Swallowing air - Does it get better?

Sidd · April 15, 2008

Hiya all, this is my first post on this board but I've lurked here for some months now soaking up all the fantastic information here!

I'm hoping to get some responses from those a little further into their banding experience than I am. I was banded on the 7th of April, 8 days ago, and I've been on liquids (and am supposed to be for 2 weeks). My issue is that I seem to have a lot of air building up in my stomach below the band during the day that causes me a huge amount of discomfort. The gas pain in my shoulder is quite bad as it is, but the air in my tummy has caused me to rethink my decision to have this band on more than one occasion. It's like a hunger growl, it builds up more and more pressure until I get a huge growl, and then a moment of relief. And the cycle continues throughout the day. It's tolerable just after I have eaten, it's weird!

Someone pounding me on the back seems to move it, after aaages, but neither degas tablets, nor peppermint tea, seems to help. Walking doesn't move it, lying down, sitting up, nothing. My belly gets quite distended and I have pain around my ribcage.

Does it get better once you go onto more normal food? Try as I am, I seem to be swallowing a lot of air, and right now I can't imagine how this can possibly get better.:confused2:

Edited April 15, 2008 by Sidd
I have no idea what month I am in!

Hastings · April 15, 2008

I used to walk around saying, "If only I could belch!" It does get better - at least I can belch. I think at the beginning I was too swollen for air to easily traverse the other direction.

I was banded on March 5. I think you maybe were banded on April 7?

Mel de Lane · April 15, 2008

Hi Sidd, I also was banded on the 7th and have had some of the things you describe. What i think I was doing was taking in air when I was drinking along with things not having enough time to heal. I started exhaling before I would swallow. (through my nose) And no straws of course! That has made a big difference. And in the last few days I've noticed it gets even better at night to drink. Each day is a little better. But for the first few days I had that bloated (like you got a basketball in your stomach) after I drank. And nothing helped. But learning the new way to swallow has helped and I believe once I can go to mushies it will get even better. I also have IBS which I think flared up and in now caliming down. I hope you start felling better soon.

Sidd · April 15, 2008

Ah thanks so much for the replies, it's nice to think that perhaps the air will be able to come back up through the band!! I was starting to worry about that :thumbup:

@Hastings, yes April 7th :thumbup: I've been off work for other reasons since the 17th of March and my brain has turned to mush!

@Mel, I'll try not using a straw, I have noticed that I swallow a lot of air when I use a straw and sip, I have been able to handle larger mouthfuls so I'll give the straw the flick.

One day at a time. On an up note, since I started the Optifast diet to now I've lost 7 kilograms. I think that's about 15 pounds in imperial terms :thumbup: This is the lightest I've been in about 3 years!

girlie2shooz · April 15, 2008

I believe I posted this for another bandster, but here we go. I felt like you for quite some time after being banded 3/5/08. once the healing had progressed, and I would feel like I had to burp, i would just bend over at the waist and it seemed to push the air back out. I still do this today for comfort. This does the trick for me, I burp and I fell better. hope that helps. p.s. if i tried to force a burp early on i got the shoulderpain radiating up into my neck but not anymore. g2s

meelie78 · April 15, 2008

Hiya all, this is my first post on this board but I've lurked here for some months now soaking up all the fantastic information here!
I'm hoping to get some responses from those a little further into their banding experience than I am. I was banded on the 7th of March, 8 days ago, and I've been on liquids (and am supposed to be for 2 weeks). My issue is that I seem to have a lot of air building up in my stomach below the band during the day that causes me a huge amount of discomfort. The gas pain in my shoulder is quite bad as it is, but the air in my tummy has caused me to rethink my decision to have this band on more than one occasion. It's like a hunger growl, it builds up more and more pressure until I get a huge growl, and then a moment of relief. And the cycle continues throughout the day. It's tolerable just after I have eaten, it's weird!

Someone pounding me on the back seems to move it, after aaages, but neither degas tablets, nor peppermint tea, seems to help. Walking doesn't move it, lying down, sitting up, nothing. My belly gets quite distended and I have pain around my ribcage.

Does it get better once you go onto more normal food? Try as I am, I seem to be swallowing a lot of air, and right now I can't imagine how this can possibly get better.:confused2:

Hi Sid,

I was banded on April 6th and suffered for first few days with same problem especially when drinking. Best for me is sucking a mint (obviously not swallowing it). It's the only thing that's helped.:thumbup: