Bonnie_Lass

I have tightness in my throat and gurgling sometimes, but it starts while eating, not later. No nausea or your other symptoms though. I have had the other symptoms (all light-headed, clammy, dizzy) at various times in my life previous to banding, - one time I was told it was shock (it was a few hours after having a tooth pulled). How is your health otherwise, you have lost a lot in a short time?

I hear you. In the morning I warm up my protein shake or the milk I use to make it and that helps that go down. Lunch and supper vary in how well they go, if I'm very very careful about small bites and chewing well and eating slowly I have less of a problem. I can pb on just about any food and even drinks if I drink too fast. But other times I can eat more than I should be able to. It's very frustrating. I don't think I need any taken out because it can be fine, but I don't want to get any more of a fill because it's difficult enough sometimes.

I'm very happy with my surgeon's office but all they say is to talk to your pharmacist and doctor. From my own experience and just reading this post, I think it varies on what the medication and how your restriction is. I liked one post that mentioned drinking something hot first. I do that in the morning anyway, and it helps a lot. I did talk to my pharmacist, and while he didn't know much about banding, he was able to tell me what I can crush and what not to, and what alternatives there are. I switched to other alternatives as much as possible and haven't tried any large pills since banding.

I've never heard that applied to all pills, but I certainly have heard of it for certain ones. Some will say not to take NSAIDs after banding (eg ibuprofen, aspirin) as they are hard on the lining of the stomach and with the band they will be in much the same spot instead of different areas of the stomach in a person without a band. Because of that they may cause ulcers. I know there are other pills too, but your pharmacist or doctor should be able to tell you which ones pose a greater risk for ulcers.

Maybe, but can you drink Clear liquids without a problem? If not - get in to see your doctor quickly. If you can drink then take some time to analyze the following and if you still have an issue, go back. Is the lump there all the time, between meals or does it just take a while after meals to settle down? Does it happen after eating certain foods or eating quickly? Does it happen at any particular time of the day (or month - for women). I've had similar issues, but it varies with the time of day, and I've had to slow down and take tiny bites, or just about any food could cause a lump in my throat too.

It shouldn't continue as that is how the band works - to keep you from feeling hungry with only a small amount of food. Right now what you are going through is quite normal - this is the healing period, later you can go to more normal foods and get a fill or fills until you reach the restriction where you can eat about a cup of (the proper) food and not feel hungry until the time of your next meal. Some people gain during the healing period because of the hunger and they keep eating more, others get some restriction earlier and everyone varies on how much needs to be added to the band to get to the right place for them. Some doctors add gradually and others will do larger amounts at one time. All in all be patient, it will work out.

Not having had a fill does not mean you have no pouch. But as it is less restricted,than after a fill, you could certainly eat more in quantity, and tolerate difficult foods more easily. That is not the point of being banded though. Also if you are post-op there is probably swelling and so you may have some restriction, so stick to the diet provided as your body needs to heal first. It's also a good time to get used to eating differently.

My surgeon doesn't always tell me the exact amount of a fill, but I know that I have had fills and unfills of less than 1cc. When they explained it initially, they said they do 1cc at a time the first couple of fills, then start to do .5cc for another couple of fills and then .25cc until the proper restriction is reached. I think they also judge the amount by how close they feel things are, as I understand it, even .25cc or .5cc can make a large difference when you are close to good restriction.

Everyone is different in how much they need for a fill and how long it takes. I only had 2cc's added and had to have some out because it was too tight. I've never had a fill under fluoro. With having had a difficult time with restriction being different in the morning or at different times of the month (if you get what I mean) and learning to eat drastically differently (slower, chewing more, small bites) I don't think I'd want to risk it going way too tight with an agressive fill. It doesn't sound right to me. As well as the fact that the tightness of the band will change as you lose weight.

I've never had a fill under fluro, and I've reached restriction with just 2 fills and was even was too tight. I didn't even know about fluro except for reading the boards here. From what I have read, fluro is more expensive but they may be more agressive in the quantity they fill. Which means you may reach restriction faster or you may be more likely to have issues because of agressive fills.

I thought I was chewing well, but I was still pb'ing on food like chicken, steak, and even beans. I've been concentrating on chewing more, taking small bites and eating slower and I'm finally having less episodes of pb's. I don't even try something like eggs in the morning because I am too tight then. I have a protein shake instead. It's not good to be going to other foods just because they go down easier - I know, I've done it. You may consider a slight unfill, or just try eating slower, chewing more and taking small bites first. I've even gone to using toddler spoons and forks to make sure I take smaller bites.

My first fill was at 6 weeks after surgery and I had still lost weight since the surgery, which apparently is unusual. From reading the boards here, doctors do seem to be different. My surgeon's office waits 5-6 weeks after the surgery - that seems to be fairly common. You need some time to heal before a fill. They don't automatically do a fill, they do consider weight loss (they like it to be 1-2 pounds per week), but they also ask about how much you're eating, how hungry you are between meals, to assess whether a fill is needed or not.