Hi-

This one is for the ladies who are banded. I'm curious to know how you all deal with PMS now that you are banded. I am pretty new at this, but notice I am more hungry a week before my T.O.M. and really crave sweets still. (Obviously this wouldn't change with the band, I'm hormonally the same as before!) How do you guys handle it and what else do you notice about that time? I read in a book that the author (who is banded) can eat more a week before her period and her doctor said that is normal, your body and band adjust to the need for more calories or something. Has anyone experienced that? What other things have you noticed now that you are banded? I'm curious.

Hi,

I can definitely eat more the week before TOM, and my cravings are all "salty". I try to still keep in diet mode, but will eat a tad more & allow for a "treat" during that period (no pun..lol). I don't weigh myself during that time nor do I schedule a fill. I'm pretty restricted now, and next wk will be the real test. Good luck to ya!!

I feel more open and able to eat as well.

Related question - what do y'all take now? I would KILL for some Midol and I can't find it in a liquid form. I am tight and I cannot take anything bigger than a small aspirin.

wombat

I get a really sweet tooth a few days before my period and I still indulge it somewhat with a band. Like everything, my body behaves the way it did before and I respond the way I did before, only with moderation.

Before - I may have eaten the entire packet of tim tams (an iconic Australian choccie biscuit) in a sitting and gone back for more that afternoon.

Now - I'll probably have a minor pig out on tim tams - I might eat four or even five over an hour or two, and give the rest to the kids or throw them in the outside bin. A couple of chocolate biscuits once a month doesnt do any damage.

I've never heard of a tim tam, but one sounds good with my coffee about now *starting that time I think*.

Wombat - I started going a year ago to my OBGYN to get monthly B12 shots. My TOM wasn't just painful, but awfuly draining...it seems to have worked some *could all be in my head*, but I dont' seem to be dragged down as much during that lovely time. When all else fails, I get the heating pad out!

I have had Tim Tams and love them! Have one for me as I am PMS'ing something awful and one of those cookies sounds awfully good right now...

I am just like the rest of you and I indulge in salty & sweet during that T.O.M. but there is one huge difference that I noticed. I used to get very nauseas and gag or vomit the first couple of mornings during my period. I no longer can vomit and most times I don't gag. While this is a welcome change it is a BIG one for me. Can you imagine going through that once a month for about the last 5 years?

I get a really sweet tooth a few days before my period and I still indulge it somewhat with a band. Like everything, my body behaves the way it did before and I respond the way I did before, only with moderation.

Before - I may have eaten the entire packet of tim tams (an iconic Australian choccie biscuit) in a sitting and gone back for more that afternoon.

Now - I'll probably have a minor pig out on tim tams - I might eat four or even five over an hour or two, and give the rest to the kids or throw them in the outside bin. A couple of chocolate biscuits once a month doesnt do any damage.

You mean there's hope that Tim Tams don't have to disappear entirely from my cupboard? It really is possible to stop at only 4 or 5? I've always been an all or nothing person on those - if the packet got opened, it got eaten, no two ways about it. I haven't dared even think about them for the future. I don't think I'll risk buying them till I am feeling more restriction, because right now I could just go a whole packet of Tim Tams - with at least half being Tim Tam Bombs!!

I usually use a drug called Anaprox (a miracle drug for me) during my TOM. It is an anti-inflamitory & helps me carry on as usual. It also slightly slows down the flow so you don't get so worn out & anemic. The problem is it's a big pill and I am not sure how I can take it. Any advice.

I crave salt, so I have taken to sucking the salt off the pretzel logs and then throwing them out or eating green and greek olives.

My band feels loose as anything and I crave sweets the week before and the week of my period.

Mine just ended yesterday, I have no appetite today.

So I have another question for this group-- Anyone experiencing more drastic TOM symptoms after losing significant amount of weight?

I have lost over 60lbs and have gradually noticed more symptoms- I now have increased fatigue, cold sweats, dizziness and migraines during my TOM.... I have have looking into it with my lapband doc, but my blood work looks fine! Anyone find themselves in a similar situation?

So sad ....

I emailed the Midol company - they don't make any of their products in a liquid form. I was hoping they did and maybe I could order it from them or needed a prescription to get it.

SarahKC - I would see my OBGYN (and not just for B12 but I will be checking in on that one!!!) As someone who has suffered with a cystic ovary and one huge fibroid tumor for years, I would seek the girly doc for this one.

I have landed in the ER twice with those kinds of symptoms that turned out to be ruptured cysts. Had to do CT scans and such. Even had a surgery once to clean up the rouge ovary and another to remove the tumor. The good news is that while really painful and frustrating, it is not life threatening. And they can fix with birth control pills (if you can take them, I can't)

I also tend to have a very constipated feeling, but no actual problem in that department with those symptoms. In fact, quite the opposite usually.

My bad ER episodes have been about 5 years apart. The last was just this past Oct. So, the next time, I will let them have the darn thing.

Hope this helps.

a little off topic of all of this talk but is everyone rugular still I have always been very regular for the (T.O.M.) and wandered if that continued after being banded. I am wanting to have it done and wasnt sure if any of that was efected. Still young and want to have kids still.

The one thing that really changed for me, I've been breaking out REALLY BAD during my TOM.

Up until 1 year ago, I never got my cycle. Sounds crazy, but after I left my husband, 3 weeks later I started getting it again on a 4-6 schedule.

Since I got the band I've been on a 4 week schedule.

Oh yeah, I've also been getting REALLY moody when I'm ovulating. I get very depressed, crying all the time, then I get really nasty...I should talk to my doctor about this.