Help please - total unfill but still feel restriction

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Dragonfly - I am so sorry about all your problems. Your doctor sounds like a jerk. It's not about the weight or a number on the scale - it's about making you healthier and you clearly are not. You have learned about nutrition on your lapband journey. You know what is healthy eating. Once it is removed you will probably have some residual swelling and won't be eating normally for awhile. Take it slow and when you're ready you can decide if you want another type of WLS. Don't worry about the weight - worry about getting healthier and stronger and feeling better. Take care and good luck.

[aubrie 6]

Sounds like a narrow or spasming esophogus. Did they check for those?

[swiley 0]

Hi all, mine is quite a long story but I'll do my best to keep it short. I was banded at the end of July this year, and after a few initial problems I recovered quickly, and progressed from liquid to mushy to solid with very few problems. Then after 2 months my Mum and I left to fly overseas, and after the first 8 hour leg of flights I was nauseous & dizzy. This stayed with me for weeks until I was in Boston and had to visit an ER because the nauseousness was so bad, I also had diahorrea and retching/vomiting. The did a CAT scan and X-rays and couldn't find any problems with the band. They also removed the 3mls that were in my 10ml band and told me to go onto fluids for the following week or so. I did these things and recovered a little, although I was still nauseous most of the time and couldn't take in anything but Water during flights. Since we got home I've been stuck on liquids/mushy foods with no improvement. I've been to my GP and my surgeon, neither can find any problems with the band, and cannot explain why I am nauseous or why I'm feeling restriction with an empty band. I've been on liquids for almost 3 months now and am going crazy. I've lost a lot of weight in a short time - my total loss from surgery date is 70lbs in 4 months.

I have an appointment next week with a gastroenterologist, hoping he will do an endoscopy, but I'm worried he won't find anything else wrong either. I'm getting really desperate for food now, I'm in tears a lot of the time. I never have any energy, and I'm getting dizzy all the time too from the lack of food. It's worse than it was post-surgery, and there's no sign of it ending.

To be honest I don't want the band in me anymore, it feels like my body has been invaded by this thing that's keeping me sick & starving.

Has anyone else had anything similar happen to them? I'd appreciate any similar stories or a bit of hope.

I was banded on 12/5/08. I got my first fill 1/12/09. It was too tight . I was in the hospital twice for dehydration. They found nothing wrong with band everything was still in place. they unfill me completely. They did say my esophagus was inflammed. now i have restriction from what i dont know i can only tolerate solids 2 days a week then i will feel sick again so i go back on Soups. I feel the same way u do. so u are not alone. I am trying to figure it out myself. I have lost 60 lbs since the surgery. It feels like i can only hold 2 ounces of food . Anything more i will vomit. I am not hungry i am concerned i am not getting enuff Protein and my hair will fall out. I am really thinking of can i do it without the band now. I dont want to, but the thought keeps crossing my mind. I just keep thinking i can do this. I work so hard to get this done. We all have.

[DragonflyGirl78 0]

Well, I'm home from having my band removed. I'd actually gone below my goal weight by the time the removal happened, so now I just have to focus on regaining muscle strength, health and not regaining weight. I'm working with a nutritionist who'll help me with meal plans as soon as I'm back on solids, and also with exercise plans. I have 2 dogs to walk and a bike to ride, but have been to weak to do so more than once or twice a week for the last few months. I've had a lot of health complications from my 5 months of liquid diet - hair shedding, no monthly cycle/period, bad circulation, low blood pressure etc etc. I'm feeling very relieved to have had the band out, it really felt like it was slowly starving me to death.

Best of luck to everyone else who's had complications, hopefully you can get them resolved without resorting to band removal. It really was my last option, sadly. Here's to a healthier future. :smile2:

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Dragonflygirl: I wish you the best of luck on your journey to better health. Obviously the band wasn't for you or your surgeon did a poor job. Either way, I am glad you are feeling better and wish you continued good luck with all of this. Take care.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Swiley - ask about a new med called Kapidex. It might help heal your esophagus and you might feel better. I was too tight with only 2 fills and had to have 1cc removed. My esophagus and pouch were swollen. I have only 2cc's now. Good luck and hope you get better.

[Kennedy Conway 0]

Hi Dragonflygirl, I'm sorry that happened for you & hope you are recovering your energy & strength after you had it out. I'm looking to get mine out to but have relocated & haven't found a good surgeon within 4 hours drive yet.

