HI all

I could really do with some hints / tips. I had another fill a week ago and everything was going fine - in fact I was having less problems with acid etc than I had before the fill. I wasnt able to eat much and had to really sip fluids.

Then yesterday I tried some cereal for breafast (couple of spoonfuls - a day or two after the fill I was able to eat a couple of sausages for breakfast so I thought cereal would be ok) and it stuck immediately. It hung around until about 2pm when I was finally able to drink again. Later in the evening I drunk some orange juice (which has always really helped me) and it made me ill again. I went to sleep gurgling but woke up feeling a bit sore (I assumed from vommiting) but felt much better generally - no aching in my back and no acid. I had a couple of sips of water which stuck. I have been bringing up anything I drink (havent even thought about food) and I have had the acidy pain (in my stomach and radiating around my back) all day. I left having a drink for a few hours and tried a hot drink and it stuck again. I have tried ice cold drinks, room temp drinks, antacid, hot drink, water etc at various times throughout the day and nothing seems to be helping. Ive tried having a cold bath, a hot bath (relieves the pain for the duration of the bath) but nothing is working.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get the swelling in my stomach down to be able to start drinking again? And to get rid of the acid feeling? It works out that I have pretty much not had any fluids inside me yesterday and today - I am feeling really hot, really thirsty and really tired (oh yes, and really sorry for myself). I know I need to be able to drink fluids, especially in this heat.

I dont think I need an unfill - I think it is just that I have irritated and swollen my stomach.

I would really welcome any advice because it is pretty horrible at the moment.

Thanks

I get things stuck all the time, and I make myself vomit/or spit it up, if not I'm uncomfortable. I do liquids or soups and stuff for about 3 days this helps to bring the swelling down in the espohogus and stomach. This always works for me.

Corgi

Might start by taking chewable Pepcid or Previcade. Have you called and asked your doc???

You need to call your doctor, you may have some blockage something maybe be stuck and hung up and can not pass through, this does happen and hI have seen it happen to a bandster who ate a piece of hot dog,

Another bandster I know ate cereal after her fill and had to go to the ER to have her fill removed, not trying to scare you, but if liquids are not even going down then call your Dr. even after a PB you should be able to do liquids, if not then something is not right.

There is a possibility of swelling from the vomiting but I would think you could still do liquids my fills take a week to really kick in..this could be the case for you. Regardless if you can not even get liquids down..you must call your Dr.

La Madam's right. Call your doctor.

and there is no need to make yourself suffer! The band isn't a diet, it is a lifestyle, a way of living. Being miserable is no way to live.

the band is not supposed to be surgical bulemia!!! If you PB or vomit once a week, you are probably too tight. If you cannot drink anything, you are definately too tight.

Be good to yourself! Call your DR. If you have to have an unfill, you have to have an unfill. If you are really too tight, you will damage your stomach.

One more thing, regardless if you think you are not too tight, not being able to get in liquids in unhelathy and I know that my Dr. would make me come in for an unfill to give my stoma and esophagus a rest if I werein this situation, and I think many other Dr.'s would too..the longevity of your band and your health are at stake here. Do the right thing and Please call your Dr.

the band is not supposed to be surgical bulemia!!! If you PB or vomit once a week, you are probably too tight.

I agree 100% with this statement.

Hi

Thanks for the replies. I have spoken to my fill provider who thinks I have irritated my stomach. In the last few hours I have been able to keep some small amounts of fluids down, though I can still feel it's irritated. Im going to go to bed now and see how it is in the morning - it should be a lot better but if it isnt I will ask for an unfill.

Thanks for the replies, it's nice to know Im not alone

Hunnie

xx

Hunnie, Iam glad to hear you called your Dr.

I hope tomorrow brings some relief for you

Hunnie,

The orange juice may be too irratating for a few days. Anything that is acidic.

shagamelic

Hunni, just wanted to see how you were doing today? Any better ? let us know:)

Hi everyone

Thanks for your help and advice. I found out on Friday that there was no-one available at the clinic I normally go to who could help me at all - in fact the person answering the phone was less than useless with comments such as 'this is what life is like with the band'. As it was nearly 72 hours with no fluids getting through at all and I was beginning to feel unwell and really upset I ended up going to A and E (Emergency room) of a hospital where I know a banding surgeon works. The staff were fantastic and called him to empty the band for me - he was even going to admit me there and then if it had slipped.

So now I have no fluid at all in the band and I have gone back to my post-op diet (sfluids only at the moment) - it feels pretty sore inside so Im glad it was emptied so I can give it all a chance to settle down before going for a fill in a few weeks. One really good thing to come out of it is that the surgeon has agreed to see me privately for my fills in future (he is normally reluctant to treat patients that he didnt operate on and that have a different band to the one he fits).

Sorry I havent replied sooner - I was exhausted after this little ordeal but feeling much much better now.

Hunnie

xx