My sx was 12/16. My first fill was on Monday. Not once have I experienced this. I keep reading about it but it hasn't happened. I am down 24 lbs today! I am so excited. Wen they filled me, they made me sit up with the needle still in place (painful) and had me drink a cup of water slowly. It started to make regurgitating noises, so she took some fluid out of the band. Is this normal?

Sounds like you were too tight with what she put in so it's good she took some out. How are you feeling since that time?

Fine. But I dont feel a real restriction. And I get hungry often. Should I call them in a week or wait until my monthly appointment?

Congrats on your loss and being off to what sounds like a great start. It's not uncommon to still hear of people having thier fills done blindly or via the "can Water go thru" method. Unfortunate, but not uncommon.

As far as you not having any issues with PB'ing or sliming..., enjoy! You may be eating correctly, nice and slow, chewing well. It's not necessary to have those issues to be successful. Just for some, like me, it's a reminder to take care/eat slower/chew better.

19 months post op, never stuck, nor slimed or pb'd......like catfish said, chew slow, chew alot and dont stress so much

The stuck thing happened to me twice (banded 11/5). Once gulping food -- steamed beets so it was "good for me" food but I went too fast, didn't chew well enough, etc. Second time recently I got too hungry and ate cold over cooked fish from the fridge -- was looking for protein. I notice that after not even being able to detect hunger now that I'm banded I do actually get hungry and when I'm hungry sometimes I've got to eat. That's when I went for the fish. Have not experienced PBing (I don't think). Both of my stuck episodes were similar. Extremely tight solar plexus discomfort, violent hiccups for 20-30 minutes then spitting up the food. I am in the process of getting fills to achieve the green zone but I will never get so tight as to accept spitting up, PBing etc. That is not the idea do the band. The point is to have the appetite dimmed so we eat less.

My sx was 12/16. My first fill was on Monday. Not once have I experienced this. I keep reading about it but it hasn't happened. I am down 24 lbs today! I am so excited. Wen they filled me, they made me sit up with the needle still in place (painful) and had me drink a cup of Water slowly. It started to make regurgitating noises, so she took some Fluid out of the band. Is this normal?

Actually PBing and sliming is a SIGN of a problem....you may slime if you goof and don't chew well, and get food stuck, you are still early out and probably have not achieved the "sweet spot" green zone....

Many people never PB and slime, some do it every single day.....When the band is filled too tightly it causes you to PB and slime more frequently.....you can still PB and slime in the Green zone if you don't chew your food well or eat slowly.

Frequent Pbing may cause band slippage, some people vomit several times a day which eventually leads to band complications.

I posted this in another post and hopefully it can help you..

Actually the band was designed to be 'tight and snug' not too loose and not too tight. Ideally a 'tight' band or a band that is filled in the green zone, you should be able to eat most foods, but NOT too freely, the band SHOULD give us some resistance when eating, this is why we should take tiny bites and eat slowly...

If someone can eat fast with no issues, then the band is too loose and the band is NOT working for them...if someone can't get down MOST foods slowly without PBing and sliming then it's too tight.

Edited January 15, 201412 yr by NaNa

Most doctors will only schedule fills for once a month. Sometimes it takes 2-3 weeks to feel the full effect from a fill. My doctor will only see you for a fill every 4 weeks. One time I made the appt 6 days early and was chastised for it. (just before Christmas).

Okay dumb question... what is PBing and sliming? It sounds like it has to do with getting the food stuck due to not chewing enough. What is the other?

Usually sliming comes with pb, but pb doesn't necessarily come with sliming! Sliming is when you get too much mucus from being stuck and it has no where to go, (it will sometimes come out forcibly)! Pb is when food come up like vomiting in your mouth but more! Hope that helps, Karen..aka.kll724

PS: these folks who have never pb'd or slimed are very lucky!

Thanks! From the talk here, I assumed it was normal and was expected. I eat right. I mostly eat fresh veggies, and cold water fresh fish. Lots of sashimi too. I guess this stuff just doesn't get stuck? I haven't had much restaurant food yet. Will go out to lunch tomorrow. We will see what happens. Thanks again for the info.

I know of others that have never Pb'ed or slimed. I think it's awesome & would love it if it never happened again to me. Like someone before me said, it's often just a reminder that we ate something too big or swallowed too much, too fast.

Edited January 15, 201412 yr by steph2012

Unfortunately, I was one of those people who thought I wont get stuck. I know the rules... I was wrong. I got stuck on some homemade chicken and noodles. It was HORRIBLE. Terrible pain in your chest, the sliming, then PB'ing and finally I threw up. I just didn't eat slowly enough and the egg noodles were kinda rubbery. I guess it happens to the best of us. Wont be eating that again anytime soon. when it happens its something you don't want to repeat!

Congrats on your loss and being off to what sounds like a great start. It's not uncommon to still hear of people having thier fills done blindly or via the "can Water go thru" method. Unfortunate, but not uncommon.

As far as you not having any issues with PB'ing or sliming..., enjoy! You may be eating correctly, nice and slow, chewing well. It's not necessary to have those issues to be successful. Just for some, like me, it's a reminder to take care/eat slower/chew better.

Catfish, what is the alternative to "blindly or the can water go through method?" I think my surgeon uses the water method. My first fill is next week.

Sure it's normal...just like a new born baby spits up what he/she ate too fast...the same happens to me if I eat something too fast...even water!

It has no where to go, passes through the band much much slower than as fast as I swallowed....over fills the pouch, ....and up it comes! No time for the "Slime" to accumulate.

Semetimes when I'm running, I forget...and take some big gulps of Water...comes right back up.

Think of a funnel...as long as you pour water in at a slow rate, it will accumulate in the upper area...pouch...and then slowly pass through the narrow passageway...Band...

Pour it in the funnel faster than it can pass through the passage, and what happens?

And I'm using water as an example...just imagine something like mashed potatoes. ..mushy or not...does not matter.

And if was something solid...then you're STUCK...it just sits there, blocking the passage completely....then the saliva starts to accumulate....SLIME!....this is the body's way and promoting it to come up and out...I used to sip water to speed up the process and get it over with.

Edited January 15, 201412 yr by B-52

Catfish, what is the alternative to "blindly or the can Water go through method?" I think my surgeon uses the water method. My first fill is next week.

This is one of my favorite topics on here. Fluoroscopy....not because what someone told me, not because what I read, but because it happened to me. (this is from my surgeons notes on me...not sure why I can't make it larger but click on it to see)

Now, you'll hear from folks telling you it's not necessary, too costly, etc....thats their opinion and I respect it. I have mine...for the above reason and others.

Lots of Doctors still don't have the convienent access to a fluoro machine where they do the fills. So, they "blindly" do the fills by their experience ( or lack thereof ) and guess it'll be ok. Then have you drink some water after the fill to see if the water will pass through...."the water method" after the guessing method.

By making adjustments to ones band while watching the restriction level, it provides for a more optimal result. Not saying folks can't get to the proper adjustment without it, but its' much easier to do something correctly when you can see what you're doing.

Here's a link to my surgeons page describing fluoro: http://www.hoab.org/fluoroscopy-st-louis-missouri/

Heres a link to the page showing what MY fluoro adjustment looked like back in July13: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/168149-heres-what-my-restriction-level-looks-like/

Hope your doctor will at least check your band with fluoro on some interval. Best wishes!