The worst reflux yet

Ok, so I have been lurking on here for the past 6 weeks.

Banded in 2005 great weight loss, then, 4-5 yrs ago, dilation, then slowly gaining weight, (40lbs)

OK, so I have been having reflux for a year or so. Well waking me up for the past 2-3 months, and so now on Nexium.

Well, started really having it more in the middle of the night, to the point of gaging.

We went to a concert Saturday night, and stayed in a hotel in Dallas. I was up most of the night gaging. That is fun when you dont have anywhere to go. So hubby up too.

Well Sunday night it was really bad. I coughed so much that yesterday and today, I am so very sore on my left side, up under my breast and underarm. I can't take in a deep breath without it killing me. I have an Endoscopy on Friday morning.

I am hoping I have just strained something while coughing so much. Hoping its not something serious.

Anyone else out there have it this bad?

Oh yea, I toured the hospital that I will have the sleeve yesterday, and seems real nice.

I am so ready to get this damn band out!

 

You need to call your surgeon ASAP this is not normal to have trouble breathing. With all the vomiting you may have aspirated into the lungs and be developing pneumonia, this is nothing to mess around with. It can be fatal if left untreated, definately DO NOT wait until Fri for an endoscopy. If needed go to the ER, people have nearly died from similar situations.

You just wrote my story with the lapband. I just had revision to RNY for the exact same issues. You may want to get your band completely unfilled. This gave me immediate relief. I stayed unfilled for 7 weeks till my revision surgery. So sorry to hear this, but is sounds like it is more and more common...

Band has been unfilled for 4.5 yrs.

 

Hang in there, Montie!

I feel ya!  There is nothing worse and more scary than night cough!  I remember waking up with my throat and nasal passage burning and that terrified gasp when you're woken up with a choking cough.  The good news?  I haven't had night cough since having my band removed.  I still have some reflux but it's managed with 20 mg of Omeprozole daily.

Let us know what you find out after the Endoscopy.  My results?  "Grossly compromised GE junction"  (Pouch dilation to the point that the sphincter between the pouch and esoph was completely stuck in open position.  There is nothing there to keep bile and food in the stomach.  Even with the band gone I still feel food come back up into my esoph after swallowing but it's getting better.  The plan is to let everything settle down and hopefully the junction will naturally contract and go back in to shape.  There was also talk of repair through Fundiplication surgery but my surgeon doesn't think it will be necessary.  He has used RNY as a surgical treatment for chronic reflux and will do he surgery with the Esophageal Cancer surgeon if neccessary.  

I also had a BRAVO test which monitors the amount of acid produced in your stomach and mine was at 12%.  (Normal is 4%)    Luckily for me, the motility test (which is not pleasant) showed normal motility of the esoph.  Yeah!

Hang in there.  I'll be praying for a positive outcome.

Lisa O.

Thanks for the post.

I almost don't think I need to have the sleeve, as I only need to lose about 60 lbs to be where I want to be, and 40 to be where I was po band.

I am worried about having over 1/2 of my stomach removed. and not being successful with this WLS.

I thought that same thing before my band to sleeve revision. I only had 45 more lbs to lose (got within 14 lbs of my goal but gained 31 lbs after my slipped band unfill) and I could do it on my own. However, my insurance won't pay for someone with a bmi of 29 if in the future I wanted to do something, in case I couldn't lose it on my own. I thought it a risk I was willing to take. They paid for it cuz it was a complication.

Why did you have wls in the first place? I had mine because I couldn't keep it off with diets and by myself. I needed help. That doesn't stop once your closer to goal. It never changes, actually. I know if I had my band removed I would have gained it all back in a matter of time.

Think hard on ur decision to not revise. Studies show that most people gain back most of their weight if their band is removed without revising to sleeve or RNY.

Good luck!

Marci

I did band to sleeve.  I had the band totally unfilled 3 times in the 3.5 years I was banded.  I lost 60/80 pounds and regained it all.  Than the last nine months as they kept unfilling as it tightened because I was waking drowning in acid, I was able to get back to my lowest with the band.  I was unbanded 9/4/12.  I did good the first 3 months and thought I could do it but, when I went on a 3 week cruise and came home to the holidays it really hit why I NEEDED a tool.  I thought I had done great on the cruise always using the stairs and walking and climbing stairs every time I at anything, maybe gained a few pounds as cloths where tight.  Got home and realized I had gained 21 pounds in 21 days.  I really THOUGHT I was doing good.  A thirty pound regain working at not gaining drove it all home.  

I was sleeved on 1/22/13 and am down almost 40 pounds lower than with the band and it was so much easier.

I had tried every diet know to man. I wanted the band as I thought it would be the safest. The first 2-3 years I did great. Then, the whole fill/unfill. And developed a dilation. Which my WLS says is a nice way to put a slip.

I tried WW, low fat and even got some diet pills, but did not help with the gain.

I just figured God wanted me to be this size.

Then the reflux started.

And you know the rest.
The Dr. added another Nexium at bedtime and I am sleeping with the wedge pillow. It helps. I also stopped drinking wine, as I was told it was very acidic. Last night was not so good. I was up most of the night. I go in tomorrow at 5:30 for the Endoscopy. I am praying it will be ok, and I can have the revision.

I know I need a tool, I have spent so many years and too much $ on this journey.

 

 

Your symptoms sound similar to mine. I was sleeved 3 years ago, and my reflux is getting worse. I sleep with a wedge pillow, take Protonix, Zantac, and tums ( they don't do much). Complicating the issue , I also have a hiatal hernia and a loose lower esophageal sphincter, which are problematic. Certain foods aggravate the situation, so some dietary changes have helped. No caffeine helps. I don't drink, so that isn't a problem.

The usual surgery to correct the loose esophageal junction is not an option, because I don't have enough stomach tissue remaining to make the wrap. I really don't want to convert to RNY.

did the band cause the loose esophageal junction?

gail