I've tried to find the answer so please be patient with me if it's in here somewhere and I missed it. I'm wondering just where food gets stuck. As I understand it, when we have restriction the food will stay in the upper small pouch longer. When we chew well enough and eat slowly we don't get stuck. So does that mean the food is passing easily into the lower part of the stomach and not getting stuck in the passage way? It's not susposed to go into the lower part for awhile. So what happens when it's stuck and the person has a PB? I've had surgery, 1 fill and no restriction. I just got thinking about this and can't figure out the answer.

it gets stuck in the pouch if the item of food is too fiborous or not chewed well enuf it feels like something is stuck in your chest like when you swallow too big of a piece its the opening of the stomach is where it gets stuck and it is not comfortable dont eat to fast!

But isn't the whole point of the pouch to keep the food there longer?

I believe it actually gets stuck at the opening of the pouch. The idea is for the food to work its way into the small pouch, but many of us tend to gulp our food or take too big a bite out of habit and not chew thoroughly and so everything bottles up like in a funnel at the top, which causes sliming, PBing and discomfort.

Hi , I was banded 12/27. What is slimeing and what are pb. Thank-You for your reply.

Sliming: when food gets stuck and the stomach releases mucus to pass the food but when the food is stuck it backs up like a stopped up toilet....up your throat and into your mouth and you wind up with a mouth full of saliva that must be spit out.

PB: "Productive Burp" (kindof a stupid name). This is like puking but what comes out comes out in the same condition it went into your mouth....without stomach acids or juices...just chewed up food or beverage. When things get stuck and don't go down the chute like they should, sometimes the easiest thing is to hang your head over a toilet and let it come out. Generally not accompanied by stomach contractions like a real vomit, and much of the time will kindof roll out of your mouth. This is a by-product of: NOT CHEWING WELL, TAKING LARGER BITES THAN YOU SHOULD.

OK, so it kind of makes sense, I am a nurse, and I too could not figure out why the "stuckage". But I have found out that the term PB is not accurate. What happens to me is definately not a burp. But I guess we are all different.

OMG the sliming happened to me the other day. I was told I could eat crackers. Well I must have been very hungry, and did not chew. Oh the pain. It got stuck and I tried to swallow but it felt like nothing would go down not even saliva. So the saliva started coming out. I kept trying to swallow and sip water to pass it. It eventually passed and beleive me I felt it pass.

I've heard if something gets stuck, try pineapple juice. Its supposed to break down the food and help it pass. I've not experienced this yet, but I have pineapple juice in the cupboard just in case.

Debbie

Your food is intended to sit in the pouch, for an extended period of time, slowly working it's way into the actual stomach. It is not intended to sit without digestion taking place though! When food is in the pouch and/or stomach your stomach begins churning, and moving, releasing acids into the food to break it down (in the lower section of unbanded stomach.) When we get stuck, it is when something is blocking the stoma area --where the band was placed, and it is at its narrowest. This can be as mentioned from not chewing well, or it can be caused by the type of food we ate---breads, and pastas for instance as they break down the glutens tend to create a big dough ball, and it is harder to pass, as it grows as opposed to breaking down. These kind of stuck episodes are often helped by the pineapple juice---in small sips the acidity helps to break up these kind of food dams!

Another issue that leads to a stuck situation---or at least what feels like one is over eating. When the pouch is full, and food begins to back up into the esophagus, it leaves no room for the stomach to do its natural digestion movement. Which is why they suggest amounts of food, to avoid these type of problems.

When you get stuck you do produce tons of slime! This is not a Bandster special either!! My DH who is not banded, choked on a piece of chicken---it went down past the trachea and he could breath, but it was stuck, he could not swallow saliva---anything, and he slimed big time!

It is natures way to try to help us slide whatever the offending item is, on through. If you are stuck due to an over large bite, or even a dammed up backlog of food, sometimes the slime will help slick things up enough to get the offender through. If however the problem is not resolved quickly, or if it began due to overeating, there is simply no where for all that slime to go!

Spitting is your best option! Gross yes, but.....sometimes it will save you from a full blown PB.

Slime is oderless, tasteless extremely thick saliva.

PB's can vary--not just among people but how they hit us from one time to the next. Sometimes a simple hiccup can move things to where they need to be, and I have heard of some serious PB's where they made standard vomiting sound easy!

They really should be avoided if at all possible, it is thought to be hard on the band placement to vomit or heave.

It is never silly to ask questions, and yours made perfect sense....now of course I would think that since it is one I ask myself back when I was first banded!!!!

I am closing in on 2 years, and am still learning, and asking questions!!!

Kat

Hi. Can PBing cause damage? My boyfriend always takes bites that are too big and until he is able to PB, it seems like he is suffocating. It's very scary to watch! Does this happen to anyone else?

Well it is something best addressed with his Dr. but mine told me to avoid the heaving of vomiting and PB's if at all possioble, it is hard on the esophagus, and strains the area the band is set in. There were some stitches used to place the band, and then scar tissue forms to hold it in position, so I was led to believe that it might cause that to tear loose, allowing a slip.

Some eating lessons are hard to learn....I know!!!

Kat

As I am reading along here someone was talking about the pasta or breads getting stuck ,due to the gluten. I am wondering if gluten-free products would help. Also in reading my info. from the program that I went through, it said "that when first banded yor pouch will hold 8oz. fluid or 2-4oz. solid, when you receive your fill then your pouch will hold 2-4oz total." could this be a typo? How can you live on 2-4oz. 3x daily+ drink 64oz. of water? You would have to set your alarm clock to get up and drink! I was banded 12/27 and still have nausea and have no energy. I talked to the dietition today any she said I need more protein and may have developed lactose intolerance.I do not do soy, and have been using whey but are there other types of protein powder? Thank-You for your reply!

For the first 2 weeks I was only allowed Clear liquids, so I used Zero Carb Isopure. It is a juice---like kool aid. I bought it at GNC---it comes in several flavors. It is high in Protein, and adding protein at this point will help with the fatigue and aid in your healing. It is sold in glass bottles, similar to the Sobe drinks. They also sell test tube shots of protein, which packs a lot of protein grams in a small amount of liquid....can't give you much info on them, I didn't use them, they have come out since my surgery!

I have to be very honest---- and in no way am I suggesting you go against your Dr. and dietician---but I was never that exact with amounts. I sipped all the time, and eventually was able to simply drink normally, and I really pushed the liquid---it seriously helps with my weight loss if I stay fully hydrated. When I slack off on drinking, I feel bad. But I did not measure how much food I was eating or schedule exact times to eat. I pretty much ate at the same times I always had, I know in the begining I did eat much, much less. As you heal, it is especially important not to eat until your Dr. says it is ok, and then it is equally important for you not to overstuff the pouch.

I found it easiest all along, to try to stick to the idea of eating until I wasn't hungry anymore, not eating until I was full. By the time my brain got the full signal, I had eaten another 2-3 bites, and was then too full! I always try to stop before feeling full.

64 oz. of Water (or in my personal case, I drink water, tea, crystal light....) is pretty easy to get in. I used to keep water bottles full, and know I had 4 to get in during the day, and it was not a big deal to drink them all.

The pouch may have a 8 oz. capacity in general, but with liquid, it is passing through --it is not sitting for an hour then automatically flushing through. As you add to it, it moves through. You will feel it, if you drink too much too fast....and be able to set your own personal speed.

I have no idea on protein powders to be honest, I used unjury, and never shopped around much. There are entire threads devoted to comparing protein powders though---you should be able to scroll back and find some under the food section.

I have never tried any of the gluten free things either---I have found as you begin eating, if you want to eat the breads and pastas, if you eat them with other food, so they have other things to digest with, it is much easier. Say a few bites of a sandwich are easier than just a slice of bread.

Welcome to bandland, and welcome to LBT!!!

Kat

I've tried to find the answer so please be patient with me if it's in here somewhere and I missed it. I'm wondering just where food gets stuck. As I understand it, when we have restriction the food will stay in the upper small pouch longer. When we chew well enough and eat slowly we don't get stuck. So does that mean the food is passing easily into the lower part of the stomach and not getting stuck in the passage way? It's not susposed to go into the lower part for awhile. So what happens when it's stuck and the person has a PB? I've had surgery, 1 fill and no restriction. I just got thinking about this and can't figure out the answer.

The stomach is designed to store food for a bit while digestion takes place.

The esophagus is not a storage organ, it's a transport organ like an elevator with two buttons - down and up. It always tries down first and when that doesn't work it switches to up.

Typically, "stuck" is when poorly chewed food or too big a bite gets stuck to the point of backing up into the esophagus. Also, if you eat perfectly but eat too much, it will back up into the esophagus and want to come back up.

hope that helps

Very informative everyone, thanks so much. I knew what they meant too but not in all that detail. PB doesn't sound like the right name for it, eh? I thought it was more like a chunky burp than a near barfing. Yikes! I don't want anything to do with sliming or PBing.