Hello all-

I had lapband surgery in 2005. It was the best thing I have ever done for myself. For the first few years I did great. Lost consistantly...exercised...lost over 100 lbs. About a year ago I got acid relux....that turned into throwing up at night. Up 5-6 times a night throwing up or waking up with a mouthful of bile. It was horrible. I talked to my doc and he thought I had slipped so we did a surgery about 4 months ago and he adjusted the band. After the surgery the throwing up and coughing was still there at night (not during the day....only when I lay down). Now the doc thinks it may be my gall bladder and not the band so I have surgery in Jan to get my gallbladder out.

I have been coughing and throwing up now for the last year (nights only). I am exhausted!! Has anyone ever had this happen to them and what was the cause...I am afraid that after I get my gallbladder out I will still be sick at night. Has anyone gone through this ?? All this throwing up cannot be good for my throat or the band!

I have not gained or lost any weight throughout this and feel great except for the throwing up at night.

Thanks so much for your help.

I think your instinct is right. I don't think throwing up your food is normal or healthy. Is it possible that your doctor has an associate that you can see instead? I am just wondering if your band slipped? Can you drink fluids? Does liquid come up just like food? Does your saliva go down? I know it sounds gross but when my band slipped, my saliva didn't even go down. The problem with liquid and saliva not going down is that you get very dehydrated and you also aren't taking in nutrients (among other things). I assume you are eating slowly and taking small amounts.

I can't imagine this is a psychological problem. I would rule that out. Don't you think? I would go on a liquid diet for awhile just to get your stomach settled more. But first of all, I would see if your doctor has an associate doctor to see instead of your primary doctor. What did your doctor say is the problem? I was not clear on what he said could be the problem.

As always this site to the rescue! I am almost three years out and this started in May and I have been miserable since. I am going to get an unfill and see if it helps!

Hi all! Haven't been on here in awhile and I having some issues. Can someone exlpain the difference between an upper GI and a EGD? What type of doctor would I go to for these? I am 4 years post op and my surgery was in Mexico so I want to go in and insure all is still okay. When I request these procedures do I tell them I was banded in Mexico? Also, is a scope, fluroscope and barium swallow the same thing? Thank you for any insite you may have.

HELP!!! Has ANYONE found a cure for this besides band removal or the constant fill-unfill-fill-unfill routine (at $150 a pop??) My wife had her band put in a few years ago and lost 70lbs but the last 2 years has been living hell. She can't sleep because she throws up all night. She spits up constantly during the day and in general I think this band is dangerous and should be removed. She's going in for her first throat scope next week and I'm guessing they'lll find some sort of damage due to the band. She's tried it all... they check her band for slippage each time the fill-unfill (no slippage found), she stopped eating after 6pm, has nexium script, sleeps proped up or on the recliner but the trash can is always next to her because it's gonna come up!

Does anyone know the cure?????

Wow, this is exactly what is happening to me. I had an "un-fill" last week, and everything was great. Until I had chicken meat balls (2 of them) for dinner one night. I ate them too fast and suddenly I was vomiting, and I haven't been the same since. I have been banded for 2 years, and lost 81 lbs. and this by far has been the WORST time. I'm so tired of vomiting in my sleep. My boyfriend is getting sick of worrying about me choking, and I'm tired of not even able to drink water...my stomach must be inflamed. I can't even feel the food in my stomach "drop" anymore. It's been about 6 days and my doctor told me to "ride it out"...I can't afford another band, and I can't get this removed....but it's so horrible having to go vomit during dinner or waking up with a stomach full of bile...

I think your instinct is right. I don't think throwing up your food is normal or healthy. Is it possible that your doctor has an associate that you can see instead? I am just wondering if your band slipped? Can you drink fluids? Does liquid come up just like food? Does your saliva go down? I know it sounds gross but when my band slipped, my saliva didn't even go down. The problem with liquid and saliva not going down is that you get very dehydrated and you also aren't taking in nutrients (among other things). I assume you are eating slowly and taking small amounts.

I can't imagine this is a psychological problem. I would rule that out. Don't you think? I would go on a liquid diet for awhile just to get your stomach settled more. But first of all, I would see if your doctor has an associate doctor to see instead of your primary doctor. What did your doctor say is the problem? I was not clear on what he said could be the problem.

my Dr. seemed to think that an un-fill would help/cure it. It did not and is actually worse now with all the Fluid gone. I havn't talked to my regular Dr. about it as she was out having twins for awhile and then it just actually never crossed my mind to ask her. I guess I thought she would say that it wasn't her specialty and send me to him.

