Question?? How often do you puke or spit up?

I am pretty tight after my last fill in March. I just am wondering how often some of you spit up. I guess I do at least once a week..Sometimes once a day?

I do not want any fill removed but I don't like getting into the habit of spitting up. Normall if I do spit up I'll then be okay and return for my meal and eat more than I 'd like to?? Does that make any sense?

any help or suggestion please

Hi Ginger -

At the risk of repeating myself, throwing up is NOT normal, and puts a bandster at great risk for slippage.

If you're throwing up once a week for sure, and sometimes once a day, that is definitely too much. I have a feeling though that the throwing up is more due to your eating habits than being too tight - it sounds like once a week you forget and eat too fast, or don't chew well enough.

However, regardless of WHY you are throwing up - you need to find a way to stop it. Either fix your behaviours, or have an unfill. Otherwise, you may lose your band altogether.

JMHO.

Hi Ginger,

I agree with Donali. There are occasions where I just ate too fast or had one bite too many, and at those times something has to come back up. In the last four months that's maybe happened three times. I don't blame it on my fill at all; I blame it on me. It's painful and disconcerting, so I do my best to make sure it doesn't happen at all.

I think if it's happening so often that you are getting used to it, that's WAY TOO OFTEN. Either your fill or your habits need to be adjusted, because you are definitely running a risk of damaging your banded stomach.

I hate that fact that it has become easy for me to spit up more. I have really been watching everytime I eat to chew slow, take small bites and still after a few bites down I get this gag feeling. Sometimes if I just spit a few times not puke I'm okay??

I don't want to lose my band:phanvan HELL NO!!!

I guess I need more moist foods?

HELP HERE???

I real like being this tight. I am starting to lose again and want the weight lost to keep going..

since my last fill 2 weeks ago (3.4 cc's) not once, my fill before that one (3.2 cc's) 1-2 times in a month.

i can eat all meats and i do. i do usually add some type of sauce to help lube up the throat/band area, i mix in bites of veggies with bites of meats.

an unfill isnt a bad thing. dont sacrifice nutrition!!

You really, really have to be careful here. As everyone else said, throwing up is NOT a good thing. If you're following all of the bandster eating rules (tiny bites, chewing thoroughly, eating slowly, etc) and still throwing up at least once a week, you ARE TOO TIGHT. And going back to eat more after you throw up is never a good idea. Throwing up causes the stoma to swell, and most surgeons and experienced bandsters recommend staying on soft foods/liquids for the rest of the day.

In 14 months of banded life, I've thrown up 4 times. Once was one bite too many, once was a cranky stomach day (threw up after my first bite, dangit!) and twice was on those huge dayquil horse pills that I'll never, ever try to swallow again. Vomiting should really not become a daily or weekly thing, and if it does, you need to talk to your doctor about it right away.

Hello Ginger:

The only time I vomited is when I had the stomach flu (shortly after being banded). I have had the band 3 1/2 months. I do, however, get extremely uncomfortable when; I either eat too fast, too much or take too big of a bite. I have never PB'd and hope to keep it that way.............good luck Gabby

Hi --

I'm guilty of going through phases of frequent or ocassional vomiting. It's usually for the reasons everyone mentions -- food too fast, too much, too big...

I have also helped it along -- which I know is awful, but I'll be so darn uncomfortable and that's the only remedy. I never had any issues of purging or frequent vomiting before the band. I've worked with a nutrionist for years and she's aware of it. I document all my food every day and include a note on any vomiting episodes so we can figure out what's triggering it.

This typically happens in the weeks immediately following a fill -- and then stops.

The best negative re-inforcement for trying to avoid vomiting is the prospect of slippage or other complications.

Be careful!

Elizabeth

8-28-03

-45

I see that it is your 3rd fill. I had the same problems with my 3rd too. I didn't get an unfill, my insurance company gets a little finiky about paying for that and it is out of town. I basically had to be on all liquids for about 4 weeks. Now I can eat just about anything again (2 months later). I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, but, it will relax eventually. I am just telling you how my experience went

after three months of on and off vomiting, I just found out last week my band has slipped slightly...apparently not enough that we're ready to go back to surgery...

