I was banded on 5/30/08 and have lost 70 lbs :thumbup:

Last night I had a pill get stuck!!! I though I was dying :thumbup: I was hurting in my throat and chest. A friend of mine who has also had the lapband and is an RN told me to get some Papaya Enzyme for the next time it happens. Has this happened to anyone else??? If so, what did u do? Has anyone tried the Papaya? Any suggestions would be great!!! It was the most miserable feeling I have ever had!!!

Papaya enzyme just helps digest protein. (different enzymes digest different things) so papaya won't help if it is a pill that is stuck.

And it works but it takes it a while...as long as what's stuck is protein.

When I get something stuck I take a sip of water and it will help me vomit up whatever is stuck.

I live by having papaya enzyme with me at ALL TIMES!!!

I have never had a pill get stuck, and likely the PE wouldn't help with that situation in particular. But every time I've had a stuck episode, the papaya enzyme takes care of it and REALLY quick! I never leave home without it!

I said that papaya enzyme only digests Protein....and that is true! (enzymes are like keys, and the food is like different locks; enzymes only work on the food they fit with) BUT...I had to whip out my bottle of papaya enzyme tonight I see that in addition to papaya, it has some protease, lipase, and cellulase in it. Don't know how effective they are, but that would explain why papaya breaks down other things too...IF you have papaya enzyme that is formulated with other enzymes.

Just wanted to update my post....

Pinapple juice worked real well for me and my chicken that got stuck. I was stuck for about four hours and was about to go to the er via the Dr orders. Last ditch effort was to try the jucie and every thing went right down. I am going to get some of the pappay enzymes also, easeir to carry around than a can of pinapple juice.

Hey guys where are you getting the papaya enzyme? A health food store?I'm starting to get fills and thought I'd be prepared.

Edited July 19, 200917 yr by lindas0809

Where do you buy them?

Walmart. Really. :cursing: And its probably cheaper than GNC.

You can puchase it at Walgreen.

I live & swear by Papaya & Pineapple enzymes. I buy mine at Trader Joe's for around $6. They come in a bottle of 100 yummy chewable tablets. I was banded 5-8 and now after my 2nd. fill this past week, 1.5cc, I am getting fuller MUCH faster than from my 1st, fill on 6-7 which was 4cc. All bandsters should carry these with them.... always. They've saved me numerous times from the awful pain of that "feeling" that something is stuck.

Good luck all!!

So when a food gets stuck you chew a papaya pill and the pill will help digest the stuck food so it will get unstuck? Also I was told that you should not drink anything when a food item gets stuck because it will cement the food more? Is that true? I have my first fill on August 7th.Thank you for all this great info.

Banded June 30th,2009 CMC Dr. Connie Campbell

Well, I don't know about fluid "cementing" the food more, but it certainly doesn't help wash it down at all. Rather, it just piles on top of it, making matters worse. Even swallowing the "slime"/thick saliva that happens when you get stuck just sits on top, and can trigger a PB. (In my experience, anyway.)

Some people say having a sip or two of water (or liquid) can help make the "stuck" item come back. It just makes me more miserable.

So it is alright to bring it up. I mean that is not "throwing up" right? So that the band will slip right? So if the food gets stuck drink a sip of Water or pineapple juice or take a payapa chewable pill. Right?

Banded 6/30/09 CMC Dr. Connie Campbell

love, love, love papaya enzymes....they work very quickly when i'm stuck.

i like the GNC ones best. i order them online.