Banding and Eating Disorder Question!

[moonlightdreamer 4]

Hi guys,

I just signed up for this forum, it's nice to meet you all! My questions mostly circle around those that have been banded and have an eating disorder.

I have been in a therapy program for a few months now dealing with Binge Eating Disorder. I have been accepted to do an intake appointment with a bariatric surgery department nearby and my first group of appointments are on 3/14. I'm not sure how compatible the two processes are going to be. My therapist feels more supportive to me than my nutritionist at this point. I've been contemplating getting lap band for almost 7 years now and I feel like now that I'm getting a handle on my binging it's a good time to move forward with this as well.

I have GREAT hope that the band will help me with my weight loss but I'm worried that 1) I'm not going to be able to handle it with my eating disorder, I know that the band isn't going to fix the psychological aspect of this (although I've been doing great so far...and I know the band is just a tool), and 2) I'm not going to get as much support from my eating disorder therapist and nutritionist as I'd like. Has anyone else gone through this and have any thoughts/advice for me?

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I think a lot of us (dare I say most of us?) on these forums have some sort of eating disorder, even if most haven't ever been formally diagnosed. I mean, let's face it, you don't get to a point of needing weight loss surgery without having a seriously dysfunctional relationship with food.

I've never been formally diagnosed with anything, however I am very much a binge eater. Before I was banded, I ate such massive quantities of food it's not even funny. What's worse is the fact I often did it in secret so no one would witness me eating an entire cake or a whole pint of ice cream. I knew I had a problem and I was ashamed of it.

I think the fact you're in therapy for your binge eating puts you light years ahead of a most people. You have an understanding of your issues and professional support to deal with it, which is something most here don't.

I can tell you this about binge eating in the band- it's crucial you feel you have control over it before the surgery. The thing is, you can still binge eat with the band if you really wanted to. People learn how to eat around the band all the time. There's also slider foods that go right through like liquid- and as dumb luck would have it most slider foods are stuff like chocolate and cakes that people do binge on. The dangerous part about binging with the band is that chronic over eating can cause the band to slip.

At the end of the day, only you know if you're ready to take this big step and get the Lap Band.

Best wishes on your journey

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Does your bingeing also come with purging because if so then that will definitely be a problem with the band. Vomiting with the band will cause slippage especially early on. How will you handle it if you purge?

[moonlightdreamer 4]

Does your bingeing also come with purging because if so then that will definitely be a problem with the band. Vomiting with the band will cause slippage especially early on. How will you handle it if you purge?

Nope, no purging. I'm actually terrified of throwing up. I will do anything to avoid it, which I guess is a positive thing in this context.

[Cloud_dance 5]

I did not accept I had an eating problem until the day after I was banded. I have PCOS so I always blamed my weight gain and hunger on PCOS.

But one the hunger was curbed, my need to overeat did not go away. I am/was simply used to eating family sized portions of food.

In fact those first two weeks I was simply MANIC for food to deal with the stress of surgery. I staved it off with lots of Fiber rich smoothies and yogurts. I also learned that sugar free stuff made me super ravenous and I stopped eating it for good.

At one point, overwhelmed, dazed even,I went to a drive thru and bought two chicken finger sandwiches (before I was off liquid food) and tried to eat one in my truck. I got something stuck for the first time then. Buns are NOT your friend with a lapband and neither is non-water soluble greasy chicken coatings! I found out real quick what happens: pain and nausea.

You simply can't throw up hardly at all anymore, at least not in any way you will remember. When you eat too fast, or eat a gluey, chunky type-food and it gets stuck, it feels like someone has your heart in a vice. You will heave.

Pain sets a VERY strong deterrent for eating foods which are naturally bad for you anyway. Any kind of bread, pastry, pie crust, and any crust with butter or grease in it, anything that will not melt naturally with Water, can get stuck at a moments notice. Carbonated sodas are out too, because the bubbles stretch the pouch.

All this sounds hard to deal with. But the GREAT thing is I don't feel hungry. That empty feeling is gone. Just having the empty feeling gone all the time has helped me emotionally and physically get over the fact I can't binge anymore. Even more so it reminds me I don't have to binge to fill that void in me to feel full again.

I get plenty to eat. I am eating good food. My food budget is down to 1/4 of what I used to spend. I'm loosing weight carefully and slowly. I just can't eat like I used to. And I really avoid those foods that make me choke. Once you choke on something, you really don't want to ever go back there again. Which I think is a good thing in the end.

[Scorpio Girl 88]

Binging, even without purging is dangerous with the band. Overeating, eating quickly, can lead to band slippage. Your options for WLS should include the duodenal switch. It is a malabsorptive surgery, meaning you don't absorb all the calories, preserves the pylorus and provides a larger stomach than RNY or sleeve. I know of many bingers who have had great success with DS surgery.

If you decide on banding, please continue with therapy to address the eating disorder. Best of luck to you!