Panic Attacks with the Lab-Band! HELP!!!

[Stella_Eterna 0]

Okay, I'm 21. I had my band put in on Feb. 2nd of 2007 and was ready to set down my weight-loss journey. Lost a good 30 lbs. in the first few months just from chewing slower and not being able to eat that much. But, after I began to allow myself to try and eat normally (meaning real food and not basically Soups and Protein shakes) I began to realize that I had a serious anxiety problem which liked to show its head whenever I ate:

I can't use the band properly! I know you are supposed to eat your small meal and then let the food SIT in the pouch until your saliva breaks it up and it moves through. Whenever I attempted to let the food sit in my pouch, I felt like it was squeezing my lungs and I couldn't breathe! It is incredibly painful! It sends me into a panic attack that I can't get out of. I have to go throw up EVERY TIME! I realize that this is not healthy so in order to keep myself ALIVE, I started eating those "easy" foods. Now, my life is all about the tried an true (chicken and fish and soup). Thats all I ever eat because anything else won't pass through immediately. Yes, I said "pass through immediately". I can't let the food sit in my pouch at all so I eat food that requries lots of chewing and then I can swallow it and goes right through. It still keeps me from eating too much because it takes so daggum long to chew it...but I don't know what to do! I can't eat the right foods and EVERY SINGLE TIME I sit down to eat, I start to feel anxious about hurting from eating. I makes me not want to eat at all...

Has anyone else had this problem!? I've already gotton my band loosened. It can't get any more loose without being empty and yet I still have problems with food getting stuck in my pouch and the minute I feel that pressure of the back-up, I freak out and have to go throw up. I want to get the band taken out but my family frowned upon me when I told them and they said it was all in my head. I take anxiety medicine and I see a therapist. Nothing is working! I don't want my family to be ashamed of me...I just want to be able to eat properly again. I've tried just sitting there and letting it stay in the pouch and using prayer or mantras or ay sort of relaxation technique...doesn't work. My whole body begins to hurt and I feel like I can't breathe.

If anybody has any advice, suggestions, or whatnot, please let me know because I'm at the end of my rope. My bad nutrition is killing me...I'm getting sick and I know it's because my body is breaking down on me. I do take Multivitamin in the morning, but apparently it's not enough. I don't want to live my life in fear of throwing up at every single meal!

[Laurinda 1]

Jack is right on with what he said. I do understand your panic to a degree because after I got stuck I didn't want to relive it so I kinda freaked at meal time too BUT on the other hand what Jack said is what happened for me "changed behavior"

Start slow and take just a bite or two, chew to a paste and see how it goes. Good -luck!

[Stella_Eterna 0]

That's what I thought to, that I was eating too much. But what you don't know is that I get that sensation for eating as little as 2 or 3 bites of my meal. I can feel the food sit in the pouch even at the bottom of the pouch. I don't see how 2 or 3 bites could be too much food. That's not enough to live on and it's not enough to actually fill the pouch.

I think my body is just too sensitive to the feeling of the food in the pouch and it causes me to become anxious and to hurt.

I guess, if I were to tell you exactly what is going through my mind, I think I'm scared that the food will be stuck forever. I'm not quite sure if I understand of believe in the system properly...

[mom2twins 0]

Give Jack's advice a few days. After the band we all have to relearn how to eat (the right way). When a baby learns how to walk it is one step (bite) at a time. They do not start off going across the room (a full meal). If they fall the very first time they are more causious and that is where you are. If you just start with one or two bites, and then go to the liquid for the rest of the day and then go to three or four bites for a few days it won't be long until you can help retrain your body to the new feelings that you are having. Remember you did not learn to eat overnight in the first time around when you were a baby either.

[westcoastmom 3]

Stella - I have been very nervous about the band ever since I got it and have not wanted to have any bad consequenses. Although I have not wanted to have sliming, PBs, or vomiting - so I have done everything I could to avoid that.

I certainly understand your anxiety, though. Mine started as soon as I got home from surgery. I wondered if I did the right thing even though I did so much research and thought I was so educated before entering this decision. I am sorry, though, that your anxiety has taken you to this point. I don't think mine got quite as far.

