I am a little confused about this stuck thing. When foods get's stuck is it in your esophagus and why when the band is around the top of your stomach???:cursing: I know how to avoid it and it doesn't happen to me very often, actualy not at all until my 2nd fill recently.

i too would like to know how you know when you're stuck. what are the feelings or simptoms. i also want to know what to do to be unstuck and how long will it take to be unstuck. I've recently been feeling dizzy especially after eating. i think i might be too tight, but my last fill was over two months ago and have been feeling okay with it. over the weekend i ate some beef, maybe a little too much, and i've not been able to keep anything down since then. i get heartburns after everything, even drinking my morning tea. this morning i took a bit of banana and that was it. i had this faint feeling, or lightheadedness, or dizzyness, then i got water to try and push it down and it really hurts, so i jumped around for a while and i felt a little better. am not really sure if the beef is stuck or if am too tight. please clarify if you can or if you've experienced this feeling before.

I guess the only way to explain it is, A sink backing up with a clogged drain. If it can't go down the only other choice is come back up. Somethings will break down and then go down and you can feel it when it happens. If you try drinking water it only puts more pressure on the blockage. As far as bananas I only tried eatting them once, I was driving to work on an interstate doing about 70. Can you guess how hard it is to find a place to stop and throw up at the sametime, just say it wasn't pretty. I haven't had heartburn since my surgery but my doctor ask me everytime I see him if I do, not sure why but it must be something to it so you may want to ask your doctor about it. Good luck to all of you.

Heartburn is a sign of being too tight, Abi sounds like you need an unfill. Do not wait too long either thinking it will go away as you loose the weight. I was on the tight side for about 5 months and into my 6month I started having heartburn and acid reflux really bad. It would wake me up at night and I'd have to throw up acid. Turns out, as a result of the throwing up from acid part of my lower stomach was forced thru the band and kinda mushroomed over the top of he band. Basically a sliped band but one that could be repaired by having a complete unfill for 2weeks. Don't wait get to the doc asap. Plus all the acid can ruin your esophogus.

As for being stuck, you will know when it happens. It is nothing like "Hmmmm am I stuck?" its more like "OH GOD IT IS STUCK BE RIGHT BACK" the easiest way for me to get unstuck is to bend competely over the toilet, usually gravity will take over and it will slide right out. If that doesn't work, I bend over the toilet and cough. My gag reflex is really sensitive now so caughing will trigger a gag which will bring up the stuck food. I have also hear that some people look up at the ceiling and stretch their neck up then bend over the toilet and expell the stuck food.

Yeah it kinda actually does get stuck in the esophogus, I mean if you thing about it the band is put around the top part of the stomach near where the esophogus and stomach meet.

You will know when something is stuck.

I got stuck today after eating some tortilla Soup. I must not have chewed the chicken enough or something. Because all of a sudden, I felt "stuck". There is no way around it. You just feel like something is stuck in your upper stomach and have to wait it out.

The reason you feel 'being stuck' in your throat instead of down where your band is is because there are muscles in your throat that help the food go down. If there is a clog down further those muscles respond by constricting. You feel it in your throat. I always thought that was weird, too, and asked the nurse practitioner about it because I couldn't figure it out either.

Hi Everyone

It sounds like we're all in a similar boat. I had 4 fills with no restriction. I did feel chest pain at times but the doctor said this was because I wasn't chewing enough and eating slow enough. I just had my fifth fill and I'm not sure I'm having restriction because I'm still having similar symptoms. Is it that the food gets stuck in the esphogus - but I don't understand why it wouldn't go into the smaller stomach. Is that because there's food there from the last time you ate something. I'm really puzzled and if anyone out there could tell the difference to me between stuck and restriction, I'd appreciate it.

Since the fifth fill I have been eating much less, feeling chest pain like before and having to throw up to get rid of that stuck feeling.

If there anyone there with some guidelines are of restriction and how you feel and what heppens to you when you reach restrictionl. Thanks so very much.

