I have been banded since Jan 2005 and after some success lost 56 pounds it was determined that the band shuts down my esophagus muscles and i can not tolerate any fill at all,even .1 was too much, after 1 month it became unbearable,I was not pbing or unable to eat solids, i began to have weakness and back pain ,it is hard to describe I was litterally miserable, me and my husband thought maybe I was having a reaction to a flu shot I had gotten the day before, but I just knew it was the band, I was getting so weak and ill that I called the band dr who met me at the emergency room and took out the .1 fill,we could not believe how immediately I was back to normal?I went from squirming in misery all the way to the doctor to being able to go shopping in litterally 5 minutes.I dont get it ,I could eat and drink but I did have reflux during the nite,why if it was so tight did it not keep me from eating?What do I do now ?empty the band does not cause me any problems but very little restriction?I read all these forumns and I never see anyone who has these weird symptoms they know they are too tight when they can not drink?Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Becky;

My dr. who is a center of excellence also said about 50% of his patients have hernias and warned everyone in the initial seminar that if he sees a hernia he will repair it while he has you in the OR.

Is there any other Dr. you can go to? ~ Don't let one man stop you succeed in your life Quest.

hey mstrish, I am a patient of Dr. Fusco, my band will be on 3/19. Just curious as to your experience with him. I live in Viera and oddly enough I checked out your profile and we have the same b-day. Give me your thoughts if you can.

Sue

I am going to the doctor tomorrow to have all the fluid removed from my band. I am also having another upper GI. I hope I can get to the bottom of this soon.

Dawn

I have been having mid back pain all weekend, too. I was banded 9 mos. ago and haven't had a problem until now. I think I had a stomach virus and vomited several times, and now I know I'm swollen, but am having a hard time even drinking liquids and staying hydrated. The acid reflux is terrible. I'm going to see Dr. C. tomorrow! I hope we can get this figured out! I hope insurance will pay for most of it! I was a self pay for the band, but am hoping insurance will pay for all this extra stuff! I am miserable.

I was banded in Jan of 06. Over the past 2 months I have had a wierd feeling in my neck and shoulder. It feels like my esophagus gets really weak sometimes. Almost like I cant swallow. Even talking is uncomfortable. I have had a cat scan and an ultrasound and they found nothing. I go tomorrow for a barium swallow. I really hope they figure something out soon because this is driving me crazy. I dont PB. And I never have acid reflux. But they have put me on meds for it in case. Hopefully I will know more soon.

Hi all! I have been suffering for the past month with terrible pain when swallowing (in my throat and even into my right ear). I have awful nausea all day and lots of painful burping with reflux. My band doctor sent me for a barium esophagram and they found something called a "Schatzky's Ring." This is a ring-like tissue that formed at the upper part of my esophagus and almost creates another band above the lap-band. No one saw this prior to my surgery, but according to the gastroenterologist it is congenital. I have had my band for about 6 months and have lost 40 lbs. I had a really hard time right after surgery with swelling and got dehydrated. I needed to go back into the hospital for a few days to get IV fluids. I am always so tight that I never have needed to have a fill in all of this time. Now severe GERD and this Schatzky's Ring are causing me a really hard time. I had a good 4 months out of the 6 so far, but I am really discouraged. Hopefully, next week I will have a procedure through endoscopy to stretch the ring.

Has anyone else experienced this? I could really use to hear from someone, as I feel awful and would love to have further information. Happy Memorial Day weekend bandsters!

gettin'skinny:help:

I was banded in 10/05. I did have lots of problems. Lots of slime. Also trouble with my food getting stuck in my throat. Also in the pouch, which was probably my fault. Eating too fast, etc. I did loose 57 lbs, then I stopped losing after a year almost to the anniversary of my surgery. I also started having the reflux. Get the fill, then an unfill. Finally got an upper GI, the doctor told me all was fine. Until about a month later after me still having problems, the doctor told me, oh by the way did you know you have a hiantle hernia. Of course I didn't. Now he is telling me its my esphongus. I now have no fill. Been to an ENT to get my esphongus checked. Going back in June to see if things are better. Needless to say, I can't get enough to eat. My doctor told me, "that if everyone was like me he would have to change professions." That really made me feel bad, like I was all alone and abnormal. This Forum has really enlighted me to so many things. So much of these things were not told to me, that could happen with this lap band. I do hope I don't have to have this band removed.

I was banded 10/05 . I have been having the same problem, after a fill thought I had a stomach virus. I was sick 3 out of the last 4 fills. The refulx was terrible, couldn't hardly sleep. My stomach actually hurt. I would get a fill then he would take some out. The doctor has sent me to an ENT to check my esphongus. I go back in June. I really think now since reading the forums, that my band has slipped..I sure hope not. Lots of luck

I ws banded last September and things have been pretty straightforward for me up until now. Until the last fill 3 months ago I am n ow at 2.7 in a 4cc band I felt no restriction at all and could eat pretty much anything in fact I felt like I could eat too much. After the fill I felt like the restriction was as it was supposed to be and there was a definate difference in what I could eat. My weight loss has been slow but steady when I behaved and did what I was supposed to do. I have lost 51 lbs and I am 15lbs away from my goal.

The last few days I have had this wierd thing going on at the top of my esophagus Its kind of like when you try to swallow too much and you get a kind of lump in your throat. Wierd to describe but it has me freaked, also I can't eat very much at a time. Maybe a 1/4 cup and I have to eat that really slowly, and then come back after a while and eat some more. I am having serious thoughts about slippage..... I had already canceled my appointment for a fill on Tuesday. (I also cancelled the previous fill appt) I think I am close, but this recent stuff has me spooked.

I don't think I have been overeating, though I have had the odd glass of champagne and I can't think of any instance that might have caused a slippage and I am not in agony or even discomfort except when I eat. I have been reading the forums but they don't have too many clear cut signs of slippage other than not being able to eat or drink anything. The only other thing I thought it might be was a hiatal hernia.

Also, does anyone else have major gas issues? I am not exactly sure where gas is generated and thought that if it was in the stomach rather than the intestines that this might contribute to possible slippage. It probably just as well that I live alone....I would have driven them out otherwise a la Water for chocolate Ha Ha.

This forum was a great resource when I was exploring lap-band and I don't regret the surgery one bit and I welcome any insight you might have that would help me get over this hump - or lump.

Enjoying the journey.

Tangoempress,

Sounds like you have been doing great in your weight loss. Congrats!!

I to have the problem of swallowing, to the point I would have to drink to get the food to go down.

My doctor told me I had a hiatal hernia at first. Now he thinks it might be my esophagus. My esophagus passage is smaller than it should be. It might need to be stretched.

Due to the reflux, I don't have a fill at the present. If things look better after seeing the doctor in June, then I probably will get another fill. I sure hope that time has healed things.

It's funny that I've noticed more gas since I don't have a fill now. Don't know if that's normal or not. I did have a lot of burping with the fills.

Good luck,,hope things work out great for you..