Hi....with this last fill I can't seem to be able to eating even one small bite of anything in the a.m. and keep it down. I develope a horrible painful gas ball in my chest, it takes forever to pass and sometimes the little bit of food comes with it....this morning I couldn't manage one bite of a soft poached egg. This has happened everyday since Thursday (my last fill). I can't seem to eat anything at all until dinner time, sometimes that is difficult, yet sometimes I can manage to eat a bit more than I thought I could and foods that I thought I couldn't manage I can.

Does anyone know why it's difficult for some of us to eat in the a.m.?

Carol

I have no idea why we can't either, but I know many, many people have this problem. Since reaching my optimum fill, I can only drink liquids in the morning. By around noon though, I am usually able to eat food.

It sounds like you're too restricted. Being too tight can cause complications so call your MD for an evaluation and a possible small unfill.

Many people report that their band is very tight in the mornings. I always drink a big mug of hot coffee before trying to get any food to go down and try to eat in a relaxed situation (I know that's hard for a lot of people...mornings can be a circus). Hope it gets better....

I have not been able to eat breaksfast in months. Its normal. I usually drink hot tea, coffe or cocoa. Around 12 I can eat. It took a while for me to adjust but after feeling like i was having a heart attach one morning i just gave up trying to eat in the am.

I also have this problem too. I just had my 3rd fill I am at 3 cc now. I even had a hard time getting 8 oz. of protein drink in this morning.

A lot of times it is because you ate a large meal at supper. Try eating less in the evening and maybe you can eat in the morning. I know this has helped a lot of bansters before.

I can drink liquids all day and still not be able to eat in the am. I too have the same eating situation. I drink a shake for Breakfast, drink coffee, eat a small lunch (try tofu and pureed veggies), and drink Water all afternoon. Then drink coffee or eat Soup before I attempt dinner of hard Protein and again pureed veggies. I try to do all this and stay low carb at the same time!!!

Good luck. If you can not handle it... get an unfill.

I had my monthly appointment with my doctor yesterday and mentioned to him that I am unable to eat solids in the mornings. He asked if I ever notice when I wake up in the morning if my rings are tight and if I am a bit swollen around the ankels or anywhere else. I said yes, my rings are always tighter when I get up in the morning. He said some people tend to retain water at night and also get a bit swollen during the night. He said the same thing is happening to my stomach, that it also swells during the night, which is why my band is tighter in the morning and I am only able to get liquids down.

Hummm.... I don't know if I totally agree with the Water theory. I take a diaretic at night... and get up 3 or 4 times at night. (Take it at night because I teach during the day, can't leave class then.) But even after losing 5 lbs overnight I still can not eat in the am.

May be the reason for some though.

Thank you very much everyone for your responses. I do have a problem in the a.m. with swelling around my fingers and ankles...always have had this problem.....there does seem to be some logic in your Dr's theory on this one.

Now I have another problem....I just can't figure out this band. I could barely get down a cup of tea yesterday morning around 8. Then, at 2:30 I ate an entire toasted sandwich with a bit of swiss cheese and pastrami on it.....the last few bites were a struggle, maybe I shouldn't have pushed it but I did eat the entire sandwich.

Then, last night at 8 I sat down to a nice small plate with one strip of smoked salmon, 1/4 of a pickled egg, 2 halves of an artichoke heart, and a few very small pieces of cold chicken. This is the exact same dinner I had the night before and had no problem with it but last night I coudn't get past the second mouthful before experiencing a pain in my chest and then throwing up the entire lot.....I tried once more and the same thing happened....both times a huge burp came with the food.

I just can't figure this out?

Carol

I had my surgical consult Monday. The doctor told me flat out I would not be able to eat solids for Breakfast as the band is tighter in the mornings. Granted, the band is inert and cannot actually tighten or do anything on its own. So something must shift or change viscerally overnight that causes the stoma to actually decrease in circumferance or just feel that way. Perhaps laying flat all those hours, perhaps a Water build-up. I now wish I'd asked him why, but my head was swimming with other questions and just took his word for it (no solids in the morning).

From reading other threads, my surgeon seems to be more strict than many others and his admonition about NEVER tolerating solids in the morning may not hold true for me or anyone else over time.

I'm just passing his words on so those experiencing problems with solids in the morning don't think there's something terribly wrong. He also said after each fill I would be going back on a Fluid diet for awhile until my body adjusted.

I'd call your doctor and discuss the issue with him/her to ease your mind.

I've been banded almost two years and I don't dare try solids before 10:00, and it's not because I'm too restricted, just the nature of MY band.

The band is very fickle, and trying to compare mine to yours is pretty hard, and even mine in the morning, to mine in the evening can be tricky!

It's a hard lesson, and I bet almost every one of us has learned it the hard way...do not "push it." When you start the cycle, it is so hard to fix. The stoma gets inflamed, you PB. The PB causes more swelling and irritation. You try to eat again, more irritation, more swelling, more PB's, and this goes on and on.

After a PB, go on liquids, then mushies, then cautiously add solids again.

If you are having too many problems like this, you might really consider a small unfill. It is not worth the possible consequences.

You know this band is very fickle! You never know what to expect, but I have learned now that the most important thing I need to do is EAT SLOW that has been so far a huge problem for me. I just have a problem with eating so slow that everything gets cold or hot whatever the case may be in what your eating. I literally have to take a bite and go do something then go back to my food, well by then needless to say it is just a real pain to even eat. I hope this does not stay like this but no matter if that's what it takes that's what I'll do. Anything is better than gaining or staying at the weight I am now. I truely love having this band and do not what to take the chance of losing it. That would be one of the most horrible things I could think of. Trying to live with a fickle band and eating slow is going to consume my life for a while.

I'm with you Carol.....I share the exact same attitude. I have been going through pure hell with this band at times.....and nothing is consistent except not being able to eat in the morning. I know I do better when I eat very slow too....but sometimes I just plain forget!

But........I'll put up with it as long as it takes the weight off and keeps it off. I can eat pretty good at times so I will do my best to get proper nutrition...but if I'm going to have to continue with the mealtimes when I can't get anything down then so be it! I'd rather the weight be gone!

Carol