Choking during sleep! Need advice!

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

I am definitely not too tight. I can eat anything I want and never pb anymore. I really don't even have to chew like I used to either.

I was too tight once, and it was horrible.

[BansterNYC 0]

Update: I saw the doctor today. My choking is NOT caused by any of the following: acid reflux, eating before bed, caffeine, sleep apnea, allergies, or an enlarged uvula. He thinks something is irritating my esophagus or that the band may be tilted. There's a small chance the band could be too tight, but based on what I'm able to eat, he thinks that's unlikely.

Next step: He ordered an upper GI floroscopy and suggested I sleep slightly elevated. I'll post an update once I know more!

[sally123 0]

I had this. It was due to too tight a fill. I was unfilled a bit and it stopped. For whatever reason you have this, it is scary, scary, scary! Hope you can resolve this quickly. Good luck!

[BansterNYC 0]

Since my symptoms were at their worst 4 weeks ago, I have essentially fixed the problem with the following:

1. Don't drink 30 min before bed

2. sleep with head slightly elevated. I have actually found this more comfortable on my neck, etc.

3. I am more likely to wake up choking if I have had a PB during the day. So, I am being careful to avoid a PB situation. I usually PB if I have cold liquids before I eat, even 20 min before I eat. It's hot in August and cold Water feels great. I just keep reminding myself I can't have it!

Even though I think I have fixed the problem, I have endured 2 choking nights in the past few weeks. After meeting with my doc, he scheduled a floroscopy which was completed last week. It revealed liquid does not go through my band when I take several gulps while lying down. Well, duh!!! You're not supposed to drink lying down even if you don't have the band. Esp not if you do! While standing up, liquid goes through the band, but not "fast enough". Radiologist said I was too tight. But he has limited info on the band, and didn't even know what a PB was. I see both my surgeon and gastroenterologist on Friday. I don't want an unfill until after I reach my goal weight of 12 more lbs. No unfills!!! I am on a successful path!!!

Thoughts?

[areellady 1]

CALL YOUR DOCTOR!!! THEY ARE THE ONE WHO YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO!!!! Aspirating into your lungs can be bad bad news....good luck to you!!

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

I kind of thought you were slightly too tight. I had that problem a lot when I was too tight. I had a tiny bit taken out and the problem was solved for the most part.

It's good that you only have 12 more lbs to go. The band may loosen on it's own if you lose a little more weight. The fat pad that is around our stomach melts away once we lose all the weight, and that causes the band to lossen.

[nancyide 0]

I have been having this problem too! It is really scary and someone referred me to your thread. Thanks. It is nice to hear your discussions. I have a small problem and that is that I do not have a doctor in the states. Only Mexico. A friend of mine who is a trained nurse has done my fills. I might be a little tight, but I don't really have a problem eating during the afternoon or evening. I do have a problem eating anything in the mornings. The reflux that has been happening is just as you described, waking up choking with some Fluid being coughed up. Sometimes I wake up with a mouth full of ??? It is when I inhale in my sleep that it becomes a problem. The biggest problem is that it is happening almost every night and some times multiple times in a night. I don't know if I should just try having my band loosened a bit. I guess it is time I try to find a doctor, but I haven't heard very good things about the doctors around me.

Any idea's?

I live in Washington state, near Tacoma.

Thanks!!

[KD8888 0]

I agree it sounds a lot like reflux. Some nights I would just wake up uncomfortable and some night I would actually wake up with with nasty stuff in my mouth. Neither I nor the doctor thought I was overfilled because I could eat anything. I could eat chicken, steak, all the things many people have problems with. It got so bad, I was eating Tums and Nexium all day. Finally, the doctor decided to unfill me for a month. I did not need Tums or Nexium even once after -- not once. When I was refilled (only half of what I had before) I lost 10 lbs almost immediately. I hadn't lost any for at least 2 months before.

I hope this is not what you are going through, but if it turns out that you need a slight or complete unfill, don't let that discourage you. It is possible to maintain during an unfill if you are careful about what you eat and it is only temporary.

Good luck.

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

I agree you are too tight. You should be able to have a little bit taken out without being completely unfilled. That should solve the problem.

I was too tight and I could eat fine all day long. I had a little bit taken out when (I call it puking) had the problems in my sleep.

[BansterNYC 0]

UPDATE: Those of you who wrote I was too tight... YOU WERE RIGHT!

A few weeks ago, my surgeon took out 0.5cc...and problem solved! No more choking at night. I was scared this was going to be too loose, but it's just right. So now I am at 9.5cc and it's my sweet spot. Reflecting back, being filled to 10cc was too tight, and I was actually eating more frequently throughout the day because I could only eat a few bites at a time with that level of restriction.

Thank you all for your words like "get your butt to the doctor"! Much appreciated, and I am continuing to lose weight. Only 9 more pounds until goal!

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

Yay! It's always good to read about problems that have been solved. I still have this problem if I take my medications too late before bed. I think it's because I think they have gone down, when actually they are stuck and they come back up.

I really need to remember to take all my pills earlier.

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

You know, I am hearing more and more stories like this. It's downright scary. I have no band problems most of the time, but sometimes I feel like I have a time bomb inside me. I have a good friend who is a nurse who had her band removed because of all the problems it was causing her. She had the revision surgery to a sleeve too. She said there are a lot of people that can't even have the sleeve because the band did too much damage to their stomach.

I am glad you were able to get the sleeve. I may end up with one someday too. Sometimes I think it's just a matter of time until people start having band problems. There just aren't enough people around who have had it for a number of years to tell if it's going to be okay long term.

[Mary-2b150 0]

I had this problem too, back in July. I was waking up choking on vomit, it was terrible terrible terrible!! I had to get an emergency unfill, and went on liquids for a while, and it fixed the problem. No more choking or anything. Now i'm back to being able to eat anything and as much as anything as I can, and am gaining weight despite my efforts to lose, it is very frustrating!

Looking back I think part of the problem was that I would get something stuck, PB, but then I would be fine and try to eat something later that same day. I think if I had gone on liquids for a while after each time I PB'ed and been more careful not to get anything stuck, it wouldn't have happened. I think my stoma just kept getting more and more swollen. I should mention that 80% of the time I could eat fine with no problems, small portions but most types of foods went down as long as I was careful. I think sometimes I just wasn't careful enough and things would start to swell up. Not sure though.

Either way, I am glad the choking has stopped, but really really want another fill now before I gain all my weight back! :embaressed_smile: