I have done relatively well on the band - I have lost around 105 lbs. I lost a bit more than that a while ago, but some crept on and in recent months it has stabilized at a net loss of 105 lbs. Many people would more or less pay anything to accomplish that.

But since my surgery in Feb 2010, my experience has been up and down - particularly with GERD sometimes an issue, and the way the band is sometimes much tighter for no apparent reason. I have got used to having to spew up my food. It is definitely not a normal eating experience once you have had the band - and I find I really need to stay in places where I have a toilet to be sick in fairly close. Eg a friend took me to a Chinese buffet - and I could only eat one plateful, although it was "all you can eat", and had to do that very carefully, for fear of having to make an emergency vomit trip to the restroom.

Also now I have lost a lot, I can exercise more freely and would like to do it via exercise from now on.

But in recent day, I have a much more unpleasant problem emerging - waking up with my mouth filling up with saliva - like I am drowning in my own saliva. This is not acid - it's not regular reflux - the fluid is just my saliva, or is tasteless - but it is nonetheless alarming. And I go to bed rather fearful now, wondering if I am going to drown in my own saliva in my sleep. Last night, I was woken up EVERY FIVE MINUTES by a mouthful of saliva - and this is just no way to carry on. I believe this water in the mouth is called "water brash", but it cannot be addressed by indigestion tablets - as it is nothing to do with acidity.

It feels like stuff is not moving through my stomach properly - it is sitting there just below my oesophagus in such a way that I cannot "burp" - there is sickly fluid of partly digested food immediately the other side that will come up if I attempt to burp. This is the worst problem I have had since I started the band. And to make it worse, I can only drink fluids at the moment - and even soup sits there and some of it has to come back up.

I have booked in for a complete unfill on Thursday to see if the problem is solved by that - and unfortunately I don't have the money for a band removal at present - but as soon as I do have in 2013, it is coming straight out.

I am in the UK and the Hospital Group charges £5,000 (US$8,000) for a band removal, the same price as for putting a band in, despite the fact there is nothing to put in. It must be easier to remove?? But this website - http://www.obesity-s...-procedure.html - implies they can remove a band for 1500 euros (1940 dollars, 1200 pound sterling), although it requires a trip to Belgium. I don't know if that price is historic, or only for those whose bands were put in by them. But I want to find out - as they are the ones who are doing my unfill on Thursday in their Manchester clinic so I will ask them about their removal prices.

Has anyone else had this water in the mouth problem? I am ill at the moment with an abscess on my back, and I have taken a week's course of penicillin, which seemed to cause my oesophagus to swell up. Is it possible that illness-related stress is causing the water in the mouth?

No cant say i have....but If I ate a whole plateful of food at a Chinese buffet I bet I would. You have a successful loss going... Why not go back to portion control and get a slight unfill instead of a complete and see if that helps?

Well, I only have a ten minute slot for my band unfill, but I will attempt to explain everything to the clinic and see what they advise!

Well, I only have a ten minute slot for my band unfill, but I will attempt to explain everything to the clinic and see what they advise!

Hopefully they will offer they help you need.

I agree with Floridays and go with a slight unfill. If you are vomiting on a regular basis and food is getting stuck, you're too tight. If food is sticking in your Esophagus I would think that would make you slime.

Keep us posted on what the Dr says!

It sounds like you may be sliming from being too tight or possibly even a slipped band. I wouldn't completely give up on the band and would also suggest getting a slight unfill rather than having all the fluid removed. You shouldn't feel sick if the band is filled and positioned correctly.