This is a good topic. I wondered the same thing too. For the most part I got banded on March 14th ,2008. I been doing good since. I notice when I eat chicken or something dry, or eat to fast it gets stuck. No vomiting for me yet. But when this happens it hurts like a sob. I take some sips of water and you can feel the food slowly go down. And you can tell when it has left your pouch and into your bigger stomach.

It hurts like hell right in at the center of your chest bone... At least that is what I have experiences. I stop eating right then and there if I get just a little uncomfortable pain in my chest. I know if I take that next bite I am done for.

HI,

I don't feel any food passing down into my stomach. Today for example, I just had a small portion of eggs. I ate a couple of bites very slow and thorough and then had chest pain. I couldn't believe it happened so fast. I took a break and then ate the rest of the eggs. I think something is wrong with this picture. I think I should be able to eat the whole egg portion and then feel full without chest pain. I can really use some insight. This is my fifth fill and I finally am eating less, so I don't really want to have any taken out. What are your thoughts. Thanks.

HI,

I don't feel any food passing down into my stomach. Today for example, I just had a small portion of eggs. I ate a couple of bites very slow and thorough and then had chest pain. I couldn't believe it happened so fast. I took a break and then ate the rest of the eggs. I think something is wrong with this picture. I think I should be able to eat the whole egg portion and then feel full without chest pain. I can really use some insight. This is my fifth fill and I finally am eating less, so I don't really want to have any taken out. What are your thoughts. Thanks.

I think what you are describing sounds pretty normal. The top of your stomach where your band is located is where your chest is. When you eat too fast or too much, and you start to feel the pressure (I would describe it more as pressure, not pain), that is your upper stomach AKA band.

Eggs is also a common "stuck" food for some bandsters. I used to eat eggs every day...but I don't anymore.

Also, I don't know what time you ate the eggs, but some people find that it is hard to eat in the morning. I can't eat anything in the mornings anymore so I switched to coffee (never drank it before).

Hi,

I have been banded for 1 year and 3 months and I still get "stuck" if I'm not careful. It is like a sink backing up and you are without a plunger! Please do not try to drink anything it only makes it worse. If you can get it to come up -do it, if not you will just have to wait it out. I try not to get to hungry and eat little things during the day. My band likes raw foods (not lettuce). I eat mostly raw vegetables with some cooked once in a while and seem to get along really well. I'm still drinking my protein bullets to suplement.

Best Wishes

Motor Car Annie

it could be the texture of the eggs like in hard boiled or scrambled..too rubbery. I have no problem with over easy

also be careful with drinking after you feel stuck that can cause more pain

thank you all for your help. I actually feel a little better now. i did a little more exercise....walking, and sometimes during my 2minute bathroom breaks, i would jump 100times in there....i think i was able to free myself from that awful feeling. I still cant eat a whole banana. i agree that i might be a little tight but am scared to go for an unfill, cause i feel i might start to gain again. gaining is like a nightmare to me. after i did the post and read a little more on this website on how people get stuck, i went on liquids for a day and a half, couple with the exercises i think i am finally feeling better. I still will call my surgeon to probably take out .1cc cause i dont want to end up with an erosion, but really i'd hate to gain, its so much work loosing. even after this experience, i've not lost anything...but not gained, thankfully. I want to thank everyone for their advise. this is truly a great website. the support is so very important to me. thanks.

Hi everybody. Somebody asked me this question: How long can you have a band - 2 years, 5 years? Anyone know? Thanks.

Well when i put may band in almost a year now, my surgeon had said there is no harm in keeping the band in for life. As a matter of fact, it is expected to be in for the rest of my life. Although some people may take it out, or unfill completely, you are running the risk of gaining all the weight back. the whole idea of the band is to help you eat small portions and be full. the band is only a tool and once that tool is no longer there, you are likely to go back to eating as much as you used to and the weight will come back on. I personally do not plan on taking out the band, unless there's some kind of problem that am hoping will never happen. to take out the band, you will require surgery, the same as you put it in. i have read threads from people on this website whose been banded for 5years. I dont think most people think of taking it out.