I'm a newbie here and am still in the research stage. Is there a lot of vomiting involved post op? I haven't thrown up any food since I was 12 and would like to keep it that way. I'm a vomit-phobe/emetophobe.

So how much does this interfere with post op functioning?

Blessings, Michelle

Most docs want to minimize the chance of vomiting post-op, because it can be complicate healing. My doc prescribed a patch to be applied 24 hrs before the surgery and a liquid anti - emetic for after the surgery.

If you are talking about vomiting when you eat too much/too quickly/too big a bite etc then its not vomiting as such.

Vomiting is horrible, it makes you feel awful, you bring up foul tasting bile.

What happens when you are banded is regurgitation which is something you have probably heard on wildlife programmes and thought well what the heck is the difference.It is very different. There is no foul tasting bile, the food is coming from your pouch not your stomach and it is pretty much in the same form as it was when you ate it and it got stuck. What does happen is that you normally produce extra saliva as this is the body's way of trying to move the food down.So the food comes back up with extra saliva.

i know it sounds gross but I promise it is far better than vomiting. And if you follow the new eating rules carefully it can be avoided.

HTH

Anaethesia can also do it to you. I warned my surgeon that it always makes me puke and had to chug down some foul tasting stuff before surgery to prevent it. First thing I did when I woke up? Yep. Wretching galore. Then they acted all surprised about it.

Vomiting with the band can be minimized by following the band rules to the letter. I can tell you I used to be terrified of vomiting prior to the band and still am. PBing (productive burping) is quite different then vomiting as Elcee explained above. I would much rather PB and relieve the pressure caused from being stuck then have to tolerate the feeling until it passes. I find that papaya enzymes help the stuck food to pass through the band and most of the time prevents PBing in my experience. However, there are times when the enzymes don't work.

I can tell you that getting the band was the best thing I have done for myself and my weight. PBing is not as unpleasant as being morbidly obese. My only regret is not doing this sooner.

mondk...don't stress! I am just like you...vomit-phobe. As long as i can remember, i would 'hold' it down and make myself fall asleep...and then it would usually come out the other end:blushing: My philosophy was that if you hold it down long enough it will never have to come up...that being said, you don't have to worry! I have actually been told by numerous people in our support group that they cannot vomit anymore (after their band being filled) because it won't come up through the opening. I'm holding on to that! lol

My worst moment was just after surgery. I apparently don't do well with anesthesia (this was my first surgery) and was VERY nauseas. But he assured me that I wouldn't get sick because there was nothing but air in my stomach. While the nurses were helping me to the bathroom, I got REALLY nauseas and swore that i was going to get sick...again she reassured me that nothing would come up but air..and she was right. As far as all that goes, just make SURE that you have NOTHING in your stomach before surger...they say nothing after midnight the night before surgery...well my surgery was at 11am and I didn't drink anything starting at like 7pm the night before..just in case...

I have not PB'd yet either..i'm 4 1/2 months out of surgery, and i've only gotten something stuck about 3 times...maybe 4. It's not fun and it does hurt, but it will pass. And if you think about it, most people have PB'd...just non-banded people call it a 'vurp'...

Edited December 4, 200916 yr by barbie1978

I'm vomit phobic too, I'm such a baby about it and the couple of times the kids have had tummy bugs since I've been banded, i've been panicking. I'm so bad I convince myself I'm sick. I'm not like that with anything else, I'm not squeamish, nothing, so I dont know why I'm so childish about vomiting. I hate it hate it hate it.

But pbing when you've banded is NOTHING like vomiting. I cope with it matter of factly although its hardly ever happened to me, maybe 10 times in 4 years. I get the stuck feeling, which often as not passes on its own, but I get some little warning feelings in my stomach, them it will cramp tightly and I know I'm goign to pb, so I go and do it, its a cough and a bit of strong wretching and up ti comes, a small amount, instant relief.

Its NOTHIGN like that awful nausea, pain, panic and them copius hot acidic vomit coming out your mouth and nose.

But of course, you're not going to really know that till after you've been banded. But I promise, its nothing like real vomiting.