It was suggested to me that I post here regarding my complications with my Lap-Band.

I haven't checked to see which LBT member has had a Lap-Band the longest amount of time, but I am sure that I am up there.

September, 2002: Weight = 327

Today: weight = 232

But that is the good part.

The bad part is:

#1. I lost from 327 to about 260 by the end of the year. I then fluctuated between 265 and 245 until April of this year.

#2. I started having very bad gastric reflux problems and in a attempt to self-cure myself, I am now down to 232, but having problems which could be life threatening.

Let me explain (I will do it in chronological order rather than in order of importance):

Everything was going fine until the second band adjustment in November 2002. Then I had my first PB attacks. I was told that it happens sometimes.

The frustrating thing about the PB attacks is that I have no way of gauging when they will happen. I can eat x amount of food y one day and get the PB's. Another day, I can eat 4x of y with no problem.

PB's can so debilitating, that I spend my concentration on avoiding them rather than losing weight or eating healthy at times. I was told to drink a cup of Water about 30 minutes prior to eating and then no liquids until a minimum of 2 hours after the meal. Whether I drank the water before the meals or not, I found that PB's happened too often. I also found that warm liquid sometimes shortened the PB attack.

Eventually, all my meals were soupy type stews. I know I was defeating the Lap-Band's effect by washing food from the upper pouch to the lower stomach, but if it kept the PB's away, I was happy.

I would listen to the doctor's advice on PB's, but usually after a month of failure, I would go back to my own methods. Positional changes, liquids, etc were tried. I did what I had to do. I will try the method suggested in the Possible Solution for PB's and restriction pain thread when I get a chance. Hopefully, I'll never need to have to check it out.

I had the surgery in Brooklyn, NY. I moved from Brooklyn to Florida about 14 months later. The closest doctor that takes my insurance is 101.64 miles away. I say takes my insurance, but there is a problem there. When I had the surgery performed, I was on COBRA, now I am retired. The insurance paid for the surgery, but the retirement plan claims that I am not covered for Bariatric surgery or complications. It is the same plan, I say, but they disagree. That means for a band adjustment, the insurance will not pay, but they will pay for the endoscopy. I went from February 2003 until January 2005 without seeing a doctor because of the insurance and distance problems. My fill-port is difficult to find, so they do it in radiology which jacks up the price.

Since going to the doctor in Florida for the first time in January 2005, I had had two band adjustments and an endoscopy Until this April. Whenever I had a bad PB attack ("bad" defined as over 2 hours before I stop regurgitating), I found that PB attacks were more prevalent in the next few days, so I would use the same eating regiment as if I had a band tightening and then after about 2 weeks, I would start eating normally. Normally for me though is over-eating for a Lap-Band patient, though not eating like I did before getting the Lap-Band. My wife and I usually share one meal in a restaurant (plus we don't eat the bread or desert). Prior to the Lap-Band, I would eat one meal and then finish what would have been my wife's "doggie-bag" from her meal including bread.

My big problem weight-wise is that I get the munchies at night. If I am doing things on my PC, I can go for hours (or days) without eating, but once I sit down to watch the TV, I wear a path between my recliner and the kitchen.

I started having gastric reflux attacks about 18 months ago. I am now taking two Nexiums per day. But recently the attacks became more prevalent and stronger. It got to the point that last Saturday, I spent the night sitting in my recliner and I was still waking up with my mouth full and sometimes there was Fluid coming out of my nose. Tums and Pepto Bismal were used alternately and continually. I went 4 days without eating. I would drink 8 oz. of soymilk in the morning, 8 oz. of V8 juice around noon and a cup or two of water during the day. And I still had the reflux problem. I called the Bariatric clinic that is 100 miles from my home and they said come in today (Monday, June 5, 2006). They removed all the fluid from my band and I finally had 2 nights without reflux.

Tomorrow, they will do an endoscopy on me.

Oh well.. she has to go too then. *snickers and snorts*

Hi Tired,

Your symptoms sound VERY similar to what happened to me, but I didn't wait long to have them addressed. For a solid month earlier this year I had reflux to the point of regurgitation while sitting in a recliner. It was awful!

I had an endoscopy which diagnosed...a too-tight band and esophagitis. A "complete" unfill has completely resolved my reflux, and a barium test three weeks after the unfill showed my band to be in great position. My esophagus was a bit "prominent" which is something my surgeon wants to follow up on, but for now I'm thrilled to be reflux-free.

It's now been about three months since my unfill and I'm starting to think about another fill. My hunger is manageable for now, but I can tell it's going to get harder and harder to do. However, I don't expect miracles from my band and if this is how it's going to be that's OK with me. As long as I don't have to have it removed I'll continue to be a very happy bandster.

Maybe you need a fill??? You should not be able to eat large quantities of solid food (but you knew that, right?).

