After aspiration pneumonia I am scared to start getting fills again

[toqu 0]

I had aspiration pneumonia around October last year. I think it was from reflux at night, being too tight and waking up choking then some of the yuck going back down into my lungs. :thumbup: Aside from visiting the Water parks several times last summer they couldn't find any other reason for the pneumonia.After being in the hospital for a week I was told by the gastro doc in the hospital to go have the band loosened by my bariatric doctor. I have a 10cc band with about 5.25 cc's right now. (they only took out some) I was close to 7cc's when this occured. I have regained all my weight. I had lost about 46lbs and I started off with a low bmi so that was pretty good although it could have been better(my fault). I really want to get back on track only now I am afraid to start getting fills again. The pneumonia was VERY scary for me:ohmy: I had never been that ill before. :thumbup:

[ggeorgiagirl 1]

same thing happened to me last year! i found out that i was taking toooo many Tums before I went to bed (my acid reflux was HORRIBLE). I now only take my priolosec and ONE tums. Not so much aspirating in my sleep anymore

[toqu 0]

Did you get the pneumonia too?:w00t:

[Maddybrat 1]

I am having trouble aspirating into my lungs at night too. I just got out of the hospital with serious pneumonia. I can't even go out in fear of getting another infection while I have this infection. I have had my band almost two years. Does anyone have a solution on what to do? Should I have my band removed? My band isn't even filled right now and I'm still having all these problems. I Don't get any sleep at night because of the acid reflux and all the coughing. Did anyone else get pneumonia? PLEASE HELP! Thanks

Edited August 31, 2010 by Maddybrat

[whatever 2]

I just woke up, having the same problems. Its really wierd too because I was doing fine. About 3 months ago I was about 35 lb from my goal weight, having no problems .... when suddenly I went through a spell where every time I ate, I had to go throw up. I would just be so uncomfortable that the only way to get past the pain was to throw up. It started with food, then it got so bad even Water made me throw up. I tried to just roll with it because I was really losing weight... in fact in a little over a month I lost 40 lbs. Finally I had enough... I was aspirating in my sleep, throwing up all day... I went back to my lap band doctor and he removed some Fluid... and I was fine again.

Now about 2 months later, it has started again! I didn't have a fill so I am not sure why it began again... but I am throwing up all day and waking up every night choking. I have only lost 10 lb so it is not as bad as before... but I am abot 5 lb under my goal. I am afraid to go back to my Dr. I don't want to remove more Fluid because I am afraid I will regain my weight as others have said they did... but I ama getting sick of waking up choking. I have even started throwing up before I go to sleep every night in hopes of getting rid of whatever I may choke on later, but it doesn't seem to help... my stomach just makes more.

Any ideas why a band that hasn't been adjusted in the last few months would get tighter on its own like that?

[Melissa Lea 1]

Whatever, very similar situation happened to me. I thought I had slipped. I went for a complete unfill under fluro and it was determined that I was not too tight and not slipped. I elected to have a complete unfill.

Long, long story short....my situation....took nearly 5 months to diagnose the problem after unfill. I ended up in emergency room with abdominal pain, distension, vomiting. After all test for gallbladder were done and normal the ER doc did a CAT scan to learn I had a bowel obstruction. After 3 days in hospital, a surgeon was consulted to evaluate my situation. He elected to do laporscopic exploratory surgery to see what was up with my obstruction. This surgery turned into an open, emergency bowel small bowel resection. The catheter to my band had come lose and wrapped around my small intestines 5 times shutting off the blood supply and killing a small sections (abt 5 inches) of my intestine. My general surgeon had never seen or heard of this happening. Nor has the bariatric surgeon I'm working with (im looking into revision). sadly, there are operative pics that show this.

I am by no means trying to scare your nor am I implying this is happening to you. What I am saying is listen to your body and command further testing. My general surgeon said my bowels were starting to perforate which could have killed me with poison leaking into my body.

This kind of GERD is not normal and your body is speaking loud and clear.

By the way....I was 4 years post op when this happened.

Best regards,

Aspi