YankeesFan

Hi all -- I've been having reflux, vomiting issues as well over the past few weeks. I was at 2.5 and doing fine. Then I flew on a plane and that seemed to trigger something. Plus there was stress, change in weather, time of the month, pretty much anything, and then wham! I couldn't keep anything solid down, which gradually progressed to not keeping anything down -- day or night. I woke up gagging several times last week (thanksgiving was a joy) and was unable to chew gum. I resorted to eating ice chips just to hydrate. Today, I went to the dr. who did a complete unfilled with a follow up (and esophogram) scheduled for next week. I've never been so excited to eat a sandwich in my life! Although I love the fact that I'm down over 6 lbs in a week, the discomfort and embarrassment (my sister thinks I'm bulimic) isn't worth it. In the interim, any suggestions on staying on track without the help of the band? I won't be surprised if I go up a bit owing to the extreme way I lost the lbs recently, but I'd very much like to keep it to a minimum (if not actually continue to lose). Dawn

I find varying the exercise really helps -- if you don't do strength training -- start doing so (twice a week is key). Or add another cardio workout to your routine, or extend your current cardio workout by 5-10 minutes. It always amazes me how little things can make a big difference.

Hey fellow sinus sufferers! I totally find that post nasal drip really limits what I can eat in the AM. I take Allegra-D morning and night, plus Rhinacort AQ when the allergies are really bad. Generally that does the trick. But on those wicked bad allergy/sinus days, I have to start w/ginger, licorice or peppermint tea to kinda flush out the system from the pnd from the previous night (I know, really appetizing). Who knew that all these things would be so causally related?

Hi all If you take antidepressants, have you had problems w/reflux and/or vomiting (not PBing) that seem to be correlated w/ when you take your antidepressants? I'd love to provide my doctors with an sense of how often this occurs -- or if it just happens to a very lucky few. Thanks!

Hi -- So I went to multiple doctors, got .5 taken out of my band, lowered my Zoloft intake (which seemed to be connected) and made sure I took the pills w/yogurt, and now am taking Xifaxan, an antibiotic, for a couple of weeks. My gastroenterologist thinks I may have excessive bacteria growth in my stomach owing to the band tightening and in combination with the Zoloft, it was causing extreme reflux and vomiting everytime I took the Zoloft. So far, so good. The doctors all seem flummoxed. Again, anyone else that takes an antidepressant (specifically Zoloft) have these problems? I think there's a connection here worthy of investigation, but I'd need to show my doctors that I'm not the only one experiencing it.

I had been having the same symptoms, but my Dr. and I think it's actually triggered by taking Zoloft. If you're on an antidepressant, one of the possible side effects is gastrointestinal issues (reflux, vomiting, etc). Zoloft and Cymbalta are the worst offenders, though I understand the other antidepressants can also cause this problem. If you're taking an antidepressent, see if your reflux/pain/vomiting follows shortly after you take your meds. If it does, bring it up with your doctor. I'm now eating yogurt with my zoloft and it has toned down the reflux significantly. However, I'm getting off the Zoloft as soon as my dr. gets back into town.

Plus anything that's been re-heated.

<p>any deep fried foods, white meat of chicken, beef (unless it's in some sort of sauce), cinnamon rolls, and most bread. Scrambled eggs can give me problems if I eat them too quickly. And fiberous veggies/fruits.</p>

I experience additional tightness when I fly. I also get it when there's a storm coming. So between my band and my sinuses, I'm a human barometer : )

I totally agree with you, and I've already followed her over to NYU. Facilities are not as nice, but I'm not concerned about the decor.

I went to the Dr today and did the upper GI/barium swallow. Everything looks normal, but the reflux/vomitting continues. My Dr. removed .5 cc from my band to give my stomach a rest. And things seemed ok (drinking liquids, ate a few crackers -- missing crunchy things). Anyhow, I took my antidepressants, and almost immediately the intense reflux started. Weird. Anybody else have this situation? Thanks!

