The Elipse Balloon is a revolutionary gastric balloon in a ‘pill’ that helps you lose up to 15kgs by providing a honeymoon from hunger. The reason the Elipse is so different is due to the fact it is tied up in a programme to give you a complete habit rehaul. Our physicians and nutritionists are on hand every step of the way to help you make long-lasting changes allowing you to keep the weight off! What’s more? You also get a free health tracker watch and smart scales when you embark on the Elipse Programme at MediZen!

This treatment really works and we thought we’d share an open and honest review from one of our patients. Spoiler alert: It is normal to feel unwell for a few days after placement!

Here is an honest review of Adam’s first few days after his Elipse placement. At the end of 5 days, he was feeling happy with his progress and ready to continue his journey to being a fitter, healthier and happier version of himself.

Week 1:

Day of the procedure:

I met with Emma who was really kind, friendly and sincere, she took time getting to know me and my goals which reassured me massively and I was ready for my placement.

The procedure was quick and informal. I wasn’t expecting for the guidewire to be used as I couldn’t seem to swallow the pill myself so after two failed attempts Dr Eccleston used the guidewire to place the capsule which was painless. The hardest part is the filling of the balloon with Saline, which seemed to take forever but was probably only around 7 or 8 minutes in reality.

I drove home myself; all was fine and around an hour after the procedure, it started to feel like a heavy weight in my chest so I retired to bed early, took some buscapan and thankfully food was the very last thing on my mind. I remembered to keep sipping water or squash to keep hydrated so I made sure I did that.

Day 1

My energy has dropped and I feel quite groggy. Mindful that I’d now not eaten for 36 hours, and the quality of sleep on your first night with a balloon inside you is pretty limited. I took my medication and multivitamins on the advice of Lucy the dietician and I just kept sipping on squash or flavoured milk for most of Friday.

Food is still the last thing on my mind, until the evening time when I attempted some ice cream and managed to a) enjoy it and b) keep it down!

Day 2

A bit more sleep than the first night, but still not the best. I did wake up feeling hungry, so my first attempt at a hot drink was sweet milky tea and that hit the spot. I finally succumb to paracetamol but also, I didn’t want to starve myself and I knew that my cramps would only go away by eating, so lunch and dinner consisted of soup and more soup. This definitely started to take the edge off and I was starting to feel more like my usual self, having given my body some much missed nourishment.

Day 3

I probably only woke up 2 or 3 times in the night. I don’t feel like doing much so vote for a Sofa Day (hey we’re in lockdown, every Sunday is a sofa day!). My partner actually said to me, I’ve never seen you this relaxed – oh I should get a balloon fitted more often then! Inside I was not feeling great still did vouch for my second round of paracetamol in two days. On the positive, I felt I was learning to manage working with my balloon better.

Day 4

Monday! Wow, I’ve woken up a new man and after too much Sofa Snoozing and feeling sorry for myself, I’m determined to get my usual 6:30am HIIT class in before work…and you know what, I did it, it felt good and I only had to pull back a couple of times to give my balloon a moment to settle, otherwise it would have been messy! I jump on the Allurion Scales like a new man, WOW I’m 2kg lighter already in just 4 days… I only heard of people losing that amount so quickly when they’ve had done Dysentery related illness, thankfully for me, mine was due to lack of calories and it gave me a much-needed boost (I text Emma immediately with my elation).

I knew 100% at this moment that the last four days of suffering were worth it and I could do this! My energy levels were back, I returned to work as normal and I’d progressed onto less bland food like salads, yoghurts, low-fat cheeses and omelettes and turned my focus on how I can start to become more disciplined with portion control and making better nutritional choices.

Day 5

I wake up after almost a normal night’s sleep to actually panicking about if the balloon is still there! I have definitely gotten used to it. I’ve got into a pattern with my food at this point and staying hydrated is key. I’m starting to keep a food diary and research how I can get more protein into my diet to keep me feeling fuller for longer without overdoing the calories. I’m feeling pretty confident so I jump on the scales (it’s becoming a borderline obsession) and I’m down 2.5 kgs in 5 days… I set myself a small milestone of losing 3kgs in my first week to keep me focussed.

Stay tuned for Adam’s next stage of his journey with the Elipse Balloon. Ask us how you can make a lifestyle change today.