I had my surgery about 1.5 years ago and have met my initial goal. (yeah!) I have a question though and I hope somone can offer an explanation. My last fill was in April of 2011 and I don't plan to have one anytime soon. There are weeks when everything is just fine with the band. I can eat healthy amounts of food as long as I eat slowly and chew my food well. Then I can go through a week where it seems impossible to eat anything. Does anyone know why this can happen out of the blue? This doesn't happen all the time. Just once and a while.

I had a really difficult week last week and even had a hard time with liquids. Then all of a sudden, this past Sunday, I was able to eat again. This happens to me every now and then and was wondering if anyone knew why this happens on occassion.

Thanks!

Darlene

I get that way right before my TOM. Mine only lasts about four days and then I am back to normal. Also sometimes stress can cause it.

I get that way right before my TOM. Mine only lasts about four days and then I am back to normal. Also sometimes stress can cause it.

Thank you. I have been quite stressed and have been ill as well. Perhaps this is why. I appreciate your feedback.

Just to add another angle someone on the forum mentioned about atmospheric pressure from the weather affected them, might be worth noting if its high pressure or low pressure ...

These are normal fluid shifts in the body making your band tighter or looser. Mine is very tight in the morning just as my wedding ring is and very loose in the evening just like my ring. It is also tighter when I am sick even just with a cold and many have said it is tighter when they are retaining fluid usually just before their period.

I am 2 years and 3 months post op and the same exact thing. Lost 40lbs, need to lose 50 more. My doc tightened my band slowly, so I haven't lost quickly. This past summer I was at a good spot and losing around 1/2 lbs a week consistantly. All of a sudden I had a problem. (I had taken a bite of grits) On day 3 of not being able to keep liquids down, I called the doc. Completely deflated band at the end of August. Started reinflation, under flouro, in October. Took it slow. . .again! Finally Jan. 3rd, I got the fill that was perfect. I was happy. Then, I got too hungry this past Friday afternoon, ate a chex mix and stuff started downhill. I kept not many liquids down on Saturday, but by Sunday I could keep down some liquids. Monday, liquids and some soup. (But, I did NOT push it) Today, I had a boost for breakfast, tried to eat some very mushy mashed potatoes for lunch and (as I type this) and suffering a little from that.(They will not go down without a fight. ) The good news is that I don't feel hungy and don't want food. I'm not going to call the doctor, because as long as I can keep liquids down, I'm okay with that. Good luck to you, I'm hoping to finally be at goal by end of this summer.

I agree with what everyone else has said...being sick can cause it, right before and during your period...stress. For me the biggest factor is water. If i don't get in a LOT of water, my band will be incredibly tight the next day.

Thank you. I have been quite stressed and have been ill as well. Perhaps this is why. I appreciate your feedback.

There is another answer in your statement "STRESS" is a major factor on that band tightening up

Anger, any thing that can upset you, will also cause this to happen.

Another one for some people is the Weather ! When a low pressure system comes threw, it can tighten it right up for you.

I agree stress can do terrible things to your body and band. Working out more when your really stressed out helps!

Cheri

Same thing happened to me around Xmas. It was horrible, my Dr said until I can come in for unfold, so drink hot liquids teas and soup. That most likely I had eaten something that swelled the tissue around my band. I good you feel better.

That is really interesting! Did he say it was something you ate or was it more related to not completely chewing your meal?

I agree, when I'm stressed I can go from eating to just about anything to suddenly having everything not agree with me. I've been on 4 weeks leave and got back to work yesterday to about a million emails, a tonne of work and whole tribes of people screaming for my time, and for the last two days I have eaten about what probably is the equivelant of about 1/2 cup of food at all meals, and they're all struggling to go down. In fact, last night, for the first time in I can't even remember how long, I got stuck and PB'ed.

I get tight at TOM too, and (and I asked this question once but no one seemed to have the same problem) but I get tight when I am...ahem... sexually active. I can't eat anything for about 4 hours after.

Also reading your post sdpressl, I thought I'd let you know that I'd had that experience too, but rather than unfill me, my dr told me my stoma was very swollen from vomitting, so to suck on ice cubes and eat nothing until the swelling went down in about a day. And the next time I got badly stuck, I needed to go straight onto liquids immediately after the episode and stay on it until I started getting hungry (signifying reduction in swelling).

Often we get stuck but at the next meal, we try to eat normally, and get stuck again, which irritates the stoma even more, and then it starts a vicious cycle where the stoma gets more and ore swollen. And pretty soon, not only can't we eat mushies, but we're not even holding down Water.

I don't know if you reverted to liquids or not, so I may be talking out of my butt when you already know all this, but just in case anyone else is reading who doesn't know, go easy once you get stuck, so as not to exacerbate it.

I am one month post op and it has happend to me twice. I have no idea why I have no explanation either

I've been banded a year, not near my goal yet, but I notice the amount I can eat changes. Somedays something will make me ultra full and it's painful, and other days it goes down fine, no gas, feels ok. Who knows!

Glad to hear I am not the only one. I appreciate everyone's feedback. I will try the icecubes when I can't get anything down...sometimes I can't even get the liquid down. This week...I am fine. I am really glad I asked this question. I haven't been on this board in a long time and I am glad I came back. It's really nice to connect with people again.

There are many factors that can affect your band. If I'm really stressed out, my band will self tighten and sometimes it will even cause it to slip. Also, if you travel often on a plane, it will also cause your band to tighten. (I learned that the hard way when I couldn't even keep my saliva down.)