i have searched and i cant ever find anyone who has the same kinds of problems I have, so I guess I have to just put it out there.

please can anyone give me any advice you have!

Everysingle day.. I have to stick my finger in my throat (or some object) and make my self get the slime and food out... I have cups of discusting "throw up" around me all the time(mostly cuz I try to give it a chance to go down) I have to say "get me something" or "get me a cup".. cuz the pressure and pain sucks...

but it doesnt go down, I mean I do everything I can NOT TO HAVE TO vomit my food out.. its not even vomiting.. the food and slime is sitting in my throat (it seems).. its not in my stomach, so its not like vomiting at all.

It hurts, its VERY uncomfortable and then i cant stand it any more and so I stick my finger in my throat and make it come out... its very easy and I have immediate releif...

this has nothing to do with me not chewing enough.. it does it with all foods.

Now.. I dont call this a PB, but it very well could be.. I have had a couple of VERY BAD PB experiences.. these were choking and gagging and sliming every few minutes, unable to control anything... no matter what I did, I was STUCK... this happened once after a fill, I took a pill with out thinking... these were over a year ago...

THAT is not what I am describing now.. I dont ever get to that point.

BUT... EVERY single day.... I cannot eat or drink normally.. this happens on junk food as well.. chips and cool whip and juice and milk,,, anything and everything..

I am not loosing any weight either.

I have been gaining and loosing the same 20 pounds for almost a year now. Some of the food stays down... I make it. Its not like I puke everything up.. but Everything is a probolem..

Evertime I eat its an uncomfortable ordeal... and I dont even get to loose anyweight.. I am so sick of it. I dont care about the dang food anymore.. I am sick of having to induce this gunk to come out of me, while I am driving, in front of everyone.. all day every day... everything I put in my mouth.. I used to have open times and tight times.. now I am always tight.. but it doesnt seem like a fill issue..

If I get an unfill.. I will gain a ton of weight back and thats the truth.. NO DOUBT about it... as I am now, I am able to get enough calories in NOT To loose weight.. imagine if I could eat normally..

I am HUGE.. I dont feel that much different haveing lost the 100 pounds I am NOT about to gain ANY of it back.

I got an edoscopy last week and I have not met with my doctor about it.. the doctor who did the endocopy said my band was very very high, whatever that means.

Do they slip... UPWARDS??

I am really confused.

This has been going on for months and months

Nykee it has been said here many many times that having aslight unfill of just .2cc's will make a huge difference in being able to eat comfortable and still have restriction to still lose weight. have you thought about havingthis done. I know if you were to call Ortiz or Martinez they would most likely say you are too tight. Call Martinez and tell him the Dr. told you your band was too high see what he says. We all know that not eating does not neccesarily mean you will lose weight. Your body is probably in starvation mode since you cant keep anything down so anything you get down it holds onto it in fear it will not get any more food. The band was not designed to not be able to eat or drink comfortably. If you have to stick your finger down your throat everytime you eat something is not right, this is not normal, everytime you PB you risk slippage of your band, I know for certain if Ortiz and martinez knew this was happeningthey would tell you the same thing. Call Dr. martinez, I have his cell number, send me a PM and I will send it to you. I know for me there were times I would get tighter over time without having a fill for months. Right before my erosion I hadthe best restriction I had ever had and I had not had a fill for over a year prior to that. these bands are fickle and strange sometimes.

oh, I had an ultrasound too..

I did not get these tests done for the problems I described..

I have actually got sick 4 times.. the sick that happens when you get bacteria in your blood like food poinsoning YET it wasnt food poisoning..

and I have gallstones, (the edoscopy doctor said so, he saw my ultrasound report I guess) BUT I dont even know if thats why i was getting sick.

and I have hiatial hernia and esophigtis (II have no clue how to spell these)

NOW.. HOW is this possible when I have NOT had hearthurt ONCE since I was banded???!!

I am sure I prolly had these things before I was even banded. I USED to get acid reflux in my throat everysingle day, all day long for years..

