Restriction, Heartburn, Nausea -- LOOSE band, WTH?

[SuzanneG 1]

Has anyone else had this problem? For about 3 months now, I've had nearly constant nausea with heartburn. Also, for the past year, I have had quite a few unfills, trying to loosen my restriction.

Some days I can't eat at all and other days I can eat like I don't have a band. The doc has done an endo, fluro, and a pressure fill and says the band is LOOSE and looks perfect.

I've also had gallbladder ultrasound and a HIDA scan and my gallbladder checks out pefect.

So my band isn't tight, my gallbladder is functioning perfectly, then why do I have restriction, heartburn, and nausea?

I put myself on liquids and it helped a little, but not a lot. Last night I tried chicken broth and a 1/2 of a grilled cheese (I know the grilled cheese wasn't a great choice, but I was sick of the sweet protien drinks). It went down, but very slowly. I made it extra soggy and I was able to eat the 1/2 sandwhich.

Today I have severe heartburn despite the fact that I've been on 80mg daily of Nexium for a month now.

My band doc wanted me to try Regland but I was afraid of the side effects. They're very severe and my mom has taken it and had a very bad reaction to it. I think he's getting sick of dealing with me.

My primary care doc thinks maybe it's anxiety and wants me to try Zoloft. I was under a lot of stress a few months back when the nausea first started, but that's been gone over a month now and my symptoms haven't let up at all.

I don't know what to do next....:smile2:

[Mimilou2004 13]

Suzanne, I feel for you and wish I had some words of wisdom. I am glad and sad that your GB is OK, it being bad sure would have explained a lot!!!! I think it is OK to try Zoloft, as far as it is a fairly safe drug. I have not had the nausea, just the burning and fills and unfills. I am on 40mg of Nexium and can't tell any improvement. I hope you feel better soon and I thing Reglan is a dangerous drug and should only be used as a last resort.

Mimi

[SuzanneG 1]

Thanks Mimi,

I just talked to his office. My band doc does not think I need Zoloft. They want to take ALL my Fluid out of my band this Friday. I'm really nervous about that.

I think I'll buy a bodybugg and count calories while I'm unrestricted.

What's the latest with yours? Have you talked to your doc lately?

[Mimilou2004 13]

I stay as far from my doc as I can, LOL, he is NOT my favorite person. Sadly, my favorite PA left the practice and I don't know what I am going to do next. I need/want my port moved and converted to the smaller one so I am going to have to interface with him at some point.

If your symptoms go away with a complete unfill that will tell a story. I will hope and pray that you don't gain wt during the unfill. I think the bodybugg is a wonderful idea. I wish there was a place they could be rented for a few weeks!

Thank goodness I have stopped refluxing most of the time. I still have the intense burning in what feels like my "big" stomach and any barfing shuts my band down for 24 hours or more.

Keep posting, please.

Mimi

[Jeni 85 0]

personally i think you should get your band completely unfilled for a little while to give your poor stomach and esophagus a rest... at least a month.. and then slowly start getting some fills agAIN..

i THINK at this point eerything is very irritated and just needs a little break to get back to normal..

and as far as keepin your weight under control still follow the band diet... and watch portions... eat the protien first and after 3 ounces and after tat fill up on fruits and veggies if your still hungrey..

good luck and keep us updated...

i know its hard to get an unfill but if you dont take care of yuorself you risk losing that band. with as much reflux that your having and heartburn and vomitting it puts you at greater risk of erosion and slippage..

[SuzanneG 1]

Mimi, You sound like you are almost in the same boat as me. Do you have other doctors in your area that you maybe could switch to?

Jeni, thanks for the comments and encouragement. I will certainly try to follow your advice.

I tried resting my band with liquid diet, but it doesn't seem to help. Yesterday, after a week of liquids, I was craving food and decided to test it. I ate Breakfast and lunch perfect and although my stomach burned like batter acid during lunch, after I ate, it all seemed to calm down to a dull burn. I thought I had it in the bag. I went home and made a baked potato for dinner. I thought that would be soft and bland. I put plenty of butter and sour cream because white potatos can be a bit "sticky" for me if I'm not careful. I took TINY bites and chewed until it was Soup consistency. A few bites in and I knew it wasn't going down. I PBd so much and so hard. Afterward, I usually have an ice cream bar to soothe my esophogas, this time, even ice cream wouldn't go down. Water was barely passing through. I had packed food for my Breakfast and lunch. I went back in the kitchen and swapped that out for protien drinks, then went to bed hungry and sick.

I'm getting all the Fluid out of my band Friday. I guess we'll see what that brings.

I ordered a bodybugg last night, hoping that will help keep me in check. Just the fact that it is something new should get me motivated for the short term.

Fingers crossed that I don't gain weight!

[emjay 8]

Good luck to you Suzanne. I hope your symptoms go away with the unfill. Like the others said, maybe your stomach needs a break. Let's hope that's all it is. Please keep us posted. Something "unusual" like this makes me very curious.

I'm at a loss to give you advice on this one (other than an unfill) on what it could be either. The bodybugg idea is good and also eating like a bandster. Take your time, eat small bites, and Portion Control. Remember it takes your brain awhile to tell your stomach you've had enough. I hope you do well and the unfill solves your problem.

[SuzanneG 1]

Thanks emjay, I'll keep you posted.

[010308 0]

Will you keep us posted about how successful the complete unfill is? I've been having heartburn (without neausea) so wondering if I'm going to have to follow this path.

Thanks!! And good luck to you!

[SuzanneG 1]

Well, they took ALL of my Fluid out on Friday. I was at 6.8 in a 10cc band.

My symptoms are all gone! I feel amazing. I'm going to try to do WW until we can figure out what to do about this. The doctor's office is supposed to call me mid-week to see how I'm feeling.

He's asked for an endoscopy for this Friday, but I feel like I don't need one. I'm not sure where we'll go from here. I'll keep you guys posted.

[emjay 8]

Thanks for the update Suzanne. I'm glad you're feeling better after going so long with your heartburn and nausea. Hopefully your stomach just needs a little break from the restriction and then you're ready to go back to getting fills. Good luck in the meantime. This is the kind of thing I'm concerned about. But it sounds like your doc has checked everything out as far as it possibly being a slipped band or dilation. The WW idea sounds great and keeping active will be a bonus.

Keep us posted!

[SuzanneG 1]

Thanks emjay. BTW, what part of Ohio are you in? I'm originally from South Point, OH.

[emjay 8]

I live about 40 miles north of Dayton. Lots of corn, soy, wheat fields and small towns :scared2:

[SuzanneG 1]

Oh, OK. I have family in Cincy. South Point is right across the river from Huntington, WV and Ashland, KY. Not too far from you....

[emjay 8]

I had my surgery in West Chester (north of Cincy). About 75 miles from home. Best decision I ever made for myself.