Help! Lap Band Veteren With Food And Fluid Consumption Issues...

[liberteh 0]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading posts here for a long time, but this it is the first time I'm having an issue that there doesn't seem to be someone else's sage advice on already. So I've registered and am making my first post! I'm over 2 years post op and have lost over 100 pounds with the Band. I'm curious if anyone has had any similar experiences as to what I'm going through right now...

A little more than 48 hours ago I started having trouble keeping solids down. Initially I was fine with liquids and softs like yogurt. By the time dinner (Sunday) came along I could not keep any solids or softs down and after the consequences of trying settled I was also having issues with fluids. I can take fluids in small amounts, it took me all day yesterday to work through a 20oz bottle of Cytomax Protien Drink. Liquids are going down slowly, but if I take too big a sip I get a lot of pressure and gurgling.

This morning, I ent to the doc. I had a flourscopy, all looked fine, though the barium didn't go down easy, it still went down, much like my liquids, I had to take it slow and had a lot of gurgling and burping after. We unfilled the band a little bit, hoping it might allow my Fluid and soft intake to increase. Six hours later, still no luck.

Ultimately I am at a loss here. The band has been great, and I've had my share of struggles with First Bite issues and generally getting stuck on stuff as I've gone through the learning curve. I've even survived a bout with the flu. But this is unreal.

When I drink a sip of a hot or cold drink, it does not feel normal as it goes down. I don't have a fever, no one else I've shared meals with recently has become sick (ala food poisoning), and I'm just out of ideas. Does anyone have any thoughts on what this could be all about?

[feliciadawn 22]

This sounds scary to me! If you can't even keep liquids down, you could get dehydrated. I would go back to my doc and get a complete unfill and see if that helps. It seems strange that the doc said everything was fine, but you can't keep anything down..

[gramgram 0]

I've had a similar experience this past 2 weeks. Sometimes I can eat a little and do fine, then after 30 minutes or so, burping. Then other times I can not even drink anything? I was afraid I might have a slip....

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Wow that's a confusing and hard one!

I'm just throw out some guesses in case one gives you an "ah ha!" moment:

I know your doctor checked the band (btw, very wise move!), could you possibly have a hiatal hernia?

What about gall bladder?

Are you having any Constipation issues?

Or do you have any abdominal hernias?

If I were in your shoes, I might even request an upper GI. The barium swallow will show your band placement and how things pass through it, but it won't show other problems with your stomach that aren't necessarily band related but can be aggravated by the band.

Good luck to you, I really hope someone helps you figure it out.

[Baba Wawa 543]

I had this problem last June, had a complete unfill, after 3 weeks of babying my band I was able to eat, but I'm still pretty restricted. I have lost 17 lb since my unfill. Since you still cannot eat or drink easily, you probably need ALL your fill removed. I don't know how much you have in your band, but mine was almost completely closed with only 3.5cc in my 11cc band. This happened more than a year following my second fill of 2 of .5cc. It's better to have your band doc take it all out than risk messing up your band getting it unfilled in the ER.

[Jachut 487]

My guess would be that when you've had an episode like that, unfilling s the right thing to o but it's not going to provide immediate relief because your stomach is swollen and inflamed. You need a few days of luquids to let it settle. YOu might need to remove all the Fluid or a while if it's really not settling.

You've seen it on x ray and you know it hasn't slipped so I'd bet money it's just inflammation.

For te first day or so stick with really thin fluids.