB...After talking with the OB and running alot of tests she is thinking that my depo shot and the lapband are fighting eachother...Basically one stores estrogen and one makes you get rid of it so they were battling since June and I think by the looks of it the band one...She says that my depo days are deffinately over...So she also has me scheduled for an ultrasound next friday just incase its something else and I have a follow up with her on the friday after that to get all of my testing results back and to talk to her about a new birth control method...She had mentioned the mirena which I had never heard of before...I just sits right inside the uterus and you dont have to worry about birth control for 5 years at a time, no weight gain (which I had alot from the depo) and it doesnt use estrogen at all (which is exactly what I need)...She said in most cases the patient doesnt even bleed during that time of the month but maybe spots just a little...I told her that it sounded better than finding a huge diamond in my christmas stocking...She will call if anything abnormal comes up with my tests but says if she dont hear from me that everything is fine and can wait till my follow up...Of course we have to wait on the mirena until after all my tests are back cuz she dont want to add insult to injury if something else is wrong...So far the estrogen pills are working pretty good, just a little spotting right now but nothing like it was thank goodness...It can only get better from here on!!

I know tons of people that have taken Paxil and not had any weight gain. I don't know about Wellbutrin though.

Lithium is known to cause weight gain but I've never tried it. When I was put on Depakote, I regained over a hundred pounds that I had lost. I switched to Lamictal and found it to be less sedating and was able to actually excercise loose some of the weight. I am not currently taking a mood stabilizer however. Throughout, I have also been on zoloft and at times zoloft and wellbutrin. I do not suspect either of the anitdepressants or the Lamictal of impairing my metabolism/energy like the depakote seemed to. Have you tried Lamictal?

Topomax is used to treat BP its a mood stabalizer and a size effect is weight loss. Altho it comes with about a million other side effects they only last about 2 weeks until you are on the drugs regularly. Paxil Is used to treat the drepression part of BP and can be used with the Topomax if you do well on this antidepressant maybe ask your doc about putting these 2 together. I gained about a billion pounds being on and off the anti-depressant drugs myself and when I went on the BP combos I asked for one specifically designed to make me not gain anymore weight or I wouldnt be taking them lol. I also take Lorazepan but I just started that because I still have panic attacks which I have always had bad. But with increased stress in my life over some work situations and other stuff they are back with avengance and I am not sure if they have any weight gain or loss with those or not I should look that up after i post this actually hehe. Anyway hope that helps. -Gummie

Hi, I decided to add to my last thread Water. Still I have only dropped 15 lbs now (just gained back 5 despite everything I'm doing right) since surgery on June 26th. My question to any of you in the know is: What anti-anxiety, depression meds will NOT cause weight gain? What meds that treat mania / manic episodes, will NOT cause weight gain? Please do not write to me and tell me 'as long as your mentally healthy, who cares if weight loss is slow?' Being fat makes you depressed and triggerse depression and mania as well - so, even if I'm not having mild swings, I am totally down and hate myself because I'm fat. I want to treat both diseases - obesity AND bi-polar. I've been recommended Abilify, what else is out there that anyone here has tried?

I think everyone is right. It may be the Effexor. I've went down from 150 mg to 75 mg and my doctor just now prescribed me 37.5 mg pills. I'm going to slowly get off of it. A very kind LBT'er here PM'd me and told me to try Abilify for my mania since it's currently not being treated. She has a friend that did it and when all other meds caused weight gain, on Abilify her friend started to LOSE weight....

My 2 cents worth -- I don't think that it is the Effexor (venlafaxine). The effexor does 1 or the other: decrease your appetite/decrease your weight OR increase your appetite/increase your weight. With the banding, you appetite is under control therfore we should not see the weight increase. However on a metabolic level it may cause edema. The +/- 3 lbs on the scale you may be seeing might be fluid fluctuations. You may not be getting enough calories each day. You may want to try and aim for 1200 calories and maybe even up to 1300 to 1400 calories for 2 days to get your metabolism going. If you stay in nutrient deprevation too long that will decrease your metabolism and halt weight loss, may even promote weight gain at lower calorie levels for an extended amount of time. Unfortunately, weight loss is not a perfect science and we have to work and tweak until we find the right calorie fit for our body type. I know it's Frustrating. Hang in there! Melissa Lea

