is my band too tight?

[MaryV 34]

i think that my band may be too tight but i wanted some input. i have had my band almost a year and have never been sick until this last fill. I can not eat Breakfast at all sometimes i can eat maybe a few bites of Cereal and this morning it came back up but i feel hungry!!! . then for lunch i can eat some mushies and maybe a bite of meat but i am not eating no where near a cup of food then for dinner i can eat some softer veggies and some meat. i am sick about two to three times a week if not more. and then some nights for dinner i can sit and eat everything on my plate its just so confusing. i don't know if i need a little tweeking or what i should do. any input would be great.

[catfish87 3,471]

You mention sometimes you can sit and eat everything on your plate. Hearing that, I wouldn't think you are too tight, but learning this new restriction level, and new eating habits like chewing more, smaller bites, eating less. How long ago was that last fill you mention? It can take some time for us to adjust...at least it did for me. And some of us don't "eat" breakfast anymore. Of course if in doubt, consult with your doctor. Best wishes.

[GuyMontag 1,264]

You MAY be too tight or you may not be. When you get good restriction it's possible to confuse it with being too tight. One thing that is important is that you do not dehydrate. That can exacerbate the problem. Many bandsters skip breakfast and drink Hot Drinks until lunch time. My doctor always said that he likes his patients to be restricted so that dinner is their most comfortable meal. If you think you're too tight then definitely talk to your doc or get some Fluid out. You can also try taking some liquid motrin early in the morning, drinking hot drinks until lunch and then eating something easy like tuna salad or refried Beans. I'd recommend something dense and with a lot of Protein. Make sure you take a small first bite and CHEW CHEW CHEW. Put down your utensil in between each bite. Also, many bandsters wouldn't go the cereal route because of the carbs but that's for you to decide. Well that's some advice off the top of my head. Good luck!

[NaNa 878]

i think that my band may be too tight but i wanted some input. i have had my band almost a year and have never been sick until this last fill. I can not eat breakfast at all sometimes i can eat maybe a few bites of cereal and this morning it came back up but i feel hungry!!! . then for lunch i can eat some mushies and maybe a bite of meat but i am not eating no where near a cup of food then for dinner i can eat some softer veggies and some meat. i am sick about two to three times a week if not more. and then some nights for dinner i can sit and eat everything on my plate its just so confusing. i don't know if i need a little tweeking or what i should do. any input would be great.

I guess it's a matter of perspective, some would say this is perfect, but I warn you, if you keep this fill, you'd better walk on a tight rope and not eat but soft liquids and not solids.

This type of fill is a slippery slope, probably will produce more weight loss, but will also cause long term band damage if you are not extremely careful and not eat too much and don't vomit often.

Problems usually don't start until a few years later, some people will keep this too tight fill and get their weight off and then reduce saline once they reach their goal, but you still take a risk for dilation of the esophagus and pouch which causes horrible reflux long term.

Usually when people post about being too tight they usually are. Most people follow the fill zone chart to determine if they are too tight (you can google that), but the choice is yours to remove saline, which many people will not do if the scale is moving down.

I can't tell you what to do, you should use your own judgement, if it were me and knowing what I KNOW now going on 8 years and have seen many horrible band complications, I would not keep a fill that tight for long periods of time.

Good luck!

[MaryV 34]

I called and talk to my dr today and he said that it may be just a smidge too tight and to go on Clear Liquids until i see him in his office tomorrow because he said this could lead to problems later on down the road

[3-Sibe-Mom 26]

Mine was too tight after all the initial surgery swelling went down. I could not hardly swallow my own saliva without it making me feel real ill. Some Fluid was removed and it was instantly better. It was the first time I had been through that and prayed it was not normal. Slow and clear fluids. Good luck!

[MaryV 34]

He did a small infill of .25 cc and it made a big difference he said toss the spoon and that I should be getting back on track yea!!!!