Streached Esophagus

Has anyone had a streached esophagus? Does it go back to normal?

Yes and yes.

When I ignored the other signs of have 'too much' fill, I developed a sensation rather like gagging and traction along the course of my esophagus from the root of the tongue downward.

Finally took out .2cc and got instant relief.

Jack - how long did you endue the symptoms before you sought treatment?

I have a dilated esophogus as well and am concerned that I endured the symptoms too long.

One of the diagnosis is "Barrett's esophagitis" which needs testing to be confirmed. Not many have this.

The best advice I can suggest is to get thee to your surgeon with your specific complaint and insist on thorough evaluation.

In my case 'treatment' was liquids and mushies and very gentle application of pureed foods for nearly 6 weeks....and symptoms improved markedly.

I was too stubborn (go figure!) and unnecessarily endured my torment for over 4 months before seeking resolution.

Yes, and I go in for an unfill on Monday.

i've got a question. how do you know if your band is too tight?

Your band is too tight if you cannot eat 3 solid meals per day (although many people are tight in the morning and have liquids instead); if you have acid reflux at night; if you have night cough for no reason; if eating is just plain too uncomfortable (it should never be painful to eat); or if you can't get enough solid calories in every day.

re: "how do you know if your band is too tight?"

Good question.

From what I've been told by my surgeon and added from observation, "too tight" symptoms persist and do not just 'go away' in a few days.

These include:

Depending on just how "too tight" we may be:

1) Can not eat a Bandster amount of hard protein without sliming, PBs or other distress;

2) Reflux may suddenly become an issue where previously it was not;

3) Extended periods of "First Bite Syndrome";

4) Difficulty in daily variety of healthy meals (Bandster Rules of course);

5) Sensation of tugging or tightness or gagging persistent in throat;

6) Inability to swallow 'Bandster normal' amount of thin liquids without difficulty.

7) Recurring daily episodes of PB, etc despite absence of 'error of eating', ie too much, too fast, too dry, etc.


There are others, and some of these have been modified or expanded based on experience.


This is not an all-inclusive list. Others are welcome to add to or comment upon the list.

thanks for your replies. i worry sometimes that i am too tight. but i believe my problem is i just eat too fast and don't chew enough. old habbits are hard to break. but inhailing my food is how i got fat so i'm grateful for the band being my constant reminder.

Thanks Jack. Good to know that the esophagus can go back down to size. I too endured for quite a few months.

I have alread seen my surgeon and will have a 2nd GI in 2 weeks to see if anything changes w/ my slippage and esophagus

He didn't mention to me anything about my diet except to watch the calories. I went ahead and put myself on liquids, mushies & puree foods. I think I can mange 6 weeks on this - heck I will if I want things to improve!!

Yes, I have had an esophageal dilation about 10 months ago. I didn't have symptoms but went in for a fill because I wasn't losing. Doc put me on liquids for 10 days and I recovered just fine. Now, I am having pain in my throat just above my chest. It feels like a "lump in your throat". Not a sore throat like when you are sick, but a dull pain and it's hard to swallow. I can drink liquids though but haven't eaten. Any advice??

Are you under any stress? This sounds like what I would get sometimes when I am under a lot of stress. My throat would feel as if I swallowed something and it is stuck. There were times I would feel it lower in my esophagus and it would feel tight when the food would go down. I saw a specialist who did not run any test but r/o to be stress related. I think he was right, because when the stress left so did that. This was all prior to banding.

Hello All, I would like to add another reason to this. If you eat hot and spicy foods to much in a small time frame, you will inflame or irratite your esophagus, stoma, area around the band and stomach. This recently happened to me.

I was on a hot and spicy binge. After several weeks of this it finally took it's toll. I had stopped eating hot and spicy foods, for bathroom reasons. I PB for several weeks after this, every sense of it. By stopping eating hot and spicy foods, my stomach began to heal/settle down. It was the most horrible experience of banding I've experienced yet.

All that time I thought I had gotten too tight after my fill. Thank God for sites like LapBandTalk. I was reading about inflammed stomach area and realized that that was what my problem was. Not being to tight. So of course this is another lesson I've learned and something else to stay away from.

Hope this helps someone who eats hot and spicy foods.

Yeah, stress is a major factor with me. I actually get a "stress dermatitis" on my hands and it is full blown right now so that is probably related. Turns out I had popcorn stuck in my band and had to have full removal of my fill :( I am letting my esophagus heal as it was severely dilated again and the stoma was very irritated. Actually ran a fever for the last days as my body was trying to repair things! I am feeling MUCH better now and am on mushies. Doc said I can come back in 2 weeks to get a small fill. Pray that I don't go crazy and gain anything while I am "empty".

WOW! You must of been at a good restriction for popcorn to get stuck. You're the first I've heard of anything getting stuck like that. I would not of thought that could of happened. It's great that you sort help. I could only imagine if you tried to continue to eat regularly. How long did it take before you decided to go to the doctor? I'm imagining after a few days of not being able to eat properly.