I swallowed approx. half a piece of Orbit gum (ie., pretty small) but it is just sitting there, not going down.

It felt like it was just at the back of my throat, so I tried to cough it out, hack it out, and finally vomit it out... That was dumb - I should have phoned my doctor first.

He explained that the esophagus doesn't have full sensory output, so even though something may feel like it's at the top, it could be at the bottom end of the esophagus.

So I'm on liquids after a single day of mushies (waah...), waiting for gravity and peristalsis to take it's course.

I probably won't stop chewing gum - I only have a piece every week or two - but I will be very, very careful the next time I do!

Just wanted to share my cautionary tale...

I found out the hard way that peanutbutter dissolves gum. I was chewing some in highschool (not allowed) then a friend gave me some peanut m&m's.... well. I just popped them in and chewed it all together.

the next thing I know, I've got a mouth full of glue. It dissolved the gum into a sticky goo. I spent all lunch break trying to get it out since it was so gooey and gross.... I swallowed maybe half of it and the rest I used paper towels to try and wipe out lol. It was awful... It happened fast too. Very strange.

Eww that sounds pretty gross. I would hate to have that paste in my mouth. lol I think it is because of the oils. rubber of any kind is broken down by oil. and what is gum but rubber and sugar.

I hope Alyson gives us an update pretty soon. I hate having things stuck It's so uncomfortable. I can't even imagine having gum stuck for this long!

Any updates yet?

I'm sitting on the edge of my chair waiting!! LOL

I'm sorry about the gum. I know it must be driving you crazy.

I chew gum everday even though I was advised not to preband. I know others who chew it and as long as I do not accidently swallow it I am fine. I am very careful when I chew it. I had to give up enough I feel with this surgery.....I am not giving up my gum.

I will take my chances, but I am sorry to hear about your ordeal......it sounds pretty awful!!

I hope it passes on its own eventually!

I went for my first fill today, not really sure if the small piece of gum had passed through or not. I started on solid foods on the 16th and I could still feel it bouncing around when my stomach was empty. But after a couple days (including an English muffin and a piece of toast) I didn't feel the long thin gum. I did feel something, but not the same thing. So I thought maybe it had become a different shape?

Anyway, today I went for my fill, and they pulled the priming liquid out (apparently they put a little in to rehydrate the band?) until they got air bubbles, then watched the flow on fluoroscope as I took a big swallow of barium. They couldn't see any disruption of flow, so in Dr Neal's opinion the gum is gone, and what I'm feeling is just a banding difference.

So hurray, my gumwatch is done. I'm actually not going to chew it anymore - I'll switch to listerine strips or breath mints...

Thanks again for all the support and advice!

Well that's good news! I hope this fill is a good one for you. I would go nuts if I didn't chew gum. I will be very careful after your experience though! I am so glad you finally got rid of it!

I am so happy the gum is gone and everything is ok. how do you feel after your fill. I am a bit wiped out. I dont know if it is because of the fill or because I started my period the same day. ack.

Wow! You've been through hell! I hope you are feeling better now!

How's the new fill feel?

I swallowed a whole cough drop the other day by accident.

I guess that's why docs warn us about gum and hard candy. :frown:

EWW a cough drop.....bet your throat was sizzling. lol

Wow...how awful that must have been for you! I hate it when things just linger above the band. Feels so frikkin weird!

If an old LAP band vet may offer some advice...if you ever have anything that's *that* stuck again, there's a way to "PB" without actually burping or retching and stressing the band. It's a nifty trick I learned by accident in Yoga class. Staying a few minutes in the "downward facing dog" or "down dog" position lets gravity do its job on whatever is stuck in there...I call it the "tip me over and pour me out" method. You're literally in a position where your esophagus is inverted, and the food has no where else to go but in...and then out...of your mouth.

But I'm glad you've got it fixed now!

Oh my goodness....so glad to hear you are clear of "the gum incident". Hey stinaNYC....what kind of yoga do you practice? I LOVE yoga....used to be a pretty advanced student until I had back surgery. I'm getting banded in less than two weeks and am wondering when I can start practicing again. I would love to get back to when I could do advanced poses....I was in the best shape of my life then. Just curious how it has worked for you being banded. And CONGRATS on being so close to your goal!!

Oh my goodness....so glad to hear you are clear of "the gum incident". Hey stinaNYC....what kind of yoga do you practice? I LOVE yoga....used to be a pretty advanced student until I had back surgery....Just curious how it has worked for you being banded. And CONGRATS on being so close to your goal!!

Hey, bigmarathoner...I take whatever the gym offers up. It's sort of a combo of sun salutations and free-standing poses...nothing too cerebral, but I do take two different classes- one emphasizes stretching and the other is more strengthening. I actually started taking yoga as a way to get myself back into exercising after I got the band (which, like, took about A YEAR...i know...so lazy!).

I had absolutely NO idea at the time what wonders yoga does for your ass! Seriously...I love my ass so much now. And just yesterday I did the Crane pose (i think that was it)...the one where you sorta balance your knees on your hands and triceps. Dang, that was hard, but then I realized "Hey! I have triceps?!?"

I am so happy the gum is gone and everything is ok. how do you feel after your fill. I am a bit wiped out. I dont know if it is because of the fill or because I started my period the same day. ack.

I'm definitely tired, but I'm not sure if it's because of the fill or because I went to bed at 1am and was woken at 5am by my daughter and couldn't get back to sleep....

I thought it might hurt, but it was just a prick - less painful than a vaccination, IMO.

Hopefully we'll both feel more peppy soon!