I don't know if this will help, but I can think of a few things that I did and that you might want to try.

First - I took it really slow to the actual food stage. I moved through the mushy and soft stages really slowly until I was really comfortable about how they were going through the band. Even when I moved on to more solid food, it was on to crackers and things that are considered "slider" foods. It gave me the sense that I was eating more solid food, but I knew it was stuff that usually was easy for most banded people to eat.

Moving this way through food gave me more security about being able to get food through the band.

Also - I have not PB'd or thrown up, but I know that everyone says that you should go to liquids and mushy food for a while after that happens so that you can make sure you are not swollen. Could the area around your band be irritated from throwing up and be tight just from being this?

I don't think there is any reason you can't have most or all the Fluid out of your band if it will help you ease your way into this. I asked them to take most of my Fluid out early on and have only have 0.3 cc's put back in. I know I don't have any real restriction and I enjoy knowing that I can eat fairly normally for now. I am taking this time to eat mindfully, eat smaller amounts and get used to everything.

I still worry when I hear some people talk about the frequency of side effects that I don't want to have - or possibly doing too much for the sake of losing weight. But losing 45 since 3/27 would never have happened without surgery either.

Good luck with your journey.

[muscleband 0]

Maybe it's not a panic attack...I have the same sensation, on the first two or three bites. KAT817 told me it's called "first bite syndrome" and that a coup;le of sips of warm/hot liquid first might help. I don't know, but I didn't have this with my old band, so it's real, not panic. Good luck!

[Teachntots 0]

OK folks...I've got the answer for your burning questions. I'm not sure if anyone is still monitoring this discussions but here goes.

I've had the band for 2.5 years and since about 1 year out I've been feeling the same symptoms. I actually have been scoped, barium swallowed, MRIed, esophogeal manometried, etc, etc. I have just come home from an emergency surgery to unhook my band. I've been unfilled since the spring but I was still unable to swallow much. I got the same feeling you described. I just kept saying that I was NOT over eating. True. I wasn't and you're not. The solution to the problem is that you've got a spasm or stricture in your esophagus and all the throwing up has caused an unhealable slip. So, you're dealing with two or three things at the same time (not to mention the anxiety).

The Tuesday after Labor Day I went to the ER with a panic attack and major stomach upset. Like I said, I've been unhooked. They went in and just unhooked the buckle of the band. So, now I have to let my stomach heal for 4 months and then I can have it rebuckled.

Please learn from my mistake! I saw pictures of my poor stoma and it was force up through the unfilled band and due to throwing up it was red and swollen like a balloon about to pop.

Let me know how your issues turn out.

[muscleband 0]

Dear Teachntots,

Thanks for your reply. I'm glad they found the source of your problem, and I hope everything works right when they re-buckle your band. Please keep me posted -- I care. Supporting each other makes the band twice as effective (as I know from my previous band).

My LapBand was put in eight years ago, after a previous band had become entrapped due to a car wreck, and had been removed. I had so much trouble then that they deflated it, thinking that my stomach needed a break. It has been "resting" for seven years. Recently, I had it filled, a little at a time. Until .5 cc ago, there was no reaction -- and suddenly, this nausea and choking, even with swallowing just a sip of Water or my own saliva. After I defuse the symptoms (by sipping hot liquid), there is no restriction at all.

Your response tells me there are other people out there with similar problems, and maybe someone can solve mine. I don't know what unbuckling is; sounds like it might be a good thing to do to mine, but mine doesn't have a buckle as far as I know. They just deflated it, and now reinflated it.

They can't seem to find anything wrong -- everything looked okay when they did the upper GI before reinflating. They did say I have an "irregular" esophagus, but didn't seem to know why or think that it mattered. There has been no vomiting in my case, but there is acid reflux.

Part of my problem is that the wonderful doctor who saved my life, and put in my new band, is in Italy. I don't think the doctor here cares about anything but the fees, and I need to find somebody who will look for a cause, instead of (you guessed it) blaming me and telling me that I'm overeating, when this happens before I eat at all.

