Is this normal? Happened to anyone else??

lauren0818 · November 6, 2007

Ok, this has been ongoing for a few months so I'm going to explain in detail. I was banded in April 2007, at the time of the surgery I had 2 cc's in my band. One month later I go in for a fill and move up to 2.2 cc's. Another month later, I still wasn't losing weight so the doctor brought me to 2.8 cc's. After a month of that fill I started not being able to eat barely anything. Some days I could eat soft foods like baked potatoe, some days I couldn't even drink Water without feeling the pressure and pain in my chest. I also would spit all the time. I was salavating all the time and I would even salavate so much during the night that I would wake up in the night coughing and almost choking on my spit. It was weird. So I get unfilled completely after 2 months of being filled at 2.8cc's. A few weeks later they fill me to 1.8cc's, which doesn't do much so 2 weeks later they give me 2.2cc's. Which 2.2 still wasn't doing anything. About 3 weeks after that I go in and they do the barrium swallow and fill me to 2.7cc's because it looked like it finally gave some restriction. Well, about 2 weeks later I started having the same symptoms of not being able to eat so I go back into the doctor and they do the barrium swallow and then even 2.2 looks too tight. (It's strange how one week at 2.2 the liquid would go straight through, then after being at 2.7 then going back down to 2.2 it won't go down at all). At that visit I told them to keep me at 2.2 whether it looked too tight or not because I was tired of coming back every 2 weeks or so. Has this happened to anyone else? Now after about a month of being at 2.2cc's, it's starting to feel really tight again. I'm waking up in the middle of the night because I feel like I'm choking on spit or stomache acid or something. Also, this past weekend I would eat a meal in the afternoon (normally salad) and then by the evening I would have this burning feeling in my throat and chest like it was heart burn or something. That happen for about two days and hasn't happened since. The pain isn't nearly as bad as it was when I was too tight at 2.7, but I don't feel this is normal.

Should I be going back for ANOTHER unfill?? It's aggrevating going to and from getting filled and unfilled cause my band will look fine at 2.7cc's then in about a month become WAY too tight and then unfilling back to 2.2cc's is still too tight. I don't know what to do or if this is normal or if anyone has expierenced something like this?!

Why is my band and body so weird! ??haha

Thanks,

Lauren

losingjusme · November 6, 2007

yup, happens to me often. my restriction changes almost daily.

sometimes taking out just .1 cc helps. but be careful, you dont want to be too loose.

WASaBubbleButt · November 7, 2007

One thought that comes to mind is that if you are irritated and swollen (your stoma) you need to finish the day with liquids. You kinda have to give your stoma a rest. If you don't it turns into a cycle where the more you eat the more you slime and spit.

What if you try liquids for two or three days (full liquids) and gradually go back to solids? Sometimes it's amazingly hard to determine which foods will work which days but with lots of time, practice, and patience you get the hang of it.

Your restriction does change from day to day. Hour to hour sometimes. Just take it easy, go slowly, don't push anything and give yourself time to figure out all the unique things with you and your band. We ALL have very different experiences. It takes time to learn how to work with your band.

NINNYED · November 8, 2007

I have heard that "Aunt Flo" will cause changes in the tightness of the band because of Water retention, etc.....

Could that be part of your problem?

juliegeraci · November 9, 2007

What you are explaining is acid reflux. I would ask your doctor for some medication or start on Prilosec. Not sure how to spell it. Its an antiacid. Good luck.