Going to be banded on November 6th.

Taken to chewing sugarless gum in between meals to keep my jaw moving and not eating. Is this common?

I don't know if this is common. I do know that my doc says no gum after surgery. The thought is, if you swallow it, you could become blocked and they could have to surgically remove the gum. Not something that I ever want to happen to me. I figure, if it helps you right now, chew it, but to talk to your doctor about how he/she feels about gum chewing after surgery. Good luck next month!

I was also told that it is better not to chew gum but only that it could be painful if I swallowed it and it got stuck.

But I do chew gum...alot! I watch my carbs and because of that, I do go into ketosis every once in a while and I need to not have bad breath at work. It also helps me to chew on gum if I get head hunger. And if I am having a shake on the go, I need the gum to get that aftertaste out of my mouth. After giving up smoking, soda, and all the bad carbs, gum has become my new oral fixation. And I even accidentlly swallowed it once...scared the heck out of me but nothing happened.

Not telling you to ignore doctors orders, just sharing my experience.

My doctor and nurse practitioner said NO GUM at any time because you could swallow and it could get stuck and mess the band up and you would have to have it surgically removed. I am not a gum chewer I just don't like it in particular the people who "snap" their gum...I want to scream when I hear that. So gross and low class. JMHO

I'm scheduled to be banded on 11/12 and chew gum all day between protein drinks and meals. It really helps keep my mind from thinking about food. Guess I'll need to find another way to deal with head hunger after surgery.

My doctor said no gum after surgery. Very hard sometimes, I used gum to quit smoking 9 months before surgery. So I just never buy it any more. Buy some trdent sometimes for my teens I stick with the Tic-tacs for breath issues and brush and floss my teeth after each meal. really helps and a much better habit anyway. WE were told the same about gum getting lodged in opening. I have had 6.5 cc in a 10 cc band. Don't want to take the risk, not worth it.

I chew sugar free gum all the time. It helps me to not eat in between meals. My doc never said not to, just warned me not to be careful not to swallow it. It was just too hard to give up chewing gum considering everything else I have given up!

I don't chew it...I never swallow it but all it takes is once, and I am human. Someone who posts here just recently swallowed hers and was in a panic that night because nothing would go down, no water, no saliva, nothing. Frankly, I don't think it's worth the risk. I don't want to trade one habit for another...I just let the old mouth and jaw rest.

How do I feel about gum?

I like chewing it, though I obey my doc when he says no.

But other than not liking to step on it, I feel OK, but not fanatical.

Could you? Sure

Would you? I dunno

Should you? You can, but I wouldn't recommend it. haha.

I was not no gum forevermore, never, none, nada after the band is placed due to potential to plug the stoma and cause a need to remove the band emergently.

Not worth it to me. I am giving up a lot to be sure. Gum is the LEAST of it.