Okay. I'm going to try again.

[bitteroldhag 0]

I put a thread on this board but no one answered me. Thanks a lot. So I'm going to try again. I have been banded for 16 months and lost 40 pounds which is not as much as I wanted to lose but is better than nothing. The problem is that my band which is a larger one has 4.5 cc in it. That has worked for almost a year but lately, my pouch seems to empty awfully fast and I get hungry. Also I seem to eat more than I did to fill it up. I suspect it is stretched a bit, but if I don't eat exactly right, I throw up. Yesterday, I was so hungry that I ate the wrong way and threw up 3 times. Today, I ate prime rib, baked potato and a piece of bread!!! That is three, count them, three, exclamation marks. Do you think I should get another fill? I don't know what to do. I didn't think I'd have to have a fill 16 months after I got the band. Help!:rose:

[PigsRFlying 0]

How many fills have you had? I would try another fill.

[tanderson 3]

I put a thread on this board but no one answered me. Thanks a lot. So I'm going to try again. I have been banded for 16 months and lost 40 pounds which is not as much as I wanted to lose but is better than nothing. The problem is that my band which is a larger one has 4.5 cc in it. That has worked for almost a year but lately, my pouch seems to empty awfully fast and I get hungry. Also I seem to eat more than I did to fill it up. I suspect it is stretched a bit, but if I don't eat exactly right, I throw up. Yesterday, I was so hungry that I ate the wrong way and threw up 3 times. Today, I ate prime rib, baked potato and a piece of bread!!! That is three, count them, three, exclamation marks. Do you think I should get another fill? I don't know what to do. I didn't think I'd have to have a fill 16 months after I got the band. Help!:rose:

First of all, are you following all of the band rules? You know, not drinking during meals, allowing a full 30 minutes to eat your meals, eating 3 balanced meals a day, eating your Proteins first, veggies second, carbs last...are you exercising daily, taking Vitamin supplements, and getting 80-120 ounces of Water in daily? If you are doing all these things, then maybe it's time to see your doctor for a fill?

[bitteroldhag 0]

First of all, are you following all of the band rules? You know, not drinking during meals, allowing a full 30 minutes to eat your meals, eating 3 balanced meals a day, eating your Proteins first, veggies second, carbs last...are you exercising daily, taking Vitamin supplements, and getting 80-120 ounces of Water in daily? If you are doing all these things, then maybe it's time to see your doctor for a fill?

<br /> <br /> Naturally I don't do all of these things. I have to drink during meals or nothing goes down. I can't eat 3 meals a day because my pills stop up the hole and I can't eat until about 2:30 p.m. That's one of the problems. My pills haven't been stopping up the hole like usual. I figure I have a bigger hole there than I did. I have been eating in about 20 minutes though I always eat Protein first, etc. I do exercises for my back and take vitamin supplements and I drink a lot. Maybe I do need a fill. Rats.

[bitteroldhag 0]

How many fills have you had? I would try another fill.

That's about it. I have had about 4 fills and was well restricted until just lately. I wonder if one's stomach adjusts and allows one to eat more.

[Boo Boo Kitty 3]

That's about it. I have had about 4 fills and was well restricted until just lately. I wonder if one's stomach adjusts and allows one to eat more.

z

Quite frequently I think my stomach has adjusted to fills and I know when I am eating too much that I need a fill. I have had 8 in total in 14 months. (2 were slight unfills) I know for me it has been the key to my success.

Try to measure what you eat in one day, if it is more than 1 cup at a time you may very well need a fill.

But also are you exercising and couting calories? Those are key as well as the protien!

[Wheetsin 714]

I put a thread on this board but no one answered me. Thanks a lot.

My advise is so good, you have to ask for it twice. :heh:

You know Bitter, I'm on the fence between advising more fill, and less. Let me ask you a few questions.

Are you taking your pills whole, or do you cut/crush them and take them mixed in/with something? And what size pills are they, say compared to a household product. Tylenol? Tic Tac?

Eat the wrong way as in - eating foods you don't tolerate, or wrong eating mechanics? (too big bite, too little chew...)

Are you open more during certain times of the day?

Do you ever have a problem getting plain old liquids down?

[bitteroldhag 0]

My advise is so good, you have to ask for it twice. :heh:

You know Bitter, I'm on the fence between advising more fill, and less. Let me ask you a few questions.

Are you taking your pills whole, or do you cut/crush them and take them mixed in/with something? And what size pills are they, say compared to a household product. Tylenol? Tic Tac?

Eat the wrong way as in - eating foods you don't tolerate, or wrong eating mechanics? (too big bite, too little chew...)

Are you open more during certain times of the day?

Wheetsin -- Some of my pills are small and some are big. They have that coating on them so that you are not supposed to crush them. I chew Flintstones Vitamins but some of the pills are at least 3/4 the size of the Vitamins. I chewed some of my pills for a while, but they don't work as well if I do that. Usually my pills get stuck in the lapband and stop up the hole so I can't eat until about 2 or 3 p.m. Then I come home and eat two eggs and bacon for "Breakfast." I usually drink Protein stuff for Breakfast in the morning. Then I have to cook dinner for mother and so I eat about 6 or 7. But I get hungry again by 10 p.m. At dinner I can eat quite a lot--much more than a cup. In fact, I don't remember just eating a cup food but I don't know if that means a chewed cup or a cup overall. I worry about getting a fill because I'm afraid my pills won't go down, but I'm getting pretty hungry. I don't really know what to do. I do notice that my band is open after about 2 p.m., much more than in the morning. But I don't know if that is the result of the pills. Since I have multiple physical problems, I have to take the pills. I never had a problem getting liquids down. Any advice?

