What are the signs of stuck foods?

Busybee424 · March 24, 2009

I was banded on 3/19 and while I am not on foods yet I have read a few posts about food getting stuck. This was breifly mentioned in my class as well. My questions are how can you tell? and what happends to you? :huh2:

mjg12 · March 24, 2009

You feel it in your esophagus, and then you inadvertently throw up, but not from your stomach, the food doesn't go down.

Cleo's Mom · March 24, 2009

Not everyone throws up or PB's when stuck. The pain can be very intense - it can feel like you're having a heart attack. The pain intensifies as the stuck food moves through the band. At least this has been my experience the two times I have been stuck. An extremely painful and unpleasant experience. Not something you want to happen.

ebonie1015 · March 25, 2009

Not everyone throws up or PB's when stuck. The pain can be very intense - it can feel like you're having a heart attack. The pain intensifies as the stuck food moves through the band. At least this has been my experience the two times I have been stuck. An extremely painful and unpleasant experience. Not something you want to happen.

Exactly what Cleo's Mom said. :huh2:

I have been stuck several times and I have never had to PB but it hurts like mad. My episodes have lasted as long as 30 minutes but the food eventually passes. I have tried a couple of times to drink something to hopefully make it pass but it only makes it worse for me. The best thing for me is to just let it be and it work its way through on its own.

lynnie77 · March 25, 2009

Holy cow! It is the worst feeling I've ever felt. You can feel the pain in your esophagus and it feels like you want to throw up. Water usually washes it down for me, but you don't want to make a habit out of this, because since it washes the food down, it makes you want to eat more. Please just chew your food well, and you should be okay.

*slim* · March 26, 2009

I guess I have been lucky. I have never had pain when I have gotten stuck. I have only had the feeling of the food sitting in my esophagus (sp?). It feels like you should be choking, but you aren't. The few times that I have been stuck, I did PB. That may be why I have not had the pain of it going through the band. Either way, it is not pleasant. The way to avoid this is to make sure that you take small bites, chew very well, and eat slowly. My instances of being stuck have usually come with "first bite syndrome" where you take a really large first bite (usually when I am starving) and swallow without thinking about it. I hope that you NEVER have to learn this one from experience. Good luck!

girlie2shooz · March 26, 2009

have you ever swallowed a french fry the wrong way and it just aches clear into your back, well that is what "stuck" feels like to me. i typically make it move/loosen by patting my chest fairly hard. it happens, you learn real quick to recognize the sign so it doesn't happen to often again.

Lois Ruth · March 26, 2009

Ok, here's a real stupid question: What is PB?

Mandoman · March 26, 2009

I had my surgery on 3/5 and will go in for my first fill on 4/6. Even 3 weeks after surgery, I have had food stick on several occasions. You feel all of the above. Not fun.

Does anyone know if this is normal? I should be back to normal , as far as the swelling goes, but I feel like I am already restricted. I've already lost 21 pounds in 3 weeks and I don't feel like I've been starving.