A Problem

[sushi 0]

I have mostly been lurking on this site for a while, but I have an issue and my Dr. is not being very helpful at this point.

I was banded in May 07, starting BMI 33. I noticed some restriction before my first fill, but I didn't really know that was restriction at the time. My first fill, under fluoro, was 2.4 ccs. I was very good at sticking to the rules after my fill, but I had horrible reflux and PBs all the time even so. I got to where I was afraid to eat. I finally got my doctor to do a slight unfill down to 1.8 ccs. He really did not want to do the unfill. My doctor is 4 hours away and it is hard for me to just pop in for an adjustment, and there are no doctors locally who do fills.

Anyway, I continued to try to follow the rules but I still wasn't able to eat many solid foods. I was living on dairy products and Protein Drinks. I discovered that drinking Water was causing a lot of my reflux problems, so I stopped drinking plain water. Protein drinks didn't seem to bother me as much. I went in for another adjustment about a week ago and requested a complete unfill. I was told that my pouch is getting dilated and I was very tight, almost to the point where it won't empty. Since then I have stuck to soft foods, and I am eating small portions. My fill doctor tried to blame the problem on my eating too big portions but I know that is not true. I think my band was put on too tight to begin with . I still feel very tight, even with nothing in it. I have not had any PB episodes since my complete unfill but I still have some reflux. I am concerned because I can't unfill any more than where I am now. I am still losing weight (slowly) and I hope I do not need to have more surgery. Anyone ever heard of anything like this?

[Kat817 19]

How long ago did you have the complete unfill? It sounds to me as though you are dealing with some serious swelling as well as the dilation.

I would go to liquids,and soft foods, and see if it resolves itself, if not you need to have a scope done to check the positioning and overall health of your stomach and band I would think.

Sounds like you may have had some swelling even maybe a slight slip with the PB episodes---let your stomach try to heal, without overloading it.

Sometimes when we do the right things, bad things still happen. I would really try to baby your system, and hope it settles down. You also really need to try to drink your Water now that you are unfilled, and have less reflux issues.

I understand about the Dr, being so far away. Mine is 6 hours one way. It is not because he is the cheapest--he is the closest to me!

Good luck to you--keep us posted, so we know how you do!

Welcome to LBT!

Kat

[ejbserafin 0]

I too, have had issues with my band too! I was banded 08/07/07 and had my first fill in 09/25 and then had to have it released 1 week later, I couldn't keep anything down. What a relief to have it released. I then found out that I had 4cc and was told they only put 2cc, so a big difference. I waited until the end of October for my next fill and I was told that it's a tight fit being the smallest band and that I don't need as many fills, my problem is I would love to eat solid foods but I can't, if I try I pb and sometimes if I eat to much Soup I pb that too. I guess I'm frustrated that I won't ever be able to eat normal food again, I feel like I meant to eat only Protein shakes and let me tell you I sick of them.

Julie

[Jachut 487]

Inexplicably some people are VERY sensitive to fills and you may be one of them, and may indeed have enough restriction with an unfilled band for the time being.

It makes me very angry when doctors try to tell patients how they are or are not feeling - obviously from what you say your pouch is dilating due to your band being tight.

I'm glad you got the unfill, no doubt you are still a bit swollen and irritated, and like kat says, babying your system for a while with mushies and liquid foods is the way to go, till it settles, then go cautiously onto solids. And in future, teeny tiny fills. What size is your band? If its 4cc, I'm simply astounded that you'd have gotten a first fill that big, it took me 6 fills to reach 3cc in my band. I'd insist on very small increments when you feel you need filling, given your past experience.

[Kat817 19]

And you may never get to that fill level, I am a year and a half out, and I only have 1.75cc in. I reached that level over a year ago, and have been going well ever since!

I agree---small fills, better to sneak up on restriction than have it breathing down your throat----literally!

Kat

[sushi 0]

I have a 4cc band. They fill under fluoro with a barium swallow, so I guess they are more aggressive with the fills. I have been unfilled for 1 1/2 weeks now and am doing better, but I am still on very soft foods. I was pretty nervous when they did the unfill because for a while they couldn't get the Fluid out! So far I feel like I will never need a fill, I am still tight.

[Jachut 487]

Yes, fluoro cant predict how your body is going to react can it? Even with being able to see that you *should* be perfectly restricted, they cant tell how sensitive you are to it.

[yaya78006 1]

I am new to this forum and was looking for anything about this problem that you all are having like I am.

I too have trouble getting food to go down.

50% of the time it just stops at the first bite.

I never know when this will happen.

