flowerchild

I am having the same experience as you with the band. Had been pbing at least a couple times a week but still looking for food sooner than I should. When I went in to get a fill they would not give me one. Said 2x a week is too much regardless of the reason why I'm doing it. Dr. told me that is enough to cause a band prolapse or slip. They advised me to wait another month and come back in to reavaluate. Has been longer than a month now but I decided I am not going to get another fill until I get the vomiting or pbing under control. It has gotten better only a couple of times a month now so think I'm about ready for another fill. To me a fill was not worth risking a slip. I have been banded around 10 months and I still have user error sometimes. Old habits are hard to break. Working with the band takes some real patience but it is so worth it.

Yes stress does affect the tightness of my band. I was do for a fill in october and I lost my dad to suicide right before I was to get the fill. I couldn't really eat for 2 weeks. Just lived on protein shakes. I asked my Dr. about this and he said there are no studies to show stress has this affect but he hears about this problem from many patients. Thinks it may have more to do with us not drinking enough when we are stressed and become dehydrated. Dehydration is proven to make the band tighter. I have paid attention to this ever since and have noticed when I get stressed the band does get tighter even if I make an effort to drink more water.

You may just be swollen from the fill. If you can't get water down you need to go in asap for a slight unfill. If you can keep water down You might try a liqued diet for a couple of days and see if it gets better. If it doesn't you will need to go in because being too tight can cause a slip if you let it go on too long. My last fill I was too tight but I could get water down. After a few days of liqueds it loosened up. I'm still pretty tight but can eat 1/2 cup to a cup of food.

I felt the same way before I was banded. Very confused and wasn't sure what the difference would be if I still had to use willpower because I was never able to do that before. This is just my experience but there is no way I could stuff my face now. I follow the band rules because I am forced to. If I drink while I eat I feel like food is expanding in my chest and it hurts. I can't eat too much because it hurts. I don't hurt too often any more because I have learned to follow these rules. I have never once felt like I am on a diet. I try to stay away from sweets for the most part but I do have them if I really want them and I don't feel like a failure because I do. I don't get hungry unless I go 4 or 5 hours with out eating. I don't see how you could not lose weight with the band unless you are not at the right restriction. It can be hard to get there for some but once you do you will lose. A quote from my dr. "if you are using willpower you need a fill".

All I know is if you get on antibiotics you will get rid of it a lot faster. hope you feel better soon

I had a great deal of pain after gallbladder surgery which I had a month before lap band. I was really dreading lap band surgery because I expected the same pain. I had no pain at all with the lap band surgery. I may be an exception but I really did not feel like I even had surgery. A little weak but other than that I felt fine.

My surgeon required 30 days smoke free. I quit 3 months in anticipation of surgery. Couldn't schedule until insurance approval and didn't want smoking to postpone surgery. Unfortunatly I started back 2 weeks after surgery. It is really tough to give up food and smokes at the same time. Something to think about.

I asked my dr. this question at my last fill appointment and he said that dehydration means a tighter band. Since we havn't had fluids all night while sleeping, we are a bit dehydrated in the morning and this is why our band feels tighter. He told me to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning before coffee or anything. I tried this and it does seem to help some.

I was very scared and went back and forth on my decision right up until the day of surgery. I think more than anything I was scared of complications and having to go through additional surgeries and expense. Now that I have the band I am so glad I did it. I have only lost 29 lbs so far but I feel so much better. I didn't realize how much the weight was affecting me until I lost the weight I have. I still have a long way to go and I can't imagine how much better I will feel when I get there. I have not gave up carbs. I really eat anything I want to, I just don't eat as much. The only things I really monitor are my protien and Water intake. I am not saying it is easy. It has been hard for me to get used to eating slowly and not drinking while I eat, but I am getting there. I know the band does not work for everyone & the decision has to be yours and yours alone. Good luck in your decision & I wish you the best.

I started doing the same thing after my first fill. I have the realize band and they put in 3cc's. I was going to go have a little taken out then I decided to up my water intake and it helped. I think I was dehydrated. I am really glad now I didn't get any fill taken out. You might try more water and see if it helps. I was also under a lot of stress on the days this was happening. I think stress can cause this. I hope you can resolve this soon because it is no fun!

My doctor never mentioned drinking. I had a bloody mary about a week after surgery. I would suggest asking your doctor about it. (Even though I didn't do that).

I agree with everything emjay said. I just got my first fill Tuesday and I am in the learning process of how to eat. It is painful to eat too fast so it forces you to slow down.