Not eroded but no restriction and I have pain

After taking a round of prescription anti-inflammatories for tailbone pain in December, I have been having problems with my band.  No restriction, almost constant pain in that area...sometimes feels like it's burning in there but not warm to the touch; just tender.  I had an endoscopy done last week and other than a small hiatala hernia and some irritation in my esophagus, the doctor did not see an erosion.  I didn't go to an actual bariatric surgeon, but to a gastroenterologist (not sure if that makes a difference).   Has this ever happened to anyone else?  Any thoughts on what might be going on??

Did you take NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as aleve, advil, motrin, ibuprofen?  Those are meds we bandsters need to stay away from unless we are supervised by our bariatric surgeon.  It is thought that they lead to complications like erosion, ulcers, etc.  I would see my bariatric surgeon ASAP to rule out erosion for certain.

Did anyone mention gastritis to you? I have that and it really makes my stomach feel like it's burning and tender. If you had an endoscopy, it would have shown signs of gastritis, I'd think.
The hiatal hernia can also cause a lot of irritation. (I have that, too!)

"other than a small hiatala hernia and some irritation in my esophagus"

I'm not sure you should diminish these as minor issues. I am 90% sure I had an ulcer, but didn't get my endoscopy done for a month so it was almost completely gone by the time they got in there and they told me it was just minor irratation. Let me tell you what that "minor irratation" did to me for 6+ months, I couldn't eat anything acidic without it burning. Even orange juice hurt going down. I couldn't take vitamins without pain and burning. I would comfort myself by eating other foods and it sure seemed like my previous great restriction was lacking since I was able to get some breads and pasta through and since they didn't burn, I would eat them. My two hypothesis' on what happened were 1: I took ibuprophen when I would get my monthly cycle and cramps (NSAIDS are a no-no) 2: I think there is a chance I may have stretched my pouch and caused the irration by continuing to eat larger portions.

I have been unfilled for almost 2 months now and the burning is completely gone, in a couple of weeks I will be refilled and look forward to working again with my band and taking only tylenol products, and going back to measuring my portions. Good Luck!!

 If you are having pain you should NOT let NO ONE but an EXPERIENCED Lap Band surgeon TOUCH YOUR BAND...if you plan on keeping it, you need to see a band surgeon, if you don't have a band slip or erosion or leak, you SHOULD have restriction, again you should visit a band surgeon. 

If you are having burning you may have an undiagnosed ulcer or gastritis, what is typically good for bandsters to heal is to take carafe, reglan and protonix for about 6 weeks, but you must see a band surgeon NOT a gastro doc. good luck.

I don't currently have a band surgeon as my surgery was done in Mexico and my surgeon has since passed away.  The gastro-doc referred me to a bariatric surgeon and I have an appt next Friday so hopefully he'll be able to tell me more, but I was hoping to hear from others who might have experienced this as well. Thanks!

Hope it's nothing serious and only temporary. Feel better!


PS.. It's "carafate" that might be prescribed for you, not "carafe" as someone erroneously mentioned.

When I had my lap band, I had heart burn and burning pain all the time.  I took prevacid, mylanta, everything.  Dr. even took out all of the saline in the band.  Still burning pain.  I had slight irritation in the esophagus.  30 mg prevacid really did help.  My gastroenterologist and my lap band surgeon did the EGD together.  I was greatfull they did the EGD together.  Did not really find much but i felt better. 

It probable will help if you take the prevacid.  Can't hurt!!


 

To clarify, the burning that I feel is not in my esophagus, throat or anywhere like that.  I do have heartburn/reflux, but this burning sensation that I describe is actually in the band/port area under my skin and it's not something that happens with eating..it's almost all the time.