Question:
How do you know if your band is too tight?

I had the realize band 12-09, I have lost about 58 lbs. The past 3mo, I have had problems with my fills. The dr filled band to 11cc/11 cc band. He sd just to show me how it felt to be full. I supposedly already had 9cc. I got really sick and couldnt drink water so I know it was to full. all the water just came back up, he had to come in and take out 1cc at a time till all was bk out to 9cc. Then the next visit he put in 1/2 cc and sd we would do that until I felt restriction, but he had written down that made me only 1/2 cc's, so I ask the nurse about it this time and she told me to talk to the dr about it, I did and he sd you never know about these bands. He then put in another fill of 1 cc. I drank a cup of water with no problem in his office before I left, but later on after I left his office, I took a small bite of food and threw it up and everything I drank. I know I was not to eat anything for 48hrs. I shouldnt have tried it. Anyway now it is trial and error if I can eat or drink, sometimes I can eat a cup of food no problems other times I can drink something and feel pain in my throat and throw up foamie. Does anyone know if this would mean it was too tight or something else. I am about 52 hrs out from fill? Please help!!!    — T R. (posted on July 9, 2010)

July 9, 2010
make sure you don't go right back to solids after a fill. the dr. overfilled me a LOT one time and i experienced what you did; felt fine while i was in the office but as the day/night went on it got much worse and it ended up being a night from hell- throwing up every 5 minutes. literally. my suggestion to you is to be very careful what foods you try to eat after each fill. every fill faces new issues with foods you 'use' to be able to eat and as someone once wrote, 'i had to re-learn what i could eat with every fill'. and that is the truth. when i was on the homestretch to my goal, i would gurgle when i laid down to sleep at night. i knew i was too tight but i was willing to put up with it to reach goal quickly. when i did reach goal and got it loosened up a bit, wow, did it feel GREAT! just depends on your personal preference. good luck and take it easy. cindy
   — cinlu

July 10, 2010
Give yourself time to adjust to each fill. Small sips of fluids and mushy foods for a few days will let you learn what you can tolerate. Eat slowly and take small bites when you start solids again. Your band will be tighter in the morning because our stomachs swell with fluid we have taken in during the night. If you get the "foamies" often, you may be too tight, or it may be eating and drinking too fast or not chewing to a liquid. If you are too tight, you will be spitting up and that can cause a slip. You don't want this problem! Go slow and easy and if you feel you are too tight, get some fluid removed from your band. It is not worth the complications to be too tight. You have done fantastic...just keep up the good work, and do it right!
   — Bonnie H.

July 10, 2010
Hi, everyone thank you for your responses, I ended up going to a Dr on call and they removed everything from my band, said to call my band dr and would probably fill at least halfway Monday. I got the foamies and then started having real bad pain in my chest and neck and left shoulder, so he got me in right away and told me not to let that happen again, if ever feel too tight dont wait. It was too dangerous, my stomach actually started swelling, I could hardly breathe. When he took it out I had 10 cc/in llcc realize band. The dr told me I had 7 1/2 and he put in another cc which he sd total 8 1/2. He was wrong. I never want that to happen again.
   — T R.

July 10, 2010
Hi, everyone thank you for your responses, I ended up going to a Dr on call and they removed everything from my band, said to call my band dr and would probably fill at least halfway Monday. I got the foamies and then started having real bad pain in my chest and neck and left shoulder, so he got me in right away and told me not to let that happen again, if ever feel too tight dont wait. It was too dangerous, my stomach actually started swelling, I could hardly breathe. When he took it out I had 10 cc/in llcc realize band. The dr told me I had 7 1/2 and he put in another cc which he sd total 8 1/2. He was wrong. I never want that to happen again.
   — T R.