I can understand you getting food obsessed with a diet like that! You are being denied all the delight of texture in your mouth. That does make quite a difference. I know it's probably not proven science but the need to chew is just as important as drinking. Wouldn't it be even cheaper to go on slimfast? I know there vanilla and chocolate are scrum-diddly-umptious now. I had tried them a good few years ago and they were vile! Although I guess you are paying ot have that extra bit of support to help you through, still seems like a heck of a lot of money. Which made me thunk! If you figure on how much you spend in a month on these excellent diets which start to fail after you've finished them, you would probably be able to pay for the op with no problem lol. I am no mathematician but here I go and try to work it out! 32.50 x 4 = 130.00 66.00 x 4 = 264.00 right thanks to my handy calculator that is how much you will be spending a month. Now I had to get a loan for my op, well dad did as my credit rating is dreadful lol but I have to pay 135.40 a month, so a little more than the cambridge and a lot lesss than the lighterlife! Plus the advantage (if things don't go wrong, touch wood!) Is that the result with the lapband is permanent! It really is true though isn't it, there is no such thing as a quick fix diet. I have been a yo yo dieter for years, really ever since the birth of my son 9 years ago and for the past two years I had been eating like a saint only to gain and gain and gain! Finally discovered that I had a underactive thyroid. Having been put on the medication, I may have my halted weight gain but it hasn't started weight loss. It was in deseration that I first looked at lapband surgery. I did the sensible thing and spoke to my doc about it and she agreed it would be a good move for me, as I am unable to do huge amounts of exercise especially with the extra weight on my joints. At least I know my doc will be there as support afterwards, although she did moan about how many people they have had to look after, that have had surgery in europe and it's gone wrong. I could understand her point of view but I was not willing to risk the chance of doing permanent damage to my already weakened joints waiting 3/4 years for NHS gastric banding. So if Ia m able to jump the queue then I am all for it OK did I just completely drift off the point of this email lol?

Sherrijo: I really feel for you and pray that things at home will improve. How are you doing "bandwise" with this stress? Are you feeling okay? Is there any chance that your hubby would see a counselor with you? If so, I would highly recommend this. In the meantime, hang in there, try and do things for yourself that are special and pamper yourself if nobody else will pamper you. If money isn't an issue, go get a pedicure, manicure, hair done, make up, massage or something else that you enjoy!! You are worth it!! Well, I went to my "exercise class" today and even used some boxing gloves. I was so sweaty but it was fun (in a painful way...lol). I also did extensive abdominal exercise (crunches) and was so proud of myself. My "inner athlete" is coming out. I was an athlete in high school and ran 3-4 miles a day in college for exercise, but over the years with the weight gain and knee problems, haven't worked out as much. Did join Curves over a year ago and did that between surgeries, etc. But, what I'm doing now is fun and challenging. I had to drag myself there, though cuz I like to stay up too late!! Oh, I lost another 2 lbs. Hurrah!! And this weekend I will do my measurements because it's been around 12 weeks since my pre-op diet began. I'm celebrating. The fill is helping me stay satisfied between meals and I'm happy about that! Well, hope to hear from everyone. Some of you haven't posted in awhile. Where are you?? We miss you??

Sorry it took me a while to answer you Kim. I'm still trying to figure out the bells and whistles of answering threads. Dr. George Field is originally from Australia. He is not only my surgeon but he is also a lapband patient himself. He was the eldest of seven siblings from a well-to-do family in Australia. Every one of his siblings, including his parents were slim and all ate the same food and had the same family activities except that Dr. Fielding took after a relative several generations back who was always heavy. Dr. Fielding believes in the "fat gene". So ten years ago, when the lap band procedure was new, he had his procedure, lost the weight and got off the nine medications he was on and decided to specialize in lap banding. To make a long story short, he came to NYC and met with Dr. Christine Ren, director of the NYU Program for Surgical Weight (she is world reknown in her own right) and he is now also an Associate Professor, Surgery at New York University School of Medicine in Manhattan, NY. My orthopedic surgeon, also at NYU, recommended Dr. Ren and Dr. Fielding to me last April and said they are the best. I went to Dr. Fielding's seminar in June and was blown away. He is on a campaign to alleviate the morbid obesity in the United States. Now what's more, Kim, is if you go to their website: thinforlife.med.nyu.edu you will learn everthing about Drs. Ren and Fielding and their program. In addition, go to the menu for Payment Options. Dr. Fielding raises funds so that people who desperately need the lap banding but have trouble because of insurance, etc. can qualify to get funding for their operations. I highly recommend their program. Their staff are tremendous. In fact, four of the people on his staff have had the lap band procedure. They are healthy, happy and can share in what we are going through. Their surgical staff are top notch. I must tell you that I feel great and am finally on the way to the light of my deep dark abyss of just waiting to die because of the weight gain, high blood pressure, heavy doses of the "witch's brew" of medications and side effects and inactivity.