BUT I havent ONCE had it since I was banded.

I read the care instuctions for these two things... WHY should I take prevasid and stuff when I NEVER have any reflux or heartburn??

I really am confused

(please parden my horrific typing and grammer.. I have no patience)

Nykee it has been said here many many times that having aslight unfill of just .2cc's will make a huge difference in being able to eat comfortable and still have restriction to still lose weight. have you thought about havingthis done. I know if you were to call Ortiz or Martinez they would most likely say you are too tight. Call Martinez and tell him the Dr. told you your band was too high see what he says. We all know that not eating does not neccesarily mean you will lose weight. Your body is probably in starvation mode since you cant keep anything down so anything you get down it holds onto it in fear it will not get any more food. The band was not designed to not be able to eat or drink comfortably. If you have to stick your finger down your throat everytime you eat something is not right, this is not normal, everytime you PB you risk slippage of your band, I know for certain if Ortiz and martinez knew this was happeningthey would tell you the same thing. Call Dr. martinez, I have his cell number, send me a PM and I will send it to you. I know for me there were times I would get tighter over time without having a fill for months. Right before my erosion I hadthe best restriction I had ever had and I had not had a fill for over a year prior to that. these bands are fickle and strange sometimes.

I know what your saying.. I am struggled with this ever since I got the band (tight issues)..... this seems very different.

I dont think I am in starvation mode (nor do I beleive in that) (although I am always hungry now, I used to never be hungry, even if I didnt eat).... it seems I retain the calories of the food, even if it comes up.. this sounds crazy, but seriously what can the explanation be? This has been happening for like 6 months.

and yes, I AM going to go get an unfill of some sort. BUT I know for a fact I will start to gain weight. And now my band life is over. I know the band isnt meant to be working like this, but otherwise its not going to work AT ALL.

So, if I have eroision.. the endoscopy is gonna see that, right?

Hi Nykee!

I can sympathize, it's really frustrating sometimes. Your band may indeed have slipped, or it may not. Either way you have to address this issue for reasons other than weight. You don't want to damage your esophagus because that can lead to future problems that are way worse.

Since you have esophagitis give Prevacid a shot. It will ease the inflammation and can help settle things down so you heal. And you have to figure out how to get the nutrition you need without upchucking--repeated PBing (which is what you're doing) just makes the problem worse. Stick to Protein drinks and yogurt/other mushies until you are sure this problem is kicked.

From what you say it sounds like you'll need further medical attention. An endoscopy will diagnose erosion or a bad slip. Also, I don't believe a hiatal hernia with a band is something that can be ignored. Good luck and I hope it gets straightened out soon!

ok

what I dont get is that bandsters say that they PB.. once in a while.. when they eat too much or take too big of a bite or some kind of food doesnt set right with them... this is when they are NOT too tight.. its just happens some times..

they describe this Pbing... as these episodes.. simular to the TWo PB experiences I had (the BAD ones I had long long ago,, isolated incidents)

and people who talk about vomiting and throwing up all the time...... they do not say they are making them selves do it...

What i am doing... I would NOT describe as vomiting at all..

It NEVER happens on its own.

I induce it all the time.. and only to get the stuff out of my throat NOT my stomach...

Sometimes I wish it would happen on its own. Inducing is nasty work. BUt it is simple. The food is right there ya know.

I dont continue to eat.. its impossible.. this would bring on one of thoe full blown PB's and I would NEVER ever do that on purpose! NEVER

(I am not bulimic or anything like that..)

Does anyone have simular experiences?

Nykee, this is serious situation that you need to get resolved. You need to work with your doctor about it.

I'm no doctor and no expert, but this is what I understand: When you slime and the food comes up that is a PB. When the food is stuck, it is just that, stuck, it is not a PB.

You need to get the tests back from your doctor so you can see what is going on. It is true that the band can slip to the point where you can't get anything down. Perhaps when that happens the band is slipping "up," I don't know. But it sounds like you might have a slip.

If the band is not slipped, but just "placed very high," then that can also be a serious problem if it causes these symptoms. It might as well be a slip, because it makes the band unworkable for you.

I can also say that you are supposed to take at least a day or two of liquids after even one single PB before you try and eat again. When you PB the stomach swells and it needs to heal before you try to eat anything. It sounds like you don't give it that rest and just continue to try to eat at a time when the stomach is swollen. Nothing will ever change if this cycle continues.

It sounds to me like you need to get a complete unfill (assuming the band is not slipped), drink liquids for a week to heal up, then start the band filling process again from scratch. I know you are afraid you will start gaining weight if the band is unfilled, but you just have to go through this process if you are ever going to be able to get it to work for you. If you just continue trying to force food down over a swollen stomach this is going to lead to more and more serious problems.

Above all, work with your doctor to get this fixed right.

Hi Nykee!

Either way you have to address this issue for reasons other than weight.

>>>> thats true, thanks for reminding me of that.

You don't want to damage your esophagus because that can lead to future problems that are way worse.

>>>>>>>do you know how this damages the esophagus? like what exactly does the damage?

Since you have esophagitis give Prevacid a shot. It will ease the inflammation and can help settle things down so you heal. And you have to figure out how to get the nutrition you need without upchucking--repeated PBing (which is what you're doing) just makes the problem worse. Stick to Protein drinks and yogurt/other mushies until you are sure this problem is kicked.

>>>>>I know what your saying, about calming everything down by staying on mushies and all that, but thats just not whats going on with me.

I have a very easy time NOT eating solids... I can go on liquids (thin Soup, milk, icecream, juice.. mashed potaotes) for weeks and I have... it doesnt make a differnce, it still happens.

From what you say it sounds like you'll need further medical attention. An endoscopy will diagnose erosion or a bad slip. Also, I don't believe a hiatal hernia with a band is something that can be ignored. Good luck and I hope it gets straightened out soon!

>>>> CAN you tell me more about a hiatal hernia? I looked it up and I dont understand what it means. Especially as far as the band goes,

thank you xoxoxoxo

Nykee, this is serious situation that you need to get resolved. You need to work with your doctor about it.

>>> I do.. all the time.. it seems its nothing really that can be figured out.. its not like I am complaining so much about it, I am used to it...... what can I do??..

But I am getting really really sick and tired of it.... all this constand suffering and nothing to show for it..

.. I mean I still have to see what the results of the endoscapy is... but other than that.. I am not malnurished... I am not dehydrated.. (MY diabeties reduced to 7.2!! its been at 8.4 for years!) My throat is fine.

I got lots and lot of blood work done and its all FINE.

If I dont have something to tell my doctor to look for.. what can he ddo.

He did blood work, and endoscopy and ultrasound.

I'm no doctor and no expert, but this is what I understand: When you slime and the food comes up that is a PB. When the food is stuck, it is just that, stuck, it is not a PB.

>>>>OK... WEll my food is just stuck.. .........BUT I do not like how that feels and so I make it come out by force.

When I do that... there is some slime, the longer I wait to stick my finger down my throat to get the stuck food out.. the more slime there will be.. sometimes I wait a long time, cuz I want to give it a chance.. sometimes I do not feel like suffering even for a minute.

I really wonder if anyone else does this!?????????????????

You need to get the tests back from your doctor so you can see what is going on. It is true that the band can slip to the point where you can't get anything down. Perhaps when that happens the band is slipping "up," I don't know. But it sounds like you might have a slip.

If the band is not slipped, but just "placed very high," then that can also be a serious problem if it causes these symptoms. It might as well be a slip, because it makes the band unworkable for you.

>>>hummm, sounds scary.. I guess I will see.. soon.. he is out all week.. so next week. I guess I can wait to post my concerns until then.

