Hi, all! I have had my band for almost four years now. At first it was great and I lost 1/2 my weight in the first year. After that things slowed down and I got frustrated. I had my band tightened and tightened until I just couldn't eat very much at all. It was great because I lost a lot more weight and got within 15 lbs of my goal but it was awful because I could barely eat. Long story short, in the spring of 2013 I had all the Fluid removed from my band to give myself a break. Not surprisingly, I gained almost all of my weight back. In October of 2013 I started getting fills again and now have just shy of the amount of fluid in my band as I did in early spring (at time of removal). My concerns are this - I'm only 20lbs away from the weight I was when I originally had the band placed - I feel some restriction but am able to eat a lot more than I should and I feel hungry more often than a banded person should. Has anyone else been through this? Should I have more fluid put into my band? Is it possible to become accustomed to the amount of fluid? Is there something wrong? Am I just eating through it? What's happening? If anyone else has experienced this I would love to know that I'm not alone and that there are solutions. Thank you!!

This is not a scientific answer, just an observation I have made....it seems when people have the Fluid taken out of their band, for whatever reason, they gain their weight back.....AND it would appear that after starting all over with fills again, it is never quite the same as it was the first time around....

I could be way wrong, it is just something I interpret after reading many posts....I'm sure others who have had all the fluid taken out, gained the weight back, then started over....will have some info to share...

Edited January 8, 201412 yr by B-52

Thanks, B-52! I agree that most people when getting their Fluid removed do regain their weight. I wasn't immune and I take full responsibility for not watching what I was eating or how much I shoveled in my face. I fully enjoyed eating like a "normal" person again and now I'm paying the price and starting over from square one. My biggest concern is, now that I'm trying to get back on track, I'm not seeing any progress. Once the fluid is taken out, do people tend to need more fluid in their band the second time around? Or did my lack of conscious eating while without fluid stretch my stomach to the point that I'm going to need further surgery? I can't afford a barium swallow at this time so I'm hoping someone out there can point me in the right direction. I'd LOVE to hear from anyone that's had fluid taken out and has started over.

Edited January 8, 201412 yr by OnMyWeighDown

I, too, had my Band unfilled about a year after placement back in 07/08.. I also deeply enjoyed eating "normal", then it turned to "abnormal" and since then have gained back all the weight I lost and more. AND, I also went back to my surgeon to have my band refilled, but I still had the sickly mentality that I could still eat normally but I shouldn't have. I wonder if my stomach has been stretched (though I'm not sure what exactly 'stretched' means). I am wicked poor due to several new serious maladies that required a lot of money from me, so I can't afford to go back for wls tests. At the risk of being discriminated, I will admit that I am mentally ill. I was definitely NOT ready for WLS. How I slipped through the cracks, I don't know. My surgeon, and three separate Doctors suggested RNY.My surgeon told me straight out that the only way I will lose 180lbs is RNY, or the Sleeve. And DAMN if that option is a hard one to swallow, so to speak. But I'm not making the same mistake twice. I am looking ALL OVER the place to find a professional who deals with food addiction. I know several addicts, and I could just as well be a drunk (I don't drink, don't like it) My vice is drinking an enormous amount of sugary drinks a day, and just the freedom to eat what I want when I need it. I use food as a drug. The first thing I do in the morning is pop open a can of pop and the last thing I do before I start settling to go to sleep is drink a pop. If I can't have my various "fix's, I get angry,seriously depressed, emotionally frazzled, you name it. If I eat the "right" food or drink the "right" drink, I'm OK till I need my next fix. I am seriously addicted. So I do all the soul searching, research and psychotherapy I can to make the correct decision.

I'm sorry guys, I write a lot sometimes.

The disease you are fighting first and foremost is the eating disorder then the obesity. We all are. Getting the fluid taken out of the band is just giving yourself permission to submit again. Did you have the same amt of fluid put back in? I would think that since the anatomy changes you will have to sneak up on the green zone again and it may not be the same fill amount. Plus, sound like what you are experiencing is bandster hell. I would probably start my postop diet over then go for another fill about the time I move to solid foods. That's just the way I would approach it, everyone is different

I had my LB surgery in Sept. 2010 lost a little weight but not very much maybe 20 lbs. and that was because of the post op diet as soon as solid foods came back the weight that I had lost came back so I gave up and didn't go back to see doctor. Last visit was in 7/2011 and had a fill but not since. I gave up never lost more than 10 lbs. Never really had the full feeling like most after eating. Now I have I have decided to go crawling to the doctor and back and see if there is anything he can do or will do. This past year has been so stressful and the loss of my dad 8 months ago has really got me thinking of trying again, if this doesn't work I am gonna see if I can have a revision or gastric sleeve if insurance will pay for it....anyone else feel like a failure from the start?

lkmoney- if you didn't have enough fills to get to the "green zone" then you wouldn't have succeeded. Go back to the doc and get filled appropriately and give yourself a fighting chance!

Nicki