If we're allowed to say, can you tell me who was so diligent in finding out what causes your symptoms? Thanks -- and again, best of luck!!!

[Teachntots 0]

Gee, I just reread my post. I guess I forgot to check the spelling mistakes and missed words. It's a wonder that anyone could understand that ramble!

I had an endoscopy today. I saw the pictures of my stoma from the inside and it looks so good compared to the rage and angry looking pictures from a week and a half ago. Thank God!!!! I was really worried that I had done some major damage to myself.

You know, it is really a strange sensation to have to deal with the mental issue of knowing that I hurt myself! My bleeping additction to food and overeating and slight fear of doctors has caused me to do damage to myself. I'm not sure if I'm getting the meaning across, but it is just so odd. I would never hurt myself on purpose. But by ignoring the symptoms for so long, I actually could have done permanent damage to my stomach. Thank God we are resillient creatures and can regenerate to heal ourselves.

Anyway, my stomach is fine. Today is the first day that I have "pigged out". That means this is the first day in nearly 10 months that I have had real food. eggs, grits and oh so lovely toast for Breakfast. A few chips for a snack. Mac and cheese for lunch. A bit of Cereal for dinner. Can you tell I missed starches?! The toast was so good! Who knew that Waffle House made such good toast? I've been drinking coffee, sipping teas, having Soups and warm slurry type foods for so long that I forgot the joy of crunchy things and chewing.

Muscleband, you asked about my doctor. His name is Wilfred Aguila and he's been doing Lapbands for about 3 years (in Tampa, FL). His "mentoring doctor" is/was Dr. Grossbard of Zephyrhills, FL. Grossbard is an ego maniac, but I think he knows his stuff and he is actually a Lapband patient himself. Aguila is a nice nice nice man. He's caring and very knowledgeable. He's very patient with me and gives me a fatherly scolding when I don't come in as offen as he'd like. I've got an ideal situation with him. He's smart and has great people skills. He never seems to be in a rush. This hospitalization on Tuesday after Labor Day he was actually "on vacation" and stopped in the hospital on his way to Orlando with his family who had just come in from Spain. He even leaded up and came in to the X-ray room for the barium swallow. He did pawn off the actual surgery to one of his associates but the next day he came to visit me in the hospital (while on vacation). His family was hold up in his office building across the street...while he was talking to me and my mom for at least 45 minutes before my discharge from the hospital. He's a great guy. I'm not sure what kind of father or husband he is, but as a doctor he's top-notch. I suspect that he's a great father and husband though. He talks about his family a lot when I'm in his office. He's even introduced me to his wife one day when she was visiting his office and I was there for a fill. If you're from the area, its worth making an appointment with him.

You had also mentioned that you didn't know if your band could be unbuckled and it can. It is another surgery. What they did was go in and just unhook or unbuckle it. The Lapband is still in my tummy but it is not in a circle around my stomach. It is still stitched on to my stoma but more in a line just hanging out. I was unaware that it could be unhooked but that was what my doctor wanted to do.

I'm going to check my spelling now. Thanks for your kind words and caring thoughts. I really appreciate it. Please keep me updated on your progress.

[gisellehuet 1]

Lateley I have been having the same problem... it seems that I start eating and very soon I need to vomit and I do... sometimes after I vomit the first 1 or 2 bites I can eat a little better and even finish a meal, but mostly I have been throwing up a lot. I had liquid taken out from my band and there are a few good days... Now I am getting worried because sometimes my insides hurt... although I do not have hartburn or the night cough I worry that I am slipping my band or that I am becoming like a bulimic... I really feel bad and I do not know what to do...Because of course I am hungry all the time...

Can anyone help me?

[mencc 0]

I have been having horrible regurgitation of undigested food every night. I bought a wedge and use an additional 1-2 pillows on top of it to prevent crap from coming up my esophagus and out my nose and mouth while I try to sleep. I'm miserable, but my doc says I'm too tight and wants to keep unfilling my band. The trouble is that I don't have enough restriction with less in my band. If I don't cough and reflux all night, I eat anything I want all day. If I have good band resistance, I cough and reflux all night. I don't know what to do. This is my second band after my first prolapsed, and I never had this trouble with my first band.

