Ive been banded since 12/07. I woke up this past Saturday and thought I was having a heart attack. I had a terrible pain in the middle of my chest. After I sat up for a while I realized the pain was really coming from my upper back and was being caused by my band. I can eat and drink but not without pain. It isn't getting "stuck" but I have this horrible squeezing pain across my upper back into my shoulders a little while after I eat. Part of it is that horrible left should pain a lot of banded people deal with.

I have an appointment Thursday with my surgeon for an unfill. I have a feeling it may be a dialated pouch or something along those lines. I have been over filled in the past so I know what that feels like. Anyone else have a similar experience?

hi everyone. ive been offline from the forum for some months now. I had lapband surgery just over 12 months ago. I had some fill removed to go on a cruise last nov. This feb i had some put back. About four weeks ago i started having severe back pain, all the way from the ribcage down to the lower back around the tail bone. I was suffering with a bladder infection at the time and thought it was that. I was treated for the infection but the pain in the back didnt go away. Ive also been experiencing some problems laying flat to sleep, i do use a couple of pillows, not too thick. Ive been regurgitating quite a bit. its scary stuff. im also suffering with sliming nearly every day. im not able to eat much at all, have been living mainly on soups and runny stews. Ive booked in to have some fill removed on wednesday my time . Its only been this last week that i thought maybe it was the lap band that was giving me the constant back ache. ive been feeling most unwell with it all. Its painful to swallow as well. All info gratefully received. its good to be back. judych

Hi Judych, I had this problem last year and it occurred every time I ate though. (my back would hurt) I wld back to my lap band surgeon, and they put me on some ulcer medication and it went away. But I fould out that I had a bateria infection due to a possible hernia on the top of my band.. and the only way to be for sure was to have them go in and if its there, they'd fix it... and replace or remove band another option was to replace the band with the sleeve. And so I had the sleeve put in Dec 2012. I would suggest you have them to a endoscopy, which is something you should have once a year with the band, that no one told me about.. but its like an xray where they look down your throat and make sure everything is ok. It is very painless & only takes abt 5 minutes or less.

Removed, did not realize this post was old!

_{hi, my orginal post was old, but another persons was just today. I think they need to get back their doctor though too... I agree with ya.}

Hello all! I too have not been updating as I should. Since July 2012 I have had all the liquid removed from my band. My back pain has gone (since I had my gallbladder removed) but my chest seems to want to stick around for a bit longer. I have had 2 EGD's, x-ray's, blood work and other misc. test w/out an answer to what's causing the pain. My GI doctor's only solution is to get rid of the band because he saw no inflammation, damage, or problems. It has gotten to the point where I throw up 3-5 times a week. My chest hurts no matter if I eat a cracker, buttered green beans or string cheese. I was just denied by my insurance company to have the band taken out. Crazy? I have seen the band work wonders for quite a few people so please don't think I am knocking it. The band and I had a beautiful friendship for about two years. It is not twisted, has not slipped and is not infected. It seems like neither my lap band doctor or my GI doctor can tell me what the pain is or what is causing it. I have no clue what is causing this pain. Even though I have no liquid in my bad, the past 2-3 months have been hell trying to eat even soup. Not only does it usually come up but I cannot eat a full can of soup A DAY (not a sitting/meal but A DAY). I feel like I have an imaginary illness and because the doctors can't find the problem then it must be fake, an exaggeration or nothing at all. Any suggestions? Any ideas? H.E.L.P.

who is your doctor? I dont get how or why your lap band removal was denied. I bet its b/c you just wanted it out? and no replacement surgery? B/c when I reported my issue my revision surgery was approved in about a week. the doctor that it would take longer but it didnt. I think it all depends on how the doctor describes it as a necessary. I say go back to your doctor it is the only way to get it approved. You may have to go to another doctor. Most of them charge 200.00 for you to switch, but it could be your life.. and would be worth it.

Hi Judych, I had this problem last year and it occurred every time I ate though. (my back would hurt) I wld back to my lap band surgeon, and they put me on some ulcer medication and it went away. But I fould out that I had a bateria infection due to a possible hernia on the top of my band.. and the only way to be for sure was to have them go in and if its there, they'd fix it... and replace or remove band another option was to replace the band with the sleeve. And so I had the sleeve put in Dec 2012. I would suggest you have them to a endoscopy, which is something you should have once a year with the band, that no one told me about.. but its like an xray where they look down your throat and make sure everything is ok. It is very painless & only takes abt 5 minutes or less.

hi there... thanks for this. i will make a note of it all. The more i understand about what could be goign on the better equipped i will be when i see the dr tomorrow. im wondering if he will just remove some of th fill for now and give me a week or two to see how successful that is. im guessing thats what will happen. So you had the sleeve done? how painful was it?? are you happy with it all??

a806514: My original Dr. was Dr. R. Williams (Columbus, Ga. but was suspended and then relocated......LONG story!). My Dr. now is S. Steinberg in Decatur, Ga. The plan was for a revision. What worries me is that there was no mention in my denial paperwork about the problems I am having. I have not talked to my Dr. yet but I am hoping we can fight it. Thanks for the reply and encouragement. I will keep you posted!

