Hi everyone. I've been banded for about a year and a half now, and have been enduring a problem for quite a long time now. For about 3 or 4 months, I haven't been able to eat anything (if chewable allergy tablets count, then I can eat that). I can't even swallow regular allergy tablets (less than half the size of a Tylenol)

One time, when the medicine got stuck, I drank a bottle of Water rather hastily, and to my surprise, I could feel the pill "go down". Ever since then, I have just been drinking massive amounts of water every time I feel "stuck". After browsing through the forums, I realized that what I have been doing is stupid. I should see my surgeon, have been postponing going because I am afraid that I will have to go to surgery again.

Do you guys think that this is a band slippage, or something else? Thanks!

*Edit: By the way, I can't get by a typical meal without drinking 2 or 3 bottles of water, and it hurts when the food is being "pushed" down.

It seems pretty obvious that you should have seen your Doc earlier. It may be slippage - it could be something as simple as just been overfilled. The fact that you have left it so long has probably made it worse. I cannot understand why anyone would have symptoms like these and not go back to their Doc as soon as possible!

My friend had slippage & she suspected it when her weight slowly crept up, & she was eating a little more than normal. Twice (in 7 years), my fluid level has increased on it's own. This can sometimes happen-the x-ray compound must expand or something. But I could certainly not force things down with water. In 3 or 4 months you must have eaten something other than allergy tablets or else you'd be dead! Maybe you've fallen out of the habit of chewing well & eating slowly? I can't swollow tablets any bigger than ant. The hurt you feel with your 2 or 3 bottles of water pushing your food down may be indigestion. Does it burn? Try an antacid. I swig a little Mylanta before my first wine of the evening cause it burns otherwise. My friend metioned above, can push food down with water, but I could never do that. Good luck.

It seems pretty obvious that you should have seen your Doc earlier. It may be slippage - it could be something as simple as just been overfilled. The fact that you have left it so long has probably made it worse. I cannot understand why anyone would have symptoms like these and not go back to their Doc as soon as possible!

As explained above, I am scared of going back into surgery, and that was my primary reason for avoiding the doctor. But I do realize that I should have gone much earlier. I will probably go as soon as possible.

My friend had slippage & she suspected it when her weight slowly crept up, & she was eating a little more than normal. Twice (in 7 years), my Fluid level has increased on it's own. This can sometimes happen-the x-ray compound must expand or something. But I could certainly not force things down with Water. In 3 or 4 months you must have eaten something other than allergy tablets or else you'd be dead! Maybe you've fallen out of the habit of chewing well & eating slowly? I can't swollow tablets any bigger than ant. The hurt you feel with your 2 or 3 bottles of water pushing your food down may be indigestion. Does it burn? Try an antacid. I swig a little Mylanta before my first wine of the evening cause it burns otherwise. My friend metioned above, can push food down with water, but I could never do that. Good luck.

Ah, I forgot to mention that I shove my food down with water! :blushing: No way I can live off of tablets.

At first, I thought that I had become lax in my chewing, so I concentrated on chewing well, and eating extremely slow. It didn't work. Even yogurt kept getting stuck.

The hurt feels more like an extreme form of the "stuck" feeling. It doesn't burn, but it sure does feel like there is a lot of pressure near my band for a few seconds, until the food is forced down.

By the way, thank you both for the replies. The information and support given from this community is wonderful.

Yes but if it was just a case of being overfilled then it would have been easy to fix. Being overfilled is said to be a cause of slippage. I have read that sometimes they can fix slips by completely unfilling you for a while.

Best not to jump the gun. rather make an appointment to see your Doc ASAP. It might be nothing or something that is simple to sort out.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you.