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If your band ever gets so tight that you can't swallow a birth control pill then you are in trouble. Seriously if something that small won't go through then you will starve.

Have you had your gall bladder checked out? It sounds like it could be gall bladder related. The other possibility is reflux, try taking a reflux remedy. Or you could still have some food stuck and/or your band may have slipped . Are you able to drink? If you can't drink you need to go to emergency as dehydration is dangerous.You could try sucking crushed ice as if you are swollen it will help to reduce the swelling and that may help to ease the pain .

I agree with Mis 100%. In fact that is my favourite religious quote.

There is a different forum for religious propaganda, the problem is that Schrumm doesn't believe that she should have to use it. She is on a mission to save/convert us all. Because God is on her side she is above the rules and can post her stuff wherever she wants.

I wanted to do this with Faith but I don't know anyone with that name, maybe I could do it with Hope instead.

I tried to make myself vomit after imbibing too much alcohol one night and it did not work. Consequently I felt awful and my hangover lasted much longer . I now try to ensure I DON'T drink too much .

I would say at the very least you are too tight and need some Fluid removed but you may possibly have a slip or even erosion. Brownish liquid sounds like old blood coming from somewhere, possibly the stomach. That would make me concerned.

I haven't had in instance of illness that makes me throw up since being banded. I know that if you get something like the stomach flu they recommend you go to your Dr to get a shot of Maxolon to help stop you throwing up. No the band doesn't always slip when you vomit. It usually takes repeated vomiting to do that.

Maybe the problem is that you are expecting more from your band than it is able to deliver. This is probably not your fault, lots of Drs seem to paint a very rosy picture preop and don't give all the facts. The facts are. The band is not designed to stope you eating certain foods,in fact the ones that are worst for you are probably the easiest to eat. The band does not make you feel full the same way as full preband. The band does not make healthy choices. The band does not make you exercise. The band on its own does not make you lose weight. What it should do is allow you to feel satisfied on a smaller portion of food for a fairly long period of time. So if you choose the correct foods ( preferable Proteins, veg, wholegrains) and eat the recommended size portion( some say a cup, some say that it should fill a small bread and butter plate) then you should not be hungry again for anything from 3 - 6 hours. The problem is that most of us eat when we are not hungry. We eat because we are bored, stressed, upset, to Celebrate, because others are eating etc. These types of non hungry eating are things that we need to find some way to control. You are not a failure but it does sound like you need to take back control. You are in charge, not your band.

Don't encourage me. I am supposed to stay away from Dr Google.

The thought had crossed my mind .

Have you ever had :- Your eyebrows waxed/threaded? Your legs,bikini area waxed If you have then you have willingly suffered far more pain than it takes to have a fill. A fill is generally very quick and doesn't hurt any more than when you have to get blood drawn for a blood test. A slight discomfort and then it's over.

Didn't have one

Tell them in simple terms. Maybe say that Mummy has to go into the hospital so that the Dr can do something to help Mummy lose weight. Explain that being over weight is unhealthy. I wouldn't go into great detail about the op and anaesthesia etc as you don't want to scare them. I would focus on how afterwards you will have to eat slowly and carefully and exercise. it might be a good opportunity for everyone in the family to get involved in healthy eating and exercise etc.

I'm probably perimenopausal but this Dr said that my hormones are fine. He's a guy - what would he know! I don't have anxiety at all and no I am not in denial. There is no way I would even consider taking Xanax. My BP is all over the place and has been for years.Unexplained Hypertension. 140/80 is high for a normal person but it was not high enough to be concerned about. I have a home blood pressure monitor but the Drs have tried to discourage me from using it. Apparently they are not as accurate as the old fashioned type.They checked my Iron,potassium etc when they ran the initial bloods a couple of weeks ago, apparently they were all fine. I actually came off BP meds for about 6 months after I got banded but it has crept up again. I'm not overly worried about the palpitations, they are more an annoyance than anything else and I still believe that they could have something to do with menopause or perimenopause. The episode last night was scary as it felt like something was squeezing my heart. I don't think I saw a ghost and I don't think I had a nightmare or night terror before it started! The only thing I am stressed about ATM is having to take the cholesterol lowering meds.The pharmacist didn't exactly help the other day when he gave me the list of side effects and the things I should look out for that should make me go straight to emergency. I know all meds have side effects but I've never had a pharmacist do that before. Even the contraceptive pill seems quite benign in comparison! I am still in shock that this guy is such an idiot and knows so little about the band. I am very tempted to print some info off and give it to him to educate him but that may not be a good idea!

Thanks No they are definitely not panic attacks. Normally it is just palpitations and I thought they could be menopause related which was why I requested my GP do the hormone level tests.The tightness so far has only been the once and there was no reason for me to be stressed or panicked in the middle of the night. The Dr also asked me who I live with am I stressed etc. Well I live with my hubby and 2 "adult" kids and no I am not stressed except for on the odd occasion when my son is being the typical BA know it all teenage boy! I actually have quite a relaxing life at the moment, the same wasn't true earlier this year as my husband and daughter both got retrenched.