My husband has been deployed for months now and it became really apparent to me that this was a problem just before he left. I said nothing to him as when he is deployed he just needs to focus on THAT and get back to us, not worry about anything at home. I've lost more weight since he has been gone and have done nothing to try to lose weight. It has just been the not eating much combined with nearly constant vomiting. (constant after eating, of course, not just all day long, which has led me to just not eat much at all. It doesn't seem to be worth the effort anymore.)

To answer your questions: Sometimes saliva stays down, sometimes not. It is weird. Yes, I am eating small portions/bites. No potatoes, bread, rice or Pasta. They are totally not worth the effort at all. Get stuck way too easily.

Update - Had an unfill in Sept 2011 and feel soooo much better. No more vomiting at night. No more slime. As it turned out I had much more in the lap band than we thought - too many doctors keeping track of me (poor record keeping by one I imagine) and some of them have been transferred out. Doctor said my stomach was inflamed as was my esophagus -= I imagine my lungs were a mess too. Had a terrible time getting the fluid out - My port has turned and they cannot get a good angle to do the work. Frankly - right now I am feeling so blessed to not hurt and I cannot imagine putting myself through that again. I need a break from this. Maybe in the spring. Until then I will work to stabilize my life and my weight with the lapband wide open. I think a few months off is good for my mental health too. It was a nightmare and I need to recover.

I'm glad that you had a good resolution, beachgirl! It sounds like you have a new lease on life!

OK after about a month of this waking up in the middle of the night throwing up salivia I saw my regular Dr and she said it may be alergies...So I am on alergy pills...did not help. So now I am going to have to see my Band Dr. really dont want to he makes me feel like it is my fault that I cant lose weight...I tried to talk to him about the fact my band was too tight when I was stressed and he told me well you are going to have to figure out how to work with it...SO to go back to him is not something I WANT to do but I am just going to have to do it.

I eat fine during the day. Tough and slow but I dont throw up during the day but when night hits NOTHING will go down. And as soon as I sleep I back up and wake up purging and coughing. And sleeping on an incline is not helping.

After reading these posts I think It may have started with a stomach flu/cold. And maybe I still have it.

I will post after going to my band Dr.

Cerrin,

After having the same problem--- throwing up repeatedly all night long, even sitting up in a chair-- I went back to my lap band dr. He was VERY concerned! They took out .5cc's and I feel like a new person. I think with allergy season starting early this year contributed to it and I had started an exercise program that could have contributed. But I was totally miserable, and that solved my problem. I think I'll have to have a refill later, but for now I need this now. Hope this helps!

Good Luck,

Jill

Confession time I haven't seen my Doc in years. I'm even confused by whether I was banned in 2008 or 2009. I've lost roughly 100 but I'm still 40lbs from where he wanted me. I've recently started waking up vomitting/coughing. I'm going to call tomorrow and face the music. My health is far more important than my fear of getting in trouble for not having been to the Doc.

God Bless the ticker I was banned on 4/16/09. I updated my weight loss.

I went to see my Dr last week he took some Fluid out and I feel so much better. and when I dont drink while eating I am eating so less. no more throwing up either.

I feel so much better now

I got the lecture because I let it go on too long

Hi, I have had my band since 2005, shy of my goal weight by 30 or so pounds. I have had my ups and downs. But I am experiencing the vomiting and coughing at night as well. It was to the point that one day I stopped eating at 11 a.m. and I still got very sick. Today I am going to ask to get defilled and I have an upper GI scheduled. I could use a good night sleep.

Well, I realize that this is quite an old thread...however the same problems seem to be recurrent. I also had issues with extremely bad reflux, vomiting repeated at night, and even stomach acid coming up through my nose while in a sitting position. I have a long history of reflux prior to my band being placed, but I am also certain that the stress of certain stressful life events occurring in rapid succession has been the major contributing factor. None of these reflux issues were present before the life events began to occur. A complete unfill of my band twice did not resolve the issues, and I continued to throw up repeatedly, and also have acid come up through my nose. That is a horrible sensation, the burning is intense, and there is no way to calm it.