I can also say that you are supposed to take at least a day or two of liquids after even one single PB before you try and eat again. When you PB the stomach swells and it needs to heal before you try to eat anything. It sounds like you don't give it that rest and just continue to try to eat at a time when the stomach is swollen. Nothing will ever change if this cycle continues.

>>>no I dont do that.. quite the opposite.

It sounds to me like you need to get a complete unfill (assuming the band is not slipped), drink liquids for a week to heal up, then start the band filling process again from scratch.

>>> worth a try, but it just doesnt seem right.. I have lived for long long time on liquids only... plenty of time for the band to heal., AND I already did that... I am down from a 1.9 to a 1.7.. but then again, this has been a daily problem for months... thanks for the advice/

Nykee:

food is sitting in your esophagus and is not going down, that's why it's so easy to make it come back up. This means that your esophagus--which is a muscle--is not efficiently doing the job of pushing your food down toward your stomach.

The problem is that the esophagus is NOT supposed to hold food in it for any length of time. That's why you hear of people's esophaguses becoming "dilated" in some cases; it has expanded to accommodate the holding of food. This is a common issue that people can have, but it's not good and should be addressed.

In normal circumstances, it's very uncomfortable for there to be any food that hasn't gone all the way down. Everyone's familiar with that sensation--think about how that felt before you were banded. That's why we'd drink while eating--to wash the food out of where it's not supposed to be. But when someone's been banded a long time, it's possible for our esophaguses to both lose a bit of their function AND lose some sensitivity. We have to be more careful than ever that we don't overeat and pack our pouches, because we're not as sensitive to the feeling of "too much."

The way this can cause damage is by wearing at the lining of the esophagus, leading to an increased risk of esophageal cancer. I'm not saying it's inevitable, but that is a HORRIBLE disease and an increased risk is something you really don't want.

I'm sorry, I don't know much about hiatal hernias, except that people who have them before banding have to have them repaired either at the time or banding or prior to banding. It does not seem that having a hiatal hernia is compatible with having a lap-band.

Nykee:

food is sitting in your esophagus and is not going down, that's why it's so easy to make it come back up.

>>>>Ok.. thank you, I didnt really know this for sure..(but thats exactly right) its hard to explain something when I dont really know whats going on.. THANKS so much, cuz now I can use the word 'esophagus' and know that I am explaining my self correctly.. oxox

This means that your esophagus--which is a muscle--is not efficiently doing the job of pushing your food down toward your stomach.

>>>>>>>should it be? or is this normal with the band? Why is it doing that? I assumed that if food doesnt go through the band.. than the food sits there (in the esophagus) IS that true.. OR could it be that my band is too high like the endoscopy doctor said? Do you know if bands Slip.. up towards the esophogus?

The problem is that the esophagus is NOT supposed to hold food in it for any length of time. That's why you hear of people's esophaguses becoming "dilated" in some cases; it has expanded to accommodate the holding of food. This is a common issue that people can have, but it's not good and should be addressed.

>>>>>How do you figure out if your esophagus is dialated.. will that show in the endopscopy??

In normal circumstances, it's very uncomfortable for there to be any food that hasn't gone all the way down. Everyone's familiar with that sensation--think about how that felt before you were banded. That's why we'd drink while eating--to wash the food out of where it's not supposed to be. >>>yeah exactly, i understand.

But when someone's been banded a long time, it's possible for our esophaguses to both lose a bit of their function AND lose some sensitivity. We have to be more careful than ever that we don't overeat and pack our pouches, because we're not as sensitive to the feeling of "too much."

>>but I get the feeling on the first or second bite.. I have to sometimes continue to eat (by that I usuall bean drink or have soft foods) or I will starve. I dont have any stop point..

ITS ALWAYS THis way.. ALL The time from bite one.

The way this can cause damage is by wearing at the lining of the esophagus, leading to an increased risk of esophageal cancer. I'm not saying it's inevitable, but that is a HORRIBLE disease and an increased risk is something you really don't want.

