Long-Term Effects

[Mekiger 2]

Does anyone have any long term problems with their lap band? I have had my lap band for over 4 years and had a couple of things go wrong with the actual surgery but it was all fixed. Since then i have only lost 40 lbs. but the weight is not bothering me what's bothering me now is all my stomach issues. I have ulcers in my stomach and in my intestines, I belch all the time (which is so embarrassing) i have gas problems and just anything related to gastric issues and most doctors are so hestiant to touch you as a lap band patient that its so frustrating! SoI have tried looking online to see if there was much research on long term effects of the lap band but I can't seem to fine anything So I am here asking if anyone else is experiencing the same issues or different issues. Please help!

[#MagicWithinme 173]

I too have tried looking up long term, deaths anything related on the downside of a lapband and there is nothing. I think I find out more information on these community talk forums. I've barely been banded 10 days so I'm barely starting... let us know if you find anything!

[Mekiger 2]

Thank you and I will! And I should add I had NO problems before my surgery so. But thank you for the support!

[Mekiger 2]

Thank you and I will! And I should add I had NO problems before my surgery But thank you for the support!

[elcee 3,343]

The ulcers are unlikely to have been caused by the band.

A stomach or gastric ulcer is a break in the tissue lining the stomach. The term 'peptic ulcer' refers to those that occur in either the stomach or the first part of the small intestine that leads out of the stomach, called the duodenum.

It was once commonly thought that stress, smoking and diet were the principal causes of stomach ulcers. However, the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium is now known to be responsible for most duodenal ulcers and 60 per cent of stomach ulcers. The H. pylori bacterium also prompts many symptoms of dyspepsia, or indigestion

.

[elcee 3,343]

Excess wind does seem to be an issue post band. But at least you are burping and not farting.

You can reduce the amount of burping by the way you eat and what you eat.

Make sure you are eating slowly, chew well etc. Always making sure you chew with your mouth closed as well because wind is caused partly by swallowing excess air.

Avoid foods that ferment in the stomach and cause lots of gas. Onions, Beans, eggs, cabbage

Also low carb diets often result in excess gas. Herewith a link to an interesting article from livestrong that explains why

http://www.livestrong.com/article/300356-gas-bloating-in-a-low-carb-diet/

[Peggy Conway 0]

Does anyone have any long term problems with their lap band? I have had my lap band for over 4 years and had a couple of things go wrong with the actual surgery but it was all fixed. Since then i have only lost 40 lbs. but the weight is not bothering me what's bothering me now is all my stomach issues. I have ulcers in my stomach and in my intestines, I belch all the time (which is so embarrassing) i have gas problems and just anything related to gastric issues and most doctors are so hestiant to touch you as a lap band patient that its so frustrating! SoI have tried looking online to see if there was much research on long term effects of the lap band but I can't seem to fine anything So I am here asking if anyone else is experiencing the same issues or different issues. Please help!

Hello, I have had my band going on 4 years now and I have had to have my Fluid removed once due to band too tight. I won't do that again because I gained a tone of weight back. freaked me out! I started out before band at 270 lbs and when I got fluid removed was at 118. I know I was too skinny but i loved it! I loved the feeling it gave me. I didn't feel good physically of course but mentally I was on cloud nine. But I don't want to be that way again. I am now a comfortable 156 to 160. It varies. As far as anything else goes no problems. I think I am too tight now cuz I can't eat much veggies or anything bulky like that. I belch alot too and i asked if he had many ppl complain about that and he said he did. I don't understand what causes it. I do notice that I do it more when i have ate something and its hung up. I don't think your going to find long term effects cuz it hasn't been out that long. Good luck to ya!

[MichelleD 1]

I will have had my band 4 years this coming August. I have had a lot of side effects from my band. I go in next Monday for an Endoscopy to see if I have erosion or a slip. I've been having issues lately with pain in my port and band area, back pain with eating and lots of nausea.

I didn't have any problems with belching until I got my band completely unfilled last Friday! I've burped more this week than I have in four years! It's very odd.

I am hoping that after my appt on Monday that I will know when I can get this thing out! I lost 60 pounds in the first year I had my band and was SO SICK, physically speaking.

I threw up multiple times a day, my hair started falling out, and I developed extremely bad acne (I hardly ever got pimples before my surgery). This can all be connected with malnutrition.

I eventually got a large unfill after being filled too tight (I lost 7lbs in 3 days after not even being about to swallow my spit) and since then I have gained back 25lbs but feel much better, although I still often feel weak and tired and at times have trouble eating.

Can I just say that I am looking forward to getting this out!

I really hope things with your band work out!

All the best to you.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

I've been banded almost 4-1/2 years. I had a band slip that was cured by a complete unfill and rest period. While in the process of getting re-filled, I found out my port had flipped, which was fixed with outpatient surgery. Since then I've been fine except for night cough, occasional reflux at night, and sometimes the urgent desire to burp, but I can't. I'm having an upper endsocopy on Monday and hopefully an upper GI study next week. My own theory is that my current symptoms are related to my untreated hiatal hernia (that my original surgeon was supposed to fix, but didn't), not my band.

I understand what you mean about doctors being reluctant to touch band patients, but what about your bariatric surgeon? Can he/she not help you figure all of this out and/or treat you?

Jean

[elcee 3,343]

That is quite interesting Jean. A number of times preband I was told I might have reflux - only symptom was a nighttime sore throat. I had also been told at various times that I probably had a hiatal hernia but it was never officially diagnosed.

Dietician at my Dr's practice told me that once you are banded you could not have hernia problems which I now realise is completely incorrect.

