hi. i have kind of a weird question. I'm scheduled to be banded at the end of february. And well..i USED to be bulimic..for a few years, been recovered for a year now. and i always knew about damage to the esophogus. i dont think i have any, but am still worried. i havent told my doctor. just scared to bring it up. Anyone else have a past with throwing up? Do u think it would cause problems? Thanks to anyone who can help

Hi Jenna,

I don't know if I can help or not. I understand your concern. When I put myself in your shoes, I would probably tell him - he might do a gastroscopy to have a look pre-op (I had a gastroscopy on Mon to check if I have a hernia that needs to be fixed at the same time). I guess it is better to be safe.

Good luck,

Jen

Jenna

Congratulations on your recovery, however only being a year out from bullimia what doctor is going to perform lap band on you. Part of the psych consult questions is have you ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder? It would seem that a year into your recovery wouldn't be the proper time to make such a drastic decision as weight loss surgery.

As a medical professional myself I have personal experience where patients didn't share their entire medical history, I'm assuming because they didn't think that it would have any impact on the procedure at hand, and have had dire consequences as a result. If I were you I would make sure to discuss your history in its entirety with your surgeon, the decisions that you make now can have serious implications for your future health.

Best of luck to you.

I suffered from bulimia in college, not severe enough for psych and rehab intervention ( at least I don;t think so). I slowly overcame it, turning point was when I was vomitting blood. Anyhow, it has been about 8 years since and I did not tell my doc. I felt like it was a short time that I did it and I was never actually diagnosed plus it has been 8 years. I think you should come forward with your history for sure especially since it has only been a year and you were actually treated for your condition. YOu want this procedure to work for you, it is a life long change so even if you have to put it off for a couple of days to do an endoscopy it is worth the peace.

hi. thanks u guys for ur responses. i was never actually diagnosed, and it was never really fully blown out bulimia. i would get rid of stuff if i overate, wasnt a all the time thing. just wanted to clear that up a lil. even tho its still bad to do. lol

You don't necessarily have to be DIAGNOSED for it to be an issue. My social worker explained to me why they ask that question... Once you get the band, it is INCREDIBLY easy to make yourself vomit. As she put it, even insanely easy. If you still have the urge to make yourself throw up your food before the band, getting the band is a BAD idea because you could very easily cause yourself slippage or erosion.

So if it's a compulsion that you basically have to keep yourself from doing, the band is a very bad idea.

I did "casual" bulimia about 10 years ago. Where I would binge and occasionally make myself throw up. I didn't have the self-control to do it after every thing I ate. I hated doing it. I was uncomfortable and really grossed out. This casual thing lasted about a month. I don't care if it's easier, now, I still wouldn't do it. I hated how it felt. Explained that way to the social worker, she figured I shouldn't have a problem with the band. I don't have any compulsion to throw up. I'd rather learn healthy eating habits so that once I get down to a healthy weight, I can STAY there.

I second with Steph. Having the band has made it sooo sooo easy for me to throw up. I have never had an eating disorder, unless you count over eating. I have never been one to think about throwing up my food and having a history of migraines and throwing up with them, I did everything to prevent throwing up and had an iron stomach....that is until the band. I have found myself wanting to eat more than I can handle so I'd go and throw up what I had already eaten just to be able to continue eating more of my food. Or sometimes I will find myself beyond my full point where I have ignored my full signs and taken one more bite only to get that stuck feeling, and then have to go PB to relieve it. Not only would I PB, but I'd continue to throw up to empty my stomach. My twisted thinking is, "well thats good, not only did I enjoy myself, but now I got rid of most of the calories I just comsumed." This is NOT HEALTHY!!! I repeat, I have never had an eating disorder, but now being banded I think I probably do. I have totally reevaluated my situation and had the realization that this is becomming an unhealthy problem. I am not addicted to it so I am stopping myself. My life is worth more to me than having the stress and complications of an eating disorder. I know how bad you want to loose weight, and how bad you want this! You need to disclose this to your doctor and you might even need to seek counsuling to help with the "head issues." Which by the way DO NOT go away with the band. If anything the "head issues" come in to play more! Many find that after banding they still need counsuling to over come these issues. Best of luck to you, and you are worth you health!

I had the exact same concern as you did. I had dealt with bulimia. I imagined the doc doing the EGD and telling me "Nope can't do the surgery". It ended up being okay. He did find a small hernia, which was repaired. Be honest with your doctor. Sometimes what we keep from the doctors can come back to haunt us. Hang in there. It will be okay. One day at a time.

First of all....tell your doctor. Why would ANYONE keep information vital to their health from their physician? Please, for your sake and your family.

Second, when I got my band, I was a recovered bulimic. Had been recovered about two years.

After my banding it was great....for a while. Not able to binge. It was free from it and it was great.

But as I lost weight I began to realize I hadn't fully addressed my demons. I'm struggling again now and am seeing an ED specialist because the bulimia returned with a vengeance. My therapist says she sees a LOT of both RNY and band patients. As another poster said, the band makes it REALLY easy to vomit.

So since your bulimia was never diagnosed it means you haven't had the chance to work through the demons behind it. There is both a deep emotional component to and ED AND a physiological. This is concerning.

All of this doesn't mean you can't get a band, but PLEASE do not go into this surgery without the help of a good therapist, preferably one with background and experience in eating disorders.

Good luck to you on your journey. Don't underestimate the emotional ride you take when you get a band.

hi. i have kind of a weird question. I'm scheduled to be banded at the end of february. And well..i USED to be bulimic..for a few years, been recovered for a year now. and i always knew about damage to the esophogus. i dont think i have any, but am still worried. i havent told my doctor. just scared to bring it up. Anyone else have a past with throwing up? Do u think it would cause problems? Thanks to anyone who can help

I will say this. It's a very easy trap to fall into, knowing that it's easier to void what's in your pouch...(and it really is)...I've never been bulimic in my life, but I can almost always "purge on que"....and you REALLY have to watch yourself, and make sure you don't rush yourself, or over eat with the band. You can:

1. Stretch your pouch

2. Slip your band.

3. irritate your outer esophageal lining, and cause an erosion.

Think long and hard about whether the band is right for you at this time, this is your health you're talking about, not a quick fix, and the Band is only a tool, nothing more.

Abuse it, you'll lose it.

I'm resurrecting an old thread cause I have some questions about bulimia that weren't addressed in the thread.

In my past, 20 years ago, I practiced both bulimia and anorexia. I received counseling for several years and I was able to stop ... mostly. I say mostly because I still have binges from time to time but I do not purge. Maybe once a month on average.

I had an EGD and there was some old scaring but the surgeon was not concerned. I've also seen a pyschiatrist who has cleared me.

What would happen if I had a binge after lap band surgery?

I'm pretty sure it is impossible to binge once you've had sufficient fills unless you are talking binge drinking.

It's not impossible.

Diagnosis is not what is key here. Many people with eating disorders (or other disorders in general) are never diagnosed---it does not make the issue any less real.

Your doctor needs to know this. It is a critical piece of information that can affect your well-being profoundly.

Jenna -

your post is the reason i joined this forum!! Pls contact me before doing anything!!! I hope it's not too late!! Read my profile (or whatever it is) and keep in mind that that's just the basics - i didn't even go into terrible details of what i've suffered - physically and emotionally!! And what it's cost me!! Pls pls!!! If i could actually help soneone, i will feel better!

Terribly untrue