Not 'filled' enough

Hey everyone.
When my dr fills my band, I dont think she puts enough in.  I just had my 3rd fill 6 months post op and barely notice a difference.  I am getting very discouraged with it.  And at this most recent visit she didnt even schedule me for my next fill...due to her going on maternity leave in 6 wks.

So my ?s are...
How do you know when the band is tight enough when the dr is filling it??
How often do you get yours filled??
How many fills did it take to hit your 'sweet spot'??
Should I call up there and ask for another fill??

I know the fills vary patient to patient....i just dont think im getting enough.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Val,

I have never had a fill but this is how my doc does it .

My doc is a very non aggressive filler and that sounds like your doc is the same way which in the long run is better for you .  You dont want a massive fill all at once you want gradual fills to get you to the spot so you are not constantly running back and forth getting unfills because you are to tight.

My doc will not put anything more then 2 cc's in at a time . It dont matter how much you beg those are his rules and very rarely does he  have patients that need to come back for unfills because he does do it so slow and so little amounts.

You should not get another fill for at least 4-6 weeks. It does take time for a fill to kick in .  When they give you fills your tummy does swell a little bit inside and that can last for a good week to as long as three weeks they want to make sure the swelling goes down first and then see where you are at for the green zone .

Just remember the band isn't in there to restrict you from foods all its there to do is help curb your hunger for at least 3 hrs at a time that is it nothing else .


I dont know if I'm at my sweet spot or not to be honest. My doc has never made a big deal about that word and he hates using the word the sweet spot. Since he never made a big deal about it I just never think about it.   all I know is I can eat my meals and go at least 3-5 hrs of not eating .  The only time I struggle is when it comes close to my period and then I struggle with food .

Head hunger is a whole different story . Make sure its not head hunger that is making you eat . there is a huge difference and you need to learn them differences .


. slow and steady is the best way to go not fast and furious .

With my original surgery, fill #3 put me at a very good restriction.  I know it's discouraging, but sometimes it does take more than 3 fills to get to a good spot with the band.  I was told that I need to wait 4-6 weeks between fills. 

Not sure how long ago you got your last fill, but I can tell you that my fills take about 5-7 days to actually fully kick in. 

Does your doctor involve you in a discussion about how much to put in??  Mine does...My first fill could have been as much as 5cc, but we talked about it and went for 3cc.  My second fill (6 months later) was only .5cc, but I could have opted for as much as 2cc.  I am fine at 3.5cc for now...

To answer your first question:  You don't know until the swelling goes down a few days to even 2 weeks post-fill...for me it is almost 2 weeks before it kicks in.

I have had two fills and feel that both times I was optimally filled (sweet spot) following the fill.  I needed a 2nd fill in December, but due to the holidays, weather and some travel obligations didn't get it done until March.  I didn't gain during this time and actually lost about 5 lbs needing a fill.

You can "hit your sweet spot" with each fill, but it won't last...your anatomy changes as you lose weight and you will need adjustments as you lose (or even gain).

Great information!  It has helped me out.  Thank you !

Tracy

I am 6 months out and have had a fill every month after the first month (although I had 2 cc.taken out after my first fill (which took three weeks and 2 days to hit me and then just about knocked me over!). I think I was at 6 cc before yesterday, but my doctor thinks I am very close to the "sweet spot," although he doesn't call it that. He gave me 0.25 cc. yesterday.

I'm still not feeling anything in particular, but I am learning not to eat too much just because I can, and am feeling satisfied with the small meals. I called it my "epiphany" yesterday when I was at the doctor's.

I'm just responding to note that sometimes it can take a while and some doctors have more frequent appointments/fills than others.

i am going to completely disagree with Steelerfan (I do agree that your band should never be too tight)
The band is designed to REQUIRE fills --- some (very few) people do not need to have their band adjusted for many months -- or ever -- they are very rare.

The Realize Band can be adjusted more aggressively than the Lap Band ---- and it is not unusual to see people getting 4 or 5cc at their first fill.

I got 4cc at my first fill (4 weeks post op) and then smaller fills every 3 weeks for several months.

My doctor is careful to make sure with each fill that I can stand up and drink cold liquids and have them go down easily.  I have never been 'over filled' and I have had all of my fills without fluroscopy.

I never left his office without having my next appointment scheduled.

Kath ,

I never told her not to get fills so what are you disagreeing with me on ? ?  I told her , her doc is like mine and he is a non aggressive filler there is many docs like that , they dont believe in the massive fill at once .

I said she should wait a good 4-6 weeks between each fill to make sure she is at the right spot because of swelling .

But I never once told her not to get fills I said slow and steady is better that is all like alot of docs do and its much safer.

Just because you can drink water in the docs office dont mean you are not overfilled you can have problems with a overfill two days later or even weeks out  we have seen the posts on these boards saying just that . And I have watched it several times with my gf . She would drink the water down just fine at the office and once she started reg foods again she couldn't eat a darn thing and there she would go again back to get a unfill.

Thanks for all the help!!