Flying and the lap Band???

 I remember someone said something about your lapband when flying that it tightens up or something. Has anyone have any problems when flying????

 One of my best friends (a four yr bander) travels extensively for work.  She has never had a problem with flying.  
However, stress, sickness, the weather etc yes those can :) and might .. 
Just my two cents :)

I've read that some do and some don't, that you should drink a lot before and during to help. Now the only flight I've been on is a Cessna to sky jump. But I had no problems. Good luck!

The band is filled with fluid which is not affected by air pressure. However, there may be some minute air bubbles in the liquid which can be. This could cause tightening. (That is based on a written answer given by Allergan.)

Flying and all those deadlines are stressful for many people and stress makes the band feel tighter. I think (for most people not all!) it is the stress not the air pressure which might cause problems.

I have flown quite literally twice round the world plus many other both long and short haul flighs with my band. I take extra care to stay hydrated and eat extra carefully - but that is a just in case! Queueing in the aisle while desperate to PB would NOTbe fun! I have never had any problem at all.

Kate

I fly 3 or 4 trips a month --- never any problems with my band.

I pack a snack (I never rely on airports or hotels to have food that I can eat)
I drink water on the plane

In my bag, i usually have some low-fat crackers and a Luna Bar and maybe an ounce of roasted almonds ----- just in case.

I feel that I get tight when I fly long distances.  I made two trips to the West coast in the past month and had to be careful when I landed.  I do think that it was me though, not my band.  I didn't drink as much as I normally do, which can cause the band to feel tighter.  So next time I go out to the West coast, I'm going to be more dilligent about drinking fluids. 

I would say practice good band rules and you should be ok. 

Margo,

I've flown many long and short trips since being banded and haven't had any problems. Follow Kath's advice and you should be OK.

Jean

I just returned from a 2 week trip to Scotland, which involves a 9 hr flight each way.  For the 1st 2 1/2 days of the trip, I couldn't keep either food or water down.  I couldn't sleep at night because of saliva bubble issues.  By the time I sought medical help, I was dehydrated, sleep-deprived and feeling horrible.  By visiting a medical school hospital in Dundee, I was able to finally get relief by having most of the fill in my lap band removed.  The surgeon who treated me said that long-haul flights such as the one I took possibly can create air bubbles in the band and tighten it to where it's severely restricted.  He suggested, in the future, that I might consider having some of the fill removed before long flights.  I will say that the rest of the trip I felt fine.  Now I just need to go to my doctor and have the band filled up again.

I have not had trouble eith my band getting tighter but I have had trouble getting through the full body scranners that have at our airport.  I swear it took them forever to clear me.  Is it possible it picked up my port?