I am wandering what everyone here does once you have a stuck episode. Do you make yourself throw up? Or do you wait it out?

I tried waiting it out a few times I have gotten stuck, and it is really painful and took forever to go down. I now opt to make it come back up. I know this isn't good to do, but it makes it feel better instantly. Just curious what everyone does.

I hate having food get stuck so I try to avoid it at all cost. When food gets clogged in my band, my esophagus goes into spasms, and it feels like I am having a heart attack. That said, when something gets stuck, i wait it out for about an hour. Sometimes sipping pineapple juice helps (something about the enzymes in pineapple breaking down certain foods). If I am still in pain an hour later, and the food hasn't gone down, I make it come up. It has been 3 years since my surgery and I have a pretty specific laundry list of foods that I know will get stuck, so I make sure to avoid them.

When I am stuck, I don't have any choice - it comes back up and violently. It is so violent I get reds spots areound my eyes (petechia) and see stars. I have tried to hold back but can't.

I have had a couple of episodes with that stuck feeling mostly after bread products. I kind of panic and start walking around, and then some of it comes up and I feel better. I read that meat tenderizer mixed with warm water helps if you drink it but I have not tried that (yet)

My key to surviving being stuck is to try to avoid it to begin with. If, at the first hint of sticking, I remove everything from my mouth and try not to swallow - even saliva. I figure that once the drain is clogged, adding anything to the pipe is only going to make it worse.

I 've heard from other bandsters that papaya enzyme pills help with stuck food (it helps break it down).

I 've heard from other bandsters that papaya enzyme pills help with stuck food (it helps break it down).

You will definitely get stuck at least ONE time...I remember when I got stuck for the first time I began to scream in panic but it hurt soooo bad...But I was so new to the lap-band at the time and I was heating up some chicken and I pop a piece cold chicken and chewed maybe 2 times lol...And OH MY GOD... I fell into my old habit, and let me tell u I learned from that day to NEVER do that lol. With that being said, being banded for the 1st few months its difficult bc it's trial and error, and when u do get stuck just relax and it'll pass...if not then u will bring it up...But try to avoid that at all costs.

I chew a couple papaya enzymes and it goes right down. I have never had it come back up. Thank God!

I chew a couple papaya enzymes and it goes right down. I have never had it come back up. Thank God!

What's name brand name on the papaya enzymes you buy? there's so many!

I am wandering what everyone here does once you have a stuck episode. Do you make yourself throw up? Or do you wait it out?

When I am stuck, I don't have any choice - it comes back up and violently.

That was me for the first 14 months sometimes it came up so fast it come through my nose too, so gross. I have been banded for 17 months today and in just the last 2 months I have gotten to where it will go down instead of up. pineapple just made it worse for me. I have vomited so many, many times but thank God my band has always been okay. My Dr does floro every visit and you can see band and port and all.

If you seem to be like this always know where the bathroom is when you go somewhere for sure at resturants. And do not wait too long as to avoid throwing up in front of people. I always went to bathroom and waited for people to leave as to not spoil their dinner and then vomited. Sometimes I would be in there 2 times to get whatever was stuck up.

Now it just gets stuck and will go down after a while and what is so weird is I can feel it move through the band. So weird! Also . . . I know this sound stupid but . . . if you are not in public or if you are go into bathroom stall and put you hands in your armpits and flap like a chicken about 10 or 20 times it really does works for me and other people but not all people no chicken noises needed. I have also read bending over and touching your ankles helps you get unstuck.

Another thing you can look into is what is in you band, Most people have saline in theirs I do not. For the life of me I can not think of the name of what I have but it is thicker and they use it for people who tend to leak. It is a lot thicker and does not "give any" or "bend" and that may be why when I got stuck it just sat there stuck between something that would not move any or bend some so it could pass. My Doctors said it makes no difference but I think it does. He offered to unfill me and refill me back with saline if I wanted to be . . . I was too scare to mess with my band. He offers that to all his patients. None of my band friends have this they have saline and they do not vomit theirs goes down. Who knows! But you can ask your Dr what you have in your band? I will try to remember what it is and post it. I have never had any leaks it is just his experience that it works better???

Cheri

I think I had my first stuck epi last Friday. I had worked all day and got too hungry for dinner. I had an egg overeasy, on 1 slice toast with a piece of american cheese. Had this awful feeling in my upper back. Very odd, very uncomfortable. I walked around, swung my arms above my head and tried to stay calm. I spit a few times, never vomited tho. About 10min later I could tell it passed but I didn't want to eat anymore. Spent the night sipping water and went to bed kinda hungry. Scared me enough to get papaya enzymes, meat tenderizer and pineapple juice for an emergency kit!

After much searching and a phone call what I have instead of Saline is Omnipaque.

Cheri

I think I had my first stuck epi last Friday. I had worked all day and got too hungry for dinner. I had an egg overeasy, on 1 slice toast with a piece of american cheese. Had this awful feeling in my upper back. Very odd, very uncomfortable. I walked around, swung my arms above my head and tried to stay calm. I spit a few times, never vomited tho. About 10min later I could tell it passed but I didn't want to eat anymore. Spent the night sipping Water and went to bed kinda hungry. Scared me enough to get papaya enzymes, meat tenderizer and pineapple juice for an emergency kit!

It's probably the bread. You probably will not be able to eat bread once you get tighter. I know I don't even try it. The eggs can be a problem for some people. They go down fine for me. It seems my back hurts sometimes during a stuck episode.

I walk around, it may take 5-10 min depending on how bad I get stuck but it works every time.

I can eat just about anything if I take it slow and really chew it up...it's only when I am not paying attention and try to inhale my food that I get stuck.

How I react in a stuck situation depends on where I am. Since my band is a secret if I am out with friends I must do a less obvious thing to help with the situation. If I don't want to bring the food back up I try a couple of things.

If I am out in public I pretend I need to cough/clear my throat, and hit my chest a little near my collar bone area.

Or I move my left shoulder around ( try to not so obviously do the chicken dance)

If that doesn't work i sip hot tea

If I can't take it anymore, I excuse myself to the bathroom and jump around. The chicken dance really works well too. If it is hopeless after that I just give in and bring the food back up.

If I am at home I usually do the chicken arm flapping. If that doesn't work I jump around. If that doesn't work I sip hot tea, if that doesn't work I raise my arms above my head. If all else fails it must come up.

I dont have papaya enzymes pills here. What are they used for other then by bandsters? I can have family send some to me but need an excuse to why I want them.

I just had THE worst stuck issue to date 2 days ago - I am most positive it was that the piece of meat I was chewing just did not want to go down. Yes, it feels like a heart attack (or what I would think a heart attack feels like!) - my eyes water, I cough and hiccup and feel horrible. It came back up - but I was in so much pain, not even tiny sips of water helped. I usually get up and walk around with my arms up in the air (if I'm home) and it passes - out in public - that's a whole different story. I will definitely try the papaya emzyme mention....