I've been banded for 2 years now, and have not had many problems other than heartburn occasionally. I've lost 80 pounds and my band has been completely unfilled for about 8 or 9 months because I had a tumor removed on my salivary gland. I've even lost weight with my band being unfilled because my stomach is shrunk, so I don't really have a reason to get it filled. Anyways, yesterday I ate some shredded wheat for breakfast and it gave me the worst heartburn I've ever experienced in my whole life. It was stabbing pain in my chest. I kept burping and that helped, but today I'm sore and my stomach is hurting where my band is. I figured I needed to do liquids for a few days to see if that would help. Has anyone ever experienced this before or have any suggestions?

You must must must see your doctor.

I can no longer handle breads (shredded would do the same for me) because it gives me heartburn no matter how much I chew. It gets stuck, starts to burn and I have to stop, stand up walk around and then when I finally start hiccuping I start feeling better. But I'll tell you what...it brings meal time to a sudden halt. I must have a look on my face because everyone knows when it's happening!

Doctor told me that heartburn is serious and can lead to esophageal cancer if not treated. And not unusual for banded people.