PBing or vomiting several times a week

OR

eating a little too much/fast and getting stuck once a day

Which is worse in terms of risk for band complications?

First let me clear up a misconception: PBing is not the same thing as vomiting. Vomiting empties the entire contents of your stomach/pouch and can lead to slippage if your doc didn't stitch the band down to anchor it. Vomiting brings up stomach acid/bile. Vomiting is bad. Period.

PBing is gagging up a stuck bite of food that is actually sitting in your esophagus and not able to pass into your pouch. This is usually the result of eating too fast/not chewing well enough.taking bites that are too big. Getting stuck is the same thing but it just doesn't gag back up. PBing isn't fun but the times I've done it, I was actually relieved to get the stuck bite up and out because it was causing me physical pain. It's still not the best thing because the fact that it's happening is a clear sign you aren't eating properly and need to focus on improving that.

First let me clear up a misconception: PBing is not the same thing as vomiting. Vomiting empties the entire contents of your stomach/pouch and can lead to slippage if your doc didn't stitch the band down to anchor it. Vomiting brings up stomach acid/bile. Vomiting is bad. Period.

PBing is gagging up a stuck bite of food that is actually sitting in your esophagus and not able to pass into your pouch. This is usually the result of eating too fast/not chewing well enough.taking bites that are too big. Getting stuck is the same thing but it just doesn't gag back up. PBing isn't fun but the times I've done it, I was actually relieved to get the stuck bite up and out because it was causing me physical pain. It's still not the best thing because the fact that it's happening is a clear sign you aren't eating properly and need to focus on improving that.

I never implied that PBing was the same thing as vommiting...hence the "or" in my original post.

And thanks for not answering my question.

I was told vomiting is one of the worst things you can do with a band. But I am afraid to post it because as soon as I do one of the more "forceful" opinions on the board will be by to remind me I know nothing. :thumbup:

Sorry if you felt I was not helpful. It's just that a large percentage of the people on here to not realize that PBing is not vomiting. And, yeah, I did answer your question:

"Vomiting is bad. Period."

The spasms that force the contents out of your stomach are pretty intense and can cause band slippage. Even if, like my doc, your doc is one of those who stitches some of the stomach around the band to anchor it, it is possible to pull all that loose. So, I'll say it again "Vomiting is bad. Period."

"The problem with the internet is that the eyebrows are missing." -- Frank Zappa

I was told vomiting is one of the worst things you can do with a band. But I am afraid to post it because as soon as I do one of the more "forceful" opinions on the board will be by to remind me I know nothing. :thumbup:

You too, huh?

Hey, Minime! It is pretty easy to get flamed on here...just for stating an opinion. But you were spot on this time...and with not just an opinion. I think most of us were told by our docs that actually vomiting was really, really bad. And whenever I see the words vomit and PB in the same sentence I fear that it is one more person who wasn't told what you and I were told. SO, I got flamed. Par for the course. You just have to shake your head and say to yourself "no offense taken".

Hey, Minime! It is pretty easy to get flamed on here...just for stating an opinion. But you were spot on this time...and with not just an opinion. I think most of us were told by our docs that actually vomiting was really, really bad. And whenever I see the words vomit and PB in the same sentence I fear that it is one more person who wasn't told what you and I were told. SO, I got flamed. Par for the course. You just have to shake your head and say to yourself "no offense taken".

Yeah, I don't think Minime was refering to my reply to you as being "flame." Maybe you should read my original post, and see the way you replied to it. "Vomiting is bad. period" was not an answer to my question....it was stating the obvious. Both of my senarios are not good for you or your band, everybody should know this. What I was asking was which was worse than the other....so stating that one of my senarios is bad is quite obvious. And so is your attitude.

PBing or vomiting several times a week

OR

eating a little too much/fast and getting stuck once a day

Which is worse in terms of risk for band complications?

are you just trying to get an understanding or do you have a specific issue going on you need help with?

i don't know the direct damage from getting stuck. but i do know that my surgeon told me that the first 6 weeks after surgery are the most important for not vomitting due to the stitches.

the only thing i can think of with getting stuck is damaging your esphogus. maybe? i don't know... i used to puke before science tests because i hated science so much so i am sure i am not much help...

