Okay I am new to the website but have been doing a lot of research off of it the past couple of days. I went to a seminar with my mom two weeks ago at True Results in Dallas and found out a lot of information. The seminar was only supposed to be for my mom but I found out that it might help me as well. I am 5'5" and 200lbs my bmi is only around 33 I believe. Which is not bad but I am bulimic. Which if anyone knows is not the greatest thing to have when your battling your weight! I have been bulimic for 12 years now and at one point only weight 113 lbs!! My doctor told me I was going to lose my daughter if I didn't start eating and now I can't stop. My bulimia is not of course as bad as it was or I would not be contemplating the lapband. I have been told that it would help with my disorder as well as my weight. So I am here now trying to find out if anyone has had an issue with bulimia and found the lapband to be the answer?? I am setting up an appointment sometime in the next two weeks to be evaluated for the surgery to make sure that my mental state is up to par :frown: I'll be paying out of pocket and traveling out of state to have the surgery so they told me everything will go pretty fast so I wanted to research as much as I could first... I want to be there for my moms journey as well as be able to start one myself! Thanks for listening!

Hey Melissa, I'm not trying to be snarky, but the band isn't really made to treat complex eating disorders. I think you'd be way better served seeing a specilist in that area before you contemplate getting a band.

hi,

i agree with plain.....the band (in my opinion) will not solve the bulimia issue. in fact....it could actually cause serious issues. throwing up is not good for the band and can cause a slip.

i was bulimic years ago for many years. i thank god i got that under control before even thinking about the band. i doubt my doctor would have performed my operation if i was actively bulimic.

good luck and hope things work out for you.

I have been told that it would help with my disorder as well as my weight.

Whoever told you this is mistaken. Not only will a lap-band not help with bulimia, but it might make it worse as, any time you eat too fast or don't chew well enough, you will probably barf. There are plenty of people on this site who keep their bands too tight and so have what I think of as "band-induced bulimia."

Also, when you go for the pysch eval, you will probably not pass as bulimia (and other EDs) is considered a red flag.

Thank you I really appreciate the reply's! My bulimia isn't what you would consider normal... I should of worded it a bit differently... I used to be what you would think on the verg of being hospitalized if it wasn't for my daughter coming into my life. Now it's not that I purge because I'm addicted it's because I get disgusted by eating my entire pantry when I've been on a diet for two weeks and can't control the urge to eat chocolate... So I'm not someone who gets excited to purge (if that makes any sense). I can go weeks on ends without doing it then only time I actually do this is when I've tried to diet and fall of the plan and eat soooo much that my stomach feels like it's going to pop anyways. So that is why at the seminar they said that it could get it under control b/c the band wouldn't let me yoyo diet back and forth and then feel like I have to eat the house b/c I've been eating like a rabbit for two weeks... So I haven't been actually diagnosed as being bulimic I just consider myself b/c every blue moon I fall off another diet that didn't work and literally eat my whole entire pantry and purge. Granted 12 years ago I was full blow bulimic and anything that went in came out to achieve what I thought in peoples eyes is what they wanted me to look like! I only weighed 113lbs and was fading fast. Now it's not about that it's about getting healthy for myself as well as being a good example for my 7 year old that only weighs 50lbs and thinks that she should diet bc mom is always dieting... NOT GOOD. So once again thank you I have done tromendace research on the lapband as well as the staff and dr. I know about the side effects and that it can trigger reflux and the whole nine yards... I have spoke to several people in person about the issue at hand. I think I just worded it wrong and when you read it you can take it differently. True Results has spoke with me a bit about my issue already and I go April 3 for the evaulation and will keep you posted!

I had LapBand surgery 3 1/2 years ago and lost all of my weight (120lbs) in the first 2 years. The first year I followed the rules, ate very little and very rarely threw up but did on occasion when I accidently ate too much. By the 2nd year, I started to eat more knowing I would throw up but my mind was just still so hungry and it perpetuated into full blown bulimia. Now keep in mind that I NEVER sufferered from Bulimia prior to LapBand. I would have never considered throwing up on purpose back then.

Now, for the last year or so, I will eat anything and everything that I want, knowing that I will simply throw it up and will never gain another pound as long as I have my LapBand. My LapBand has facilitated my bulimia. I am now starting to feel the effects of it on my esophagus, teeth and gums. I have just started therapy for my eating disorder and am considering having the LapBand removed.

Everyone is different but an eating disorder is an eating disorder with or w/out the LapBand. Prior to my LapBand, I was an emotional over-eater. Still am but now I am an emotional over-eater w/a LapBand and bulimia. My recommendation would be to get counseling or therapy before you have the LapBand surgery because my thought is that your bulimia will simply get worse with it. Good luck!

If you are honest on your questionair you probably won't be considered for the surgery. They try to weed out people with eating disorders. Having a labband isn't an easy way out. You have to really change the things you eat. The band just helps how much of it you can eat. Since I got my band I have only been sick to my stomach once and I made myself not throw up cus I am so scared about band slippage. If you do go through with having the band you might just want to consider some therapy or counsiling with it. I wish you the best of luck with whatever happends.

Thank you I really appreciate the reply's! My bulimia isn't what you would consider normal... I should of worded it a bit differently... I used to be what you would think on the verg of being hospitalized if it wasn't for my daughter coming into my life. Now it's not that I purge because I'm addicted it's because I get disgusted by eating my entire pantry when I've been on a diet for two weeks and can't control the urge to eat chocolate... So I'm not someone who gets excited to purge (if that makes any sense). I can go weeks on ends without doing it then only time I actually do this is when I've tried to diet and fall of the plan and eat soooo much that my stomach feels like it's going to pop anyways. So that is why at the seminar they said that it could get it under control b/c the band wouldn't let me yoyo diet back and forth and then feel like I have to eat the house b/c I've been eating like a rabbit for two weeks... So I haven't been actually diagnosed as being bulimic I just consider myself b/c every blue moon I fall off another diet that didn't work and literally eat my whole entire pantry and purge. Granted 12 years ago I was full blow bulimic and anything that went in came out to achieve what I thought in peoples eyes is what they wanted me to look like! I only weighed 113lbs and was fading fast. Now it's not about that it's about getting healthy for myself as well as being a good example for my 7 year old that only weighs 50lbs and thinks that she should diet bc mom is always dieting... NOT GOOD. So once again thank you I have done tromendace research on the lapband as well as the staff and dr. I know about the side effects and that it can trigger reflux and the whole nine yards... I have spoke to several people in person about the issue at hand. I think I just worded it wrong and when you read it you can take it differently. True Results has spoke with me a bit about my issue already and I go April 3 for the evaulation and will keep you posted!