Banded for 3 years and struggling with reflux

[CAROLYNFC 24]

I am celebrating 3 years of being banded and have lost 60 lbs. I only have 20 more to go. Here is my problem. For the last year I have been in a consented struggle with my band and reflux. I currently only have 3.5 cc in a 10 cc band. I have been working with my doctor. She adds a little like .2 cc on Monday and now I have reflux again. If I go back she will take me back down and I will be ok and wait a month to six weeks and go back for another fill. She will add a little and I will be fine. This has been the cycle for a year. I have only lost a couple pounds since the cycle began. At the beginning of this I was almost at my goal but was really sick from reflux so I had to have all Fluid taken out and I gain 20 lbs back. Now the reflux thing.

I have had 3 barrium swallow test and my band hasn't slipped. They do think I may have a small hernia. Anyone else out there with this problem. Its only been 2 days since fill could I just be swollen and it will get better? I take prescription Prilosec everyday but when I lay down at night is when I have problem. I sleep on 2 pillows, don't eat 3 hours before bed and drink plenty of Water to wash out pouch. All the things I have been told.

HELP!! Any ideas from anyone with this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[2muchfun 8,927]

I don't have this same problem but I'm so hypersensitive to it I constantly monitor anything that comes up. It's one of those symptoms of a slipped band as you obviously already know so the fear is there.

How close to the green zone were you before and after this fill? Maybe you'll have to be satisfied with being in the yellow/green zone? I know I'm not solidly in the green zone myself but I prefer to be able to eat without getting stuck too often so I've intentionally left my band a little looser than some.

tmf

[CAROLYNFC 24]

I am far from green zone. I can eat about what ever I want. I do feel some tightness if I eat bread. I just wondered if there is some magic trick to stop the reflux at night. I would like to have the feeling I had when first banded. I lost 58 pounds the first year but seem to take one step forward and 2 steps back now.

[2muchfun 8,927]

I got nothing. But, if your current doctor can't resolve this problem you should consider a 2nd opinion. Reflux can be dangerous over a long period of time.

Good luck to you.

[marfar7 1,528]

Have u had a recent xray? 3 yrs of a lapband, almost daily vomiting, I suffered severe nighttime reflux. My band had slipped. gained 30 lbs back during the year I was unfilled. Last July I had a sleeve revision.

Sometimes reflux is the ONLY symptom of a slip. I had a minor slip that turned into a major slip and couldn't be fixed on it's own.

Good luck! I know how miserable reflux is.

[vapetlover 2]

Your story could be mine! I have taken Nexium for 6 plus years. It has always done the job. My band was put in March 2010. I has worked, as far as limiting the volume of food I can eat. Unfortunately, I am still addicted to sugar, and you can eat enough of that to gain. So, I gradually gained back about 25 lbs. My starting weight was 255 (down from 270 pre op). My lowest weight after surgery was 205. About 3-4 months ago, I started experiencing reflux, esp. at night. Then, I couldn't keep food down. Doc did the barium swallow and couldn't get it to flow until all but 1 cc was removed. He said to come back if I continued to have distress. That was 2 months ago; I haven't been back yet. I have somewhat lost confidence in him, but I'm afraid to go to someone else. Begrudgingly I will make another appointment next week.

Sometimes I can eat with no problems. Other times, reflux rears its ugly head! My GP gave me some stronger reflux meds. We'll see. My hubby had the vertical sleeve and hasn't had any problems. I wanted that, but our insurance didn't approve at the time I had mine.

Like you, I am puzzled as to what to do. I have been waking up coughing (irritated esoph by reflux) and have to move to the recliner to sleep. I will be interested in how you progress. Please keep us informed here.

Thanks.

[CAROLYNFC 24]

Well here is where I am now. Saturday was a terrible day. After a night of no sleep and reflux I threw up 4 times and could not eat or drink. Saturday night woke up with food particals in my mouth and horrible reflux. Call my doctors office and meet the doctor on call in emergency room. They took out all 3cc from my band. My actual doctor did call me and I am to make an appointment to see whats going on. I am seriously going to tell her its time to fix this thing. A year of Fluid in and Fluid out is long enough. Something isn't right. My chest is sore from reflux and I still don't feel great.

I will keep you updated!!

[vapetlover 2]

Well, seems we are on the same train here. First of all, I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. Same symptoms as I have had! I can hardly get the taste of bile out of my mouth! Yuck! I've been taking an antacid (liquid), Tums, baking soda. Slept in the recliner last night. Can't even lay back down w/o reflux; and coughing and wheezing. I'm going to call the GastroEnt and make an appointment. As you say, I've had it!

[shondelrobert 12]

Well, seems we are on the same train here. First of all, I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. Same symptoms as I have had! I can hardly get the taste of bile out of my mouth! Yuck! I've been taking an antacid (liquid), Tums, baking soda. Slept in the recliner last night. Can't even lay back down w/o reflux; and coughing and wheezing. I'm going to call the GastroEnt and make an appointment. As you say, I've had it!

