So-with this sudden loss of restriction-why does

it come back every now and again ?
This morning I have some restriction- almost back to where it was ??

Last night- nothing , I could have eaten the kitchen sink

The times I "do" get some restriction back- I still don't get that feeling of "fullness" back, just the restriction while i'm eating
Like I said, BEFORE ( a normal day) after a small portion, I had that satisfaction
& I was happy, full & content

BTW- In the last 4 years of having the band, I had lost alot of my cravings, like pizza, eggs, etc, all the things that contributed to me being 300 lbs.  Losing these cravings helped me to lose the weight, 
NOW those cravings are back
I always attributed my "loss" of cravings to "where" he placed the band on my esophagus, is it possible it might have moved ( giving me that lost restriction) & those cravings back ? 

Any ideas of what is going on ? My apt is on Oct 4th-
 

I'm not quite sure??

I don't let me band tell me I'm full.. I listen to my body. I eat the right portion of food and stop and if for some reason 2 hours later I get snacky I try to wait another hour or so and I eat a snack.. usually fruit.

I have had band almost 2 + years and I have kept my fill level low I have approx 5 cc in my band. I never ate to the point where I felt full Iike I  was going to burst because then I know I went too far. My brain always want to over eat so I have to listen to my body .. I'm not hungry .. I just want to eat to eat.. that's what I fight all the time. I don't think the band really changed that.. it just helps me eat less but because I don't need a reason to eat I can eat at any time.. That's been the hardest battle for me

Good Luck.. hopefully your doctor can help you ... but I would try mini meals if your struggling with staying full so your eating more often but they are mini meals.

As I understand it the band is not on your esophagus but around the upper part of your stomach.  It presses on the vargus nerve which sends the signal to the Hypothalamus which is the part of your brain that registers hunger.  It's possible that your band has slipped but you will need to get that checked out by having an upper GI. 

I have had sudden tightness and looseness over the 3 years I've had my band and here are the contributing factors:
-dehydration can cause tightnes
-Water retention can cause tighness (that's why we are all tighter in the a.m because the fluids in our body settle in our organs and tissue overnight.  It takes a while to move them through and out thus we get looser as the day goes on.
-Irritation of the esophagus and stoma from eating certain foods can also cause inflamation which causes tightness.  I can't eat acidic foods, chocolate or coffee without irritating my band so I have to be very careful!
-Sudden looseness?  Who knows.  It can change too without a reason it seems, but fat loss around the outside of your stomach will for sure cause sudden loosness.

As far as cravings go, if it's a true craving it could be driven by something your body is missing like sodium, etc.  but for me it's usually emotional, NOT physical.  Head hunger is my worse enemy (thinking I'm hungry when I know I'm not) and I'm working with a therapist to overcome turning to food for emotional reasons rather than true hunger.  It's helped a lot because I'm much more aware of my actions.

The band will help control hunger for most, but not cravings.

I can't wait for when you will be able to see a doctor to see what they say! 

Hang in there!
Lisa O.

Thank you both for your replys:

