Cold feeling in stomach?

Hi,

I was banded about 3.5 years ago. Most of my weight loss was done in the 6 months after surgery and then it evened out and I never really got the momentum of weight loss back again. I had 3 fills and feel restriction - it doesn't seem like an unreasonable amount, but I have a hard time eating some things I wish I could (fruts/veggies/dense protein). I have a large band, so, I'm not sure exactly how much I have in my band, but my fills were not big ones, so I doubt I have any more than 5cc in my band.

I had a lot of port tenderness for a very long time after surgery and any pressure on that area, would set off a "flare up" of port tenderness. I mentioned it at an appointment 10 months post-op and it continued for a good while after that too. I assumed that was normal because there was a unnatural device attached to a muscle wall - it just seemed reasonable that you mind have tenderness.

After I hit a major plateau, I just stopped paying as much attention to my band and port and all that stuff - it was the depression of feeling like a failure. I gained back a little bit, but not tons (I needed to lose ~180lbs) - I never lost that much to begin with (70lbs from surgery day - I'm currently ~55lbs down from surgery day). Looking at all the data from a lapband procedures, I guess I'm a pretty average case.

Anywho, I finally went back to my surgeon for a follow up because my port has lost the tenderness, but it doesn't feel the same as it did. It's harder to find and I can't feel the flat front of it like I used to.

My surgeon said it was definitely tilted, but I go this week sometime for a Barium swallow to see if I have any issues.

I never had any major problems - no reflux (but I do take an anti-reflux med all the time, so I guess I might not know if I did?), but sometimes I am kind of hyper aware of my band - it's hard to explain...It's not exactly pain, but I'm very aware of it being there...it's like I can feel a thing there...it's kind of a cold feeling in my stomach? I'm not talking about actually taking my hands and feeling it from the outside, I mean like the feeling of knowing that a foreign object is stuck inside of me. It shouldn't be like that, right?

Has anyone else ever experienced that?

Sorry you are having some issues. When you say a cold feeling in your stomach, where do you mean? The band is at the top of the stomach so up high, almost up by the breastbone. Is that where you feel it? 

Yes, exactly! Right at the breastbone.

Could you be a bit too tight? Some people don't need much saline. If you can't eat fruit, veggies and protein and need to take anti-reflux meds you are tighter than I have ever been. Maybe you need a bit of saline removed.

hope the barium swallow helps work out what is hapoening. 

The anti-reflux meds are a part of another med called Vimovo (naproxen/esomeprazole magnesium). I take it for other things because I was told it was safe for the band.

I might be too tight. It's been this way for a long while now. I guess it is hard to know whether things aren't right, or if I'm not doing something right. Because often times, I guess it's a combo of both. The answer to these things seems like a lot of gray area sometimes.

Thanks for your reply!

Some people like the feeling that the band limits what they eat. For me, I prefer to be able to eat all foods, although some need care. I have always followed my doctor's advice, the looser I can keep the band and still have it helping me, the better. I have never been as tight as you describe. 

Hope this gets sorted for you.

Hi Mary

Actually If your taking Vimovo daily it's Contraindicated with a Band. the Reports and manufacturer info sates NO NSAID'S =non-steroidal anti inflammatory. and I'd have to wonder being that Vimovo is a slow release that it might be sitting in the band "pouch" longer than it should :( If your Surgeon is going to do a Fill under Fluroscopy that is GOOD  he can check for a leak and the Flow of the Saline through your band . Hope you get some answers !

I've been concerned about that too. I take it daily. A high dosage too. If I don't, I care hardly move my knees :(

Ugh.

Thanks for all the info. I need to talk to him about that too. I didn't get to all my list of questions this last visit because there is another visit coming up.

No NSAIDs was the standard advice in the early years of the band but no studies supported this blanket ban. Banded people are now told that they are at no greater risk of damage from them than the general population. If, of course, it is a large tab and dissolves above the band, that might be problematic but I am assuming that you and your doctors are making sure that that does not happen.

They are large tablets and it is a high dosage of NSAIDs, but I'm pretty darn sure it goes below the band to dissolve because I never get stuck on them and I always take them in the morning with a bit of warm coffee/tea to make sure they go down. I need to look into this further though... The no NSAIDS thing is a real problem for many WLS patients because often we are in need of those meds from body strains caused by current or former weight. :(