I'll warn you now that I'm going into details, so if you're easily grossed out, please don't read this! I've had my band for 2.5 years. I've had two fills and subsequent unfills in the last calendar year. After an unfill over a month ago, I had a slight fill (putting me 1.5 cc lower than my highest fill level) on Monday. The week progressed fine and while I had difficulty eating a few solids initially, there were many I could eat without issue. By Thursday I started struggling with keeping anything down---but it doesn't feel like a band issue, believe it or not! My band doesn't feel tight. I'm not getting any reflux. I just drink or eat and nothing seems to "go through"....and I eventually get uncomfortable and end up pushing whatever I've eaten or had to drink back up. I was PMS'ing about a week before my fill and was tight then and it felt differently than this. I haven't had a BM in several days---and I've lost 7 or 8 pounds. I am insatiably thirsty, though. I don't feel sick and again, it doesn't feel like a band issue. I'm wondering who to call---my primary care doctor or my surgeon?! I've tried popsicles, solids, liquids, etc. I am so thirsty that I'll drink anything in large quantities, knowing fully well it won't stay down---but I'm so thirsty that I can't help it! I have tried taking laxatives, but those require me to drink something and I've no success keeping them down. Suggestions? Ideas? Which doctor do I call??

I'd call the band doctor and soon. I know what you mean about it not feeling like a band issue, but I think as soon as you call your pcp and he hears that you no food or Water goes through, he will send you to your band doctor. I'm really don't know if you're too tight (swollen) from the fill or if you had a slip, but if he could unfill your band immediately and if you could drink, you could get hydrated again. The dehydration is making everything worse. Your only other option for hydration is an IV, and that's going to require a trip to the hospital. You've tried all the other stuff.

This sounds really awful. I hope it turns out to just be the dehydration and it's easily resolved. Let us know how you're doing.

Cindy

Hi:

My band doctor says that if you have something going on between the neck and the knees to assume that it's the band. It's amazing how fickle our bands can be.

Hope you feel better soon. Please let us know what your doctor says.

Take care.

Sue

Been thinking about having my dr. paged. Not so sure I'd like to just go to the emergency room without knowing if anyone might be on call who can handle it.....I'll wait til 8:30 or 9, so it's a decent time. I took my thyroid meds about 20 minutes ago and am working hard to keep it down. We'll see how that goes. Not looking very promising right now. My tummy is making funky noises and I'm starting to get warm chested...

Just wanted to update and thank you both for your advice. I managed to go to the ER and get out unscathed. I spent only 3.5-4 hours there---was rehydrated with 2 bags of IV fluids. They ran a few blood tests to be sure all was ok. My regular surgeon came in to remove saline from the band because no one in the ER felt qualified to do it themselves. (OK, BIG relief that they know their limits. Was VERY impressed with the entire staff, too!) They removed 3 cc's. Yep. Ton, but at that point, they could have unfilled it entirely and I wouldn't have cared. So I've finished a vanilla milk shake and am off for a nap. Feeling human and very appreciative of your advice. I likely would have waited til Monday for office hours if left to my own devices! Thanks, ladies!!!!

i'm glad you're feeling better.

Does your Dr. have any idea what happened?

Cindy

Cindy,

My surgeon, while a truly skilled surgeon, isn't much of a talker---I've come to know my band fairly well after nearly 3 years and know how sensitive it is to any fluid retention in my body. As women, we're so prone to it anyway, but I'm particularly prone for so many reasons---PMS, not working out, lots of sodium in my diet, etc. I think this time around it was likely stress. As I said before, I've been up over 7 cc's. I was only at 6 this time. I also haven't been able to workout for nearly 3 months because of foot surgery....and I'm thinking that all things just combined to cause some major constipation that put a lot of pressure on my band. I'm headed back to see him in a week or two. Not sure he'll have any ideas. Lesson learned, though----no matter what the reason, when I can't keep liquids down for more than a few hours (it does happen to me from time to time, but never for this long....) I'll call the dr. :thumbup:

Thanks for the reply. I've been banded a long time, too, and it is surprising how you can feel things about your band. I, too, have had to have unfills this year. I'm not sure what my total fill is, but I keep getting tighter as I get closer to goal. Like you, I don't know exactly why (although I'm guessing hormones and stress), and neither does my doctor, but like you, I starting to know what to do.

Cindy

Did they check your blood glucose level? Polydipsia (excessive thirst) is often the first sign of diabetes.

Thanks, BetsyB. That's actually one of the reasons I decided to go to the hospital. They ran blood tests when I arrived, and thankfully everything was ok. I was just horribly dehydrated.