Why is my band SO inconsistent?

[BeachBish 123]

A fill 3 weeks ago...I feel restriction finally and I get full fast. Now 3 weeks in this fill and it seems to still be getting tighter!?!?!?
If it rains it gets tight, if it's cold it get tight...seems there are NEVER 2 days in a row that are the same.

SUGGESTIONS ? Has anyone else experienced this?

[terrydumont46 1,954]

the band responds differently with everyone. like morning time. it's a waste of time for me to eat right off. I have a Protein shake or smoothie with Protein. I eat solids slowly until dinner and than will have a full bandster meal. if I am hot I have a tighter band. when I have Water wt. retention I hold Water in my abdomen, I know when this happens not to even try to eat solid. my doctor wants us to wear a ring. if ring tight likely our band is too.

[BeachBish 123]

That's intersting about the Water retention. I haevnt thought about that; maybe that does play a part in it as well.

Are you drinking a gallon of water a day?

[parisshel 1,892]

Just to be clear...the band doesn't loosen or tighten...it just feels that way because of the natural fluctuations in the area that the band surrounds (the stoma). When the stoma is swollen, due to a recent fill, or post-nasal drip, or morning (because of Fluid retention that is natural in our organs when we are horizontal), food and liquids will pass thru the area slower (or not at all, depending on size of bite).

Just like our ankles or fingers swell, so does our upper stomach. Veteran bandsters know that these fluctuations are normal but novice bandsters are surprised by them. I don't think bariatric practices pay enough attention to alerting post op patients that restriction will fluctuate all our banded life, and not to freak out about it.

My restriction varies according to weather (heat really makes me tight), congestion (head colds = very tight band), stress (my poor-man's fill), and exercise. Also, whenever I eat in a restaurant my band tightens up...probably because I worry about getting stuck, so this is self-protecting.

So, yes...you'll never have two days in a row that your restriction feels identical. Just be thankful for that, because it means you are alive and functioning well!

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I read somewhere or maybe it was a nurse who told me that when you sleep at night, the effect of gravity that we see with swollen feet at the end of the day reverses. The blood that would normally be in our lower bodies redistributes. This means everything above my feet is a little more swelled when my feet are a little less swelled. Sounds weird but it explains why my band feels tighter in the morning.

[Sally Pearl 59]

I feel the same. Everything can feel ok, then I can become stressed and I can hardly eat. I needed Fluid out of my band recently because of severe stress reaction.

Each day can be so different, but what I am not aware of sometimes is reverting to slider foods, so I need to be more self aware.

One thing I do realise is its all a learning journey