I feel like instead of a lap band, they tightened my throat. When I eat food, it often gets stuck in my throat. I have to drink. This never happened before surgery, it scares me. Sometimes, it's literally stuck in my neck area, so I'm pretty sure this isn't normal lap band "stuck" issues. It forces me to drink. It makes me freeze up. I think ok maybe smaller bites.....but why, if I have no restriction right now...would I be getting food stuck in my throat? Please help!

Hi there, this link really helped me when I was starting out. Every time some one posted it I reread the whole thing. Maybe it will help you, too:

http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Sent from my iPad

I felt like that when I was really swollen...it effects the throat too. It happens if I irritate it by not chewing all the way...or when I had a bit too much of a fill. Takes awhile for it to go away...with my fill...it never went away, so I had a small unfill, and all is good. Did this just start happening to you?

you wrote in your post "have no restriction right now" do you know for sure there is no Fluid? when i had my band placed there was actually 4cc of fluid in it at placement. it could be that there is fluid in there and it took you straight from yellow to red - i would call your dr and ask - explain what you are feeling they will tell you to come in if they feel you need it.

when you eat how large a bite do you take. i had myself convinced i was eating small enough till i complained about stuck episodes at my last visit.. i was asked quite frankly how large a bite i took and if it was larger than the nail on my index finger it was too big.... and when i reflect honestly with myself. they are/where too big.

that even though i felt like i was nibbling like a mouse and eating like a snail - i was consuming too much too fast. it really is a life adjustment and it's going to take time. you will do fine just call the doc

One bite of food, too large or not chewed enough can lodge in the stoma. Your stoma is only 2-3 cm away from your esophagus and it only takes one bite of food too big to cause a stuck episode. If food is lodged due to food being stuck in your stoma, it backs up into your esophagus and you will slime with saliva and phlegm. It feels like you have a golf ball stuck under your breast bone and drinking will only exacerbate the problem.

It can take months to learn how to eat with your band. Assuming you have no restriction could be your problem. Apparently you have enough restriction to cause a stuck episode.

tmf