Best of luck on your ongoing journey to weight management. One thing I read today on the Biggest Loser newsletter tip for the day was: The Biggest Loser tip for the day - The First Step "Making peace with your body is the first step to a healthier lifestyle. Start with self-nurturing. Aim to give yourself at least 20 to 30 minutes of private time every day and do

something that makes you feel better in mind and body."

I don't suspect that is an issue but wanted to pass along the tip anyway.

[MajorSam 0]

My mom was banded on 12/18/08, three weeks later she had her first fill. A week after that she had some removed because restriction was too tight. The beginning of Feb we flew to San Diego for a few days. After we got back she was no longer able to eat solid food, and it progressed to the point where she couldn't even swallow her own saliva. She'd gone in and had Fluid removed again, went back in again and they tried to remove more and her band was dry. She though it was spasms in her esophogus and needed that dialated (she'd had it dialated twice before years prior to surgery) due to damage from a lifetime of acid reflux. They did an endoscopy to check out things. Her esophogus was fine. The opening from her pouch to her lower stomach was almost non existant. They had to dialate the opening. The docs said this can happen in patient who have had severe problems with acid reflux prior to banding. There is sometimes a bad build up of scar tissue as a result of the years of damage. She went in three weeks ago and they're proceeding with tenths of ccs of fluid rather than whole ccs with her. She'll probably always require smaller adjustments as a result and won't require as much fluid in her band to reach her goal.

[Rteest 0]

