Endoscopy, Reflux, Vomiting Blood

[aprylshowers 0]

It's been a long time since I have been on here and I know how helpful everyone can be so I figured I would stop by and post. I had my lap band placed in 2005. Did fine for years, even through a pregnancy, etc. About three years ago I had a partial unfill due to increased reflux, etc. (I have had no physician follow up since then, mainly because I had my surgery in Mexico, and very few american doctors want to see Mexico patients). I have also gained about 30 pounds since then. I have been getting progressivly more uncomfortable over the past few years. I have had horrible refulx at night (to the point that acid comes up through my nose), have been vomiting blood several times a day (looks like coffee grounds), and while I feel like I have very little restriction, I am constantly having food get stuck and eating is generally pretty painful. I was recently diagnosed with Gallstones which only adds to my discomfort. I had an endoscopy on Wednesday and the doctor had to stretch my esophogus because there was a lot of scar tissue that had caused it to narrow. There was also quite a bit of food still in my pouch, especially considering that I had not eaten for 12 hours. The doctor (who knows very little about lap bands and asked me how it is adjusted, and even commented that he was going to try and stretch the band but decided not to because he figured it would snap right back like a rubber band) feels my band is too tight and is referring me to Hershey Hospital for a follow up. He also put me on 80mg of Nexium a day. I feel like my band has probably slipped, or my pouch has stretched. Anyone else have a similar experience? Any thoughts?

(I apologize if this is not very clear!)

[Mayasgram 351]

I had the exact same things happen to me . The vomiting of blood coffee grounds was almost uncontrollable I went to turn to my friend and out it came. That was the final straw. Called the Dr he met me at the hospital and started Xraying no slip he emptied my band and I had to wait 10 days for another scope and fill. Mine was my stomach had gotten so irritated from acid that it started bleeding.and swelled so I couldn't get food down I was put on acidphex and have had no problems since that was last Sept. Hope the same is for you.

DO NOT LET SOME UNINFORMED DR STRETCH YOUR BAND that is a horror story, I always wondered what those Mexico patients did for after care I know my Dr wouldn"t touch them . Good Luck I will say a prayer for you it has to be scarey for you.

[TKW 501]

I don't think they can stretch the band. It is a ring of hard plastic (doesn't stretch) with a balloon on the inside of it that adjusts. The best they could do to "stretch" it is empty it.

I hope the problem isn't too bad. You definately need to find a lb dr.

Wishing you the best!

[aprylshowers 0]

Oh I know that it can't be stretched by a surgeon. I was just horrified that he even said it lol. I am used to educating my doctors about the band. I haven't had a single one that has known anything about how it works or even where it is placed. It is very frustrating. The thing that worries me so much is my lack of restriction, If my esophagus was narrowed due to scar tissue, and my band was tight enough that food from 12 hours prior was still in my pouch, why am I still able to eat as much as I do? I just ate an entire hamburger and probably a half cup of potato salad!

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

A couple things, if you are vomiting blood for any reason, that is serious and something you need to definitely follow up on.

You say "why am I still able to eat as much as I do? I just ate an entire hamburger and probably a half cup of potato salad! " Just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should. A cup of food or less per meal is the maximum you should be eating regardless of your ability to eat more.

You also must realize the band isn't supposed to make you feel stuffed full. It is supposed to make you feel satisfied for longer periods of time. Sometimes it does make it so you simply can't eat anymore, but having good restriction is about feeling satisfied without hunger, not about feeling like you just a Thanksgiving meal. This is a common mistake a lot of people make and as a result walk around with bands entirely too tight- which often leads to slips.

Stick to a cup of food or less per meal, and when it's gone stop eating. Ask yourself "am I still hungry?" If the answer is no, you're satisfied, regardless of the ability to eat more.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

It's been a long time since I have been on here and I know how helpful everyone can be so I figured I would stop by and post. I had my lap band placed in 2005. Did fine for years, even through a pregnancy, etc. About three years ago I had a partial unfill due to increased reflux, etc. (I have had no physician follow up since then, mainly because I had my surgery in Mexico, and very few american doctors want to see Mexico patients). I have also gained about 30 pounds since then. I have been getting progressivly more uncomfortable over the past few years. I have had horrible refulx at night (to the point that acid comes up through my nose), have been vomiting blood several times a day (looks like coffee grounds), and while I feel like I have very little restriction, I am constantly having food get stuck and eating is generally pretty painful. I was recently diagnosed with Gallstones which only adds to my discomfort. I had an endoscopy on Wednesday and the doctor had to stretch my esophogus because there was a lot of scar tissue that had caused it to narrow. There was also quite a bit of food still in my pouch, especially considering that I had not eaten for 12 hours. The doctor (who knows very little about lap bands and asked me how it is adjusted, and even commented that he was going to try and stretch the band but decided not to because he figured it would snap right back like a rubber band) OMG! That has got to be the most ignorant and frightening statement I've ever heard of from a non-bariatric medical professional feels my band is too tight and is referring me to Hershey Hospital for a follow up. He also put me on 80mg of Nexium a day. I feel like my band has probably slipped, or my pouch has stretched. Anyone else have a similar experience? Any thoughts?

(I apologize if this is not very clear!)

I had kind of a similar experience, except that my symptoms started suddenly. An upper GI showed my badly dilated esophagus; the gastro doc who did an EGD found food in the lower third of my esophagus (I hadn't eaten for 12 hours) and diagnosed me with an esophageal motility disorder called achalasia. My surgeon removed all the saline from my band and strongly recommended removing it. I decided to revise to the sleeve,but when my surgeon removed my band, she was unable to do the sleeve because of a stricture we didn't know I had. I went to a different gastro doc who said I don't have achalasia, I have stenosis (thickening of the tissues) from 25+ years of "silent" reflux. He dilated the stricture and I'm having surgery again in August to try to do the sleeve.

My unfill greatly relieved my symptoms. I'm still taking omeprazole. My symptoms were like yours but I wasn't vomiting blood. That kind of thing URGENTLY needs attention. I would be concerned about ulcers or band erosion.

I hope you get in to see a specialist at Hershey Hospital ASAP. Good luck!

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

One more thing.

You need to be extremely careful about what you put in your mouth until you get this resolved. Every bite of food you put in there is probably making things worse, whether your band has slipped or eroded or your esophagus or stomach pouch is dilated. It doesn't matter how much you "can" eat or how hungry you are when you eat it. Your best course of action is to follow a liquid diet and let everything in there rest until a bariatric medical professional and/or gastroenterologist can figure out what's going on and what to do about it.

[Karen12345 61]

I had the same problem. My esophagus and pouch were all torn up. I've had a total unfill and am just living with it that way. Thank god I'm at goal weight. I've lost 170 lbs.

Sent from my iPad using LapBandTalk

[trcgrl 0]

I have been getting sick alot and when I drink I also have a big problem with it going down no matter what I drink.I have lost 85bls but all these problems are not worth it.There are days that go by that I can not eat anything.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

FYI, one of the signs of my slip and herniated stomach was that when I did throw up sometimes it was stuff from the day before....the part of my stomach that was herniated through the band had made a nice nasty pouch that just held stuff...

Seriously did the GI doc know you had a band before he got I there? The whole 'I thought about stretching it' thing horrifies me!!!! With the bleeding I'm really concerned you may have an erosion but he totally should have seen that on the scope....

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

And....I'd stick with liquids until this is resolved, if nothing else your stomach is irritated and needs time to heal, if there's something more serious going on, food could get you in trouble.