The way I look was a major factor in my choice to have this surgery. I live in the core of a large Canadian city. Like New York, we have good urban transit and we walk a lot. People who live downtown tend to be well-groomed and slim. I started gaining weight after I went through an early menopause just like my mother, and just like my mother all my weight gain was on my torso. At first I was fairly relaxed about this but when I was switched, for reasons of treating my problems with depression (also hereditary), to a fattening cocktail of pharmaceuticals, this weight gain stopped being a joke. I joined a gym but exercise alone wasn't doing much and by now I weighed too much for liposuction and a tummy tuck. The truth was that I had become fat, was going to get fatter, and I felt that my body was totally out of control. It had become my enemy and I was embarassed by myself. A friend told me about this procedure. I made an appointment in order to find out whether I would be a suitable candidate and now here I am, another bandster! I was banded September 7 of this year. I haven't been weighing myself because I got out of the habit of using a scale when I was 25 and I can't seem to break the groove. I have been having some NSVs however and I am learning how to break some of my more self-destructive habits. But it was my vanity that started this journey.

:clap2: Hi Everybody, I got my lap band last Monday, October 2nd. The operation, done by my doctor, Dr. George Fielding, at NYU Medical Center, went very well. I am so pleased. I finally see a bright light at the end of my very dark tunnel. You see, my journey started ten years when I suffered a comminuted fracture of my left ankle in a boating accident. In other words, it was crushed and required five operations to reconstruct it. The first thing my orthopedic surgeon said was, "Lois, you're going to put on a lot of weight because you are going to be in a wheelchair for a long time while we try to save and reconstruct your leg." Always being active, I had no idea how much weight he meant. Oh, I also had a "silent" heart attack the year before and had already been gaining weight because I wasn't feeling well enough to hike as I used to. So in one year I put on at least 40-50 pounds because I wasn't doing the cooking. And it kept on coming on. Then in 8/99 I had a quad bypass. The bypass was scary but a piece of cake. Really. At cardiac rehab six months later I was working out beautifully but slowly kept gaining weight in spite of belonging to Weight Watchers and various other diets. Eventually I was working out with a trainer four times a week getting stronger but not losing weight. Then in 2003 I had an implantable cardiac defibrulator put into me and came out of the hospital with a "goody bag" of nine medications. That was my downfall. I couldn't work out as I did before the implant and it's been a losing battle ever since with the side effects of weight gain from the medications. Then, last April, my orthopedic surgeon recommended the NYU Surgical Weight Loss Program. I went to Dr. Fielding's seminar where he is not only a surgeon but he is also a patient. I was blown away. I immediately called my insurance company, Oxford Freedom Select, and found out they covered the surgery. I did the pre-equisite psychological testing and met with the nutritionist and finally, Dr. Fielding. The surgery, only a week ago, has changed me in so many ways emotionally. I don't feel as I am in a bottomless hole any more. I am not waiting to die. I have been so inactive because of my high blood pressure and do not feel helpless any more. I listened to his great support team and took it easy last week and did not lift anything heavy, just rested. I must tell you that two days after the surgery I woke up feeling like I had done 100 situps at the gym but I took Aleve and soon I was fine. I realize that I have to sip my Water, not gulp. A couple of times I forgot and felt the pressure because I drank too much at one time. I'm learning to listen to my body. I'm on the thin liquid diet and then after the esophagram this coming Friday and doctor's visit I guess I will progress to the next stage, pureed foods. I got the cookbook for recipes for people after weight loss surgery and it is so helpful. I made a great Bengali chicken Soup and pureed it and thinned it out and it is very satisfying. I highly recommend this procedure to everyone facing "surgical intervention" for their weight problems. I started out on the pre-op liquid diet at 282 and went into surgery at 272. I want to get to the weight the doctor's say is right for me, which the psychologist said, would be 190. I don't want to be skinny. Gee whiz, I'm 63 but I want to live another 20 years. God willing. I just want my blood workups to come out healthy. I want to be able to ride a bike and go swimming once again. P.S. You won't believe what just happened in my office. Someone just brought in a plate of lunch from a faculty meeting for me. I threw it in the garbage. I'm not even saving it to take home to my husband after work. Oh well, this won't be last time that will be happening. Get used to it.