[Corliss 0]

Okay, I'm 21. I had my band put in on Feb. 2nd of 2007 and was ready to set down my weight-loss journey. Lost a good 30 lbs. in the first few months just from chewing slower and not being able to eat that much. But, after I began to allow myself to try and eat normally (meaning real food and not basically Soups and Protein shakes) I began to realize that I had a serious anxiety problem which liked to show its head whenever I ate:

I can't use the band properly! I know you are supposed to eat your small meal and then let the food SIT in the pouch until your saliva breaks it up and it moves through. Whenever I attempted to let the food sit in my pouch, I felt like it was squeezing my lungs and I couldn't breathe! It is incredibly painful! It sends me into a panic attack that I can't get out of. I have to go throw up EVERY TIME! I realize that this is not healthy so in order to keep myself ALIVE, I started eating those "easy" foods. Now, my life is all about the tried an true (chicken and fish and soup). Thats all I ever eat because anything else won't pass through immediately. Yes, I said "pass through immediately". I can't let the food sit in my pouch at all so I eat food that requries lots of chewing and then I can swallow it and goes right through. It still keeps me from eating too much because it takes so daggum long to chew it...but I don't know what to do! I can't eat the right foods and EVERY SINGLE TIME I sit down to eat, I start to feel anxious about hurting from eating. I makes me not want to eat at all...

Has anyone else had this problem!? I've already gotton my band loosened. It can't get any more loose without being empty and yet I still have problems with food getting stuck in my pouch and the minute I feel that pressure of the back-up, I freak out and have to go throw up. I want to get the band taken out but my family frowned upon me when I told them and they said it was all in my head. I take anxiety medicine and I see a therapist. Nothing is working! I don't want my family to be ashamed of me...I just want to be able to eat properly again. I've tried just sitting there and letting it stay in the pouch and using prayer or mantras or ay sort of relaxation technique...doesn't work. My whole body begins to hurt and I feel like I can't breathe.

If anybody has any advice, suggestions, or whatnot, please let me know because I'm at the end of my rope. My bad nutrition is killing me...I'm getting sick and I know it's because my body is breaking down on me. I do take Multivitamin in the morning, but apparently it's not enough. I don't want to live my life in fear of throwing up at every single meal! :thumbup:

I am sure not expert but it may not all be panic attack. You could be having some very real pain fromt he food. Lots of bandsters can only eat fish. Very many cannot eat chicken. If you can eat a small amount of chicken or fish, I would say, stick to chicken or fish. As far as veggies go just eat a little of some very soft veggies. you might try drinking some hot tea, immediately before eating your meal as it will loosen you up. Stuckages are very painful. So are esophageal spasms. You may be experienceing one or both of these.

take it easy on yourself. Do not try to force yourself to eat things that you know will cause this problem. Go with what you know works, but since you have actively been throwing up, I would start just taking liquids for a couple of days so your stomach can become soothed. It will just get worse as long as you continue to throw up.

Good luck, Corliss

[Lapband Wench 0]

I had lapband surgery in Aug 09. I've only lost 28lbs... and know it's hormonal. However... not even 48 hours post surgery I ended up in the hospital, thought I was having a heart attack and was dying. I woke very sick out of a sound sleep and kept fainting. It took a few more hospital trips of similar instances to finally be told it was panic attacks. I've been in the hospital more times than I care to think about since having the surgery. The last visit I just lost it crying and so scared that I just wanted the damn thing out. It's over taken my life because I am in constant fear of having another attack. My husband has been really good about it, but I read him very well and I know he is extremely annoyed and thinks I'm a head case now. Can't say as I blame him because that's pretty much how I feel. I've had anxiety my whole life, but this is a whole other horrible level. I've read about anything I can get my hands on... and when having follow ups at the surgeon they hadn't ever heard of this. But did say one woman almost had to have it removed because she couldn't emotionally handle it. Then I find this sight and even though I completely feel for all of you, there is also some relief that it's not entirely in my head because others are experiencing it too. I hate feeling this way... and I'm not sure what to do about it.... :cursing: