OK...I'm almost 10 months out and never have I had a PB. This morning, while eating breakfast, I felt full and stopped. Well...shortly after I felt like something was stuck. I got up and walked around, as that normally helps. The feeling got worse, I went to the restroom, dry heaved a couple of times and then wham...out came something. Now...I have read descriptions on here about a PB not really being like throwing up, but this was like throwing up to me, so I don't know. Now...I feel like I have to do it again but it won't come out. What's going on? I don't have an upset stomach like the flu or anything, but I am absolutely miserable. This feeling has been going on for over an hour now. Is this normal? Did I PB? What about when you know that you still have stuff in there and can't get it out...what do you do? Do you make yourself throw up? Any help is appreciated.

I am only banded 3 weeks and I had 1 pb already. This is what it felt like: I felt like the food was going down slow with a tiny bit of pain (not much) and then I thought if I burped that would help so I tried to but instead some slime and the food popped out of my mouth, then it was over. That's all I can say, I'm not sure why you would still feel miserable since your food came out unless it may be because it irritated your tummy. Usually, the rule of thumb is that if you pb like that then you go on liquids for a couple of days to rest your stomach and esophogus. Hope that helps

Sounds like a PB, especially if there was pain involved. It is like throwing up in the sense of the wretching, the noises you make, etc. It is not like vomitting in the sense of what comes out and where it comes from.

What you brought up - was it burning, acidy and smelly like when you vomit? Or was it more "slimy" - saliva, thick, with perhaps some small pieces of recently-swallowed food?

Vomiting involves stomach contents, so you get all that acid and partially digested food (usually, not always). PBing involves thich mucusy saliva and possibly whatever was stuck and/or whatever you've swallowed since.

My money is on PB.

PB's can bring immediate relief, but if it's a significant stick, it can take a while to clear. When it happens to me, there is maybe some immediate relief, maybe not, and then the pressure/doscomfort slowly begins to grow again until I need to revisit the sink.

If it doesn't clear for me the first time, the average is one more time. However, it has taken up to 5 - 6 times (yaks) to clear. A heads-up: because of all the churning & stuff that's going on inside you, with a prolonged stick you may find that you're yakking something that looks like thick shampoo lather. Don't panic if you see this, it's "normal" for the circumstance. :cursing:

For me, 6 hours is my threshold. I've only hit it once. So if something hasn't cleared within 6 hours of trying, at that point I'm probably too swollen for it to get much better on its own, and I'm calling for an unfill.

Most of the time, if it'sg oing to be a repeat episode, I'm clear in 60 - 180 minutes.

BTW, I know this doesn't apply to everyone, but there are a few things I can do to help me figure out if I'm going to have to PB again, or if I'm just having residual "stuck" misery that will eventually subside. One of them is take a deep breath. When I take a deep breath, if it hurts in the area of my band, I pretty much know I will need to PB again. If it doesn't, chances are I do not. Another is swallow something very small, like an enzyme tablet (never does me any good, but it's something small that I can swallow). If I have to sort of force my body to swallow, I probably have to PB again. If I can easily swallow it, typically I do not.

Remedies - these do not work for me, but a lot of people find relief with one or more of them. pineapple juice (tiny sips), meat tenderizer (dissolved in warm or hot water), papaya enzyme tablets (well-chewed), taking a deep breath and holding it repeatedly, etc.

The one thing that on occasion works for me is to hunch over something, such as my kitchen island, and arch my back. Not always, but more than once, after doing this for a minute or two I will get my signal that the stick has cleared.

Thanks so much for the responses. I just got back from the bathroom again. OK...here's the situation...it did have thick saliva looking stuff and some chewed food. However...it also did taste and smell like normal vomit. I'm very confused. I dry heaved again before it came out. I have also heard of some PBs coming from people's noses. This all came out of my mouth. I don't feel any discomfort right now, (aside from the normal chest pressure from throwing up) but then again I just got back to my desk (oh what fun...I'm at work right now). If I did PB, I don't understand. I ate the same thing that I ate yesterday for breakfast. What could have caused it? Oh well...I certainly hope it was a PB and it's all over. I absolutely HATE this. Also...I have read where some folks PB at a table at a restaurant. I can tell you one thing...there is no way in this world that I would EVER do that in public, if I could help it at all. Let me ask this...with a PB, can you hold it back? Like...if you feel it coming, can you delay it? I felt that I could delay this a bit until I got into the bathroom and everyone cleared out of there. Sorry for so many questions...this is new to me. Thanks!

thank you Wheetsin that was very helping. Ive had a few pb's to me it seems almost as voilent as vomiting. From the posts here it seemed as if people just the food and slime popped out by mine never does. Is the wretching as bad as true (flu) vomiting?

Just now got registered.Got my first band on Jan.21 2008 And my second one on Jan. 27.The first one was too small and bruised my stomach.Went 5 days before the decision was made to take it out and replace it with the larger one.Never threw up, as such.Just thich foamy stuff and it would usually come up within 15 seconds.Doing great on my second band and have lost 26 pounds since my pre-op appointment on Jan 11.Im pretty sure I had a PB beginning the day came home from the hospital.only mine was not food mine was tissue from my stomach that had swollen out over the hole.tried from Jan.24 until Jan 27 to get the swelling to go down with steroids Didnt work.

The only instances I can think of where PB'd material would come out your nose is if it's a particularly violent episode. I think I've read about it happening once to someone on these boards.

Thanks so much for the responses. I just got back from the bathroom again. OK...here's the situation...it did have thick saliva looking stuff and some chewed food. However...it also did taste and smell like normal vomit. Then it was more than a "PB" because a PB happens at the esophagus. Kind of, but you get the idea. :mad: I would imagine it could happen that you have to PB, and - especially if you have astrong gag reflex - the PBing could incdice some vomitting, much like sticking your finger down your throat would.

I'm very confused. I dry heaved again before it came out. I have also heard of some PBs coming from people's noses. This all came out of my mouth. Long story short -- all of your tubing in the area is connected, it is kind of like a tree trunk with several connected braches, so anything (regardless of PB/vomit) that comes up the trunk has the potential to get to one of the branches, e.g. your nose. It's no different from when you're congested and the mucus can make its way down (yumm). I have had PBs (once) come out of my nose. It was weird. Kind of like spitting out of my nose. But didn't hurt the way vomit can, and didn't burn (no acid).

I don't feel any discomfort right now, (aside from the normal chest pressure from throwing up) but then again I just got back to my desk (oh what fun...I'm at work right now). If I did PB, I don't understand. I ate the same thing that I ate yesterday for breakfast. What could have caused it? You will learn -- "this aint' got nothing to do with nothing." You could eat something 5 minutes ago, be fine, eat it now and have to PB. Look at how many variables are involved:

• Degree to which food was chewed
  
• Quantity swallowed at once
  
• Random fluctuations of your body effecting the tightness of the band
  
• What might already be in your pouch
  
• Whether or not Saturn is aligned with Mercury
  
• And so on

Being able to eat something one day and not the next, or even for breakfast but not for lunch, is "life with the band."

Oh well...I certainly hope it was a PB and it's all over. I absolutely HATE this. Also...I have read where some folks PB at a table at a restaurant. I can tell you one thing...there is no way in this world that I would EVER do that in public, if I could help it at all. Yeah, that's what I don't get. PBs really hurt me. I have a very high pain tolerance, and the pain leading up to my PBs can double me over. Plus all the sliming... I'm sure they're reporting their truth, but for me, something like that would be impossible (so far).

Let me ask this...with a PB, can you hold it back? Like...if you feel it coming, can you delay it? Yes - I can. This is another way it's different from vomitting. I've been at a restaurant, tried to PB there, couldn't get anything out (sometimes I just dry heave, which causes more pain). The girls I was with needed to go, so I went, and it was either hold it or yak there in her car. So I held it. It hurt, a lot, and it was kind of like when you really have to pee -- you don't want to hit any bumps... but I held it the entire drive (~15 minutes). The only time I've not been able to hold it if needed was when I was virtually closed shut. At that point, I couldn't pass my own saliva to swallowing made me have to PB. Even though I didn't actively swallow, saliva is still running down, and I couldn't do much else with it.

I felt that I could delay this a bit until I got into the bathroom and everyone cleared out of there. Sorry for so many questions...this is new to me. Thanks! No problem, hope this is helpful to you.

The only instances I can think of where PB'd material would come out your nose is if it's a particularly violent episode. I think I've read about it happening once to someone on these boards.

For me it wasn't particularly violent, but instead of just bending over the sink like I normally do, I actually had my head hanging down. (I was tired/exhausted/ready to be over it already). That extra angle was all it needed.

Thanks so much to everyone. Wheetsin---you are a wealth of information. I went through the rest of the day with no issues. I didn't dare put anything else in my mouth though...I was too scared. For dinner I had cream of crab soup (fed the DH king crab legs and made the kids a heart shaped pizza). I knew that a PB was bound to happen one day. I think that I did pretty good by going almost 10 months without one. I can assure you that I never want that to happen again and if I have any say over it, it won't. I have had a love/love relationship with my band but today I wasn't so much in love with it. I'll get over it and move on, but I don't know how people can do that two and three times a week. That's not for me. Again guys, thanks so very much for all of your replies. It really did help me through my very first PB. On a better note...off to the outlets tomorrow for some new clothes...you know...ones that actually fit me now.:mad:

Now that your PB episode is over, it's really important to be careful and gradual when you resume eating/drinking. I would suggest that you stick to thin liquids (broths, Water, juices, etc.) for a day - maybe two if it feels off. If you are having any troubles with those liquids, limit your intake to hot liquids such as hot cider, hot tea, etc. This will give your esophageal area time to heal. Right now you're more prone to getting stuck again because of the swelling from your prolonged PB encounter - swollen area - same rsult as tighter band even though the band isn't filled any more.

Over the course of a few days, work your way back up to regular foods. So - once you're confident with the liquids, go for thick liquids - drinkable yogurts, creamy Soups, etc. From there back to mushies, then soft solids, etc. You don't have to take a full day for each stage, maybe just a meal to make sure you're tolerating it.

Soon you'll be an old pro. :thumbup:

You guys are totally freaking me out!!!

COSkinnyGirl, don't sweat it. It took me 10 months before having this episode. I really thought that I was going to go without having one, unfortunately I was wrong. I have been stuck before and I didn't feel stuck this time, but apparently I was. I think that if you take your time eating, chew thoroughly and do what you're suppose to do you will be fine. Don't worry... I have to say that the band has been very good to me otherwise. I have lost 87 pounds so far. You can do it. Don't let the horror stories scare you away. I have to be honest and tell you that I totally hated this PB, but in all honesty, it wasn't that horrible. I just hated the fact that I was at work. You'll be fine...just take it easy.

Wheetsin---again...thanks so much for all of the information. I did fine over the weekend. Although...I didn't eat anything on Friday because I was shopping ALL day. I got some absolutely AMAZING deals on stuff. Anyway...I did take it easy when I ate and I seem absolutely fine now. Thanks so much for everything. This website is great. Everyone is always so helpful and willing to jump in and answer any questions.

Thanks everyone!!!

Oh gosh, I am getting really worried about these PB's. What does PB stand for anyway? I was banded on 2/15 and now I am going to be afraid to eat!

PB stands for "Productive Burp". I don't really understand that because it was nothing like a burp and it didn't seem too productive. Don't worry about it. You will be fine. As long as you don't push it and you follow the rules, you should have no issues. It took me a long time to have a PB and if I have it my way I won't have any more. Good luck on your journey. I'm sure that you will do great!