Iwent back and checked my food journals where I also record incidents of PB's or vomiting. I was averaging 2-3 times a week. But I think we get a false sense of security because it's the contents of the pouch -- not a traditional, retching barf. We think it's okay, nothing jolted out of place down there. And, we're losing weight....

After about a month I called Dr. and said this was happening a couple of times a week. but my restriction felt right... told them I'd schedule it after a week at the beach if I was still having problems...things improved...and finally, 3.5 months after the fill (to 1.8cc's) I went in...and we saw the slip and enlarged pouch....and filled it to 2 cc's. (He says its fine as long as it hasn't slipped down where I can't get food or liquid through. But that's scary -- wondering if this next bite of food will be the one that breaks the band!

I'm getting a second opinion from a Dr. who has done more than 1000 bands. (My surgeon is great, but he hasn't done quite that many.)

I've actually thought that if/when surgery to fix the slip is required, I may consider having it removed. I just seem to have more complications than most (stomach gas, reflux, never feeling full, etc.) If I do, I'll still feel like what I've done was a total success (-45 since last August), I'm not fearful about gaining weight. It is not an option. Again, that's a big on removing the band.

So, we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for being here!

Elizabeth

Ginger,

I have been banded almost 11 months and I have had two incidences where I have PB'ed. I have had several golf ball incidences, but thats about it. I have a good fill level, but when I eat foods like steak etc.. I have to be very careful to chew it to a pulp. Anyway, be very careful and chew chew chew!

Babs in TX

334/219/180

-115

6/23/03

Elizabeth -

I'm glad you're going for a second opinion - I believe in cases like yours the doc usually will remove all the fill in the hopes that the slip will correct itself without needing surgery.

Once the slip fixes itself, the refills can begin.

Now I am scared! I just realised how complacent i have become with my band, and how dangerous that is. I 'return' some food 3-4 times a week. Since my regurgitation doesnt involve any spasms, i had chosen to NOT consider it as vomiting. And it is, and I might ruin all this!

Thank you for bringing up this subject. I feel so dumb! Its not like I didnt know.... I just want to keep eating the way I ate to get fat in the first place....

ack

Tellie -- it's great that you're choosing to use the experience of others as a warning...like you, I chose to think no spasms, no problem...not true. In retrospect, it's kind of the same flawed thinking that let me overeat and overeat...those "just this one bite" and other stupid rationalizing justifications.

Donalie, you're the second person to tell me that about having an unfill and letting a slip "slip" back into place. But he didn't see the slip until after the fill and then didn't take anything out! Maybe I'll call tomorrow...meanwhile, they're forwarding my records to the second doctor...stay tuned.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, let me be the third person to tell you about getting an unfill. I, too, was developing bad habits. Vomiting or PBing has been relatively rare, but slime experiences happen several times a week. I called my doctor and the nurse told me that it may be a dilated pouch. I just got a total unfill. She told me to wait two weeks, then to have an esophagram, and if all looks well, I can get filled again. It concerns me that your doctor actually increased your fill because that will only make the problem worse. The good news is that my doctor said that this problem heals itself after an unfill and is no cause for worry. But I've learned my lesson and I'm going to be a better bandster from now on. Anyway, it sounds like we're in a very similar boat, so keep me posted.

Ginger, I hope you have been helped. Please talk to your doctor.

oH After reading all this I was very scared about yesterdays Visit

but thank the lord everything looks great. My band is where it is suppost to be and I'm watching everything now. I do not want to lose my band..

When I was leaving I saw a friend that was banded a month after me and she has been doing the same thing but it was bad news for her... Our doctor want to remover her band. They settled on a total unfill for a month to see if it fix what the puking has caused. I hope everyone has read everyones post because they were all so good. It is just so easy to fall in the habit of puking or PB after or during we eat.

Thank you everyone for the great advice and please DishDiva keep us posted on you!