Stomach pain

[flower faery 0]

I am having the worst luck. Now I'm trying to decide what I should do next. Sorry this is so long.

Back in February, I had a 1cc fill, bringing me up to 6.8cc in my 10cc band. I definitely had restriction and couldn't eat much but still felt fine. I took a trip to Wales in March and was tight the entire time but managed to eat a bit and wasn't PBing. Then I got back and I started having this constant nagging pain in my stomach...like where my actual stomach is..to the left side kind of up under my ribs. Anyway, I went to my doctor and he said it was because I wasn't cutting up my pills small enough and it was irritating the pouch. So I started cutting them up and the pain actually did finally subside.

During April/May I started feeling like I was getting hungry quicker and eating a bit more so I scheduled a fill and went in on May 21st. The doctor put in .3cc but under fluoro said it looked like I was a bit too tight so he took back out .1cc and left me with 7cc total. Over the next week I was REALLY tight. I didn't have any pain but I was PBing constantly. Not even liquids would stay down. So I went in for a partial unfill. They took out 1cc leaving me with only 6cc total. It was instant relief though.

During the time I was only at 6cc, I didn't feel like I had hardly any restriction at all. I was having to really watch my calorie intake and use a hell of a lot of willpower. Which only works for so long for me.

Since my job changed insurance in January, the new insurance has refused to pay for any of my fills. So when I heard another doctor does them for $100 and within walking distance of my house, I decided I may as well go to her and save myself the trip to my doctor who is about 40 miles from my house. So I went and she put in .5cc bringing me up to 6.5cc total. Which is .3cc lower than I was during February through May. So in theory it should be the perfect fill. And in a way it is.

I had the fill this past Monday. My stomach has been aching daily since. All day long. Not just when I eat. It's just this constant pain. A nagging pain. Like before. But I've been cutting my pills small so how could it be that?

Yesterday I decided to go on only liquids and mushies for a few days and completely crush my meds. So I'm trying that before running back to a doctor and paying hundreds of dollars I don't have. I'm seriously broke. I did good to pay the $100 to get the last fill.

Does anybody have any ideas on what this could be or have suffered something similar? I'm so scared of erosion or a slip. But the thing is I do have restriction right now without PBing. If I wasn't in pain all the damn time, I'd say this is my "sweet spot". It allows me to eat just the right amount of food but not too much. I don't vomit. I don't get stuck. I just eat slowly.

I was thinking maybe this may be some sort of reflux problem since now suddenly today I have a sore throat to go with the stomach pain. So I bought some Tums and I'm seeing if they help at all. I haven't been feeling any heartburn with this pain at all though. The only thing I've had is that I kind of burp every now and then even when I haven't eaten. But it's not a real burp. Hard to explain. And my stomach is growling constantly.

I just want to cry. In fact I have been crying. :cry:

Like I said, I'm going to give it a few days and stay on mushies and liquids and keep crushing my meds and taking the Tums and we'll see if that helps. But I am so upset and scared.

[crazycatlady 0]

Dear Flower Faery,

I have the EXACT thing but with lots of gas. I was banded May 8, 2008 & it has been this way ever since. I have almost no restriction since I've only had 2 fills so that's no the problem. I take acid reflux meds even though I don't have heartburn & it used to help b/4 I was banded but does nothing for my stomach pain now. I am constantly in pain like someone kicked my in the gut & have almost gone to the emergency room twice with the pain. I have been to see 3 doctors for this & Thur. I will have a CT-Scan of my stomach. I have to drink 2 bottles of this gross barium crap & have an IV with dye in it so they can watch how it moves thru my intestines(I guess). The gas for me is the main issue I think since when I burp, & I do mean BURP, it seems to relieve the pressure but it comes right back.

I'm doing the same starting today by eating a soft, bland diet to see if that helps. It's my unprofessional opinion that I have some sort of inflamation in the area causing excess gas. The funny thing is that when I take Ibuprofen it relieves the pain but not the gas. You might try that to see if it helps.

Sorry I couldn't help more since I'm in the same boat. Thank God my insurance covers this.