Reflux Poll

I have some of the same issues... I will wake up coughing and sometime burping up something, or vomiting. I have had to keep a bucket next to my bed at times. When there is less fluid in my band I don't have has big an issue, but I know what you are going through.

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~Amber

"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."Mark Twain

I have had problems with reflux.
Banded - September 4, 2008
Reflux - Yes
Gallbladder - not removed
Prevention - try not to allow your fills to be too tight. Do not lie down immediately after eating.

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I am having a lot of these symptoms and didn't really know what it was or why it was going on. Like some posters, I have taken to sleeping almost sitting up and trying to avoid eating/drinking any time near bed time. I've been eating Pepcid AC every day for about a month now and can feel that things are irritated. I wake up every once in a while coughing on acid. Wow, that hurts and is scary. I think my solution is likely going to be an unfill for a while and am calling the doctor TODAY after reading all these posts. I wasn't really clued in to what this was...

Getting close to goal, so I hate to slow down even more, but this is really quite untolerable and the pain just isn't right.

Stephanie
Banded 11/06
240/159/150

HI Stephanie,
I know what you are going through, pretty terrible... I went through this for a long time... had my band almost emptied and all symptoms disappeared... problem is, I am putting the weight back on and am nearly back to square one.... can;'t win! Doctor was a little angry and simply said, "you don;t need to band to loose weight, you could just exercise and control yourself" ! Well, I guess that's true, but that's why I had the band fitted in the first place. My metabolism is in disarray and even with samll amounts of food, i put on weight... I have to keep to very low calorie intakes to keep weight at bay...

All the best with it all!
Makana

I am 55 and banded in 2005. When I have a fill I suffer horribly with reflux. I had just recently been prescribed with RX for reflux and it worked great but my fill seemed to disappear. I have not been able to have it checked yet but do not feel any restriction at all anymore.

Obesity often causes reflux and I think the combination of obesity and a too tight band is a sure way to get it. Just a tight band alone can cause it. It's always better IMO to keep the band as loose as one can and still make the band work. Others are just prone to get reflux no matter what they do.

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pre-op diet start date 11/10/08
surgery date 11/24/08 10cc Allergan LAP-BAND®®
fill 1/09 3.5cc total 3.5
fill 2/09 2.25cc .5cc unfill following day total 5.25
fill 8/09 .75cc total 6
total unfill for surgery 9/09
fill 9/15/09 total 4.5 inc. 9/21 total 5.6 cc
9/15/09 85 pounds lost from highest wt 9/08

I've been banded 1yr 4mos. Recently started having horrible gerd/reflux. I already take Nexium to control this but it was getting worse. I ended up in the hosp last week because pain was so bad I thought it was cardiac chest pain. Turns out band was too tight and esophagus was irritated and having spasms. Please listen to your body. I felt like something wasn't right for awhile due to a lot of PBing and discomfort but I kept putting it off. My band had to be emptied and now I have to start over after everything is calmed down.

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Lisa
*This too shall pass*
Banded 5/28/08
1st fill 8/1/08
unfilled 9/16/09
starting over ???
40#'s lost

I think anyone who, like me, was having problems with the band should listen to their body. Instead of believing what my body was telling me, I allowed myself to be chastised for "eating too fast," "not chewing enough," "eating stuff that you shouldn't" (i.e., steak), etc. So I spent two years throwing up on a regular basis until I started throwing up in my sleep. EVEN THEN I was told to stop drinking 3 hours before bedtime, stop eating before bedtime, etc. So like a good sheep, I did.

Come to find out, I had too small of a band on my stomach (I had a 4cc). That my stomach was very sensitive to the tight cinch, and any fill would cause it to swell in irritation. Plus I had a hiatal hernia that they NOW know must be fixed before a band goes on. When the surgeon found out, he asked why I didn't ask for an appointment with him. I don't know, maybe I was thinking the fill nurse knew better than me?

So, don't let people tell you that it's normal to throw up, that you're not chewing your food enough (if you are actually chewing it to mush already), and that you're talking while eating. If you've got acid reflux and you're throwing up after a fill, you need some help -- make an appt with the surgeon, NOT the fill nurse.

I keep saying that the majority of people who have problems with reflux, gerd, and end up with band problems are keeping their band too tight. It should not hurt to eat and PB's should be the exception not the rule. Night time problems should send a person quickly for a slight unfill.

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pre-op diet start date 11/10/08
surgery date 11/24/08 10cc Allergan LAP-BAND®®
fill 1/09 3.5cc total 3.5
fill 2/09 2.25cc .5cc unfill following day total 5.25
fill 8/09 .75cc total 6
total unfill for surgery 9/09
fill 9/15/09 total 4.5 inc. 9/21 total 5.6 cc
9/15/09 85 pounds lost from highest wt 9/08

age at banding 37
gall bladder out at 34
Terrible reflux until banded and then it went completely as soon as I was banded
4yrs on band leakage - first sign was return of reflux.

I've had my band for 8 years and it worked great for the first 5. About 3 years ago I started to not be able to tolerate fills and was unfilled for almost 2 years and gained almost all of my weight back. I've had a small fill for a year and half but have developed severe GERD. I'm currently going through the process to convert to bypass.

Same happened to me... do you think there may be any chance of gaining the weight back with the bypass? All the best with your operation!
:)