About a month ago I ate something mid-morning and got the stuck feeling but didn’t vomit. When I tried to eat lunch that day, I couldn’t keep anything down. I kept vomiting what appeared to be thick saliva. This went on for the remainder of the day and got to the point where I couldn’t keep liquids down. It was like the liquid would hit the thick crap in my esophagus and bounce right back up. It wasn't long before I gave up on eating/drinking for that day, took some gas-x strips, went to bed and hoped to wake up to a better day…which I did.

This past weekend I swallowed a bit of food and immediately wanted it back. Apparantly I didn’t chew it well enough b/c I got the stuck feeling. Then my saliva maker went into overdrive so I headed outside. I barely got outside before I threw up what appeared to be the thickest saliva ever made by man. It was thick and slimy! Since it was 100 degrees outside, I drank some Water. The water didn’t pass and I felt like I was choking. So I stuck my finger down my throat. When I did so, it was like breaking a vacuum seal because I burped and then the water came spewing out.

Given the weather conditions, I couldn’t go an entire day without eating or drinking like I did the first time this happened so I tried to think of what I could do. Since water wasn’t going down I thought soda might be an option. I felt that the soda might be able to act as a human friendly drain-o to clear this crap that was keeping me from eating/drinking. I didn’t have any scientific evidence to back this up but it was all I could come up with.

So I got a diet coke (my first since being banded). The first sip came back up. However, every sip after that went down easier and easier. After the 30+ minutes it took me to drink the can, I was feeling better. A few hours after that, I was able to hold food down again.

So now you have the background (sorry so long). Here are my questions. What in the hell was I vomiting? Why does this happen? How do I keep it from happening? What’s the solution if it happens to happen again….Was the soda a good choice? Has it happened to you.

I’d appreciate any experiences/advice that my banded family can provide. This is/was a pretty scary situation for me.

Thanks!!

You, my dear, had an episode of what is called SLIMING.

When you get food stuck your body produces excess amounts of mucus in an attempt to dislodge the food.

Does your doctor allow soda? The fizz can stretch your stoma(pouch) ...not a good thing and something that can't be fixed. Best advice is to take small bites and Chew, chew, chew. I have read that if you get stuck and cant get it loose, pineapple juice helps.

Edited July 28, 200817 yr by Jodi_620

the acid in the soda was cutting through the mucus. The body went into overdrive pumping out mucus to try to get your stuck food down. Sodas good for that especially coke as it is the most accidic soda. But I would check with your doctor to make sure its ok to use soda in that instance. Something like orange or grapefruit juice might be better.

With my allergies I used to always have a thick layer in the back of my throat constantly and would drink coke when my throat etc clogged up and pepsi all the rest of the time lol. Now i dont need to since we finally found a pill combo that handles the allergies, so i dont drink soda anymore period unless we re out and I can't get something better. Im preperation for getting a band.

About a month ago I ate something mid-morning and got the stuck feeling but didn’t vomit. When I tried to eat lunch that day, I couldn’t keep anything down. I kept vomiting what appeared to be thick saliva. This went on for the remainder of the day and got to the point where I couldn’t keep liquids down. It was like the liquid would hit the thick crap in my esophagus and bounce right back up. It wasn't long before I gave up on eating/drinking for that day, took some gas-x strips, went to bed and hoped to wake up to a better day…which I did.

This past weekend I swallowed a bit of food and immediately wanted it back. Apparantly I didn’t chew it well enough b/c I got the stuck feeling. Then my saliva maker went into overdrive so I headed outside. I barely got outside before I threw up what appeared to be the thickest saliva ever made by man. It was thick and slimy! Since it was 100 degrees outside, I drank some Water. The water didn’t pass and I felt like I was choking. So I stuck my finger down my throat. When I did so, it was like breaking a vacuum seal because I burped and then the water came spewing out.

Given the weather conditions, I couldn’t go an entire day without eating or drinking like I did the first time this happened so I tried to think of what I could do. Since water wasn’t going down I thought soda might be an option. I felt that the soda might be able to act as a human friendly drain-o to clear this crap that was keeping me from eating/drinking. I didn’t have any scientific evidence to back this up but it was all I could come up with.

So I got a diet coke (my first since being banded). The first sip came back up. However, every sip after that went down easier and easier. After the 30+ minutes it took me to drink the can, I was feeling better. A few hours after that, I was able to hold food down again.

So now you have the background (sorry so long). Here are my questions. What in the hell was I vomiting? Why does this happen? How do I keep it from happening? What’s the solution if it happens to happen again….Was the soda a good choice? Has it happened to you.

I’d appreciate any experiences/advice that my banded family can provide. This is/was a pretty scary situation for me.

Thanks!!

Stay away froom the soda!! It can stretch your stomach. If you must have soda drink it flat.

Welcome to the world of PRODUCTIVE BURPING OR PB's!

You get these for many reasons-not chewing thoroughly, swallowing air, band overfill, eating something that gets stuck(rice, breads, pasta). The best way to get over quickly (this I know from experience) is SHAVED ICE! iT WORKS IMMEDIATELY.

Sometimes, I will place a warm heating pad on my chest if it is extra bad, it helps with the soreness.

The PB's are in my case-self inflicted by not thinking or eating too early in the day. As you sleep and rest your body relaxes and as your stomache gets smaller from not eating the band gets tighter. This is why is feels tighter in the am (for me) My dr recommended warm liquids before food to get it loosened. I don't eat until almost 11 am, any sooner and my body is not ready. Then my day is shot!

Edited July 29, 200817 yr by 1bayougirl

well, if I have anything cold, it just seems to make it worse for me -- like my band tightens.

Warm liquids work better for me.

I haven't had anything REALLY stuck yet, but my doctor recommended warm Water with a teaspoon of meat tenderizer in it to dislodge food that is stuck.

HTH.

The thick stuff is sliming and the vomitting is PBing. You need to make sure you chew really well and eat slowly so when you get the satisfied feeling you don't push it. You probably do not need a slight unfill because from the sounds of it it has only happened twice in 6-8 weeks. As far as the soda goes sometmes it does help to hiccup due to the carbonation. I do drink soda on occassion and do not have a problem with it accept for burping.

Thanks for the post. How do you feel when you're full? I don't know if I know the feeling. I know how I feel when it seems like something is about to get stuck. Is this the full feeling? I certainly don't feel fullness the same way I did pre-band and don't expect to. But now, I don't know if I know how fullness is supposed to feel. I just try to stop eating before I start hurting.