Hi Everyone

I am new to this forum but l hope you can help me. I have had my band for 7 years. I have had 2 tubing breakages as well as a port relocation. (We were still getting things right here in Australia l think) In all l havn't had alot of sucess either with only a 15 kg weight loss. Every time l get close to good restriction the reflux starts so l have had to back off. I havn't had a fill for 12 months but over the last few months things have gotten worse.

I have been to my surgeon today with my symtoms of coughing and waking in the middle of the night with mouth fulls of vomit. I have had to sleep in a chair but it still happens, tablets don't seem to work. He emptied my band and is sending me off for a barium swallow. If this confirms his suspicion of a gastric pocket ???? (which seems to be common around the 6-8 year marks he tells me) he says l will need my band replaced as it won't fix itself. Have others had this problem? Did it fix in time or was a replacement needed. I have had so many surgeries l want to avoid any more if l can

Regards

Laureen

Victoria, Australia

Hi Laureen-

Lots of light ahead for you! I'm four years out and have been diagnosed with a slip. It does seem that the longer we are out from our initial banding, the more likely these types of complications are. The bariatric community is still assembling data on this. My slip was diagnosed under with a simple flouro test. The slip and pocket is apparent under xray. It explains why I have been waking up with acid reflux and able to eat so much more. A significant part of my stomach has migrated above the band. I'm scheduled for surgery on July 3rd to either remove or fix the band. Most likely it will be removed, and I'm getting to be OK with the idea of having it out. However if they can fix it, I'm good with that, too. However, I just want to be out of the woods as far as complications go, so that's what's most important to me.

I'm sorry to hear about your challenges, but I'm grateful that you are sharing your experience here. It is helpful to hear from other long-time bandsters about our expeirences with the band as the years roll by.

Hi Laureen, I started to get the acid reflux too and woke up in the middle of the night with a mouth full of vomit. For me, taking Prilosec for 2 weeks and most importantly, no eating at least 4 hours before bedtime seems to have solved the problem. Hope you feel better soon.

Edited July 4, 200818 yr by Alfie

I am one year out and about a month ago I started with really bad reflux at night only. I did all the stuff like not eating 4 hours before bedtime, sleeping propped up on pillows, no spicy foods, etc. My Dr suggested Prilosec twice daily X 2 weeks with no relief. Switched to Nexium daily for a week, still no relief. Went in the office a week ago and he completely un filled me. I had 8cc in my 10cc band. Last fill was in December. He thinks I was too tight. Anyway, finally slept that night and no more reflux since. I go back to get a fill on Monday. I pray that the reflux is gone for good.

I too for the past 2 months have had this annoying cough(out of the blue) but mine is at different times of the day or nite, but at nite I wake up coughing and vomit not food but what seems like thick water!! I take prevacid 30 mg daily. I was not sure if it was allergies or a problem with my band. I was banded 7/13/05 and now I too have days that I can eat anything and everything and days that water gets stuck! What's up with that????

I think I may have asthma. I have problem with coughing and wonder what this does to the band? What happens when a person gets a cold and persistent cough in the cold season?

Susan

I am having this problem now. Persistent hacking cough that my family doctor can't correct with antibiotics and cough medicene. I am starting to think it is band related.

What was your outcome?

My coughing ended up being Asthma. I have coughed for months and nobody figured it out. Finally went to a pulmonary specialist. I have 2 inhalers I use and they help a lot. I don't cough much at all anymore and it has helped me with feeling breathless while laying down. Hope this helps you out.

I have had my band since feb and 6wks after my last fill the band started getting realy tight for no apparent reason. I couldn't eat and threw up lots of mucous and food. I had 6cc in but the Dr. took out 3. so now here I am back in bandster hell with no restriction at all!! anyone had a band just cinch up on them for no reason. Boo hoo I feel like my band is gone!!

Well my GP is on maternity leave but I recently found out that a side effect of my blood pressure meds is constant cough!!!! which might explain the fact that I can eat almost anything yet am constantly coughing and dont have a cold or allergies!!!!

I've had my band for one week now and I already know I made a mistake and want it taken out. I can't sleep at night, coughing all the time and feel like I have this block in the middle of my chest. I'm still on liquids and popcicles. I feel hungry all the time. I see my doctor for my first visit in about 1 week. I know he will be disappointed when I say that I want it out since I haven't even completely healed. I'm hoping to be healed and have it removed in January.

indiangirl...I was only banded two weeks ago and despite incredible shoulder pains...which disappeared a couple of days ago...I wouldn't go back. You will get through it with a little more time. I have taken a couple of large sips or a bite of something and experienced similar pains in my chest but recognize that it takes time to learn how to use the band correctly. I'm down 10 lbs already and even enjoyed a little (very little) turkey dinner with friends and family this weekend. Good luck...

