restriction

[Luka Beth 78]

I got my second fill in june...putting me at 5.5 in my 10cc band. I have restriction and have been losing ok....but the past 3 weeks or so i have noticed ALOT more restriction...to the point that i have been getting stuck almost daily. I was great for a month and then sudden tightness. I'm still able to eat...just seem to be having more sticks...not every day, just more. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen. I don't think i need an unfill...but was wondering if this could be a slip? Or if its normal.

[lucettecole 67]

Yes yes I got my fourth fill and I too am at 5.5cc in 10cc band and I get stuck every time I over do it. I went to Soups and shakes a few days and I just watch what I eat.

Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

[lucettecole 67]

I have lost 5lbs since July 8th

Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

[drehn88 251]

I know exactly what you are talking about! I had my 2nd fill (5 cc total) and about 1.5 weeks after I started getting this swollen, kind of a "lump in my throat" felling in the middle of my chest. I figured out today I think it's my new sign that I've eaten too much or too big of a bite. I'm still able to eat and drink but it's pretty uncomfortable. Surely it's not a slip. I think you (we) would have to vomit or overeat for an extended period of time before it would cause a slip. I'm trying to take smaller bites and eat less. That's helping. I had some chicken Pasta tonight and that feeling happened again. I think I'm suppose to avoid pasta now!

[Luka Beth 78]

I haven't had any Pasta in over a year.

It was just a bit concerning because i had some restriction for 5 weeks, but then the past few weeks its just been tighter than it was. I have an appt on the 28th. I was going to ask my surgeon then but was wondering if anyone else had a change of restriction feeling almost a month after their fill.

[ChicagoRose 650]

I think it varies for a lot of reasons. The weather makes my restriction change. The times of day that I eat makes my restriction change. Different foods of course do that as well. I am only filled 2 cc in my 10cc band so I have a ways to go but I definitely feel differences throughout the week. What you are feeling is probably your signal to stop so try and enjoy it!

[tigers1998 35]

I had more first feel and I felt more restriction immediately. I stop whatever I'm eating when I get the stuck feeling. It usually happens more in the morning than any other part of the day. However, during my TOM, it gets so tight, I get stomach spasms when I try to eat. So I go on shakes and jello/pudding during that time. I asked the doctor, and I was informed that Fluid retention throughout the body can cause band tightness. If you've had a problem with fluid retention in the past, may be something to look into. If like me, it happens only once a month....well we know the answer to that.

[lellow 1,713]

ChicagoRose is right. I have times where I feel like I can eat anything and other times I'm tight, usually at TOM or if I'm a little dehydrated (when it's hot or I'm just not drinking enough).

And if I'm tight and I try to eat something that will stick, I'm guaranteed to be tight for a few days because I've aggravated the stoma and there's swelling.

If I keep trying to eat solids while the swelling is present, it will stay aggravated and suddenly it feels like I'm constantly tight, when in fact it's just staying swollen.

This is what I sometimes think happens when people get 'suddenly tight'. Expect that there will be times in the month you may be tight. When those times roll around and something sticks, baby the band with liquids, then mushies for a couple of days before trying solids again.

And if none of the above applies in your case, then I'd go back and discuss this with your doctor.

[Shazam 517]

When this happens to me it's usually because I ate too fast or too big of bite. Don't let yourself get to a point when you're starving, it seems to me that's when it happens more. Slow down, over chew your food, smaller bites. Sometimes it helps to get up and walk. Though, when I start getting saliva, I usually throw up. It hurts to much, so I try to prevent it. Also, I have found I can't eat very dry food like chicken breast, unless there is some kind of sauce. It takes time to figure out what you're able to tolerate and how to chew. But the big thing is slow down and smaller bites.

[drehn88 251]

ChicagoRose is right. I have times where I feel like I can eat anything and other times I'm tight, usually at TOM or if I'm a little dehydrated (when it's hot or I'm just not drinking enough).

And if I'm tight and I try to eat something that will stick, I'm guaranteed to be tight for a few days because I've aggravated the stoma and there's swelling.

If I keep trying to eat solids while the swelling is present, it will stay aggravated and suddenly it feels like I'm constantly tight, when in fact it's just staying swollen.

This is what I sometimes think happens when people get 'suddenly tight'. Expect that there will be times in the month you may be tight. When those times roll around and something sticks, baby the band with liquids, then mushies for a couple of days before trying solids again.

And if none of the above applies in your case, then I'd go back and discuss this with your doctor.

That totally applies to me! Thank you for explaining it so well.

[Luka Beth 78]

It could be that i had a stick then didn't go on liquids and just ate regularly...which could have kept the swelling which made me feel tighter than normal. Which caused another stick...etc. Sounds like a cycle i need to break although i haven had a stick in about a week and an feeling less tight than i did when i made the original Post.

[lellow 1,713]

There you go Luka! The best way to deal with getting stuck is to revert to liquids so your stoma can heal. Continuing to irritate your stoma can actually damage it in the long run.