Sometimes I take a bite of food, even a small bite and it feels like my esophagus constricts closed tightly.

It is an awful pressure, then sometimes if I try to eat more, the horrible pain comes and sometimes doesn't stop.

I am not taking too big of bites and the food is always soft and totally chewed up.

Last night I thought I was going to have to be rushed to the hospital.

I lost mostly slime and then a tiny bit of the tiny bit of food I ate.

Usually I walk around and do some nice deep breathing and that helps.

Last night was bad!

Oh, I hate to sound stupid but was does PB stand for?

yaya

[Jachut 487]

PB = productive burp = bringing back up what is bothering you.

First bite syndrome, very common, I suffered from it for a while but not so much now, but you MUST stop eating when it happens. Its really important to start eating with ridiculously tiny bites and long waits in between, just to get your stomach used to the idea of what's coming, if you try to take another bite, you'll be in trouble. Whenever you become even slightly stopped up, STOP. You absolutely cannot force it. I find with a lapband, more important even than small bites and chewing is waiting between bites. Wait for the knowledge that the bite has gone down before taking another. You can easily get in five or six forkfulls before you realise that the first has stuck. Waiting in between bites is the most important skill to learn, I think.

[yaya78006 1]

Thank you!

I have days when I can eat lots of food, though always soft foods.

I have some days when I have trouble with liquids.< /p>

Yes, I have learned that when there is that feeling, I better stop.

Last night was so different though, I may have eaten too fast.

After all of the fun with the slime and heaving and when the pressure got better I sat in the lounge chair and breathed deeply then felt a kind of whoosh in my stomach, maybe my Calcium chew blocked the hole.

That is all I can think of and finally I got better.

Today I had trouble eating liquid Soup but after an hour it finally went down.

I still can't eat any beef for some reason. Pork which is cooked in a stew or pork loin goes down just fine.

Some chicken I stop at the first bite.

I have thought about loading up on some baby foods.

I love it that I have lost 57 pounds but it is kind of bittersweet.

I had a lot of illness the first 2 months. Virus after virus.

I don't think I can get anymore this year, I already have had them in 5 week period.

Wish I would have found this site earlier.

yaya

[Kat817 19]

Yep, my Dr. told me to sit my fork down and wait a full minute between each bite of food. That sounds quicker than it feels when you are doing it!!! It made a huge difference in how I felt when I ate though.

I have never had to deal with the first bite syndrome, but my SIL did, and I had read on here about people having luck drinking something warm/hot, just before eating. Not a lot to drink, but just enough to relax the esophagus, and stomach I suppose. It did work for her. Her problems with this passed too....so hopefully yours will to!

Back to the sitting down the fork between bites, I still do it! Not between each bite anymore, but I eat a bit, and sit mine down to see if I should stop. You cannot imagine how strange it is, to sit and watch other people eat, like in a restaurant setting, while you are simply sitting, and waiting a minute or 2. They shovel HUGE amounts in, and barely chew, their cheeks are puffed out with food. I am appalled, that I was one of them for years!!!

Kat

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

The good thing is as you lose fat around your stomach, the band will get looser.

A lot of people have trouble early in the day, but in the evening their band is looser.

Lap Band Talk is a wealth of information. Just keep asking questions and you'll find the answers here.

[ladydi 0]

I Had A Problem Last June. I Couldn't Eat Anything And If I Tried I Could Take One Bite And Lose It. I Couldn' T Even Drink Much Water. Then It Got Better. Then In Sept It Started Again. This Time It Didn't Get Better. I Was Going A Trip And Didn't Want This Problem, So I Went In For A Unfil. I Have A 10cc And Was At (im Not Sure But It Is Written On The Bottom) 3.6. They Took Out .3cc To A 3.2 And All Was Well. Now, 4 Days Ago It Started Again And I Have Not Eaten In 4 Days. The First 2, I Couldn't Drink Any Water. A Couple Of Sips And It Comes Up. I Think I Was Starting To Get Dehydrated Cause I Was Also Getting Sick To My Tummy And Dizzy. Yesterday Was The First Time I Was Able To Drink. Couldn't Eat But At Least I Drank. Today I Thought I Might Try A Protein Drink Since I Could Drink, But No. Tonight I Can Drink And I Have Had A Few pretzels. No Problems, So I Pray That It Is Over. It Just Is Strange That When I Was Fine With My Fill For 6 Mos And Then Had To Have A Unfil, Now Maybe Another One. I Don't Want To Stop Losing Altogether. I'm Just Testing It Before I Call The Doc.

Ladydi