Weight Gain After Unfill - Normal Experience?

Hi All - I was banded in June 2004 (long time!) and reached my goal weight a couple of years ago.  Recently, my restriction changed and I was way too tight - to the point of waking up in the middle of the night from fluid back up and subsequently puking.  I had my surgery in Mexico and finally found a doctor in IL who would do my fills.  When I went to see him, he said I had pouch and esophageal dilation and he unfilled me in order to allow the pouches to go back to normal.  I know that I was way too tight before - I couldn't even ge****er down and had a hard time with saliva at certain hours of the day.  Since my unfill, I've gained 6 lbs in 3 days and I know there is NO WAY I ate 18,000 calories in excess of what I burned off in a day. Because I was worried about weight gain, I've been very careful in what I eat.  Just looking to see if anyone has had a similar experience and what may be attributing to the extreme weight gain.  It's pretty depressing!!

Thanks - looking forward to your responses.

Christina

When I was unfillid for medical issues I gained 30 pounds in 30 days.  It is amazing what happens when you start eating carbs again.

If you have been under-eating and under-drinking, not surprising if you have a rapid gain. However, if you get back to sensible eating, IMO, the gain should stop. 

It sounds like you weren't even getting fluid down, so you were probably dehydrated... Most of the weight gain may be fluid replenishment. 

I agree probably your body finally getting the fluid it needs. Just keep a close watch on what you eat, limit carbs and stick mostly to dense proteins and non starchy veggies.

Hi, Christina,

I have had a very similar experience recently.  I had an upper GI a month ago that revealed a way too tight band so I had a complete unfill and have gained 22 pounds, in spite of exercising one to two hours a day, and tracking all my food on MyFitnessPal.  I was also very low in iron and am having iron infusions to bring it back up.  I hate to admit that I was in denial with a band that was too tight for too long, and I am so grateful to have caught it before it was too late and really messed up my esophagus, but it freaks me out how fast the weight came back on.  My new doctor did not seem too worried about it, as he thinks I was malnourished and that my body is just adjusting.  I have also been experiencing a fair amount of swelling in my ankles and legs and it just all really sucks, but I am trying to hang in there and not giving up.  I know that when I was first un-filled I was frantically searching for stories of people with similar experiences, so I just wanted to share mine with you....hang in there!

Jackie

Thanks everyone for the insight.  I think it is water weight gain from replenishing - I'm just hoping my body neutralizes itself soon.  I haven't been eating any carbs - I think mentally, I still feel banded since I've been banded for 10 years, so that's helping regulate my diet.

Jackie - thanks for sharing your story as that's very similar.  Were you able to start losing the lbs that you put back on and has the swelling subsided? I hope it gets back to normal soon.  I definitely share in your frustration!

The swelling has subsided, the weight is not coming off nearly as fast as it came on, but I am just riding the storm out.  I figure eventually I have to get back to some kind of normal.

Take care and keep at it, that is my plan.  We have worked way to hard to have this set us back right?!