Hi, I had the lap band last July and 2 weeks ago I had a fill.

Since then, i can't seem to eat solids, only soft foods.

What is wrong? Am I drinking too much before meals?

Any input would be appreciated...

Try drinking some hot coffee or hot tea before you eat. It tends to open your band some.

Cheri

Just in the mornings or all the time? What type of solids...all or just certain ones?

Take tiny bites, chew thoroughly. If you're still getting stuck at 2 weeks post fill, you might have them take out a tiny bit.

.

I usually have a couple of weeks post-fill when I am very susceptible to swelling if I push solids too fast. And because I'm impatient, I often do push solids.

My doctor's rule of thumb is that we MUST be able to tolerate liquids. If not, an unfill is necessary within ..well, hours.

But if we can tolerate liquids, then advance to soft foods, we can "take it easy" for a while to see how things shake out.

Early on, I had no difficulty. As I teetered on the brink of restriction, I had to be really careful. As I got closer and closer, the time required to adjust after a fill got longer. Now, I have a solid three weeks or so when I have to play it by ear.

I find that eating the wrong thing too early really exacerbates swelling, so I don't get a good feel for how the band really is until about 3 weeks out.

In your shoes, I'd give it a bit more time. Stick with the soft foods for another week or so. If you think swelling may be the culprit, you might find (like I do) that liquid Benadryl helps.

Gradually add regular solids back in, cautiously. If you still have difficulty, yes--I'd consider a tiny unfill.

But easing off and taking it slowly has always allowed me to work with the restriction I have---and it has always ultimately resulted in deciding the fill was okay.