New baby - New Lapband Problems - Old lapband

[ariellenore 0]

I had the Lapband surgery back in 2010. Lost over 120lbs in two years. I had a baby in April 2013 and all Fluid was removed from the band during pregnancy. I started to get fills again three months after my baby was born. These fills have not been the same since my pregnanacy. I no longer feel they are working. I have gained back 60lbs total and have had the hardiest time trying to no continue to gain back more. Recently I had an upper GI and no problems with the band. I continuously tell the doctors that I am having bad heart burn/reflux and able to eat EVERYTHING. The just gave me prescription for acid and filled me again. I am at 7.5cc now. Although this is my third fill I have had and now I can't even keep Water down at night and must return to have fluid removed. I keep thinking that there may be an erosion or slip because of a weird cold sensation I keep getting in my abdomen area. I have never heard of this feeling for the band before. I am unsure where to go from here. On one hand I need to loose this weight on the other I want this fluid removed because of the issues I am having. And these doctors don't seem to have any accurate answers.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

It definitely sounds like you're too tight so it's a good thing you're getting some Fluid removed. It's definitely not worth the risks that come with a band too tight.

Perhaps you're expecting the band to act in a way it's not meant to. You stress you're "able to eat everything". There's no reason you shouldn't be. The band isn't meant to physically stop you from eating anything- it's your job to make good food choices and stick to band sized portions. The band is meant to keep you satisfied on much less food for much longer periods of time. It's there to control your hunger not control what you're physically able to eat.

Here's a really great article that I think will help: http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html

Best wishes.

[hiddnstar 167]

I had the Lapband surgery back in 2010. Lost over 120lbs in two years. I had a baby in April 2013 and all Fluid was removed from the band during pregnancy. I started to get fills again three months after my baby was born. These fills have not been the same since my pregnanacy. I no longer feel they are working. I have gained back 60lbs total and have had the hardiest time trying to no continue to gain back more. Recently I had an upper GI and no problems with the band. I continuously tell the doctors that I am having bad heart burn/reflux and able to eat EVERYTHING. The just gave me prescription for acid and filled me again. I am at 7.5cc now. Although this is my third fill I have had and now I can't even keep Water down at night and must return to have fluid removed. I keep thinking that there may be an erosion or slip because of a weird cold sensation I keep getting in my abdomen area. I have never heard of this feeling for the band before. I am unsure where to go from here. On one hand I need to loose this weight on the other I want this fluid removed because of the issues I am having. And these doctors don't seem to have any accurate answers.

HI!

How frustrating for you. I have not heard or experienced the cold sensation you're talking about, so I can't say anything helpful there.

I had odd symptoms for a long time and went to several specialists trying to figure out what was going on.

Every doctor I saw had vague answers or simply lumped it in with GERD.

I did some research and found a doctor an hours drive away who read my history and successfully resolved my problem. So don't give up!

Also, one thing he told me is that the lap band only prevents a person from binging, nothing else. (Im pretty sure there will be people who disagree with that, but it fits with my own experience). So I understand when you say you can eat everything.

I wonder if being pregnant and having a baby has changed your insides in a way that has impacted the band. For me, my body could not support the band (and I had it removed after losing considerable weight).

Just don't give up! Maybe you could research surgeons who have done Lap Bands for a long time and who may know, from experience, what different symptoms are indicating. My old surgeon refused to believe any of my symptoms were caused by the band; he simply did a test to make sure it was in the right position and declared there was nothing wrong.

My new surgeon did the same test, but had it done by a radiologist extremely familiar with lap bands and who knew what to look for - how the band was actually functioning. Mine was not functioning and my body could not handle another fill.

So, I wish you luck and if there is anything in my post I can clarify for you, just let me know!

Hang in there!

~hiddn

[Leena 108]

If Water is not going down you're too tight and should get an unfill.

When I had a slip my endoscopy showed it (my surgeon actually did my endoscopy himself so he knew what to look for). I also showed some ulceration in my pouch. My only symptom was horrible gerd all the time, even while sitting up. So he did a complete unfill and put me on protonix (the magic pill for me).

Who did your upper GI? Did you get a copy of the video/pictures?

[NaNa 878]

I had the Lapband surgery back in 2010. Lost over 120lbs in two years. I had a baby in April 2013 and all Fluid was removed from the band during pregnancy. I started to get fills again three months after my baby was born. These fills have not been the same since my pregnanacy. I no longer feel they are working. I have gained back 60lbs total and have had the hardiest time trying to no continue to gain back more. Recently I had an upper GI and no problems with the band. I continuously tell the doctors that I am having bad heart burn/reflux and able to eat EVERYTHING. The just gave me prescription for acid and filled me again. I am at 7.5cc now. Although this is my third fill I have had and now I can't even keep Water down at night and must return to have Fluid removed. I keep thinking that there may be an erosion or slip because of a weird cold sensation I keep getting in my abdomen area. I have never heard of this feeling for the band before. I am unsure where to go from here. On one hand I need to loose this weight on the other I want this fluid removed because of the issues I am having. And these doctors don't seem to have any accurate answers.

Get a second opinion, I had to find a new surgeon to address my needs and find a very hidden hiatal hernia that did not show up on a regular Upper Gi.

I had some of the same symptoms, and it was pouch dilation WITH a hiatal hernia, every time we would fill the band I would get reflux and I could not stay in the green zone.

Dr Ku, fixed me and I have not looked back, I currently have excellent restriction with no issues and the scale is now moving in the right direction again after a few years with hardly no weight loss.

In meantime, you are too tight and need some saline removed.

Also if there is a pregnancy board here you may want to ask this question because on other boards, I've heard of MANY having issues after pregnancy with their bands. Allergen suggest to unfill the band during pregnancy.