Desperately seeking advice for the "too tight, too loose" syndrome

Hello,

You've had your band for sometime now so you realize restriction varies daily depending several factors, stress, menstrual cycles, fluid retention, sickness, colds, higher elevations, flying, etc. It will never be the exact same every day ONCE YOU REACH YOUR SWEET SPOT.  However, it should not vary a great deal like you mentioned meaning one day soup and one day you can eat large amounts of food.

If your restriction is varying significantly you need to have an Upper GI to check for pouch dilation, you mentioned that you VOMIT A LOT, (NOT GOOD) this will stretch the pouch and you are lucky you have not slipped yet.

I am usually tight in the mornings, if I eat breakfast, I usually drink coffee or hot tea to loosen up my esophagus and I am able to eat about 5 oz of solid food and if I eat solid food for breakfast my pouch is still full by lunch and if I eat lunch I sill cant eat but about 5 oz of food and if I eat breakfast and lunch it will very hard for me to do dinner, I CANNOT EAT 3 SOLID MEALS PER DAY at my restriction level, it's either something very light for breakfast like a protein drink and small meal for lunch, example I can eat half a lean cuisine for lunch IF I have not had a solid breakfast and if I eat a half lean cuisine for lunch I can eat about 5-6 oz of food for dinner and I have to be very careful when I eat at ALL TIMES, if I eat too quick or eat too much I will throw up, but I AVOID this and stop eating when my band tells me so, I usually hiccup and I stop eating even if I want to eat more, I NEVER over stuff my pouch on solid food.

Also at night I clear my pouch by drinking water and chewing about 3 papaye enzyme tablet before bed this helps ease digestion and move food through my pouch this way i don't have stuff stuck in there from the day before and I am not too tight to eat, my restriction is pretty consistent, some days I am a little looser by not so lose where I can't eat and one day I am wide open.

I don't think ANY other weight loss surgery is ANY BETTER, those who get the bypass 90 percent vomit daily REAL VOMIT and who wants that along with many other problems and if you revise over to the Sleeve that may not be a great option either MANY revisions patients to the Sleeve ARE NOT HAPPY they had more restriction with the Band and many did not lose a pound and Many have gained weight back.

You may want to find a new surgeon too, I had problems with being too tight and too loose and turns out my orginal surgeon was not filling me properly HE WAS PRO RNY and it took sometime for me to realize this, and since I've changed to a BAND ONLY surgeon I've had the best restriction ever. Also, you may need to seek professional counseling for your vomiting and nutritionist to help get you back on track.

Good luck

I hate to tell u this but if the band hasn't worked right in 6 yrs..............it's NOT going to! :-(

Time to cut your losses and revise to an effective WLS!!!

I am only 16 mos. out but have now had 15 fills and 4 partial unfills! So 19 adjustments total.

I have been unable to reach that elusive "sweet spot". For me the band has been a complete waste of time and MONEY!!!

Good luck!