Vomiting and the Band

[waterlily1072 5]

I don't need advice, although support and well wishes are greatly appreciated. This message is about awareness. We have our bands for a long time and we start to get complacent. We feel like nothing could possible go wrong. Well it turns out it can. After letting my band stay too tight for too long the vomiting started. 2 days of not being able to keep even Water down for more than a few minutes. Then a call to my surgeon's office and an emergency trip (2 hour drive) to see the Doctor. I have a very bad slip that may very well need surgery to fix. His message to me was that any signs of being too tight warrant a trip for an un-fill, period, no excuses. Vomiting more than once a week means too tight, DANGER! And folks vomiting is all inclusive to mean PB's any food at all that comes up no matter how mild it may seem is a problem. Please learn from my mistake and don't take reflux and vomiting lightly or you may end up losing your entire stomach. Yes that's right, your entire stomach. A major slip can cut off circulation to your stomach tissue killing the tissue and requiring removal of the dead tissue. If this scares you then good, because it should. I wish someone had scared me.

[Astrasmom 1]

I don't need advice, although support and well wishes are greatly appreciated. This message is about awareness. We have our bands for a long time and we start to get complacent. We feel like nothing could possible go wrong. Well it turns out it can. After letting my band stay too tight for too long the vomiting started. 2 days of not being able to keep even Water down for more than a few minutes. Then a call to my surgeon's office and an emergency trip (2 hour drive) to see the Doctor. I have a very bad slip that may very well need surgery to fix. His message to me was that any signs of being too tight warrant a trip for an un-fill, period, no excuses. Vomiting more than once a week means too tight, DANGER! And folks vomiting is all inclusive to mean PB's any food at all that comes up no matter how mild it may seem is a problem. Please learn from my mistake and don't take reflux and vomiting lightly or you may end up losing your entire stomach. Yes that's right, your entire stomach. A major slip can cut off circulation to your stomach tissue killing the tissue and requiring removal of the dead tissue. If this scares you then good, because it should. I wish someone had scared me.

Wow thank you so much for being frank like that. More people need to be honest about things. I do hope that you are feeling better and I wish you a speedy recovery if you do need to have your band fixed. Hopefully you won't though.

[waterlily1072 5]

Thanks Astrasmom

[kimmielou 0]

What are your symptoms? I got a fill last week and the next 24 hours were the most miserable of my life. How did you last 2 days? The nurse ended up removing all my fill and told me to wait 6 weeks before starting over. I'm feeling better but have a nagging ache where I think my band is. Do you have any pain with your slip?

[waterlily1072 5]

Kimmie, I had some pain with the last of the slip which is what prompted me to finally admit I needed to go in, and asap. But honestly it wasn't horrible pain or anything. I just thought I'd gotten too tight, I didn't suspect a slip. Anytime you are vomiting you need to go in. I learned that the hard way. If you get a fill and you are vomiting you need to go back and have them remove some of the fill so that you can eat and drink appropriately.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I have been posting about this issue for almost 2 years. Too many people depend on the band being too tight to lose weight. They suffer with pain, reflux, heartburn, pbing, vomiting, etc.. and accept it as the price to pay for losing weight and they are afraid to have a unfill for fear of gaining weight. They can't eat solid foods in the morning and sometimes until evening. If you had been told this at your seminar - that you wouldn't be able to eat solid food until evening - would you have gotten the band?

They do this at their own peril for all the reasons you posted. Plus constant reflux can cause esophageal cancer over years.

[Maddybrat 1]

I am having trouble with my band also. I have been vomiting acid for awhile now and have developed pneumonia from aspirating acid into my lungs. I just got out of the hospital and I have had several doses of antibiotics, but the pneumonia is not going away. What did you do to get better?

[waterlily1072 5]

Maddy,

It sounds like you need an unfill. You should not have reflux with the band, that is a sign of being too tight.

Cleo,

Thanks for speaking out on this too. More veterans around here need to. The band isn't about forced bulimia/anorexia. It is about decreasing hunger and eating smaller portions. Any vomiting or reflux and you need to see your doctor, period.

[GonnaRide 0]

They can't eat solid foods in the morning and sometimes until evening.

Finally! I found the right place! I've been struggling with this for weeks now. It's usually about 7pm before I can get down anything solid. (I'm now 15 months post-banding and had been doing marvelously for a good while.)

I've also found that even then, I have to have a cup of hot tea on standby in order to get anything down. I've got an appt on Friday, and in trying to determine if this is just too tight, or if it's ..well, I don't know, something else, I've done strictly liquids for the last two days. This afternoon I made mashed potatoes really runny and after two bites, I was leaning over the kitchen sink sliming and then puking.

I've been having a lot of upper-right quadrant pain with this as well, but none of the reflux/acidy/heartburnish stuff. My gallbladder was taken out shortly before my lap-band because I had a ZERO% ejection fraction. I don't know what else it would be, but it's very reminiscent of the gallbladder pain.

I sincerely appreciate this post, the candidness and information from y'all!

[waterlily1072 5]

GonnaRide,

It sounds like it's a good thing you are going in. I would see if they can get you in sooner. Tell them what's happening, if I called my surgeons off ice and told them what you just told us they'd insist on me coming in right away. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

I have my follow up on Friday to see if my slip has corrected itself, prayers, good thoughts and crossed fingers are very welcome.

[GonnaRide 0]

I may do that. We have a hurricane headed at us, and supposed to start seeing the effects of it tomorrow evening. So I suspect that they will be closed on Friday now with this going on. They were overbooking to get me in, so it might be really tricky to get in tomorrow. We'll see how it goes!

I really think I'm going to have him check and see if the band has slipped. I don't know if that's the case or not, but I'd kinda like to know.

Again, much thanks to all of you!

[Golden 0]

I have my follow up on Friday to see if my slip has corrected itself, prayers, good thoughts and crossed fingers are very welcome.

How are youi doing! My thought and prayers are with you!