I have had my lap band for 4 years. I have had some issues with acid at night in the past but prilosec and tums usually help. But recently, I have been having a chronic, wet cough when I relax into a sleep that lasts for hours. It is wet and feels like it is in my chest or lungs. If I get any fluid to come to my mouth, it is either clear or yellow but not brown. When I wake up in the morning my chest is tight and it takes a couple of hours before I feel normal again. I do not have huge restriction with my band right now, very average eating ability (plenty of food but not unlimited) I have not been losing weight lately and I would like to lose 20 more pounds. Has anyone heard of these symptoms? :juggle:

sorta the same symptoms - thought i had a cold, actually had an inner ear infection. PCP prescribed appropriate meds - but the cough continued & my band got tighter.

first part of last wk, 2.2cc's taken out - by friday my cough was worse (described as an aspiration) and my entire fill minus 1.5ccs taken out.

w/in minutes my breathing was much better & my cough was almost gone. i had the same wet/hacking cough, and i just chalked it up to my cold - but my band got swollen & inflamed ,,, i couldn't get any food down/liquids were fine.... and my breathing got worse.

while i have stay this way for a month till i can get another xray / then maybe a fill - i suggest going and getting a barium swallow. a cough w/out illness is something to pay attention to - so i've learned...

all the best,

sorta the same symptoms - thought i had a cold, actually had an inner ear infection. PCP prescribed appropriate meds - but the cough continued & my band got tighter.

first part of last wk, 2.2cc's taken out - by friday my cough was worse (described as an aspiration) and my entire fill minus 1.5ccs taken out.

w/in minutes my breathing was much better & my cough was almost gone. i had the same wet/hacking cough, and i just chalked it up to my cold - but my band got swollen & inflamed ,,, i couldn't get any food down/liquids were fine.... and my breathing got worse.

while i have stay this way for a month till i can get another xray / then maybe a fill - i suggest going and getting a barium swallow. a cough w/out illness is something to pay attention to - so i've learned...

all the best,

thank you.

Was your cough only at night as well?

thank you.

Was your cough only at night as well?

it was constant - but worse at night & progressed even w/cough meds w/codeine.

all last wk i slept in one of my media/stadium chairs (like a recliner).....laying flat made it worse.

my surgeon took out 2.2ccs at first - by the time friday came around ... he wished he took out more. it was an instant "fix" of the cough. i have no restriction - but i know just have to watch myself & let my band heal,... it was significantly swollen.

Yes, this sounds all too familiar to me. I went thru the night coughing/regurgitation/choking feeling/liquid coming out thru my nose and running to the bathroom to throw up- slime, or sometimes food. This is a long story, I will try to make it short.

I'll start by saying I had my surgery 3 years ago at 210lbs 5'1''. I got pregnant in 07, when I was 3 mths pregnant I went for a complete unfill. Then at 6mths I noticed I had restriction and assumed it was the baby pushing up on the stomach and it would get better (not sure why I thought this). My last trimester was hell, my health declined and by the last month I could not even keep liquids down. I refused to see my surgeon as I had my surgery in Tijuana, MX. I did not feel safe being pregnant and passing the border, and I was just too weak to endure it. I went to the ER twice while pregnant and once after, I was just told I was dehydrated and my Pottasium level was to low. The ER dr's had very small info. on the band. My OB would say the baby is growing fine and no concern w/my weight since I was big to begin with. Bottom line, I got an unfill 7 days after giving birth. The unfill that I had in my early pregnancy was never taken out completely- I had 2cc's. My cough/heartburn --all of the above, went away completely. I saw my weight creeping back up and went back after 5 mths. I was told I was lucky it had not slipped but we needed to keep an eye on it.

After my pregnancy I had .8cc on the first fill, everything was good. The 2nd fill 3-4 mths later was another .4cc bringing me to 1.2 which started my cough and all other symptoms. I am now at goal weight 123lbs. I went back today to TJ and was told the band has slipped and I have a big pouch. My band is not at a 45degree angle (which it should be), but at a 90 degree. I was unfilled and told that if I continue to have the night cough symptoms to go back immediately for an URGENT surgery to remove the band. It is scary for me to go without my band, but health is first.

Don't take this lightly if you have all that, go see the Dr. even if you get an unfill, it is better then loosing it. You'll then have to wait another 6 mths.

I tried to keep it short, but it didn't happen. See your Dr.

Go for a slight unfill, please. I too had the same symtoms. I had a slight unfill but still had some symtoms of the reflux & coughing. My appetite was just right so I didn't won't to have anymore removed. I just found out 2 weeks ago that my band has slipped & I completely blame it on the reflux & coughing. I'm completely unfilled right now & gaining weight everyday. If the band doesn't go back in place on its own I will have surgery to fix it. I would rather have my band a little loose than not have it at all.

It sounds like reflux and this can cause you to have that cough, almost always happens at night. Call you doctor, an unfill may help the symptoms..it's not normal to have that cough. Let us know how you do, Good Luck

I dont suffer night time reflux as a general rule, but I have to be careful about going to bed with food and liquid on board.

I'm fine if I have a cup of coffee after dinner, as that's pretty much a clear liquid and it runs through.

But make it a cookie and a cup of hot milo (bit like cocoa), and I cant sleep, it all sits there and feels as if it will come up at any minute. I cant relax into deep sleep.

Just once in my entire banded experience, I have suddenly woken up coughing and choking. I truly had NO sensation of having had anything come up and breathing it in, but that is what happened, because I could definitely taste that sour, vomity taste every time I coughed. I coughed for about 20 minutes before it settled.

I'd been out for dinner, had a rather big meal over many hours and plenty of wine, followed by coffee. My stomach was WAY too full when I went to bed.

Moral of the story - coughing without having consciously aspirated stomach conents can STILL be a reflux thing and if its going on, you MUST do something about it.