Ivy Verde

I had pain there the whole time I was banded. It felt like being repeatedly punched and twisted. My band was in the wrong place and was strangling my stomach. I'd check with your doctor soon to make sure everything's where it should be. Hope you feel better and it's nothing serious.

Been checked for symptoms of gastritis, by any chance? I developed gastritis while banded and it caused the most intense cramping. Really painful. I feel for you. There are some medications that can help. Dexilant is one.

Did they tell you what kind of slip you have? Did the stomach prolapse over the band? I'm sorry you're going through this. I'd not choose to have another band. (I did have two bands. I am now bandless.) From what I was told, once a band slips, future slips are more likely. I wish I had known before undergoing the second surgery. Good luck to you. I hope all goes well.

See, this is where the READING comprehension comes into play. The original poster asked for opinions. She didn't ask for opinions ONLY from those who "love" their bands. Therefore, I felt justified in responding, seeing as how it's been over 11 years since I first was banded. I am trying to HELP this nice lady in her research, seeing as how research entails hearing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Now, if you have gotten a band and are in the "I love it" stage of life, good for you. My opinion should only matter to you if you have some doubt that you did, in fact, make the right decision.

I'm all about the "properganda." You know me! Yay for properganda. If all go"s pear shaped im sorry. Yep. Seems par for the course. You said it much better than I could have.

How much Biotin are you taking daily? I took around 6000 mcg and it helped quite a bit. Make sure you're not suffering from malnutrition first and foremost, though.

You know, you guys are right. I'm going to have another band done. I mean, the first two damaged me completely, but the third time's a charm! Let's see how much more my diaphragm and esophagus can handle! I'm sure it will work THIS time. My family will be SO happy that you all changed my mind about the band. I'm sure they'll completely forget that I nearly died from band complications. They'll just be happy that I'm getting my third band so I can be "healthy." I'm so glad I'm a member here (even though I don't want to be. What kind of site doesn't have a deactivation option?) It's so "nice" to interact with people who have no respect for the opinions of others. Yes, I had a band. TWO of them, actually. I believe I mentioned that I had been banded earlier in this thread. Reading is a big part of researching. It's a shame so few people know how to do it. Okay, have fun. I have to go make an appointment for the band. I really think it will work this time. I do. I can't wait to almost die again! Very exciting.

Hypnosis is a wonderful idea. I love the relaxation aspect hypnosis brings. Good luck to you. I hope that it helps! Hypnosis helped me with anxiety and smoking cessation, but I never really tried it for weight control. It also helped with pain management. When I was banded, I had severe complications from diaphragmatic damage. Pain medication didn't help at all. Hydrotherapy and hypnotherapy did help a little. I use hypnosis techniques during dental procedures and often can manage without painkillers.

It's not a long term device unless you plan on only living for a decade. Not many human bodies will withstand the band's presence for that long, unfortunately. I am only trying to help the original poster in her research. She is asking for opinions. She hasn't been banded yet. If people who have already gotten bands are happy with them, more power to them. But I believe it's important for people who haven't yet chosen the band to know the less "happy" side because the seminars don't give out all that information. Ultimately she'll choose for herself what is best for her, but I wish someone had told me BEFORE surgery that the advertising is just that- advertising-trying to sell a product. It's important to know the truth. I realize no one likes to imagine that they'll have band issues and it makes people defensive. I'm used to being told that "just because it happened to you doesn't mean it will happen to me." And I always hope they're right.

I got my band about 11 years ago. My support group consisted of about 100 people who also got bands around the same time I did. I can think of four people who still have bands. Not the original ones, though. They had to have subsequent surgeries. The band is not a lifetime device. It's not even a long term device, quite honestly. The damage it can do is for a lifetime, though. I am still on a multitude of medications to counteract the damage the band did to my body.

During the second band surgery, my surgeon said there was a lot of scar tissue building. The more corrective surgeries, the more scar tissue. I hadn't realized just how much there was, though, until my gastroenterologist had a really hard time doing a colonoscopy because of how much scar tissue I had. It was causing my organs to adhere to one another. Also during a hysterectomy (which I had to have open incision) my surgeon remarked that there was an abundance of adhesions and scar tissue. It can often cause a pulling-pinching feeling in your abdomen. Or at least it did for me. And still does occasionally. It's a vicious cycle, though- if you have scar tissue removed during surgery, your body forms more scar tissue. The least amount of surgeries you can have, the better! I think my esophagus is healed pretty well, but my diaphragm is still pretty screwed up.