ParrotHeadCathy, Melinco, Minimeme, don't stop answering people's posts because what you say is just as important as what the Thread Starter has to say. I learn a lot from every one's point of view and so do others. Just take the good from each post or thread and ignore the rest.

are you just trying to get an understanding or do you have a specific issue going on you need help with?

i don't know the direct damage from getting stuck. but i do know that my surgeon told me that the first 6 weeks after surgery are the most important for not vomitting due to the stitches.

the only thing i can think of with getting stuck is damaging your esphogus. maybe? i don't know... i used to puke before science tests because i hated science so much so i am sure i am not much help...

Thanks for your reply. I actually havn't vomited or PB since I was banded. I am however still learning what I can and can't eat, and things do get stuck or go down painfully sometimes when I'm not paying attention to chewing a billion times. I just wanted to know which situation could cause more complications - I was told that repeatedly getting stuck can cause stretching of the pouch, and vomiting can cause slippage...so in terms of complications, which one was worse.

PBing or vomiting several times a week

OR

eating a little too much/fast and getting stuck once a day

Which is worse in terms of risk for band complications?

Don't know, maybe you should ask your doctor. It's posts and responses like these that make me not want to help.

Just one thing to note. For me pbing is rather violent. It involves the same stomach pain and spasms as actual vomiting, just without the acid and copious contents and without nausea.

Pbing is not simple regurgitation with no risk to your band. Pbing on a regular basis means you're too tight or something else is wrong and it is a risk to your band. Dont think pbing is non consequential. Many many people have slipped after being too tight and doing a lot of pbing.

JMO- PBing/and/or/vomiting are more damaging than getting stuck. For me, many times these both go hand in hand...I get stuck and then I PB it up. When I don't PB though, the stuck item eventually passes...you can't stretch your band (where the stuck item is) and I don't know how a stuck item would stretch your pouch...only putting too much food in at a time can stretch it (but you can cause your stoma to swell some from something getting stuck so you need to 'baby your stoma' following a stuck episode as you may become more restricted for a short time). I suppose if you continued to eat (more than your pouch size) ontop of a stuck item you could say that the stuck item helped cause a stretched pouch. I was taught by my doc that most PBing is NOT from something stuck in the esophagus, but rather, something stuck in your new stoma, at the bottom of your pouch. Now I have had things 'back up' into my esophagus from eating too fast, but that's not the same thing.

BTW- I agree with Jachut that PBing a lot is usually a sign that you're too tight...most people hate PBing so much they quickly learn the proper way to chew enough, so if it continues it's usually not 'operator error', but the fact that you're too tight...and it can be VERY risky/dangerous to your band.

*She tiptoes quietly back to her corner*

Both of my senarios are not good for you or your band, everybody should know this. What I was asking was which was worse than the other....so stating that one of my senarios is bad is quite obvious. And so is your attitude.

I don't know whether there is 'definitive' proof that one is worse than the other but I'd hazard a guess that vomiting is worse because it's a much more violent action than Pb'ing or even getting stuck. My .02 with absolutely no noteworthy research to back it up. :biggrin:

First let me clear up a misconception: PBing is not the same thing as vomiting. Vomiting empties the entire contents of your stomach/pouch and can lead to slippage if your doc didn't stitch the band down to anchor it. Vomiting brings up stomach acid/bile. Vomiting is bad. Period.

PBing is gagging up a stuck bite of food that is actually sitting in your esophagus and not able to pass into your pouch. This is usually the result of eating too fast/not chewing well enough.taking bites that are too big. Getting stuck is the same thing but it just doesn't gag back up. PBing isn't fun but the times I've done it, I was actually relieved to get the stuck bite up and out because it was causing me physical pain. It's still not the best thing because the fact that it's happening is a clear sign you aren't eating properly and need to focus on improving that.

Very useful information.. Thanks :biggrin: