I need this forum more then ever now, I have been sick for almost three months now with cronic coughing at night keeping me up all night, I found out 2 months ago that I had pneumonia so I did antibiotics and stuff.

Well the pnemonia is gone but the cronic cough is not so they did a CT of my thorax and found so much stuff wrong, one being Esohageal Distention Suggestive of high grade reflux and/or Esophageal Dysmotility Associated with Gastroplasy, I looked these things up on the internet and alot people with Lapband have gotten this and pnemonia after the lapband.

Is anyone else having these kind of problems and if so what do they do for it?

There are also problems that I am seeing my doctor about today. I am suppose to be going up hill not down hill. I just want to cry this makes me so upset.:help:

Wendy, I have no answers for you , but please keep us informed about how you are and why this happened to you. :-(

How funny that I should look here today. I haven't been on LBT for a couple months -- and a year before that.

I have esophageal dysmotility. It has been a long struggle. After the coughing and choking and getting things stuck in my throat, causing severe throat irritation, I had my band unfilled and went on liquids. I never had much of a fill, so that probably didn't do much either way. I tried a few medications but did not find total relief. I was on liquids for about 4 or 5 weeks. This allowed my throat to heal.

I have to be very careful not to irritate my throat. There are tricks I've learned to keep things under control. First, I identified some foods that always stick. They are not what you would think. Peanut Butter is the worst. Anything that turns into the consistency of peanut butter -- heavy paste -- could stick. I have to use tiny sips of Water to wash down things that stick. If I eat too fast or too big a bite and irritate my throat, I have to go on liquids for the next meal or at least be very careful.

I have also dealt with it mentally. The more I'm stressed, the tighter I get. This is one thing when it is the stoma that tightens, but a whole different thing when it is your esophagus and you feel like you're being strangled! I used to panic. Now I consciously try to relax my throat and my emotions. It really does help.

At two years out, I started working toward tightening my band again, since I was gaining weight back. I started really small, with .5 cc. I waited 2 or 3 months and got .25 cc. When I hit 3 months I will have another .25 cc. I'll do this until the hunger is less. I will never be able to tolerate a tight fill. I still have to be careful and have my bad days.

Please feel free to contact me if you'd like.

Becky

Wendy,

I sent a prayer, you seem to be doing great and your diagnosis sounds scary. Just wanted to let you know we are hoping you get well soon.

Hugs.

Thank You, I just found out today also that I may need to get my gallbladder out as well. I think I was healthier before lapband. Hopefully I will get these things fixed and then I will be fine. Thanks for your prayers.

Becky

That sounds just like my situation. I have been choking when I eat and that has never happened to me before.

I went to my doctor today and he put me on Levsin, have you ever tried that drug before? Also, I read on the internet about a surgery you can get for this situation. I just don't want to have to get my band removed, so if I could get that fixed surgically I definently would.

Thanks for responding, also do you mind telling me what kind of medications you tried for that?

One of my doctors prescribed Imitrex which is used for migraines. I stopped taking it because it has some very serious side effects for some people. It helped a little, but not enough to risk the side effects. I also took Nexium for a long time to help heal my throat. My gastroenterologist (he did my esophagram) prescribed a very low dose of an antidepressant (maybe Effexor?) which is supposed to help in these cases. He also said that the dysmotility might go away. So far it has not.

I have not heard of the surgery. I would not do it personally, for fear of upsetting the delicate balance in there. I think learning to cope with it is the best course of action for me. I get frustrated sometimes, but I am used to it.

If you have other issues, like reflux, that would be a very different story. I don't have that and I know it can be serious if left untreated. Hope you find the best thing for you.

Becky

So sorry to hear of this with you gals. ((Becky)) always good to see you. I honestly feel this is going to be my next diagnosis as well. I guess I'm holding off on actually forcing the issue until I have to. I attempt a fill, it's too much. Not enough allows pouch packing without any overt 'stop' signs. Then you have that immediate reflux, waking up choking. :confused: I really love being banded. I am so afraid they'll tell me I have to remove it, so I'm just trying to maintain where I'm at. Please keep us posted as to new findings, both of you.

Hi Wendy,

I had the same diagnosis and that was after a year of no fill at all. My band had slipped and my doctor wanted to make sure all was well before he fixed it so he had me do the test. Now I need to get my band removed.

My doctor has suggested that I get the “gastric sleeve” at the same time I have the band removed because I have gained over 65 pounds this last year with no restriction. I obviously need something besides my will power to keep my weight down!

Dr. Cringle is the expert on the Gastric Sleeve I hear but it is really just the first part of the duodenal switch so I think most WLS surgeons could do it.

Anyway I hate the thought of losing my band too as I lost over 100 pounds on it and was within 40 pounds of my goal weight when it slipped last year. Oh well time to do battle with my insurance company again.

My prayers are with you. Hang in there girl!

Bonnie

I will look into the gastric sleeve. I do unfortunently have severe reflux as well. My lapband doctor knew that before he did the lapband surgery on me. He did do a hernia repair on me when he did my lapband which was really cool.

There is no way I can live or deal with this, I am not sleeping at night for the past almost three months from coughing so much.

I will let everyone know what I find out.

I hope you get some relief soon. Unfortunately, the motility problem usually is a signal that the band might have to be removed. Let's hope that your case is no so severe and more conventional treatment will work.

Wendy, I have weak esophagus muscles now that I am banded(no problems before that) I have had all the test upper GI, Manometry test, esophagram and they all agree my esophagus mucles are just now pushing the food down, I have just now been able to get a slight fill no where near what I had before, They have me on Reglan which is suppose to make the muscles work better. I only use it when I have to (clogged up )I dont want to become immune to it for when I really need it. I am not giving up my band easily, I am trying to work with a small fill and the reglan, they are still sending me to another specilaist thinking I may have a immune disease causing my weak muscles, I am almost 100% sure it is just the band.I am not loosing at my current fill level but I am able to maintain. I may follow the others lead and try to increase it some after 6 months but my luck that will make me have to have it out. I am so frustrated ,since the unfill at first the reflux has gone away, I think the dilation also has decreased but I still have hard time swallowing anything but mushies, i do loosen up at nite enough to eat some meat. I wonder sometimes what is the esophagus problems and what is from just restriction?It is hard to tell. Do not give up on the band but do get a unfill and let things rest, my problem did not start until one year after being banded and probably to tight for a month,but i was not PBINg so I thought I was okay.Good luck and remember nothing is worth the being afraid to go to bed at nite, that is a awful feeling that you may wake up choking. I will not go back to that even for the bands sake. Becky

Hi,

I was suppose to get banded on Aug. 2nd. But My upper GI showed I have esophageal mobility problems. I am so afraid I will not be able to get my band at all now. I see a specialist on Monday to confirm the problem. Is this something that can be treated? Will it prevent me from getting my band?

Thanks,

Kathy

I knew I was missing one! I was on Reglan first, like Becky L.

My doctor does not want to attribute my dysmotility to the band, although I never had it before. It is one of the possible complications. If I cannot get to a fill level where I will stop gaining (I struggle to maintain) I will consider the gastic sleeve. Dr. Cirangle is my doctor and he is the leading surgeon doing it.

For what it's worth, my dysmotility has improved a lot from being unfilled and is livable at this point. It was unbearable a year ago.

(Hello and hugs back at ya, Leatha! You always bring a smile to my face. :confused: )

Becky (aka rebeccalee)

Can someone explain what (exactly) esophagus dis motility means? I recently posted something very similar on the fill area. I am still a bit confused. How and can it repair itself? It's a little scary to think that this can lead to removal of the band. Also how do they test for it?

Hi My Name Is Ann I Had My Lapband 11/18/04 And I Know What You Are Going Through Since November Of Last Year I Have Been Having Alot Of Trouble Getting Food And Liquid. I Also Have Bad Reflux .i Have Asthma,lymphedema, Barretts Esophagus,and They Told Me That It Is At A Low Risk Of Cancer. They Had To Empty My Band It Got To Tight. And I Just Found Out I Have Gastritis And Immature Intestinal Metaplasia,spuamous Mucosa With Features Chornicreflux Esophagitis. So As You Can See I Am Going Through The Same Thing You Are.:confused: You Can Reach Me At fordforda9466@aol.com

Hugs Ann