Hi all, I am not a frequent poster as is obvious by my post count. But, I wanted to ask if anyone else has any experience with a problem that I have with my band. (well, lots of problems, actually) I apologize up front that this is a little long.

I was banded 3 years ago and have lost almost nothing after the first few months. I have tried getting a fill but every time I do it is always too much (can't swallow my own spit) and have to have it unfilled within a day or two - even if they don't put in more than just a .1 cc.

I recently tried this again after having it completely un-filled for almost a year with no luck. I had to go back to the fill dr after just a few hours and he had to take it out again. Now I am back to no restriction at all, no weight loss and miserable. I hate this band.

The worst part is not even the lack of weight loss, it is the night nausea and pain every single night. This is the typical scenario: I eat a normal meal (a little meat, some sort of veggie or two, no Desserts or anything rich) several hours before going to bed. I may have a cup of tea late in the evening, but nothing else. I have tried experimenting and no particular food seems to make this better or worse.

I hit the sack at around 11-12 and find that I wake up like clockwork between 2:30 and 4 am every night with nausea and the feeling of an upset stomach and a potential to vomit if I don't get up immediately. I can't lie on my right side or on my back at all when sleeping or this occurs much sooner. When I wake up with this feeling, I have to get up and wander around the house, burp repeatedly, take a couple of antacids (Maalox or something similar) before the nausea settles down. I may be able to get back to sleep in an hour, sometimes not at all. My stomach gurgles all day long, esp after I drink anything. I burp constantly as well.

My regular doc swore that this was just simple acid reflux and we went through all the reflux drugs starting with Prilosec all the way to several Rx drugs with absolutely no effect. He just shrugged and said that it must be "just that lap band" and that it was something I would have to live with. He hates that I have it and makes no bones about telling me that it is the lazy way to loose weight.... ya, whatever.

I never had any of these problems before I was banded, now I am just miserable. My surgeon is ... well... dead, unfortunately. And, of course, he was in Mexico. The worst part is that no one wants to touch a Mexican band patient.

I am so miserable that I want to cry. I am still fat and even more unhappy than I was before. Can't get a fill, can't sleep, constant gurgle and burp during the day and nausea at night after trying to sleep for just a few hours. Can't lie on my back at all or my right side without very quick onset of the nausea. Ugh... I hate this and all the doctors want to do is just "process" me like a slab of big fat ugly meat.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what I am experiencing other than to tell me again that it is Reflux.

Wow, I'm so sorry that you're having this. :cool2:

To me it sounds like if you can't even tolerate .1cc of fill in your band without swelling shut, but have no restriction without fill, that there is a problem with band placement or you are slipped.

And if you're having reflux with a completely unfilled band and it's not responding to any sort of medication, then you probably should have your band removed.

Probably not what you want to hear, but at least part of why you did this was for your health, right? And it sounds like your health is worse off now, not better.

If you had this done in Mexico, can we assume that you don't have insurance coverage for band removal? I wonder if you can talk to another Mexican doc to see if they will remove it for a decent price -- should be less than putting it in, since the cost of the band itself isn't included -- and/or convert you to another type of WLS if you still want to lose weight. If you prefer a US physician, I'm sure that there are some who work with patients banded in MX. From what I recall, Dr. Billy in CA removed DeLarla's band, and she had hers placed in MX.

And just for the record, I'm :ohmy: that your primary doc thinks that this is the "lazy" way to lose weight. Ha! We have to choose to eat right & exercise just like everyone else. I'd be switching doctors. :thumbup:

AND I'd be asking him, sweetly, to provide me with the names & phone numbers of his previously morbidly obese patients who are now slender & healthy from regular diet & exercise, because you'd like to talk to them about how they did it and permanently are keeping it off. :biggrin: (what's that you say, Dr.? You don't have any patients like that? Huh.)

Hang in there.

If I were you, I'd go to a Fill Center or some other lapband doc and find out how much you really have in your band. It sounds to me like you are too tight. When I get too tight, I am awakened in the night just as you stated. No amount of Prilosec or Zantac or anything will help until I get an unfill. I didn't see where you lived, but I have to drive 5 hours to my doc cuz I live in the sticks. Even if you have to travel, you NEED to go to a lapband doc and get this evaluated. You can't just leave it to feeling so terrible!!! No way!!!

Also, I am also over 3 years out from my surgery. I have really had to work it to lose. I even got a body bugg and it has really helped me because I was eating more than I really thought and not burning as much as I thought. So, I am a big advocate of them. You could log your food and be sure to exercise. It does help to burn those extra cals.

However, the first thing is to get to a doc or fillcentersusa (I think it is called) and get this evaluated ASAP!!!

Let us know what happens!! I hope you get evaluated SOON.

So, what exactly is a body bugg? Never heard of it.

A body bugg is what they used on Biggest Loser. The device strapped to their arms. It measures changes in the body and so it can read how many calories you've consumed vs. how many you've burned. They are expensive, but I am dying to get one!!! I know that I am eating WAY less than before, but when I really write down all the calories I have in one day it's amazing how much more I am eating than I should.