As far as "eating beyond being full", of course I have, with band & wothout. I have been overweight since 4th grade & my mother was no help. She was the type to tell me that if I got any bigger , she'd have to take me to an awning & tent place for my clothes. I still have alot of emotional scars from growing up & swore I'd never do that to my kids. I know I am giving way too much info for just this little post, it's just, for some reason, the aboves posts brought all this back to me. I know we all have "our " issues.  I have been banded almost 5 years and have 8cc's in a 14 cc band and last time I went in, which was about a year ago- he wouldn't give me another fill due to severe acid reflux. I had the upper GI & it showed nothing wrong with the band, but he still would not fill me and reccommended that I don't get any more fills due to the reflux. Technically- I was pretty happy for as far as I had come-I was not in the "sweet spot" everyone talks about, but I was in a "comfortable" spot for my lifestyle. I could still enjoy myself with the family when there was a day to do so. I understand 80lbs is only 2/3 of what I wanted to lose, but weighing 230lbs makes me happy. Of course I'd love to be at 130lbs, but I haven't worn a size 18 since Senior year in HS and since I am losing slower than most, it's a great mental adjusting time. I weigh less now than when I got married 15 years ago.
Acid reflux is something I've had since I was 17. I have been on major meds to control it since I was 17.  He did fix it when I was banded (hiatel hernia) in in 2007, but it quickly returned within 2 years.  I am back on several pills a day ( all prescribed & up to 4 ) of nexium & prilosec .  Some days they don't even touch what comes back up . And it's not what I am eating MOST of the time. For those of you that suffer from acid reflux disease , you can understand that when you get to this stage, you could drink water & bend over & it come right back up. That's life., I guess.  I am quite used to it by now.
I definit;y don't let the band dictate what I eat. I know what I should and should not be eating. What I was trying to say was ( and maybe I didn't say it right) that when I "did" eat the proper portion & type of meal, I was satisied.  Now ,- that has changed.
For as long as I can remember, well, since we've had children, our family meals are nutritionally sound & sooo delicious, that you WANT more.  Imagine that, diet food that you can't get enough of.  Since being on the band ( 5 years) I have educated my 4 daughter all about reading labels to keep them healthy.  Protein, Carbs, cals, sugars, salt, etc... I am so proud of my daughters , my 2 older ones being 12 & 10, reading labels & keeping themselves fit.  This is soooo something my mother never did.  She only said " YOU WILL EAT THIS ", not  you should eat this because ., .... I learned the "why's" along the way & pased them down to my daughters so they HAVE the tools, but whether or not, they'll use them when they move out, is a question foer the man upstairs, lol.
I have severe PCOS- and my now 12 yo, was diagnosed 2 years ago with it as well.
So, I explain to her that she'll never be able to eat like a normal person. She will ALWAYS have to eat a balanced diet and watch it for her entire life.  I lost all my hair at age 19 because of the PCOS.  So -I remind her, that if she doesn't keep her weight down & her body healthy, hair loss is most probably in the cards for her as well.
Sorry for the long message ( response) , I just wanted to sort of explain my story.  I wanted to explain that theres more to all of this than just overeating & NOT being able to tell myself no.
There are definitly days here & there when I throw caution to the wind & eat whatever, but for the most part, for the last 5 years, I BAND EAT. That was the path I chose, & since I was a cash pay,  I HAVE to make the most out of my time on the band. 5 years ago- the quality of the band was not in question. Now- 5 years later, there are so many stories of defective bands, due to poor quality, taking nsaids, or whatever.  I was never warned against the percentages of erosion and slippages & that was an erro on my doctors part, becaus if i had known  the "incidents" with the band were so high, I might have picked another type of surgery.  Of course I have to remind myself, we don't have a diagnosis on what MY issues are with the band yet. Another week and hopefully they will actually do some testing on that day.
Lisa-yes- definitly as you said, there are reasons why the band gets tighter.  Mine is tight when I am stressed, looser when I am relaxed.  Tighter that week of the month , etc.  My kids can always tell when I am stressed and KNOW I am going to have a hard time eating dinner, lol
It's funny how, you might be the person with the actual band, but your whole family is included in "Band Life" with you.  :-)

The band isn't on your esophagus. The esophagus is certainly affected by the band, but if it's around your esophagus, you'd know it. And that would be cause for emergency surgery. If your band has slipped, it could be causing your stomach to be in an hourglass shape. If it's prolapsed, the top portion of the stomach would be drooping over the band, causing problems, as well.  If you have a hiatal hernia, the top portion of the stomach can rise up into the esophagus, causing a "gap" in the diaphragm. All of these things can affect how your band works.




The left shoulder pain common to banding is caused by the diaphragm (which "separates" the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity) and the Vagus nerves that run through it.  Sometimes people who are banded have a "soft stop" signal... the pain in the left shoulder. The Vagus nerve:





The Vagus Nerve is the longest of twelve pairs that originate in the brain, serving as the brain's central command in the fight against stress, inflammation and toxicity. The Vagus Nerve regulates our "fight or flight" response, digestion, detoxification, various aspects of heart rate and blood pressure and more.


If your stomach is inflamed, which is not uncommon when you have a band, it will become irritated, creating restriction. When the swelling lessens, the restriction does, as well. 


Hope this info helps.

Excellent diagram and explaination.  Thank you N.M.

Lisa O.

WOW- !
This is the BEST diagram I have EVER seen & it really gave me some scenarios of what can be going on. Like maybe the band slipped "upwards" more towards the esophagus which is why I would still hav some restriction, but then when that bight goes through that part- whew, it's home free in the BIG portion of my stomach which is why I don't get that feeling of being full, where as if I still had my pouch, I would feel full when it's sitting there.

Thanks again for the diagram

Happy to help. I know I like to see things in front of my eyeballz. It helps to see what's what!