Please HELP!!!!!

Hello everyone I am 5 years out with the band. Yesterday morning I woke up with a slight stomach ache and then whenever I would swallow/drink I would get a severe pain starting just below my chest and it is radiating around to my back. The pain only last a few seconds and goes away. I have gained about 30lbs in the last few months due to my out of whack thyroid and I have not had a fill or unfill in many months..... Is my band slipping........ anyone else go through this...........Any advice???

If you have any persistent pain that last longer than a week, please see your surgeon, no one here is qualified to answer your question. But many have complained about slippage and pouch dilation with chest pain, since the pouch is located in the chest area.

You might want to start off with going on a soft liquid diet for about a week to calm things down, if this does not help, you may have other issues.

Also many long term banders chew papaya enzymes from GNC to help clear out the pouch, food can get trapped in a restricted band and cause issues.

Weight gain usually indicate pouch dilation from eating too much on a very restricted band, this is very common with long term banders when they get complacent and stop measuring their food. Pouch dilation is also accompanied with reflux and heartburn and weight gain.

You first need to see your surgeon and ask for a Upper Gi to check your band, often times, removing saline and pressure off the pouch will help your symptoms and often times these problems are a result of something we ate or vomiting which will cause irritation and inflammation.

Good luck.

Edit to add: Please read this link it gives you a good idea why Pouch dilation occurs:

http://www.bariatric-solutions.com/wDeutsch/for-patients/lap -gastric-band/pouch-complications.php

There are several different forms; namely early and late stage, and acute and chronic pouch enlargements. An early dilatation may occur a few weeks after surgery; this is usually caused by an incorrectly positioned band. The main effect of this is creation of a pouch that is too large. The late-stage form manifests itself after weeks, often even after a year, and is usually caused by abnormal eating habits like meal sizes that are too large (possibly even pre-operative binge-eating), or a gastrostoma that is too constricted. This may also include sliding hiatal hernia (diaphragmatic hernias with an upwards-shifting stomach entrance) in front of an otherwise well-positioned band. Radiological visualisation will show a concentric pouch. If left untreated, the dilatation may progress into real "slipping," including upwards-shifting of the stomach wall below the band.

Regarding Papaya Enzymes: For most people they offer a health benefit and very safe, especially for lap band patients:

http://superfoodprofiles.com/papaya-enzymes-digestio

Potential Side Effects Papaya enzyme supplements

• According to HealthSquare.com, papaya enzyme supplements can cause some unwanted side effects when taken in oral form. Side effects may include severe drowsiness, slow heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, severe abdominal pain, stomach cramping and the inability to move. Some people may also experience allergic reactions such as severe dizziness, itching or swelling, the development or rashes, or trouble breathing. If any of these effects are experienced, the individual must seek medical help immediately.

• http://www.ehow.com/about_5155438_papaya-enzyme.html

not that you'd experience any of these problems but banders don't want to Vomit.

Check this link to Lap Band complications to read through SYMPTOMS it might help explain the problem your having? 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038361/

BUT DO CALL YOUR DOCTOR and keep us posted

 

I am POSITIVE her problems are NOT caused by taking Papaya enzymes.. they taste like candy and I keep them in my purse to avoid getting food stuck when I am eating out.....I've taken them for years and many other successful long term lap banders, I have not experienced not one problem, they are also recommended by many surgical practices for any restrictive weight loss surgery.

I don't know what her problem is from  I'm not a Doctor  But I'm thinking that an M.D. wouldn't RX that for severe chest pain? just sayin...............

 I was just posting about taking papaya enzymes WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT, and just because others use them doesn't necessarily mean that the OP can. 

Papaya enzymes surely WILL NOT RESOLVE BAND SLIPPAGE, POUCH/ESOPHAGEAL DILATIONS....I never mentioned that it would....I just simply stated that most long term successful lap banders chew papaya enzymes to help ease digestion on a restricted band to keep it cleared out, yes food can get clogged up in the pouch and cause inflammation -- which can cause other issues long term.

But papaya enzymes SHOULD NOT BE USED TO KEEP A BAND TOO TIGHT...it's never wise to keep a too tight fill, when the band is too tight most can't get solids down anyway, so papaya enzymes are useless on a too tight band.

Hello everyone I am 5 years out with the band. Yesterday morning I woke up with a slight stomach ache and then whenever I would swallow/drink I would get a severe pain starting just below my chest and it is radiating around to my back. The pain only last a few seconds and goes away. I have gained about 30lbs in the last few months due to my out of whack thyroid and I have not had a fill or unfill in many months..... Is my band slipping........ anyone else go through this...........Any advice???

 It's your band, IMHO.  I just had mine out and I started having this type of pain occasionally, but it got to be constant and progressed to acid reflux at night, palpitations 15 months after banding and 6 months after my last fill.  I would go to your surgeon first, but be prepared to hear everything is "normal".  I went to my GI doctor for testing and since my band surgeon didn't respond for over a month re the results, followed up with the doctor recommended to treat esophageal disorders.  The pain you're feeling is most likely esophageal spasms.  

It's also a good idea to check out your heart with this pain.

Good luck to you.  My band was removed Friday an I already can eat yogurt, ice cream without trouble.  I haven't had raw fruits or salad greens for 2 years, with a loose band, even with zero fluid in it for a year.

steph 

Hello everyone! Thank you ALL for your advice..... I suppose I should have stated this in my intial post that I possibly might be pregnant, though I dont have my hopes up that I am. My husband and I have been trying for years with no luck.... this month I was spotting for 5 days and now I am over due for my "friend" by about a week. I took 2 test that were both negative and that is why I am thinking its a NO.... So I guess I need to call the dr tomorrow ;/

Call your surgeon. No one here on OH, however well-intentioned, is qualified to give you medical advice.

Good luck!

Jean