Hi ya, thanks for all the advice the other day regarding what I should eat after banding. I've now filled my fridge and freezer with bright and fresh, soft and bland foods. I'm sitting here worried sick and am wondering if I should order like Strepsils, Numbing Throat Sprays, lozenges, certain teas anything to soothe? I don't know if the procedure will hurt or be more uncomfortable than painful.
Like will I feel each band? They've found numerous grade 3 varices and I've got huge veins popping out of my umbilical hernia. Anyway, is it unsafe to buy any over the counter strepsils, throat numbing sprays. Will anything effect the bands. I don't want to end up making them pop off or whatever. Do they just dissolve? I'm assuming I don't have to have them taken out.... Urgh. I'm so worried. I don't like to take pain killers coz of further liver damage. So I'm just sitting wondering what I can do to numb this 'feeling' I'm gonna have in my throat, chest and stomach. Is it more uncomfortable than actually painful? Will exercise be harmful? Not that I intend running and joining a gym, but even say taking shopping up 3 flights of steps or running across the road if I'm late. Idk. Any advice on what over the counter throat help. Will numbing stuff even work. Will I feel like I've got stuff trapped in my neck and throat?? Does it feel like you have trapped stuff but just can't swallow.?? Yikes, I'm scared. It's fear of the unknown really.
My goodness I do run on. My anxiety is bombarding my brain like an avalanche over this. I go in on Thursday, just praying it hurries up and gets here.... Thanks again for listening, caring and understanding!!
Bye for now everyone x Its a lovely day out isn't it! I'm isolating now for 4 days until doomsday. Xx
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You won't need anything like throat sprays or strepsils. My hubby never got a sore throat after banding, sadly the pain is further down the gullet and not all the time. It's generally when food or drink pass the banding site (and hiccupping is sore). You should ask about whether you can take paracetemol to help with any pain.
The bands stay in place till they slough off and pass as normal. Basically what you've got is bulges in the sides of blood vessels and the band goes around that bulge to tie it off. This then shrivels up and becomes scar tissue preventing further varices forming at the same site.
Normal everyday exercise is generally ok even with portal hypertension but if you were to hit the gym and start pumping iron that might put stress and strain on you. Something to enquire about with your own medical team.
You won't feel like food is stuck in your throat because the issue isn't there it is much further down the oesophagus.
You'll be fine, the fear of this thing is often much worse that the reality. Hopefully you are having sedation. Tell the team to let you hold your breath when they do the throat spray, that prevents a gulp of the stuff hitting the back of your throat and triggering your gag reflex. Let the sedation take hold and try and go to sleep if you can. The more relaxed you can be the better the sedation takes effect.
The procedure takes all of 5 minutes (maximum) and before long you are dozing in recovery.
My hubby (who hates these things too) has just been told he has to go for an ERCP because they've discovered he has gall stones lodged in his bile duct which means he has to go for this endoscopic procedure that might last up to an hour. He's not looking forward to that at all.
Fingers crossed all goes well for you. Relax as best you can, the sedation really does take better effect the calmer you are.
I’ve had banding a few times since I was about 12/13 and I have to agree it’s not necessarily like a sore throat. The way I would describe it is when you eat it kind of feels for a second like you’d feel when you’ve eaten food too quickly like for example if you’ve ever eaten bread too quickly and you feel like it lodges in your chest and it takes a little longer to go down. Kind of like indigestion I suppose but it passes quickly after swallowing so it’s not all the time That’s how I personally would describe it it’s just uncomfortable more than anything when you swallow but nothing to be afraid of honestly!
OK, thanks that makes sense. So I'm not gonna bother spending on all these products, if they ain't gonna do no good. I've just gotta rest all this week, stop looking online and horrifying myself. Making mountain out of a mole hill!! One day at a time. I'm just so thankful the Dr's are giving me a general anesthetic this time round. I'm sure they'll go in and make sure they don't miss anything. They've been down esophagus 3 times. The last time they went up to 8mg Midazolam and extra fentynal, but my years of drinking coupled with my fear of procedures just doesn't knock me out enough. To where I'm not even aware but I'm gagging and resisting the tube. So instead of doing TIPS procedure they are giving me the general anesthetic gastrophy banding. I am so blessed for that. I'm not ready for TIPS. surely, this banding has to work!!!!
@ Ayrshire. I don't think I've heard of ERCP. I'll say a prayer for you and your Hubby. I understand he's had many procedures, but they never get any less scary or come without worry and fear do they.
I'm feeling so thankful for the NHS and my consultant really pushing for me to get all these tests done. That's why I wouldn't dream of ever having another drink. I feel like crap when I discuss my disease, symptoms or worries. Like, people be thinking.... ohhh well you brought it on yourself. I admit I did. That's why I feel so blessed to get help. I'm 39, so I'm really doing all I can to stay sober and try and stay alive the next atleast 5/10 years (had Cirrhosis since 2014) . My next big thing is my diet. I've got to start cooking and getting a better diet. It's just me and my cat now. My ex Husband always did all the cooking and made sure I ate right. I'm figuring, diet is majorly important at this stage of Cirrhosis.
I hope your answers and these forums are helping more and more people each day. I'm so glad to be here. Doing it alone and blocking it in and not even reaching out even a little is no good for people with Liver Disease. Everybody suffers in so many different ways. No two people with Cirrhosis are the same and in most cases not even close in symptoms and stresses.
Talk and see you all soon. I'm wondering if there is a Zoom meeting anywhere?
Yes had my first endoscopy awake when I was 19 and due another one this year. Prior to that I was put to sleep because I was under 18, started when I was about 13 and had them every few months at first but yeah it’s not too bad just a bit uncomfortable for a few days eating and yeah you’re right everyone is different and it affects people differently. I’ve had mine since I was six and I’m now 21 and still with the same liver so it’s not all bad like you read online! Hope it goes well for you
Hi, I've had many bandings, get some soluble paracetamol if anything.Soup and rice pudding were my go to foods. Pain only lasts for a couple of days and then you can go back to normal.
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