Hi all

I was banded on 12 28 09 and am doing great...on the liquid diet however i find gum chewing satifying is it okay?

For myself, chewing is a BIG NO NO.for a while after surgery, I did chew gum. I have realized that when I would chew gum I would tend to swallow more air and by the end of the night, I would end up with gas pains that put me in the fetal position and left me crying. I don't know if anyone else can chew gum without the same problems. Maybe it's like the whole food thing, it's different for everyone.

I chew sugar free extra gum all the time. No problems.

Always sugar free .................... no tooth decay

I chew gum constantly. I never accidently swallowed gum in my life so I figure I'm ok.

I was told by my surgeon that chewing gum is not a problem but if you accidentally swallow it then they will have to surgically remove it so I got addicted to mints!!

I hope the mints are suger free !!

I had to throw that one in ..... I look at teeth all day (dental)

I was told not to chew gum cause it can get stuck if you accidently swallow it. Maybe it wouldn't get stuck now because I am newly banded and don't have any significant restriction, but I don't normally chew gum anyway so its not a big deal to me. The reason I don't normally chew gum is it makes me hungry.

My doc told me of surgical removal of a pill that had been swallowed whole. But gum is broken down by protein and other foods. You know the trick of breaking down gum with peanut butter when it is stuck in a childs hair ............... by all means don't swallow the gum, but taking pills seems to be much more of a danger.

Orbitz maui melon all day, every day... I don't swallow it, it's sugar free and it's been my long standing addiction.

Yes my mints are definitely sugar free and they are very strong so I love them!!

I chew sugarfree Extra. Watermelon flavor is delish! I hadn't accidently swallowed gum since I was a kid so, of course, right after I had surgery I accidently swallowed two pieces at the same time!!!! I didn't have any restriction at the time. I told doctor's ofc about it and they said it was ok. I still chew gum but only one piece at a time!!! They do say it causes gas but, it isn't to terrible. I think the gum helps prevent snacking between meals.

I stopped chewing gum. Because I didn't want to risk accidently swallowing it.

I do mints now, and just suck on them till they melt....

(I guess MINTS have a higher risk of getting stuck if swallowed.... Meh....)

Hi all

I was banded on 12 28 09 and am doing great...on the liquid diet however i find gum chewing satifying is it okay?

I am only allowed to do the breath strips. Gum, whether it be sugar or sugar free has something in it that actually makes you crave food more. I have found that when I stopped chewing gum the sensations of wanting food went away. Plus the doctor said no gum because you take the chance of swallowing it.

I have always wondered about this. I had to quit smoking cigs to be banded and was doing the preop diet too! I used gum to replace the oral fixation I had. I chew Orbit Bubblemint and still am chewing it. I wondered about getting "stuck" with gum and now I'm worried. Also, can the peppermint irritate the pouch? Anyone know about this too?

When i went in for my first fill my doctor noticed that my empty belly was full of gas he mentioned it and i told him that i had been chewing gum on my way in to see him. I was like would you have rather seen a belly full of gas or a hamburger and fries and he laughed. Do what feels right to you hun.

I tend to chew it right after lunch, while I'm waiting for the hour to pass before I can drink my Water. Since I'm at work, I tend to focus on the time before I can drink, and tend to need something to keep my mouth wet. After Breakfast or dinner I'm fine, but it's the lunch time that gets to me.

Other than that, I rarely chew gum, even before surgery, except if driving and needing something to keep me awake.