I was banded Nov 15, 2010 and had success for 11 months! I was down 60 pounds and felt fabulous that I could achieve success on this journey!

What changed? My stress level was a definite change. When I worry I internalize my feelings and in turn I have found that I caused anxiety! This anxiety for some reason tightens my band to the point where I can't eat, drink or lay down to sleep. It has caused me to be out of work sick or leave work in excruciating pain to head to the ER. I have had my band unfilled 6 times over the last 16 months.

To date my band has been empty since the last unfill on March 10, 2013. I have even talked to my surgeon about a revision but my insurance company will not pay for it unless there is a failure with the band.

So the bottom line is how do I get back on track with my band and reduce these episodes which I turn will help me lose weight. I have gained back 25 pounds in the last 9 months.

I look back at where I was three years ago and my eating habits have not reverted back. I work out at the gym and meet with my trainer on a weekly basis. My food consumption used to include multiples cans of Coke and Wendy's drive thru. Any of those things make me sick and I can't stand them.

Please help me figure out what to do. My doctor has never come across this and I am not sure he believes me that the anxiety & stress is the cause of these episodes. Just ask my family....they have witnessed it and my daughter was amazed the first time in the ER of how quick the unfill relieves all the pain etc.

Thanks for listening and I hope to hear from this supportive community soon!!!

Stacy

I can relate somewhat to your post; I have not been 100% successful with my band . . . . LOTS of Fills and UNfills

Then, I started experience severe anxiety (almost felt like a panic attack). My primary care physician put me on Wellbutrin and it has helped tremendously.

Good luck on your journey

You need to have a barium swallow. I had two episodes of extreme pain that sent me to the ER. An unfill relieved the pain tremendously. After the second unfill I insisted upon a barium swallow before we started to fill again... it showed a slip that was severe enough that I had to have surgery again.

The doctor ordered a barium swallow when this problem started because he thought there was a slip but everything looked fine. He would like to proceed with a fill under fluoroscopy.

The doctor ordered a barium swallow when this problem started because he thought there was a slip but everything looked fine. He would like to proceed with a fill under fluoroscopy.

I was just going to suggest the fluro fill.

Sounds like you have been too tight and maybe eating more slider foods, Soups, mush things etc.

There is a lot of us who will agree completely about stress and anxiety tightening the band. Thats why I want to stay a little to the loser side, to be able to handle the stress tightening.

I want to be able to eat solid protiens.

Good luck with your fluro. Let us know how things work out.

I have the Realize band and have had at the most 7cc in it. The last time we unfilled it had 4cc. I know that isn't tight enough for me.

I have been working with a therapist since Jan so maybe this will help my next fill which is on Thursday. Hopefully he starts at 2cc

Thanks for all your support. I have felt very frustrated & alone with these issues so I decided to turn to the boards where we all have bands.

Stacy

I can relate to the anxiety, it sent me to the ER last Friday with chest pains. I have since went to my MD and now starting with Viibryd to help control it. I am on day 5 and already can tell its helping a bit.

I also take viibryd. An anxiety med might be a good option too. Try talking to your doctor about one of those. I take them and it helps a lot

Thanks. I will mention it to my dr when I see her on Monday!!

Have you ever tried Xanax? It seems to be magic for me when I'm suffering from anxiety.

Today I had a fill of 3cc!! It was empty for 3.5 months & I hope this is the jump start I need. I don't think my dr believes the stress/anxiety restricts it. I am going to make this work because I need it to. There are no other options.

I have my Xanax for now but hopefully my family dr can prescribe something else due to the side effects.

Thank you to everyone for your support!!

First of all, good luck and best wishes.

Secondly - I am not a doctor or anyway involved in the medical profession so my comments may be completely off track (even if well-intentioned). Have you or are you working on the underlying causes of your anxiety and alternate ways of dealing with stress rather than just treating the symptoms.

Thanks SageTracey. I am working with a therapist to help with the anxiety & stress!! She also specializes with food addiction & Wls

I shouldn't really jump in because I am not banded yet...I will be in 6 days. BUT, I struggle with extreme anxiety and occasional depression. I am a huge proponent of medication. I am on Effexor as well as Clonopin, which in the last 3 months have changed me from being almost unable to leave the house without an attack to a normal functioning person. The best part is, that the Effexor works so well for me, that I rarely need the rescue clonopin anymore. I am hoping I don't have regression when banded, but if I do, we will work through it. I do have to change my dose from an extended release to immediate release and that starts next week, hoping that won't mess me up now that we have found such a great med for me. I can't crush the Ex release so it won't be an option for me anymore as the pills are pretty big. Best of luck with your anxiety. You aren't alone!!!

What is vilbryd?

Viibryd is a SSRI used to treat anxiety/depression.