The past couple of months I have had an issue with the burning throat again and once or twice I have woken up being unable to swallow or with that sour liquid in my mouth. I have been put on Nexium by my GP. The other possibility was that the symptoms were caused by post nasal drip/allergies although I do not have any typical hayfever symptoms.I have discussed this with my new surgeon(closer and more convenient). He does not believe I have a slip as I am eating without issues/pain/not PBing very often and can eat just about anything. He did say though that he did not want to give me a topup fill at this point because of the issues so I need to wait until I see him in 6 months. If I have more issues in the meantime then he will run tests.

But having read your comment I now think that it probably had something to do with my hernia that they never tested for and never fixed.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

That is quite interesting Jean. A number of times preband I was told I might have reflux - only symptom was a nighttime sore throat. I had also been told at various times that I probably had a hiatal hernia but it was never officially diagnosed.

Dietician at my Dr's practice told me that once you are banded you could not have hernia problems which I now realise is completely incorrect.

The past couple of months I have had an issue with the burning throat again and once or twice I have woken up being unable to swallow or with that sour liquid in my mouth. I have been put on Nexium by my GP. The other possibility was that the symptoms were caused by post nasal drip/allergies although I do not have any typical hayfever symptoms.I have discussed this with my new surgeon(closer and more convenient). He does not believe I have a slip as I am eating without issues/pain/not PBing very often and can eat just about anything. He did say though that he did not want to give me a topup fill at this point because of the issues so I need to wait until I see him in 6 months. If I have more issues in the meantime then he will run tests.

But having read your comment I now think that it probably had something to do with my hernia that they never tested for and never fixed.

I'll bet it's your hernia.

When I was researching Bandwagon, a few bariatric surgeons said that the band can, but is not guaranteed, to prevent reflux, and also that hiatal hernias are associated with band slips and other complications or side effects. I have an acquaintance whose reflux was cured by her band surgery,but since she also had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time, it's hard to say whether her band or the hernia repair is responsible for that cure.

Is the Nexium helping?

[elcee 3,343]

I've been taking it for about a month and the situation seems to have improved. But as the problem was something that would bother me periodically and not constantly it is difficult to tell.

[Jachut 487]

Hello, I have had my band going on 4 years now and I have had to have my Fluid removed once due to band too tight. I won't do that again because I gained a tone of weight back. freaked me out! I started out before band at 270 lbs and when I got Fluid removed was at 118. I know I was too skinny but i loved it! I loved the feeling it gave me. I didn't feel good physically of course but mentally I was on cloud nine. But I don't want to be that way again. I am now a comfortable 156 to 160. It varies. As far as anything else goes no problems. I think I am too tight now cuz I can't eat much veggies or anything bulky like that. I belch alot too and i asked if he had many ppl complain about that and he said he did. I don't understand what causes it. I do notice that I do it more when i have ate something and its hung up. I don't think your going to find long term effects cuz it hasn't been out that long. Good luck to ya!

Ok, so everyone assumes that problems after the band will be physical. But I too have been "too skinny" - not entirely as a result of the band but because of cancer too - and I too loved it. I fought tooth and nail to stay that way, despite the advice of my doctors, and my family. And even despite my best efforts (I was unfilled), I did gradually gain a bit, not quite up to pre cancer weight but I have really been affected by that regain - heck it was only 12 lb or so - and have finally at the old age of 44 ended up in the psychologists office. To me, as a perfectionisit, there is no such thing as too thin and I know logically that I have no need to lose more weight, no need to eat restrictively and every right and reason to relax and enjoy eating now that I am a normal weight and have a band to keep portions under control. I feel 'gross' at 145lb and 5ft 10. I truly feel fat.

I obviously have always been an overeater and sugar and I do not have a functional relationship. But I have never been a binge eater, anorexic, bulimic or had anythign that could be called an eating disorder. That has been brought on probably by the stress of cancer yes (I definitely used my weight as the only control I really had during active treatment) but also by the band and my success at weight loss - I wanted more more more success. I am really addicted to the high of standing on the scale and seeing that I weigh less than I did yesterday.

[readytogoforit 172]

my journey started because of the hiatal hernia. they told me I had to have surgery and I said let's put a band around that stomach too!

I had ulcers & reflux for years. I knew what to do to tame it, I chose not to. I kept drinking soda and coffee. last May my hemoglobin was down to 6.4, I had a transfusion and that's when they told me about the hernia. I thank God that my blood was so low, it made me stop and make some much needed changes.

I do not have any reflux since surgery. I suppose I still have stomach lesions & I am trying to heal them with raw juices. I started drinking them about 3 weeks ago. I have been reading about the healing effects of juice so we will see.

My mom died of colon cancer so I am hoping this will also be helpful for that probability.

I have never felt so good. hope things get better for you Mekiger.

[weightogo 2]

Does anyone have any long term problems with their lap band? I have had my lap band for over 4 years and had a couple of things go wrong with the actual surgery but it was all fixed. Since then i have only lost 40 lbs. but the weight is not bothering me what's bothering me now is all my stomach issues. I have ulcers in my stomach and in my intestines, I belch all the time (which is so embarrassing) i have gas problems and just anything related to gastric issues and most doctors are so hestiant to touch you as a lap band patient that its so frustrating! SoI have tried looking online to see if there was much research on long term effects of the lap band but I can't seem to fine anything So I am here asking if anyone else is experiencing the same issues or different issues. Please help!

Im finding this also.

I developed an ulcer last summer and so far the NHS doctors wont touch me because I have a band - a band that I did not have placed under the NHS.

After 6 months I was given the anitbiotic treatment to eradicate H Pylori, and there has been a fair bit of relief but I am still very sore and in pain.