Hi Girl....you're a week post-op. Many people immediately post-op have said exactly what you're saying. Surgery is hard and anesthesia can cause symptoms of depression.

Talk with you doctor. Consider consulting with a therapist. Read about what others new to the band have experienced - you are not alone.

I think you'll change your mind, but if you don't - do it after you are well-healed and well-informed.

Best of luck to you.

xoxo

I've had my band for one week now and I already know I made a mistake and want it taken out. I can't sleep at night, coughing all the time and feel like I have this block in the middle of my chest. I'm still on liquids and popcicles. I feel hungry all the time. I see my doctor for my first visit in about 1 week. I know he will be disappointed when I say that I want it out since I haven't even completely healed. I'm hoping to be healed and have it removed in January.

I had my 1st lap band placed in MEXICO and came back to the states and found a local fill doctor. I came down with pnuemonia and when I went to my fill doctor my band has slipped. I had another band placed November 24, 2008 and discovered in October on 2009 it is prolapsing. I had another bout of pnuemonia in June of this year. I think the salivia and mucous builds up when laying down and I cough most nights. I am not having it taken out until it is the last resort because I am self pay. I have 35 grand in my stomach cash and will do it again. I am below target weight and do not think I can control my food hunger without it. I am sorry I have had these complications but it is what it is. I might look at the sleeve since the band is slipping so much. I just don't know yet. Send prayers my way please!

Trana, sending you good thoughts and know you are not alone. I feel the pain and suffering of many posts here.

I wonder if this banding is really meant for some people. It seems some of us just have complications from the start. Is it bad luck or not the appropriate weight loss surgery solution? The band is suppose to cure reflux, instead it seems to cause it in some people.

I was banded 5/06 and back then they didn't talk about complications postsurgery OR I wasn't listening. I was in so much physical and emotional pain from being obese, I was desparate for something, anything. I had a slip immediately and was rebanded. I had 8 months of success and it's been downhill since. Some legitament bad-band complication issues, and some of my own self-made issues.

My band has never been easy; if I am filled where I am not hungry, then I am naseaous and in some pain most of the time, even when I am not eating, and no matter what I eat, even soft food.

I've slowly gained back 1 pound a month, eating about 300 calories a day more than I need and exercising less. That is my problem, not the band. Late night eating and bad choices.

My reality is the band is far from a perfect solutoin but it does keep me from eating huge amounts like I used to.

I dream of getting a sleeve, and I get exciting thinking of the following high of weight loss but I think unless I get real honest about what I am doing with food and have done all my life, it is just one more potentially failed solution. And the sleeve probably has many of its own unique complications.

I am often so hard on myself. Using some negative response to try and motivate me to do better. That works for about 3 days.

I'm not giving up, and am still trying to get me and this less-than-great LAP-BAND®® working for a healthier life.

Best wishes to all of you, and we are not alone.

I have reluxed in my sleep. I do not vomit up food for my stomach is way empty beore going to bed, but I reflux a smelly brownish liquid color that actually wakes me up once it hits my sins, my white jammie top is now all stained up from this, like baby vomit staining up everything. I also have had the caugh at night only. If I nap during the day I ahve no problem, only at night go figure. I had been filled and un filled for this on going problem. I do follow my bariatric diet as I call it. I exercise every evening around 6:30 PM for an hour or so and then I shower and go to bed around 10:00 PM. I have been doing this since May 2008 and I have maintained my weight since then. I ahve not had any other weight loss and I talked to the nurse about this and the Dr. so next month I am going to just ask him since I ahve not lost any more weight sicne then and with the reflux and all the fills coming and going and not to mention the expense for I now have to pay for my fills. I would like to see another band put in place and start all over or see if I would be a candidate for the bypass surgery. I stand 5 ft 2 and weigh 180 pounds and I am still considered obese according to the BMI index which I think is crap. I might weigh 180 pounds but I can wear a size 10 or 12 in jeans and a medium in my tops. I have lost a lot of inches but no weight and well I am getting really set back about all of this. Does anyone know about this same problem and getting a new surgery or not? I do not have a pouch, no slippage, by band is pretty normal according to the upper GI's that I have done.