Need help in Phoenix. 6 years banded, now a slippage

[jenniferann 0]

Hi everyone,

I've been having some issues lately that lead me to believe I may have a slipped band. I can't believe it, after 6 very happy and moderately successful years with my band!

What's happening is: I'm having trouble keeping food down. Sometimes it stays down only to surface TWELVE HOURS later when I am drinking something. This just doesn't seem normal and it didn't happen like this before. I haven't had trouble drinking liquids but unfortunately, if I've eaten solids in the past 12 hours sometimes solids PB back up. (yeah, EW!)

So I put myself on a liquid only diet, thinking that if it's swelling, it will just calm itself down, or if it's just a tiny slip it can slip back into place. liquid diet doesn't seem to be helping, I did a week on liquids and had the same issues the next time I ate solid food.

Also, as Sherrirbgr posted below "Not Acid Reflux" I've had the nighttime non-acid reflux happen a few times as well.

The above problem started recently. I also started getting heartburn about 2 years ago which I take Prilosec for. I was never able to find the cause of my heartburn - I avoided caffeine, coffee, tomatoes, all alcohol, orange juice, everything acidic - and still would get the heartburn, so eventually I accepted that's probably just my band. I've heard stories of lap-banders getting heartburn in the long-term. Or, I thought maybe I was just getting old!

Here's my biggest complication. I live in Phoenix now and my band doctor is in Chicago. I didn't find a band doctor when I moved to phoenix a few years ago. I haven't even had a fill in a few years - I haven't needed one. (I was always one of those people who had lots of restriction even without Fluid in the band, a little fill went a long way in me). Everything was copacetic. So now I have to find a phoenix lap-band doctor who's willing to do long-term care on someone who's not their patient. I would prefer not to go back to chicago for this care, with the price of plane tickets now it would cost me a small fortune.

If any of you can offer advice on my symptoms (it really does sound like a slippage though, huh?) OR if you can recommend any local Phoenix doctors who have been known to take on patients who weren't originally their patients, Let me know. I am afraid to going to a doctor who will try to get me to revise my Lap-band to a RNY. I started at 350lbs and I'm at 225lbs now.

Thanks and sorry for such a long post!

Jenny

Banded November 2002

Edited July 26, 2008 by jenniferann

[nomadem 1]

I am sorry that you experiencing this but it could very well be a slip and the first thing you need is an upper GI xray. Try the AZ forums perhaps?