The trouble with fills....

Beck7169 · January 29, 2007

I was banded last year in July. In the last 19 months I have lost 85 pounds which has been great. Gone from a size 24/26 to a 16. Off my blood pressure meds...which I was on at 35. Have 2 great kids and a wonderful husband who has been supportive. However over the last 10 months I have really been in a bad cycle with my fills. Fills are fine in the office...do liquids for 2-3 days...then it gets really tight in the morning...sometimes to the point where liquids won't go thru...pain when I eat ...then the vomiting starts and I swell closed....get unfilled...feel better...no restrictions...gain weight...fill again...sometimes I am fine for a month or 2 then the band tightens for some reason...the cycle starts over. I had one spell where I couldn't drink for 4 days and I began vomiting up my saliva every hour because I was swollen shut..ended up in the hospital. My last spell was before Thanksgiving and was "unfilled". Went back last monday got a fill. I had in 1.3 and DR added .5cc. (He took out .7 at last unfill.) He says I am really sensitive to fills, but come on folks!! Right now I can get liquids and Soup down. There a lot of pain...I've been x-rayed up and down so no slipping. It starts with burning then becomes out and out waves of pain. Today I've had lots of Water, 16 oz of V8 sugar free frut juice for Breakfast, a container of yogurt for snack, 1/2 cup of soup for lunch and for supper mashed potsw/green Beans. Some pain with yogurt and soup was ok, but vomited up the mashed pot/ with very very very mushy gr beans. I feel like I have to burp all the time. I don't want to fail and am tired of this. Anyone else been through this. Any help out there? I've never posted on anything in my life so hang with me if I do it wrong...Thanks!

ericsmom · January 29, 2007

Boy, you sure are having a lot of problems...I was going to suggest that they x-ray you and check things out, but it sounds like you've done that. I really don't know what to say, but I hope you get some answers. Maybe you need to see a different doctor...or hopefully someone here can relate to what you're going through and give you some advice. Congrats on the 85lb wls and good luck to you!

Molliegirl · January 29, 2007

Beck, I know how frustrating this can be for you. I experienced similar episodes. Apparently I can only tolerate .5cc fill. I had two previous fills and suffered terrible reflux, uncontrollable. Finally called the dr and they brought me in for an upper GI which showed barely a trickle getting through my band. That was on a Friday. They called me that afternoon after I got home and told me to come back Monday for an unfill. My esphogus was very swollen and that is not good. I had the unfill and had to wait 6 weeks to heal and then went back for another try at a fill. Let me tell you that I still had restriction even with no fill. My previous fills only took me to 2cc. Anyway, when I went back for the fill they tried 1.5cc, under the flouro so they could see what was happening when I drank the barium. I was already refluxing, so they laid me down again, took out .5cc's and another test. Still too much. I ended up with only .5 and I am fine. That was 4 months ago and I haven't gained any weight. I was only 3 lbs from goal so I am satisfied with current restriction. There have been others on this forum that have gone through this too, so hang in there. You may also be one of the few that can get by with a lot less fill. Be very mindful of how you feel. You shouldn't be vomiting and such. That is not the way the band is supposed to work, and you don't want to have problems with esophogitis (not sure of the spelling). That can be very dangerous. Hope you get where you need to be and can enjoy life with the band.

Beck7169 · January 29, 2007

Thanks for the comments. I am going in today to have a small bit removed. Hopefully this will help with the nasua and pain. I just don't understand it. I am trying not to give up and keep strong, but I feel like a failure at this. Although I have lost 85 pounds I still weigh 225 (in a 16 from a 24/26) and want to loose another 40 pounds (size 12/14). Is the pain and nausea common for others?

barbara465 · January 29, 2007

I have the same problems. I have discovered that I can't tolerate big fills and must get only about .3. They switched me to omnipacque when I started losing my fills.

I had a fill on the 8th and now I can't keep liquids down. I've gone through this for a week now and one day I can eat Soup the next I can't. I had a cold last of Dec and the 1st week of Jan. I thought it was mucous draining or something like that. However, I'm calling for an unfill since I just can't go this.

I think some of us are just real sensitive to fills and the amounts. I swell 6-10 days after a fill. My doc has me on 3 days of liquids and 3 days of mushies after a fill. It still doesn't help me when my stomach decides to swell.

Good luck and you might need to get an unfill.

lyndalafe · January 29, 2007

Oh boy! can I sympathize with you. I was banded in Nov. '05 and spent over 6 months doing the same thing....fill....reflux...pain ...unfill ....refill....etc and so on. In meantime did manage to lose 50 lbs. ;but still 20 from goal and after my last terrible bout of being so restricted I could not suck on an ice cube....I had an unfill and then had to settle for of lower fill. I've been fine for 5 months on this lower fill amount; however have not lost anymore weight.... I'm scared to get more fill and have same problems again and have resorted to the fact I will have to lose this last 20 using a little more of my own willpower. Apparently there are some of us that just never hit that sweat spot where you can eat small amounts and continue to lose. I know I have never been able to find it..............but I guess I would not have 50 lbs off if it wasn't for the band...........and it helps me from overdoing it and gaining weight back.

lyndalafe · January 29, 2007

oops "sweet spot"....I can spell....but fingers can't

Beck7169 · January 30, 2007

Thanks for the info. I just feel awful reflux and pain. I am getting an unfill on Thursday. Perhaps we'll get this right sometime. It's so frustrating.

lyndalafe · January 30, 2007

I also think some of us do better if they just add or remove a little. I think they sometimes try to remove all of the saline to see exactly what we have and depending on the tubing ...............not all of it always comes out...but yet can be hanging around in there. Some of us can actually

have a little kink or turn where the saline can pool I think.

The result is sometimes a fill feels fine and then two weeks later........the rest of it shows up in the "innertube" and "gulp" we're tight again. (of course if there hasn't been any recent PB's etc.).

I know Dr. Laurent sometimes has had fits trying to get all the saline out?

So next time I am just going to let them tweak me and add .2 or .3.........but not removing what's been there all this time.:faint:

barbara465 · January 30, 2007

Good luck to you TexasLady. I just had to go for yet another unfill. I had them take out .2 and instant relief. I tried it for almost 2 weeks, but just couldn't recover. I did have them check my fill and it was all there. I'm with you though in the fact that when they take it out to check it its almost the same as putting it in. I am going to take it slow and easy for a few days before easing back into solid foods.

I just think some of us are way more sensitive. The fluro doesn't always tell the whole story.

Good luck on your journey.

Joy1 · September 27, 2008

Good luck to you TexasLady. I just had to go for yet another unfill. I had them take out .2 and instant relief. I tried it for almost 2 weeks, but just couldn't recover. I did have them check my fill and it was all there. I'm with you though in the fact that when they take it out to check it its almost the same as putting it in. I am going to take it slow and easy for a few days before easing back into solid foods.
I just think some of us are way more sensitive. The fluro doesn't always tell the whole story.

Good luck on your journey.

Lordy!.....Ya'll are scaring the@#$! out of me.....I was banded on Sept. 15, have had NO probs but occassional hunger and am looking really forward to my first fill on Halloween!....But I sure do not want to feel like that! Is this prevalant?.............

Thanks,

Joy