For the past couple of weeks I have been getting palpitations. I ignored them initially but they seem to be getting worse so I went to my GP(PCP) a couple of weeks ago. He ran a whole series of tests which all came back fine except my cholesterol which is 8 which puts me in the very high risk category.After a long discussion (and years of resistance on my part) I agreed to start taking Ezetrol.I picked up my prescription and started taking those on Sat night. I also got the Dr to run hormone function tests as I thought the palpitations could be menopause related . Last night at about 4am I got up to use the bathroom (something I do several times a night) and then got back into bed to try and get back to sleep. Well I had the weirdest sensations in my chest. It felt like something was squeezing and releasing. So it wasn't an unrelenting pressure but there was definitely pressure. At the same time I had very intense palpitations . This episode probably lasted for 15 min or more. I was lying there going through a checklist trying to reassure myself breathless - no, sweaty - no, nauseous - no, tired - yes( it was the middle of the night) pain in jaw, neck, back, arm , chest or anywhere else - no. As the symptoms eased after about 15 min I decided that I probably didn't need to call an ambulance but I was rather stressed. I decided to go straight to the Drs when they opened this morning. They don't like it when you pitch without an appointment but for "chest pain" they have to see you. Now the Dr did all the right things( listened to chest, took Bp, referred me for a blood test) but I really didn't like this guy. His manner was weird and when it came to my band Ignorant would be an understatement. He looked at me and said so you have a band. Then he asked me why so I told him it was because I was fat! (Surely that should have been obvious) So then its like how fat - answer 74kg, 5' tall bmi 32 - 33.Then when I climbed on the bed for him to listen to my chest he made some comment about when would my band be coming out! I told him it wouldn't as then I would put the weight back on and got the comment oh so you can't do it now with diet and exercise! You have to wonder sometimes what training these guys get and also how they manage to fail the bedside manner module so spectacularly! I live in a rural area so most of the Drs we get are relatively new imports from places like India and Sri Lanka and the Phillipines. I don't know if that is part of the issue. The other Dr I have been seeing is Egyptian and he is great. If I had a pacemaker would he ask me when that was coming out? That maybe I could control my heart rate with relaxation and breathing exercises! It's a good job he took my BP before he came out with all these dumb comments. It was 140/80 which for me is fairly good if he had done it afterwards it would have been much higher. Apparently I am not menopausal, my hormone tests all came back fine. He has referred me for a Holter monitor and I have to call later this afternoon to get the results of the Triponin test.He also gave me some Nexium! Again I am not sure why - I do not have reflux. Yes I had some earlier this year but since removing some of the Fluid it has been fine. Sorry this is so long but I had to vent!

I am sure if you stick to it then everything will be ok. Good luck for take 2

Avo's are very healthy but they are also full of calories. Normally a serve of avo is 1/4 of a small one. They are definitely not an unlimited veggie.

It is because you have a Realize band. It needs more fill to achieve any kind of restriction.

Can't imagine wanting to spend money to feel like that. I think spinning and nausea is the worst feeling ever.

I'm the same as Jachut. My weight loss petered out and I have actually gained about 3kg in the last 6 months. Apart from the change in your metabolism and the lower no of calories required to maintain a lower weight you will probably also find that the longer you have the band the less you feel its effects. things that were difficult or impossible to eat become really easy. Maintenance seems to be the time when the band really is a tool. When I was in the losing phase my band actually did most of the work, I didn't really have to think about it or put in much effort and the weight came off. Now I have to consciously think about what and how much I am eating. I don't think that it would ever be a good idea to have a band removed just because you think you have it all down pat and can cope without it. The reallity is that without it or some other form of WLS you will probably regain.

Just had blood tests done this week and my cholesterol has gone up to 8 ( don't know what that is in the US) but it puts me in the very high risk category. I ahve been refusing to take statins for years but it looks like I will have to bite the bullet and do as my Dr advises. He has prescribed Ezetrol which I think is Zetia in the US. No idea if it is better or worse but I am going to have to avoid the internet, throw the list of side effects away and just take them. I do not eat a high Protein diet. I eat oats almost every day or homemade muesli which is also full of raw oats. I eat nuts, veg ,seeds and wholegrain. I do eat eggs a couple of times a week but the jury on whether they are good or bad is still out, they change their minds all the time. I also take a daily coq10. I think I might have to up my dose and maybe start taking daily metamucil as well. there is no point to me buying one of those sterol enriched spreads as I don't eat spread often enough for it to have an effect. Not looking forward to muscle aches, memory loss and loss of libido! Oops those are supposedly things that happen naturally with menopause and ageing anyway - they are NOT side effects of anti cholesterol meds. Maybe if I repeat that to myself often enough I will start believing it. My biggest worry are the reports that say cholesterol reducing meds do not prolong your life they just change what you die from.So instead of a stroke or heart attack I will be able to look forward to cancer or something instead. I really do have a problem don't I. Someone please make me feel better. tell me that the Dr's are right that it's not just a conspiracy by the drug companies to make as much money as possible by having as many people as possible on a drug for the rest of their lives $$$$$$

So true. We are all working towards the same end goal. I think a lot of it maybe defensive .What do they say about attack being the best form of defence?

It could have been that although you lost weight that you didn't follow the correct diet. This is why the Dr's have very specific prediet requirements. This happened to another member a couple of years back, she had also lost weight but had not followed the diet she was told to. The second time she followed the diet strictly and there were no problems. All the best for band surgery take 2!