I was banded 4-2-04 and had a 2cc fill three weeks ago. Everyting was fine until last week. I started to burb a lot with a little stabbing pain which seems to be from my esophagus. I have the same pain when I take a deep breath. I am thinking I might be a tad tight. I have a call into the doctor but I was wanting to hear what ya'll had to say I don't have problems eating or drinking. Does this sound like it is indicative of being too tight? I sure like not feeling hungry and eating only a little bit and then feeling full. On the other hand I know being too filled can contribute to slippage. I certainly do not want that. I'd appreciate your feedback.

Thanks,

Carolyn

Hi Carolyn,

You may be right, you may be too tight. But it may be something that will pass by itself. I get tighter several weeks after a fill, it seems, and then it resolves to a level that remains. There's no question that the restriction level can change weeks after a fill, and for no obvious reason.

If you're not having trouble eating or drinking, though, that may not be the problem. Have you done any upper-body exercise recently? When I started doing some circuit training I had pains in my chest that were a little alarming, but I realized it was because I'd moved and used muscles deep in my chest that were just not used to it. There was some soreness when I took a deep breath and I felt like my spine was cricked, somehow.

Naturally the suspicion for any unusual pain is that something is wrong with the band. But if there's no change in your ability to eat or drink, I think it might be something else besides a tightening.

Thanks Alex...my first thought was to let it go for awhile and see if it gets better or continues. I won't be able to go and see about it for awile anyway. I guess I'm a worry wart. I know after I was first banded it was loosening up and then boom restriction after 4 weeks that lasted for 9 weeks.

I am grateful I have this board to get feedback from people who have been there. I don't post a lot but I read everything everyday. I relly enjoy it. I don't have a gift of words in print like some of ya'll do.

Thanks,

Carolyn

Carolyn

I got real tight a week after my first fill but it did taper off. I also notice that the week of my period I have a tightness in my chest that seems to go away 3 days in to my period. If you can eat and drink with no problem maybe it is just your body adjusting to the fill. I also notice when I have a stressful day I get real tight. The strangest things affect my band and my restriction level.

I just got a fill 2 days ago, .8cc, and I don't feel the least bit restricted. The doctor told me I could go back and get more in if I needed it, if I was hungry or able to eat too much. I AM eating too much! I am concerned about you guys saying that it got tighter a week later. What's up with that? Do you think I should wait? I paid $250. for the fill and I think if I wait too long he'll want to charge me again. What do ya'll think?

Neicy, if .8 was your first fill and you feel absolutely no restriction, then it's probably fine to go ahead and get more sooner rather than later. My doctor fills to what he thinks is a good level right out of the gate, not a "sneak-up-on-it" kind of approach. If I hadn't known that at the time I might have thought I needed more sooner than I did. All three times I've experienced a delay of about three weeks for restriction.

But again, if your doc fills only a little at a time then it could make sense to get more. He may not have been trying to give you a good level of restriction with your first fill.

Neicy....If I were you I would error on the side of caution. I would give it a week or two to tighten up. Too tight is not fun and I do not reccommend it.

Carolyn

Thanks for the advice ya'll. I think he gave me a light fill, from what I've read, most of the bandsters get at least 1cc on first fill.

I will probably call him this week and see what he recommends. I don't want to be too restricted, but I don't want to keep eating like I have for the past few days! I feel kinda psycho with the food, I know it's head hunger, and the band is letting me go.

Makes me wonder if he missed the port alltogether! Can you feel anything other than the needlestick when you get adjusted?

(like any sensation around the band) I don't recall feeling anything but the needle stick.

I definitely felt the needle stick it hurt like hell!! I did not know to ask for a local, which I will do in the future. No, I did not feel it inflating the band but I could watch it on the floroscope. Going in and up to the band. It was neat except I was so scared I did not watch all the time. I am a big weinee.

I'm having pain when burbing and when breathing deep and it is a b*#@h. Now I have been clenching my teeth and I have a constant feeling of a tooth ache and a head ache. I do not know if it is from the pain from the banding and I am unconsciously responding to it. I am feeling overwhelmed. I am not a good sick person. I get to feeling down quickly. I hope this loosens up just a tad soon. I was eating too much before my fill as well and that was not a good feeling either but at least it did not hurt. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. Come on sweet spot!!

