Hi all, I was banded December 2007 and ended up losing 95lbs my first year. In February of 2009 I became too tight and had to have all my fill removed. I also had a barium swallow which showed everything was fine.

By May 2009 I was filled again ( a little less than before the unfill). Things were ok until about two months ago. It got harder and harder to eat solids so I pretty much didn't. I mainly ate soft foods.

About 3 weeks ago I started having a terrible pain in my back whenever I ate or drank so I went to see my surgeon. He sent me for another swallow test, gallbladder test and took out 2 ccs. He told me to call the next day if removing the fill didn't help. It didn't.

I'm actually in more (different) pain than before the unfill. I still have the pain in my back but I have burning in my chest (not heartburn/refulx) and odd pains on each side of my stomach. It also hurts around my stomach when I lay on my side.

I had an endoscopy this morning, everything was fine. They are checking me for H Pylori as well.

Did anyone have an endoscopy that was ok and later found out they had erosion. Maybe the erosion is just beginning? Something isn't right and I'm not sure what to do next.

I'd love to hear from other who have had issues like this.

Thanks!

Liz

do you still have your gallbladder ?

Mindy

Hi Mindy, I do still have my gallbladder. The pain is immediate though. I had inflamation of my gallbladder about 15 years ago and the constant back pain resembles that but not the pain I have immediately after I eat or drink. It starts the minute it hits my stomach.

After the unfill my stomach felt like the skin on your wrist does when you've had a rubber band wrapped around it too long. I'm terrible at describing symptoms. That's the closest thing I can think of.

Thanks for your reply!

Did your doc check you at all for pancreatitis? One of the symptoms can be a stabbing pain between the shoulder blades.

Hi Mindy, I do still have my gallbladder. The pain is immediate though. I had inflamation of my gallbladder about 15 years ago and the constant back pain resembles that but not the pain I have immediately after I eat or drink. It starts the minute it hits my stomach.

After the unfill my stomach felt like the skin on your wrist does when you've had a rubber band wrapped around it too long. I'm terrible at describing symptoms. That's the closest thing I can think of.

Thanks for your reply!

Ok dumb question but ya never know . Im assuming the doc checked the band under flouro ?

Mindy

Hi Liz

I don't have any answers I'm afraid, but can certainly emphathise. How frustrating and scary to still have no answers and all band-related tests exhausted.

I am having similar problems - all going great then suddenly painful to eat/drink as of a few weeks ago. Barium study all good, endoscopy scheduled for Friday. Was your throat very sore when you came out of the endo?

What does your Dr intend to do next?! Mine is talking like he doesn't expect to find anything wrong during the endoscopy and if that's true he said he wants to operate to ivestigate further. Said we'll talk about the possibilities of what he might find and possible action, i.e. remove/replace etc, but all dependent on what he sees. I worry about whether he's experienced enough with revisions and have booked in with another Dr for 2nd op after my endoscopy. The bills are stacking up!

My Dr keeps asking me if I have any symptoms of fever or chills/sweats etc - have you had anything like that? He said he had another patient with similar problems with empty band who ended up having an infection, but she had fever.

Sorry again to hear of your worries - pls let me know how you go.

Cheers

Dani

Hi Apples, I will ask my doctor about the pancreatitis when I go back next week. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mindy, my doc doesn't use flouro. Would that show different info than the barium swallow? I don't think I'm too tight now that he took out 2 ccs. The food goes down ok, just hurts once it gets down.

Hi Apples, I will ask my doctor about the pancreatitis when I go back next week. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mindy, my doc doesn't use flouro. Would that show different info than the barium swallow? I don't think I'm too tight now that he took out 2 ccs. The food goes down ok, just hurts once it gets down.

Flouro/ barrium swallow the same thing. You might want to have him check your gallbladder just to be safe. I hope you figure out what is going on . It sounds like that you have a slip but he should have found it if he uses Flouro/ Barrium Swallow .

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Hi Liz

I don't have any answers I'm afraid, but can certainly emphathise. How frustrating and scary to still have no answers and all band-related tests exhausted.

I am having similar problems - all going great then suddenly painful to eat/drink as of a few weeks ago. Barium study all good, endoscopy scheduled for Friday. Was your throat very sore when you came out of the endo?

What does your Dr intend to do next?! Mine is talking like he doesn't expect to find anything wrong during the endoscopy and if that's true he said he wants to operate to ivestigate further. Said we'll talk about the possibilities of what he might find and possible action, i.e. remove/replace etc, but all dependent on what he sees. I worry about whether he's experienced enough with revisions and have booked in with another Dr for 2nd op after my endoscopy. The bills are stacking up!

My Dr keeps asking me if I have any symptoms of fever or chills/sweats etc - have you had anything like that? He said he had another patient with similar problems with empty band who ended up having an infection, but she had fever.

Sorry again to hear of your worries - pls let me know how you go.

Cheers

Dani

Hi Dani, don't worry about the endoscopy. There was nothing to it. My throat is still a little sore but nothing major. They did mine with IV sedation and I don't remember a thing.

I hope you can get some answers. I was hoping the endo would get to the bottom of my problems but no such luck.

I haven't had any fever or chills so far. I'm one of those people who won't go to the doctor unless I'm in major pain. I was hoping to avoid an emergency situation instead of putting things off but I guess I will just wait and see.

A former co-worker of mine who was banded about 7 months before me is still recovering from major erosion and infection. She had her band removed over 2 months ago. She was to the point of throwing up everytime she ate and waited way too long to get it checked out.

Keep us up to date on how it goes Friday.