Hi all -- I've been banded for just over a year and recently hit my sweet spot -- or so I thought. I do PB about 2 times a week (usually because I didn't chew well enough or ate several bites too quickly in succession). But over the past couple of weeks, I've had a horrible burning sensation when I eat anything in the evenings -- I've had reflux since before the banding and hadn't had any issues with that until this past month. The frustrating part is ANYTHING can trigger it -- Water, tea, my normal medicine. The worst part is the vomiting, which seems to happen weekly. And not just pbing -- its the full-on wretching kind (sorry to be so graphic). Sometimes I can eat items (usually in the afternoon), but these days I'm scared to eat anything -- even the liquids. I have an upper GI scheduled for Tuesday (my annual appt.). I know only my doctor can really ascertain what's going on, but do y'all have any ideas? I'd hate to lose my band, but I really can't continue this way. Thanks!

Just thought I'd commiserate -- I was banded last May and am down about 50 lbs from my highest weight. I'm a consistent exerciser (3-4 times per week) and work out with a trainer. I know your frustration. I didn't get real restriction until 2 months ago. And over that time I've lost 8 lbs and FINALLY got below 200. With a significant amount of restriction, I don't have what I'd call "normal" eating habits, though it may be typical for those that have hit their sweet spot: 1) I can't eat Breakfast -- I can only drink it, and it takes me at least 1 hour to do so (no more eating on the run). 2) There are days that I can eat a very small bit of fruit and salad and there are days that I'm lucky to keep down cottage cheese (and I've yet to figure out why this is). 3) I've had two severe reflux episodes over the past two months. My point is this: even a year out, I'm still learning how to live and work with my band. I know that without the band, I would have continued my steady march upward. And 50 lbs means I'm down at about two sizes (I'm not really sure as I had stretched my size 18s out to kingdom come). Even though my weight's coming off s l o w l y, I don't have the fear that I'll gain it back. This time, my mind is making the journey with my body and I make sure I feel comfortable at each stop along the weightloss path. So don't give up hope. The band is working for you, and with additional fills, it will work even more efficiently. For now, enjoy the fact that you can exercise longer, can walk farther without being short of breath, have energy that you thought you'd never have. And remember -- every ounce down is going in the right direction -- and that's success any way you slice it.

I must admit, I've succumbed to the lure of diet cola -- though I drink far less than I used to and I drink it much more slowly. However, I have found it to be a contributor to some nasty reflux episodes (and this is true for anybody, not just those that have been banded). I've decided it's just not worth the risk.:nervous

Both, actually. I could go all day on one solid meal, but I get hunger pains (or dizzy), and I know I need to eat something -- even if it's a protein shake. I'd bet you have a couple more fills before you get to a point that you're not physically hungry. Head hunger is something else entirely.

PBing is productive burping. I find it more inconvenient than painful. However, I HATE the power barf when you really get something stuck. Now THAT's painful. I've been banded for just over a year now and have had 4 fills. I believe I'm up to 3 cc in a 4 cc band. I wouldn't want anymore restriction -- somedays I can count on one solid meal per day. And any solid meal takes at least an hour to eat. I'm hoping this is normal. Up till about 2 months ago, I could eat just about anything -- now cottage cheese and Protein shakes are my best friends. Ice cream is too, but I'm getting pretty tired of eating that out of desparation (never thought I'd say that). :hungry:As for a Protein shake, I LOVE this one (from Eating Well magazine) -- 1/2 c silken tofu 1/2 c milk (soy or other) 2 T unsweetened cocoa 1 T honey 1 banana cut into 4-5 small pieces and frozen Blend until smooth. I think it's around 300 calories, but it takes me at least 30-45 minutes to drink it down and keeps me full until 2-3 pm. Plus it's loaded with protein and potassium. I'm also a big fan of Go Lean chocolate shake -- again, the calories are high, but it's thicker than most shakes and contains 24 g of protein (if memory serves). I figure that as long as a shake truly counts as a meal and keeps you satisfied until lunch or dinner, it's better than eating ice cream.

