Indigestion? Help

[flychica 0]

Is a stretched pouch the same as a slipped band? I am still learning all this.

Outside of that, I'm worrying its that...when I had my surgery on 11/17/09....they repaired my hiatal hernia. But for the past month or so, I've been feeling like indigestion near my esophagus. It kind of makes me not want to eat, it reminds me of the indigestion I would get when I was pregnant.

I've had 3 fills and I'm at 5cc's. I go in tomorrow for my next check up and fill....I was doing really well w/ the 2nd fill but since the 3rd one, I haven't felt real restriction....and its been 4 weeks since I had this.

I'm just wondering where all this gassiness and feeling at the top of my stomach is coming from. Is this normal? Should I be worried and mention this when I go in tomorrow. I've also kind of stalled out with losing weight. I somehow managed to gain 3 pounds back in a week (probably due to my cycle) and then it took 2 weeks to lose those 3. So I'm not sure what to think.

Thoughts and opinions please.

Edited March 3, 2010 by flychica

[Pascale 0]

Certainly you must mention your discomfort/pain to your doctor! Thats what follow up appts are for.

After lap band surgery gastritis, ulcers and gastro esophogeal reflux are more common. All can cause damage to the mucosa which can be prevented with medication or eradication of the h.pylori bacteria. They can also be signs of problems with the band itself but I am in no posiiton to speculate there. From the way you relate your symptoms to pregnancy and the feeling in your esophogus I suspect you are having some reflux but definately mention it to your doctor. I had terrible ulcer like pain immediately after banding and am on ulcer meds and now have tested positive for h. pylori. Not a friendly environment for healing.

A stretched pouch is when you overeat ignoring the feeling of fullness and literally stretch the little stomach that has been created by banding. For some people, I gather this would be quite impossible because they would vomit or "productively" burb it up. I haven't even had my first fill so this is not first hand knowledge. A slipped band is when the band slips down from where it has been attached or the stomach can slide through it making a double loop which sounds like a real mess to me. I do believe that the two are related because over stretching the pouch can lead to a slipped band. I think it can put enough pressure on the pouch pulling down on it until one or the other gives, either the band detaches or the stomach slides into the pouch.

I could have it all mixed up.

Now if that isn't enough to make you afraid to overeat I don't know what would do it!

Good luck at the doctors.

Pascale

[flychica 0]

Thank you for the response. Actually, once you mentioned it...and I completely forgot about this, when I had my Gastro doctor appointment. They advised me back before the surgery that I came up positive on lab results for h. pylori bacteria. I was suppose to come in there but the nurses were all confused on what I was supposed to do because I had already had my lap band surgery...and was taking antibiotics for the surgery healing. But I was supposed to come back in to test and make sure the bacteria was gone.

What does the h. pylori bacteria do? Does it cause those symptoms...like gassiness and the feeling of indigestion. I mean I get this feeling without eating. I had it this morning. it feels almost like an upset stomach.