I am going through very similar symptoms as dragon is. I have a 10cc band which I received in June 2008. 6 weeks later I had my first fill...3cc's. I felt some restriction for a week then seemed I could eat most anything again, didn't lose anything really. 4 weeks later I had my 2nd fill....1cc. By that evening I was so tight I couldnt not even swallow a sip of Water and had to have an emergency unfill of the 1cc the next day. A week later of pain vomiting and no eatting and some weight loss, I went back for another unfill of a half cc. I had a lot of trouble eatting solids after this, so stuck mostly with soft mushy foods. In December I had some stressful family situations happen, and it just seemed to make the band feel tighter. From september through december I had lost over 40 pounds. I was averaging 10 pounds per month of loss. I just started feeling weaker and weaker, and could eat less and less. Finally nothing solid, just mush. It also seems to get even worse each month when I get my period. Ice cream has become my staple food. I am not getting the nutrition I need. I started having trouble taking any kinds of pills, I was on BP meds, an Iron pill, daily Multivitamins, protonyx, and a thyroid med. Anytime I would take a pain med, even tylenol or liquid tylenol, It made everything so much worse. I started getting terrible reflux at night, not acid, but just what was laying in my pouch. This caused many sleepless nights, I was already taking protonyx for this. The surgeon ordered an upper gi which showed my pouch was emptying very slow but otherwise everything looked fine, no slip of the band. In Feb 2009 they did a slight unfill of half cc. I was still only eatting mostly ice cream and losing 10 pounds per month, not sleeping well from reflux. I went back in March still not feeling well and the dr did another half cc unfill. I am dizzy, and lethargic most of the time, I assume from poor nutrition, being dehydrated from lack of food and liquid and get a lot of pain in my stomach, around the band and below it. I took it upon myself to see a gastroenterologist who did an endoscopy. He came in after my scope and said your pouch is stretched out you eat too much and fill up your stomach so of course thats why you throw up so much. I was exasperated at this point, because I could barely eat or drink anythign during a days time and still going without much sleep due to the reflux. I was back at the surgeons for another half cc unfill...I have 1.5cc's in a 10cc band, still only eatting mush and ice cream, still nauseated dizzy and lethargic. Gastro dr put me on a new reflux med called Kapidex, which helps some. He sent me for a GES...gastric emptying study. It too, like the upper gi, showed that my pouch empties very slow, so I am getting backed up. I am not getting any Fiber in my diet to help push things through, and Protein Drinks and any foods with fiber just dont seem to want to go down at all. My hair is falling out also. The gastro dr wants me to take a med called REGLAN, which has major side effects, but somewhat speeds up your digestion. I see my family dr this week, the band surgeon next week and the gastro dr in 2 weeks. I am at a loss here. I feel what some of you do about being frustrated. I dont want to lose my band, but I have lost too much too fast and it has caused a bevy of other issues. I dont know if I have a slight slippage which no one has picked up on or if my body just cant tolerate the band. I am happy to have lost 93 pounds but in 10 months thats a lot. I can not enjoy the benefits of the weight loss. Im sick and tired of being sick and tired. I dont always feel like the band surgeon knows what hes doing as he told me on one visit to try to tough it out. The gastro dr is trying to help but hes unfamiliar with lapbands really. I have missed so many days of work due to tests, drs appts, and simply not feeling well. As I write this post I am sitting up in the middle of the night so sleepy, but having reflux that wont allow me to sleep. I barely ate anything today, but what little I did eat is still sitting in the pouch 12 hours later, not wanting to come up or go down through.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I am going through very similar symptoms as dragon is. I have a 10cc band which I received in June 2008. 6 weeks later I had my first fill...3cc's. I felt some restriction for a week then seemed I could eat most anything again, didn't lose anything really. 4 weeks later I had my 2nd fill....1cc. By that evening I was so tight I couldnt not even swallow a sip of Water and had to have an emergency unfill of the 1cc the next day. A week later of pain vomiting and no eatting and some weight loss, I went back for another unfill of a half cc. I had a lot of trouble eatting solids after this, so stuck mostly with soft mushy foods. In December I had some stressful family situations happen, and it just seemed to make the band feel tighter. From september through december I had lost over 40 pounds. I was averaging 10 pounds per month of loss. I just started feeling weaker and weaker, and could eat less and less. Finally nothing solid, just mush. It also seems to get even worse each month when I get my period. Ice cream has become my staple food. I am not getting the nutrition I need. I started having trouble taking any kinds of pills, I was on BP meds, an Iron pill, daily multivitamins, protonyx, and a thyroid med. Anytime I would take a pain med, even tylenol or liquid tylenol, It made everything so much worse. I started getting terrible reflux at night, not acid, but just what was laying in my pouch. This caused many sleepless nights, I was already taking protonyx for this. The surgeon ordered an upper gi which showed my pouch was emptying very slow but otherwise everything looked fine, no slip of the band. In Feb 2009 they did a slight unfill of half cc. I was still only eatting mostly ice cream and losing 10 pounds per month, not sleeping well from reflux. I went back in March still not feeling well and the dr did another half cc unfill. I am dizzy, and lethargic most of the time, I assume from poor nutrition, being dehydrated from lack of food and liquid and get a lot of pain in my stomach, around the band and below it. I took it upon myself to see a gastroenterologist who did an endoscopy. He came in after my scope and said your pouch is stretched out you eat too much and fill up your stomach so of course thats why you throw up so much. I was exasperated at this point, because I could barely eat or drink anythign during a days time and still going without much sleep due to the reflux. I was back at the surgeons for another half cc unfill...I have 1.5cc's in a 10cc band, still only eatting mush and ice cream, still nauseated dizzy and lethargic. Gastro dr put me on a new reflux med called Kapidex, which helps some. He sent me for a GES...gastric emptying study. It too, like the upper gi, showed that my pouch empties very slow, so I am getting backed up. I am not getting any fiber in my diet to help push things through, and Protein drinks and any foods with fiber just dont seem to want to go down at all. My hair is falling out also. The gastro dr wants me to take a med called REGLAN, which has major side effects, but somewhat speeds up your digestion. I see my family dr this week, the band surgeon next week and the gastro dr in 2 weeks. I am at a loss here. I feel what some of you do about being frustrated. I dont want to lose my band, but I have lost too much too fast and it has caused a bevy of other issues. I dont know if I have a slight slippage which no one has picked up on or if my body just cant tolerate the band. I am happy to have lost 93 pounds but in 10 months thats a lot. I can not enjoy the benefits of the weight loss. Im sick and tired of being sick and tired. I dont always feel like the band surgeon knows what hes doing as he told me on one visit to try to tough it out. The gastro dr is trying to help but hes unfamiliar with lapbands really. I have missed so many days of work due to tests, drs appts, and simply not feeling well. As I write this post I am sitting up in the middle of the night so sleepy, but having reflux that wont allow me to sleep. I barely ate anything today, but what little I did eat is still sitting in the pouch 12 hours later, not wanting to come up or go down through.

Your story is all too familiar. Join us over here... not to push you into revision but just so you will be posting with people that have/had the same exact problems:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f281/so-what-did-you-do-screw-up-your-band-92935/

(The title is misleading until you read the post)