>>>So.. like someone else said.. its not just about weight loss.. I gotta protect my esophogus..

ya know what I been telling myself.. that its not stomach puke..its JUST food.. so HOW can it hurt me? it has no acid, and its not convusing at all.. so it prolly isnt hurting me.. its the same going IN as OUT.. its chewed food coming out instead of IN.. cuz thats how it is, its not like that with regualar vomit but with this band eating it is that way.

I'm sorry, I don't know much about hiatal hernias, except that people who have them before banding have to have them repaired either at the time or banding or prior to banding. It does not seem that having a hiatal hernia is compatible with having a lap-band.

>>>I would bet money I had one BEFORE I was banded...

thank you!!!

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/weird-symptoms-being-t27814.html?p=385557#post385557

Nykee read this post it has similarities to your situation , hope this helps

>>>>>>>should it be? or is this normal with the band? Why is it doing that? I assumed that if food doesnt go through the band.. than the food sits there (in the esophagus) IS that true.. OR could it be that my band is too high like the endoscopy doctor said? Do you know if bands Slip.. up towards the esophogus?

Yes, your esophagus SHOULD be pushing food down and through, just like it's supposed to do in everyone. The small stomach pouch, above the band but below the esophagus, is where the food is supposed to sit and keep us feeling full. There's a valve at the base of the esophagus that is supposed to keep food from rising back up, and that valve may be made dysfunctional over time if this process continues. If your band is too high, the pouch may be too small or absent altogether, which means your eslphagus is being used as a pouch no matter how careful you are being.

ack,

alexandrea thats starting to sound very right on to me..

food does NOT rise back up.. it never goes down.. (well not NEVER.. but daily)

but, I didnt have this problem this whole time... remember, I used to be able to eat alot.. I used to have many unrestricted times.. like at night especially and if I excersized alot or if I didnt sleep.. noW nothing matters.. its always this way..

So I really wonder.. did my band, SLIP upwArds..??

Thanks so much for your help!!!!!

Updating some more..

its been ONE year since I posted this....

I still bring food up daily..

and my band is still fine.. so far.

I have lost 100 pounds... and I have lost nothing real in like a year..

BUt the inches are melting off and I am getting more attention for my efforts NOW more than I ever did a year ago, when the weight loss was so blobby and such.

I still need to lose another 100 pounds.. but that is ALL ON me, time for the band to be a tool like it is meant to.. and I have let a year slip by..

I love that I dont gain anything back.. BUT I hate that I wont lose any more weight.. I absolutely CAN NOT get a fill... as I am already tooo tight.

When ever I diet, I lose 10 to 20 pounds.. but it only last one or two months and then I go back on it and gain it all back... I HAVE TO DIET.. and as it ALWAYS has been and still is.. JUST something I dont seem to be able to stick with.

I want a mini gastric bypass. . but because I am considered a success and nothing is wrong with my band, and I am broke.. this isnt gonna happen any time soon.

THanks for listening.

Yes, your esophagus SHOULD be pushing food down and through, just like it's supposed to do in everyone. The small stomach pouch, above the band but below the esophagus, is where the food is supposed to sit and keep us feeling full. There's a valve at the base of the esophagus that is supposed to keep food from rising back up, and that valve may be made dysfunctional over time if this process continues. If your band is too high, the pouch may be too small or absent altogether, which means your eslphagus is being used as a pouch no matter how careful you are being.

reading this again..

I am almost certain this is what has happened to me..

sounds PERFECT for my case..

BUT.. ONLY a BAND expert could REALLY tell if its so much higher than its suppose to be.. and I dont have access to that right now.

and I dont really mind it... I am used to it, and it IS THE ONE AND ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME AT THIS WEIGHT>>

I DONT MIND SUFFERING.. if it is FORCED on me.. and there is nothing I can do about it.. that is how this is.. it may BE horrible in a way, BUT I REALLY dont care, its the ONLY thing that has helped me.,. soooooooooo be it.,

I really appreciate you alex.. I always will remember you.