Acid reflux, band removal on NHS?

strawberryparty · January 18, 2017

Hi, I posted in the UK forum but that seems to be quite dead, so I'll try here as well.

The last couple of years I have been getting horrible acid reflux at night and in the early morning, it is ruining my sleep. I have had my band totally un-filled / deflated, for the last 3 years or so (weight plateaued & the band was causing a lot of discomfort and yo-yo'ing with fills/unfills trying without success to find the "sweet spot" was too expensive).

I get stuck on Water if I try to drink it in the middle of the night, I get stuck on my own spit. I have to go and make a cup of tea and drink that in the middle of the night, then after that I can have Water and I swallow spit okay and the reflux will sometimes go if I drink water.

I want the band removed, but I haven't got money to get it down privately. I was wondering if anyone in the UK has been to their GP and gotten on a waiting list to have a removal? I've been reading around and I see a lot of emergency situations where the band slips or there has been erosion and the person gets it removed on the NHS, but I am wondering about the process of going through your GP and getting put on a waiting list - how long does it take, what did you tell you GP, this kind of thing. I am pretty certain my band has not slipped because as long as I build up from first thing in the morning (first tea, then water, then soft food, then normal food), I can eat normally through the day without discomfort.

More info:
I am also fairly certain the reflux is down to the band and not my diet because I have not been eating hours before bed, I cut out fatty foods, etc. I'm in my late 20s, never had reflux before. My BMI was low for the surgery to begin with, and so I have the smaller of the 2 types of lap band, so even with no saline fills, the band is still giving me restriction / making me stuck of foods if I don't chew thoroughly. I am currently in the healthy range with my BMI though I lost much weight with no fills in my band and losing the weight on my own without restriction.

Would much appreciate anyone sharing their experience before I book to see GP. I have quite bad social anxiety and I worry about what to say to the GP and whether I will be allowed to get the band removed on the NHS or not. The reflux has really been disrupting my sleep badly and that's the main reason I want it out.

jadeedie · January 18, 2017

Hi. I'm from the UK and from what you have said I am sure they will remove it for you.. it will take awhile maybe but it's making u more ill with it so surely they have to do something. just talk to your GP. I'm sure they will understand x

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strawberryparty · January 18, 2017

Thanks for your reply. I guess I'm a bit nervous about talking to a GP about being banded and having to explain stuff like getting "stuck" on saliva and Water, I just feel like a weirdo and I wonder if the GP will have had any patients who are banded (surely they will have, I just worry about being judged about it I guess). I haven't been to the doctor's since getting banded so the idea of about talking about it to a doctor who doesn't already deal with lapband stuff makes me really uncomfortable. Thanks again, I know I need to make the appointment and just get it over with because I just sit up at night awake with the gurgling from the band and it's getting to be a big stress.