Hi Judych, I had this problem last year and it occurred every time I ate though. (my back would hurt) I wld back to my lap band surgeon, and they put me on some ulcer medication and it went away. But I fould out that I had a bateria infection due to a possible hernia on the top of my band.. and the only way to be for sure was to have them go in and if its there, they'd fix it... and replace or remove band another option was to replace the band with the sleeve. And so I had the sleeve put in Dec 2012. I would suggest you have them to a endoscopy, which is something you should have once a year with the band, that no one told me about.. but its like an xray where they look down your throat and make sure everything is ok. It is very painless & only takes abt 5 minutes or less.

another bad day. i cant wait to see the dr tomorrow. IM so miserable. reading your post i can see where your back played up when you ate. My pain is with me all the time. i had a bad night last night as well... kept wanting to vomit and bringing bile. i ended up with an extra pillow under my head... plus extra quick eze. It did settle about 2am . when i eat i have the discomfort in the region of the band as well as the sweeping backache that is with me all the time. ive been looking at my assessment chart that i get each time i go to the dr. on the 6th march i had 0.5 mls put in, up from 4 mls. Im thinking that i should have one ml taken out and i will ask if i can have some meds for possible inflammation. Its not the same dr that did the op but his partner. i havent had a lot to do with this one. i wish i were seeing my main dr actually but i have to get in quickly and he isnt available. im thinking of writing things down so i wont forget the symptoms im feeling. i dont want to miss anything that may tell him a different story. Im feeling so much more encouraged just talking on here about it. thanks for your contribution.

another bad day. i cant wait to see the dr tomorrow. IM so miserable. reading your post i can see where your back played up when you ate. My pain is with me all the time. i had a bad night last night as well... kept wanting to vomit and bringing bile. i ended up with an extra pillow under my head... plus extra quick eze. It did settle about 2am . when i eat i have the discomfort in the region of the band as well as the sweeping backache that is with me all the time. ive been looking at my assessment chart that i get each time i go to the dr. on the 6th march i had 0.5 mls put in, up from 4 mls. Im thinking that i should have one ml taken out and i will ask if i can have some meds for possible inflammation. Its not the same dr that did the op but his partner. i havent had a lot to do with this one. i wish i were seeing my main dr actually but i have to get in quickly and he isnt available. im thinking of writing things down so i wont forget the symptoms im feeling. i dont want to miss anything that may tell him a different story. Im feeling so much more encouraged just talking on here about it. thanks for your contribution.

..more on the post above mine. you said that you were treated for an ulcer.. then it was found that it was a bacterial infection... how did they find that out ...?? I'm interested to know what they did...

..more on the post above mine. you said that you were treated for an ulcer.. then it was found that it was a bacterial infection... how did they find that out ...?? I'm interested to know what they did...

JUDYCH* Please keep me posted. I'm really curious to know if taking your liquid out makes you feel any better!

What treatment ws used to remedy the pain? I have been banded for 10+ years. It was not a sucessful in weight loss. I just stopped going for fills and sort of forgot about band. I started have severe mid back pain. I ended up at Kaiser they performed 2 cat scans one with contrast, 1 MRI and now they are going to do an upper GI. I found this site over the week end and now believe it is the lapband. If I get in a car OMG the pain is so intense. This pain has been going on for 3 weeks I am exhasted from it. I belong to Kaiser so must get refferal before going to a specialist. I also started the KETO diet 4 months ago and have lost 25 pounds. At first I thought it was attributed to that. I hated the thought of being told I had to stop diet it is the first sucess I have had in years. Is anyone here a kaiser member?

Is it possible that you have developed gallstones?

I finally had my band removed July 2018. Had to self pay. Haven’t had insurance that covers the band in years so I finally just bit the bullet and had it removed.

Sadly, I still have issues with food getting stuck and being uncomfortable after I eat. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with gastroparesis so that helped me push forward with removal. Part of my symptoms might be because of that.

Hope you guys get some relief!

Good thing you are in Georgia instead of Fall River Mass. That would bring us a whole new set of problems
Hope your insides smooth down and recover, then if you want to revise, your body will be healed enough to let you..