Sounds like you've been through the wringer. I'm with those who think you may have a slippage going on. That reflux issue is very serious. Aspiration pneumonia is serious business. :eek: I'm betting if there is no slippage, you at least have some serious esophagitis going on. Please keep us posted!

Oh well.. she has to go too then. *snickers and snorts*

Next month will be our 39th Anniversary. I think I'll have to keep her, at least until I get my anniversary gift.

*laughs* Congratulations on your 39 years! I hope you get a very nice present. And just a suggestion... hang on to your woman. It's not easy to find someone willing to stick around for that long.

*laughs* Congratulations on your 39 years! I hope you get a very nice present. And just a suggestion... hang on to your woman. It's not easy to find someone willing to stick around for that long.

Especially with me.:help:

I understand the emotional eating. Healthy choices don't fix it for me. Have you thought about overeaters anonymous? This group focuses on the compulisve nature. I hate it. I think most of us are compulsive eaters. We have to find the tricks to keep us out of the kitchen especially at night. It sure makes a big difference to write down what and how much you eat. it makes us face the reality of what we are putting in our mouth. Hang in there. My heart is with you.

I really hope everything gets better for you. Like was said "noone should have to live like that." : ) You sound like a wonderful and determined man and I wish you the best! Just remember you are retired, and you have done enough work in your life, and it sounds like you are working again trying to keep this lap-band. So try to be happy , and if it makes you miserable, is it worth it? I know you said you would do it over again, but...wow you must be really determined. I wish you the best and I will pray for you to take this pain away. And by the way congrats on your weightloss already..

Has anyone tryed Hoodia? This Lap-Band would be so much more successful with an appetite supressor. I get so hungry sometimes.

Ive tried Hoodia, but didnt get much out of it. I AM taking 1/2 a Tenuate daily - it definately helps. As long as I take it with a little food, Im not jittery.

Also - regarding the Nexium. Ive had problems with reflux too. The Nexium was a nightmare for me while trying to treat the reflux. Go figure! OTC Prilosec seems to be my potion.

Good luck.

Hi everyone:

I had my endoscopy. The doctor said everything was normal, except for a little gastritis. He took a biopsy of my upper stomach wall to be check for "H. pylori". If it is positive, that might explain the gastric reflux attacks that I have been having and it can be treated with a regiment of antibiotics.

I hope others with reflux problems can benefit from that knowledge. My wife had told me about a month ago that her friend had told her of horrible gastric reflux attacks and after she was checked for "H. pylori" and treated with antibiotics, she finally had relief. My wife's friend suggested to my wife that I be tested for "H. pylori", but I never got around to it. My reflux problem was really exacerbated recently when I was taking an antibiotic (clindamycin) for a infected finger-nail. maybe the clindamycin caused a reaction with an infection. My face swelled up, I felt lethargic and I had a rash on my stomach, so I called to get a different antibiotic. When I stopped the clindamycin and switched to the different antibiotic, the reflux improved, but was still very bad.

My wife and I are staying at our friend's home, 15 miles from the hospital. I was in no condition to drive the 101 miles to our home tonight.

Hi everyone:

I had my endoscopy. The doctor said everything was normal, except for a little gastritis.

My reflux problem was really exacerbated recently when I was taking an antibiotic (clindamycin) for a infected finger-nail. maybe the clindamycin caused a reaction with an infection. My face swelled up, I felt lethargic and I had a rash on my stomach, so I called to get a different antibiotic. When I stopped the clindamycin and switched to the different antibiotic, the reflux improved, but was still very bad.

Hi Tired,

Glad to hear everything was normal except for gastritis - what does your doctor have you doing to clear that up? I'm curious because my doctor thinks I may have some mild gastritis going on.

I think you may have hit on something there - the fact that your face swelled up leads me to wonder if you didn't have swelling elsewhere, like your stomach, that led to this cycle of eat-PB-swell-eat-PB-swell thats going on. I'm very much interested to know about the test results and the possible antibiotic treatment.

Glad you're on your way to health and comfort, please keep us posted on your progress.

BTW, there are so few men here on LBT you're practically guaranteed of your own harem in no time! lol Don't worry Jack, your harem is quite loyal!

Don't worry Jack, your harem is quite loyal!

For now, maybe, but just like my eating problem, I want it all.

Hey Tired! Glad to hear that your endoscopy turned out okay! I hope you soon have permenant relief from the Gastritis and Acid Reflux, I know that can be painful! Please keep us posted on LBT, you are a rarity around here: male and long-term banded. I'm sure us "newbies" can learn a lot from you and in turn offer you tremendous support in your journey. Best of luck, and feel better soon!

NEWS FLASH!!

A tired old man and a salty old sea pirate were both arrested today by LBT police for disturbing the peace. Eyewitnesses say the two were engaged in a heated battle over a group of women who cheered them on. When asked for comments, the pirate simply said, "Arrrg!" and the tired old man just yawned. After the two were taken away, the women flocked around a mystery man named BIG. He was last seen grinning from ear to ear and proclaiming "nuff said!".