Sorry to hear this. It's quite common to have scar tissue build up, causing problems. I had that happen, too. My esophagus was also damaged. And my diaphragm, and my stomach... the list goes on and on. It's the best course of action, having the band removed, if you're developing scar tissue. It only gets worse, I can attest. I know it's disappointing and painful, though, and I'm very sorry. That's what stinks- doing everything right and having the band fail, anyway. It happens a lot, though. It's not your fault and don't let anyone make you feel like it is. I didn't have a revision surgery either. Too much damage done by the band. You'll be okay. Keep positive. Talk about it whenever you need to.

I'm going to be blunt, but my words are meant to help you. Eating chicken one week after banding and plication is dangerous. Your body has to work SO hard just to get the food down through the esophagus and into the stomach. Your stomach has been banded and folded and is just beginning to heal. Your band is not swollen. Your body is. It's been through massive trauma. A band is an unnatural object, a foreign body, and it affects the body's natural digestive processes, especially when you're still in the healing stage. The huffing and trying to breathe is due to the diaphragm, most likely. Your stomach and the surrounding tissues are very swollen right now and are not giving your diaphragm much room. If you can stomach it, (no pun intended) watch a video of banding and plication. And watch a video of the digestive process. Just because the surgery may have been done laparoscopically doesn't mean it wasn't major surgery. You want to give your body plenty of time to heal otherwise it will be all downhill from this point. Good luck.

The manufacturer states in the disclaimer that it is NOT a lifetime product. The BAND itself will most likely be fine. It's made of an inflatable silicone material that doesn't "break" easily. The problem is our bodies. The band is a high pressure system and affects the esophagus greatly. It also can damage the diaphragm and the nerves that run through it. The band causes scar tissue to build up around your internal organs. That can affect your body's ability to function well and normally. I personally had two bands. Both caused serious damage that has become permanent.

The disappointment accompanying the band isn't unusual. Neither is being physically damaged. If a person is lucky, they'll only be disappointed. Good luck to you. I understand where you're coming from!

You're welcome. I had really bad left shoulder pain the whole time I was banded. I've watched friends suffer with it too. Doctors need to talk about this with banded patients.It's really common. I am sorry you are going through it and hope you feel better.

http://treato.com/Gastric+Banding,Shoulder+Pain/?a=s http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/167033-lap-bandgastric-banding-left-shoulder-pain/

I had lap band done in 2002. I had the band removed after a couple of years and still have the shoulder pain once in awhile from the damage the band did to the nerves. It happens to a lot of people. In fact, I'd say it happens so often that it should be considered a side effect of gastric banding. A lot of doctors don't care to mention it, but anyone with a working knowledge of anatomy should be able to diagnose the referred left shoulder pain that accompanies banding.

Your diaphragm is irritated by the presence of the band.

Your diaphragm is shaped like a parachute and is situated behind your rib cage. Your stomach is also situated more to the left in the abdomen. I wonder if your band is causing some irritation to your diaphragm on the left side? The lump in the throat can be caused by esophageal spasms. And that can cause some strange pains in seemingly unrelated areas. That's the only thing that occurs to me. Sorry I can't be of more help. I hope you can find out what the problem is.

It's a very common side effect of banding. Google---- Lap Band + Vagus Nerve. Look at pictures of anatomy to see how the Vagus nerve runs through the diaphragm and how the band is situated so close to the diaphragm. It can become permanent if the nerve gets damaged. It is never a good thing to have the referred left shoulder pain.

So, it's your port that is twisted? My lapband twisted my stomach into a very unfortunate shape, causing a lot of damage and obstruction. You'd know if your stomach was twisted. The pain would be horrible. If your port is not where it should be, you might need surgery to reposition it. If your stomach is twisted, you'll want to have corrective surgery immediately.

Likely another side effect of the Vagus nerves reacting to banding.

It could be gastritis.