Hi I need some advice.I had my lapband on 2/3/2014 and I am on normal foods but I can eat like a horse.I am trying to stay on the right portions but I am always hungry.Any advice

[2muchfun 8,927]

Well, seems we are on the same train here. First of all, I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. Same symptoms as I have had! I can hardly get the taste of bile out of my mouth! Yuck! I've been taking an antacid (liquid), Tums, baking soda. Slept in the recliner last night. Can't even lay back down w/o reflux; and coughing and wheezing. I'm going to call the GastroEnt and make an appointment. As you say, I've had it!

Hi I need some advice.I had my lapband on 2/3/2014 and I am on normal foods but I can eat like a horse.I am trying to stay on the right portions but I am always hungry.Any advice

You should always start a new thread or topic if you're going to change the direction of a thread. There are only 5 people following this thread and if you start your own topic, hundreds of eyes will see your topic and many more will/can respond.

You're in Bandster Hell. That's the period between surgery and getting the proper adjustment(fills) to allow your band to work it's magic. Most everyone goes through this and this is the period where your journey is just another diet till you get enough fills to feel satiety/restriction.

The best you can do is to consume more Protein and consume Protein first. Good luck.

[CAROLYNFC 24]

Update I go on Wen. the 12th for Barium Swallow and then up to see my doctor. The weird thing in all this is still having chest pain and have some restriction and they suppossedly took out all 3cc I had in my band. I burp alot and have a full feeling. I will be so glad to find out what is going on. Of Course, I have doning my own research and everything points to a hernia. We will see!

I love being able to talk on here and know there are others like me!

Thanks for listening!

[iamsoworthit 430]

I am celebrating 3 years of being banded and have lost 60 lbs. I only have 20 more to go. Here is my problem. For the last year I have been in a consented struggle with my band and reflux. I currently only have 3.5 cc in a 10 cc band. I have been working with my doctor. She adds a little like .2 cc on Monday and now I have reflux again. If I go back she will take me back down and I will be ok and wait a month to six weeks and go back for another fill. She will add a little and I will be fine. This has been the cycle for a year. I have only lost a couple pounds since the cycle began. At the beginning of this I was almost at my goal but was really sick from reflux so I had to have all Fluid taken out and I gain 20 lbs back. Now the reflux thing.

I have had 3 barrium swallow test and my band hasn't slipped. They do think I may have a small hernia. Anyone else out there with this problem. Its only been 2 days since fill could I just be swollen and it will get better? I take prescription Prilosec everyday but when I lay down at night is when I have problem. I sleep on 2 pillows, don't eat 3 hours before bed and drink plenty of Water to wash out pouch. All the things I have been told.

HELP!! Any ideas from anyone with this problem would be greatly appreciated.

I would definitely get in and get a slight unfill. I was banded in 2008 and my story was very similar to yours. The first two years were great but the last 3 were fill and unfill along with reflux and heartburn. I never had either before the band but those three years were awful. I kept telling myself it would be ok because I didn't want to have a problem ( I know it's nuts). At the end of year five in early 2013 I finally had an egd and found out I had intestinal metaplasia, a precursor for stomach cancer. I didn't have a slip, the position of the band was fine, my body just didn't like it. I was a rule follower and didn't break the band rules. It scared me big time. I ended up deciding to have the band removed and converted to rny to limit my risk with the intestinal metaplasia. I had that done in june 2013 and haven't had reflux or heartburn since.

I am convinced if I would have done a complete unfill and let my body relax I may not have had that happen. I was only filled to 2.9 when I was at my worst. While the revision isn't for everyone it was my healthiest option. I wanted my band to work but we have to listen to our bodies and recurring heartburn or reflux is not healthy so be safe and get the unfill until your inflammation is down.

I hope you get it straightened out and get well soon.

[vapetlover 2]

Thanks for responding. I googled my symptoms and found a condition that fits exactly: Achalasia

Here is the def I found which matches my symptoms exactly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achalasia

Even more interesting, I had an MRI last week concerning stenosis in my cervical spine (neck), and the radiologist mentioned that there was Fluid at the bottom of my esophagus. This condition is mentioned in the wiki pedia site. I plan to go back to my surgeon asap and he will probably do an upper GI and/or barium swallow. Frankly,I'm a little more than concerned with what your dx was: cancer. I have successfully had some urinary bladder "polyps" removed which were caught very early.

[slikchik10 85]

Sorry to hear you're having an issue. For me, this was the beginning of the end of having a band. I had the band in 2006. My reflux issue started 2 yrs (and 60lbs down) after surgery. I tried sticking it out and dealing with it for 4 yrs. Well, I finally got someone to listen and really check things out and it was the band causing my problem. 5/13 I had a revision to sleeve and am down almost 90 lbs from my start weight with the band.

So, get it checked, take the reflux problem very seriously. Make sure your Dr. is hearing you and looking at a everything...even if it means doing a scope. That's what they did for me and discovered the problem. I'm not having reflux problems any longer and am happy with my choice.

[vapetlover 2]

^{Glad you found the problem and have resolved the issue. My husband had the vertical sleeve about a year after I got my lapband. He is doing very well and has lost over 100 lbs.}

^{I will see the WL surgeon and tell him my suspicions; I'm sure he will order an upper GI. We'll see what happens. I just know I'm ready for this to be over; just to be able to sleep through the night again would be great.}