Gas vs. Stuck

[Universoul_D 14]

So how would you describe the difference between the gas pains you get the first week after being banded and being stuck? What was it like the first time your food got stuck? What were you eating? What should you have been eating/doing instead?

Banded 9/6/16

[needtorecover 574]

If you're one week post-op, you should not be eating anything that would make you stuck... liquids should go right down and you shouldn't start mushy foods until 2 weeks post-op (that was what my surgeon told me, anyway).

Getting stuck is very uncomfortable. It feels just like it sounds - like there's something stuck at the base of your esophagus. When this happens to me, it's hard to breathe and my mouth fills with saliva (lap band patients call this "sliming"). Sometimes a good productive burp will get it out and I'll feel better. Other times, I'm not so lucky and I have to run to the bathroom to vomit.

Do your best to make this a rare and infrequent occurrence. It'll take trial and error to figure out your limits. It only happens to me when I (stupidly) go too long without eating and basically inhale my meal. Prior to surgery I was a volume eater and my habit was to take large bites, swallow a large amount of food, and quickly shovel another forkful in before the previous bite even had a chance to reach my stomach. I ate that way for years so when I get too hungry now, I'll lose control and think it'll be okay and I'll eat fast. Because it takes 20 seconds for food to hit my stomach sometimes I can eat and swallow 3 or 4 large mouthfuls of food before it reaches my band. When the 2nd big bite hits and puts pressure on my stomach I know it's too late because the next bite or two I already swallowed will make it too full and I will throw up.

tl;dr - Don't let yourself get too hungry. When you're very hungry you're more likely to make poor choices, eat too large of bites, not chew well enough, and eat too quickly. This leads to blockages and vomiting.

Now gas... that's a fairly normal feeling. A few good burps will clear it up and you'll feel better. With blockages, burping releases a little pressure but ultimately you'll probably need to vomit.

[Universoul_D 14]

I am on liquids and its not an issue. But I am very aware of the gas moving around. And it feels like it is stuck in my chest. I'll feel it bubble and roll up a little then stop. Like its stuck there. I was just curious if food being stuck would feel similar. My band is empty and there is no current restriction with anything I've had so far. Just thinking ahead.

Banded 9/6/16

[needtorecover 574]

Oh, you're talking about the post-surgery gas in your body! Yeah, I don't know what that feels like because I didn't have any problems with it. My surgeon told me I might feel pain in my upper chest and shoulders and that the solution would be to move around to get it to disburse.

It'll pass soon. I don't know how it compares to a blockage but I can say blockages suck and you should do your best to avoid them suck down your shakes and hang in there. Recovery feels like it lasts forever but it'll be over soon.

[Bandista 7,466]

@@Universoul_D

Hi there and congratulations on your surgery. That post-op gas pain can be very painful. Many people experience it in the left shoulder but it can be anywhere as the abdominal cavity gets filled with gas in order to perform the surgery easily and then it has to escape somehow.

Getting stuck for me is a very different sensation. I basically know it as soon as I've done it and like @@needtorecover that's when it happens to me: too hungry and eating too fast. Reverting to old habits of shoveling the food in, etc. Now I can really tell that I cannot have even one more little bite, not a walnut or piece of dried fruit -- the pouch is very sensitive and when it's full, it's full.

Good luck with all! Great that you are thinking it all through and doing "the work" as part of your recovery. I love my band.

[Sai 785]

Had the band for many years. Getting stuck is probably the most uncomfortable feeling you'll ever feel, other than sliming... Most of the time the two go together. What I felt was serious pressure in my upper chest, and I could barely speak because the pressure in my esophagus. I can't remember what I was eating when I first got stuck. I'm going to guess something with bread. After I got real restriction, I stopped bread completely.

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[lf1227 129]

Gas pain is usually a bloated pain/ sometimes in chest feeling.. I had another EGD done on Friday and that night was the worst gas pain I've ever experienced.

When food has gotten stuck for me it felt like a scraping feeling in my esophagus. I was eating breads mostly and sometimes meat. I was irresponsible then though! It's SO worth it just to take the small bites and wait 60 seconds between bites. Otherwise I would have to wash whatever was stuck down with Water and I'd feel sick or dump. Bleh

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[kennedy75 7]

So how would you describe the difference between the gas pains you get the first week after being banded and being stuck? What was it like the first time your food got stuck? What were you eating? What should you have been eating/doing instead?

Banded 9/6/16

Gas feelings in first week usually start in your shoulders down your arms and not so much in your tummy. Being stuck is like that over full feeling in the bottom of your throat like you have had too much. The gas will be now after a week getting a bit better. Warm shower helped me also hot Water bottle

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