Sorry for the ramble,

Carolyn

Banded 4-2-04

Dr. A. Rodriquez - Monterrey Mexico

232/201/150ish????

Oh yea!! I got a signature. I never knew how to do it before.

c

I hope you feel better soon. Try warm liquids, it might soothe your tummy.

I am feeling little better. The doctor told me to take Maalox 2-3 times a day and take Prilosec twice a day and I am on liquids. He seems to think I did something to cause inflamation. The dentist gave me ibprofen liquid to help with the tooth pain and headache from clenching my teeth. Hopefully it will help my stomach because of the anti-inflamatory also. This has been terrible. After running around to the drug store (three times) and going to the dentist I just laid around and slept. I missed work yesterday and I don't feel like going today that is a bummer.

I still do not know what I did to get it like this so how am I not going to do this in the future?

Thank ya'll for taking the time to respond to me.

Carolyn

Hi Carolyn -

So sorry you're having this pain, but glad it seems to be getting better.

As far as what you may have done to aggravate the stomach, you don't recall any "stuck" incidents, or a time when something hurt going down? Any vomiting at all? (even a little bit counts!) Any deep breathing like for singing? Did you have a patch of very spicy food right before the pain started? Did you take any aspiring or other NSAIDs? Any reflux?

Try and remember anything different that might have happened about the time the pain started. It's possible you even swallowed too big of a bite of something that is having troubles passing through but is not totally obstructing you - perhaps a fibrous type of vegetable?

Just being a tad too tight may be the culprit. If this isn't resolved soon I would recommend having at least a slight unfill. Once the stomach gets irritated it can turn into a vicious circle for some - a total unfill for a few weeks may even be in order. :cool:

Some people have very sensitive stomachs and are prone to gastritis at the slightest provocation.

Good luck, and keep us posted!!

Isint Ibruprofen a NSAID? I was told by my doctor not to take any ibruprofen becasue it can iritate the stomach and long term use can cause erosion. Be sure to ask your doctor if the ibruprofen your dentist gave you is OK to take. I was an advil lover before surgery..but now I only take adult strength liquid tylenol it doesnt work as well but it gets the job done! With the problems you are all ready having I would hate to see the ibruporfen make things worse irritating your stomach any more then it is.

Hey Carolyn, I was told no nsaids also. And I LIVED on them pre-band. I wasn't sure I could make it without them, but I have done ok with tylenol.

I've worked in dentistry for 20 years now, and it seems that clenching and grinding is the way most women deal with stress.

You need to break the habit of holding tension in your jaw. I attended a seminar on TMJ several years ago and the lecturer said that your teeth should only come together momentarily when chewing or for diction when speaking. I was blown away by this. I walked around with my teeth clenched all the time without realizing it.

When I started to make a consious effort to keep them separated, I was amazed how my neck and shoulders became so much more relaxed. Try it, keep your tongue between your teeth while you are awake. If you grind in your sleep, you may need a habit breaking appliance to wear at night. It could be an occlusal guard or there is a newer one called a NTI appliance that works great and it is not bulky, much easier to tolerate. If you want more info on this , there is a website called headachehope.com.

Warm compresses and muscle relaxers work real well to break the pain cycle. Hope this helps.

I did ask about taking the ibruprofen liquid and he said ok. I have been taking it with a glass of Water and eating (drinking since I'm on liquids) afterwards. I think I'm going to stop taking it though. I do not need to borrow trouble.

Donali, now that you brought it up I did have trouble with passing food along a couple of times before all the burbing and pain started. I don't even remember what it was now. I did not have any throwing up episodes however. Thank you for giving me some things to think about as to why this started. I had not even given those types of items any thought. I am still so new a all this.

Neicy, I have not had a history of clenching my teeth before all this started last week. I have been paying attention and attempting to stop it as soon as I am aware I'm doing it. Thank you for all the information. I will investigate my options if this behavior continues.

Ya'll are always so helpful and have a wealth of experiences and information. Your input is invaluable. I can only hope that I can be of help or guidance to someone in the future.

It has been hard for me to ask for help. I am use to doing and handling everything for myself.

Carolyn