Hi all -- I've foolishly been trying to sort this out on my own. I too find some junk (i.e., ice cream) consistently easier to eat than healthy foods. The problem is, sometimes I can eat smaller, but normal meals, and sometimes I can't. And I never know until I get swallow my first bite. I have sorted out a few patterns, but sometimes it's a total crap shoot (no pun intended). I have a hard time in the AM with anything and am limited to Protein shakes. If I wait to eat until 2 or 3 pm, I can generally have a small portion of something (no sandwiches though) -- it just takes me a good long time to get it down. I find I have to have sauces on anything I eat -- otherwise it's a disaster. Enchiladas generally work for me. And I'd be lost w/o cottage cheese and veggies (cut really small). Generally speaking, I can have one solid meal per day. Anything more than that and I pay the price. Like most of us, eating for me is an emotional response to a trigger. And my trigger is anything that makes me feel not in control. So when I can't eat normal food, I immediately crave ANY food. It's part hunger desparation and part control-freak. So lately I've had a pint of ice cream in my freezer, just in case. I'd rather not have it, but the fear of not being able to eat anything is pretty overwhelming at times.

I'm not an outdoor biker, but I love my spin bike. I have a narrow gel seat cover that's made by schwinn (who also made my spin bike). I think that's the key to getting a good fit with a cover -- buy one made by the same manufacturer. They tailor their products to work with their other products.

I'm a big grapefruit fan -- it's fairly low in calories and assuming you don't eat the white bits, it's easy on the band. Sometimes it's difficult for me to tell if I'm head hungry, hungry or thirsty, and this takes care of all three for me.

Hi -- I just posted a similar comment on the bread/pasta/rice thread. I've been banded for 10 months now, and find bread to be a problem most of the time. When I was first banded and after my mushy stage, I could eat tuna or egg salad on a "slice" of wasa bread. If I took small bites and chewed them really well, it went down ok. But these days, I don't even buy bread or wasa bread anymore. If I eat starches, I opt for Kashi TLCs in very small quantities or small bowls of cereal/oatmeal.

Hi all -- I'm wrapping up my 10th month with the band. I'm a big carb fan and have tried just about every breadlike starch possible. Here's what I've found. Most of the time, bread doesn't work for me -- it's painful going down on good days and it comes up on bad ones. I've given up pasta (though I wasn't a big fan to begin with). White rice (even in a sushi roll) gives me grief, but I find that brown rice mixed with a sauce or in soup is just fine, if eaten in small quantities. I've not had a bagel (no desire). I miss my pancakes and waffles and eat them rarely and sparingly, but the longing has receeded in the recent months. While I've not had an english muffin on its own, I have had one with my eggs florentine, and that went ok (though I couldn't eat the whole thing). The greatest tragedy is having to give up cinnamon rolls forever. For me, it's like swallowing a large piece of dough -- no matter how small the bite or how long I chew it. However, I've found crepes (savory is better -- sweet will get you into all sorts of trouble) to be a good substitute (in moderation, of course) for the foods I've given up. Actually, I find I'm far more creative in the kitchen than I was previously and have discovered all sorts of new nonstarch munchies. My food du jour -- pink grapefruit. It fills you up and quenches your thirst. It's a miracle food, IMO.

From what I know of gym machines, the heart rate guidelines and the mechanisms are approximations only. The best way to gauge your heart rate is via a heart rate monitor -- you can program your own stats and the band wraps around your chest, so you get a much more accurate read. Barring that, my rule of thumb is whether I can speak (or sing) during exercise -- not well, mind you -- just enough that I could say something without passing out. And 20 minutes of cardio work maintained at a relatively consistent heart rate is the key -- it kicks your metabolism into higher gear. Anything beyond that will begin burning fat (and continue to do so for about 8-12 hours). At least that's what I've been told . . .