[METALBAND 0]

Just a thought but can you take the pills later in the day?? Do they have to be taken in the morning? Maybe you could take the pills later after you had some solid Protein.

Good Luck,

Maureen

[Wheetsin 714]

First of all, find little comfort in knowing that you're not alone because I could have written your description of your restriction pattern. We're pretty much identical.

Then I have to cook dinner for mother and so I eat about 6 or 7. But I get hungry again by 10 p.m. At dinner I can eat quite a lot--much more than a cup. In fact, I don't remember just eating a cup food but I don't know if that means a chewed cup or a cup overall. I

Hmm, I was going to say that if you're taking larger pills whole, you may need more restriction. *I* could use more restriction, and can't take pills.

Then I come home and eat two eggs and bacon for "breakfast." I usually drink Protein stuff for breakfast in the morning. Then I have to cook dinner for mother and so I eat about 6 or 7. But I get hungry again by 10 p.m. At dinner I can eat quite a lot--much more than a cup. In fact, I don't remember just eating a cup food but I don't know if that means a chewed cup or a cup overall. I worry about getting a fill because I'm afraid my pills won't go down, but I'm getting pretty hungry.

You sound like me, where restriction is based on time of day much more so than the food you're eating, how you're chewing, etc. I can gurgle over Water in the morning, but by evening have no mechanical restriction. In other words, I technically can eat much MUCH larger volumes of food than what we're "supposed" to eat. But I can barely get a nibble down before evening. That's why I say "rubbish" to "rules" about the band, and that's more than wanton anarchy. I've listened to people telling me that I need a fill, I shouldn't be able to eat more than 1/4C at a time, etc. I wish it were that easy!

Thank good ness I'm accustomed to small portions, because if I *wanted* to eat a whole entree, I *could*... as long as I waited until evening. Before evening, it takes me about an hour to get a small Soup down.

I could certainly use more fill to help with the evening hours, BUT - I don't want to be tighter than I am in the a.m. If I was any tighter, there's no way I could eat or drink much of anything before, say, 4 - 5pm. Actually I tried another fill and ended up closing completely, to the point that I couldn't pass my own saliva and had to yak every 5 minutes, just from swallowing. I'm afraid that any more fill will have me WAY too tight then, even though it might give me "moderate" restriction in the evening.

My two ents - you don't want to be too tight, a factor which I firmly believe contributes to erosions at the very least, (I don't see how it could NOT), if not slips. So I figure I'm at my happy medium, because when you average out am & pm, I would have perfect restricition. I just don't have it all at the same time.

As for your meds, the enteric coating controls where the medication is released. E.g. coatings are made resistant to stomach acid, but easily dissolved in the intestine. You definitely don't want to even think about chewing or crushing anything that's enteric coated.

Have you asked your doc for liquid or elixir alternatives for some of your pills?

My advice - don't sweat that you're eating more than you "should" in the evenings. Cup shmup.

IMO, if you have problems getting Protein drinks down EVER, then more fill is not your answer. Else youll end up like me, having to stop to yak up egg white and soap lather saliva every 5 minutes en route to your emergency unfill.

[TracyinKS 7]

Quick suggestion here.......... drink something HOT (coffee or tea) in the morning to loosen you up a bit before taking your pills..... and if you can tolerate it drink something warm or hot after your pills (to push them through)

I drink coffee first thing every morning 6 a.m. ....... take my thyroid pill (small) and my multivitiman (big) eat WC oatmeal around 8:30 a.m. as I am also tighter in the morning......

I go to bed early (9p.m.) so I try to eat NOTHING after 7 p.m. because I feel that the later I eat the less I will lose (but that is me)

The other suggestion I would have is to take your pills before bedtime so they have a while to digest......

HOPE SOMETHING HELPS!

[socalgal3 4]

If you threw up 3 times yesterday, you probably shouldn't be eating prime rib, a baked potato and bread today. You should rest your stoma/pouch after numerous PBs and or vomiting episodes. I agree with Wheetsin that you discuss with your doctor any alternative forms of your medications. Some have a liquid or chewable form, or even a time-release patch. I don't know what your numerous medical problems are, but they may be inhibiting your weight loss. Many medications have weight gain as a side effect. If your health problems prevent you from exercising that can also contribute. I do recommend that you go to your doctor and see if they can examine your pouch under fluoro. You may have lost some fill due to a leak or your band may have loosened due to weight loss of 40 lbs. Drinking with your meals works for some people, but I can't do it. It is also known to wash everything quickly through the pouch leaving you hungrier sooner. Hopefully, it is not a slip. Best of luck to you!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

One thing to remember is that as you lose fat around the stomach, the band gets looser. So people do need fills even if they are a year and a half past banding. I am not saying you need a fill. I can't determine that for you.

I can say that for me, I feel full all the time since my last fill. I don't know how long that will last.

[bitteroldhag 0]

Thanks for all of this advice. I will take it to heart and do something. I notice that my pouch empties pretty fast so I'll try to quit drinking during meals. But I may need a little fill, maybe 2 cc. I'll call my nurse and check it out. Also I will try to get some liquid medicine, though I have to take so many pills in the morning, it's ridiculous. Heart trouble, high blood pressure, many, many allergies, etc. But I really appreciate you all.

[ingyrob 1]

I am glad that you are going to seek professional advice because that is what I was going to suggest. There may be some liquid medication you can take instead

Good Luck, I hope you get sorted out.