No quality of life 3 months into orbera. What should I do?

Question

I am always burping and constantly nauseous and vomiting regularly, 3 mths into obera. I thought my body would adjust, I'm tired of it.

Christopher E. McGowan, MD · Answer

Sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time with your Orbera balloon. It is not common to have nausea and vomiting after 3 months. Everyone has nausea the first 3-7 days, and a small proportion of patients may take even longer to adjust completely to the balloon (up to 2-3 weeks, though improving day to day). We also know that a very small percentage of patients simply cannot adjust fully to the balloon, or continue to have symptoms. This occurs in 5%-7% of patients, and they will need the balloon removed early. However, we can almost always avoid an early removal by staying in close contact with you, working with your dietician, and adjusting your diet gradually. 
2 additional points to note:
- If you developed nausea and vomiting suddenly (after previously doing well with your balloon), you should be evaluated immediately. You will need an X-ray to make sure your balloon didn't deflate or cause a blockage, which is a very rare complication. 
- If you were doing well, then gradually developed nausea and vomiting after 2-3 months, I would be suspicious that you developed gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying) from the balloon. To treat this, we will typically have you go back to a liquid diet for a short time, and we will prescribe medications to help your stomach empty more rapidly. After a week or so, we can advance your diet back to normal. 
I hope you find this information helpful. Please contact your physician directly to discuss your symptoms and how to improve them. Good luck!

Steven Fowler, MD, FACS · Answer

Most of the time, your surgeon can adjust your medications to control the nausea symptoms. In addition, checking in regularly with the Dietician can help in optimizing your diet. In rare cases, patients just can't tolerate the Gastric Balloon. You always have the option of early removal. In my experience, closer follow up with your support team can avoid early removal. Good Luck!

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