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Hi! I am new to this forum and hoping to get some opinions from all of you. I am 44 years old and have an autoimmune thyroid disease called Hashimotos thyroiditis. I have a very hard time losing weight I can't seem to get under 200 lbs no matter what. I usually follow an autoimmune protocol diet which is very strict due to my disease. No diary, Beans, nuts, seeds, nightshades, grains, gluten processed foods of any kind. The list goes on! This is because my immune system is eating my thyroid and I have a host of other issues stemming from this disease including inflammation. I am seriously considering banding because I have grown tired of the weight loss failure. I currently weigh 217 lbs and would like to get to a healthy weight which would be about 155 or 160. My Bmi is 33.8 and everyone tries to say I am not heavy enough. But I hold my weight well under clothes lol. I am too heavy! And my joints are screaming and I am plain uncomfortable. I just want to feel healthy again. I have not been under 200 lbs since before my kids were born my oldest is 22 almost 23 and I have 2 grand babies! I just want to know what you all think. Thanks! Heather Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

Hi! I had my surgery in September last year and have lost 69 pounds, but my weight hasn't budged since February! Its frustrating. The last 3 months, I have been struggling with fatigue and have been sick off and on due to my autoimmune disease, so I haven't had the energy to workout. But somehow, I have been losing inches because I'm fitting into smaller sized clothes. How is this possible? Has anyone had this experience of losing inches, but not weight without working out? And any advice on how to break this plateau is greatly appreciated!

Hi Debbie, Yes, no crocs here, on the Gold Coast, humid here though too now, thank goodness for air conditioning! I lost most of my excess weight in the first 6 months. I have been in a long stall lately, same weight but my measurements are still changing, shrinking .... I basically had a pretty good recovery, with few issues that were caused by my Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disease). If not for Graves, my journey would have been very easy. I like my new lifestyle and results. All the best to you!

I actually live in Honduras as a missionary. I am in the US right now because my 12 year old daughter has been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. I will get my blood work done here and when we get to go home ( probably around July) I will follow up there. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530A using the BariatricPal App

Well, I was just diagnosed with this yesterday.....I've been having some serious aches and pains in my hips, knees and shoulders that I thought was just weight related..... Turns out I have an autoimmune disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica. It's a form of arthritis. Treatment is prednisone. I had an intermuscular injection yesterday to start working on the inflammation. Not a fan at all of prednisone. It can and does increase hunger and can cause swelling and weight gain. Yay! I sort of had a feeling that something wasn't right but I didn't think is was something like this. My Rheumatologist (yes, I have one of those now) says I need to postpone my surgery until we can get this in remission. I cried all night. I have come so far, listened to people say I was taking the easy way out, have had very little support from my family but I continued on the journey to get healthy. Now my own body is fighting against me and telling me I can't have the surgery........

Stevehud it really was the best carb:Protein ratio that I could find in a non-whey Protein powder, 12g carbs and 28g protein. A bariatric nutritionist long ago told me to balance my protein to carbs at every meal 2:1, so this fits that ratio. All the other non-whey protein powders that I have seen are very high in carbs. I use the Bob Marley coffee flavored Raw Fit from Garden of Life, BTW, not the vanilla in the hyperlink. The vanilla was cheaper so I linked to it. If I buy this at my local healthy food store it is about $10 more per container! Anyway, just keep listening to your body. I think that is something that we as obese people did not do well at. If you notice gas or bloating, or pressure, cramps, problems with BM (either too loose or constipation), anything along those lines, then you may be developing a sensitivity to lactose. It is not uncommon after gastric bypass -- not sure about the other weight loss surgeries. As an FYI, celiac disease is not uncommon to develop following gastric bypass. I have both celiac disease and lactose intolerance. I also read a study yesterday that proved what I have known in my soul all along. The chemicals in processed foods are leading to autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, RA, diabetes type 1, etc.

I’ve lost a significant amount of hair from sleeve, bypass and autoimmune disease. Nothing has helped so far. Biotin is great to try and keep existing hair healthy but I’ve never read anything that says it helps with hair loss. As your weight and diet stabilize it will come back. I’ve been told 9-12 months

The regulation of type I and type 2 will differ as yours is autoimmune and mine is metabolic. You do not have any information on your profile so not seeing how much you currently weigh. I am still very large at 265 lbs. As my weight comes down my BG will also change as it has already changed due to weight loss. I am taking a lot less insulin now than 5 weeks ago. The ultimate goal is NO insulin resulting from a large weight loss. I know its possible. When my BG gets to 5 I start to feel hypo. Everyone is different I really wish that I could just 'go back' to protein shakes. Very early post op i could not eat or drink much. But the hunger I am experiencing NOW is what is throwing me off and I am trying to satiate myself. I did not get to almost 300 lbs because I decided I could just not eat. Said no morbidly obese person. LOL that is funny. I am going to check with my doctor in Mexico if they will allow me to take an appetite suppressant since my blood pressure is now very good

My heart goes out to you! Although I don't have thyroid cancer, I have been suffering from Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disease) for decades, before finally being formally diagnosed in May 2015. As my thyroid was destroyed via radioactive treatment, I later had to go on Thyroid replacement med. What I noticed was that once my regular dose was decreased by 50%, I slept better, but my weight was staying the same, and my old sweet cravings came back. So, for me, I am still playing the dosage adjustment dance. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello, and offer you a link to great Thyroid Support sites, BP permitting. I belong to few online thyroid support groups, and find them very beneficial. Here is a link: https://www.verywell.com/finding-thyroid-support-and-support-groups-online-3233103 Prayers and well wishes to you!

I'm 50 an have multiple autoimmune diseases. ..the benefits outweighs the risk! Best decision or should I say one of the best I have made for myself. I had 2 specialist refer me to surgeon. My weight was not going anywhere but up up up! I am 9 wks it An 60 down...its hard first month I'm not going to lie. My surgeon told me if u can make it thru first 4 wks you'll be good..he was right. I struggled a lot..mentally emotionally. .but I worked thru it..I did this for me my health. I didn't tell my family. I have thought about this for 15 yrs..it was time for me to get my life back. So I took control. .maybe u have tried to help them understand this is for your health I'm sure..it's a complete lifestyle change an I would just have to say they can be on board an help an support or well...I'll let you fill that in..lol... hang in there! I wish u the best!! Keep us posted!!

Hi everybody. I'm new to the website so I thought I'd say hi to introduce myself. I was banded in January 2004 and had a lot of success. I lost 65 pounds in the first year. Then, last year I came down with aseptic meningitis and was VERY ill for months. Not only did I get meningitis, but I also came down with pneumonia and several other bacterial infections at the same time too. I was completely bed-ridden for three months (due to dizziness, vertigo and weakness). My doctors were concerned that I wasn't eating enough and had me increase my calories using juice and other high calorie, easy to eat foods. My weight started creeping back on during this time. No surprise - I was eating more and not working out AT ALL (I used to work out 4-5 hours a week). Anyway, long story short, I've continued to suffer from weird symptoms over the past year. I get bad headaches, dizziness, vertigo, weakness and persistent fevers. It seems I might be having recurrent meningitis, and my doctors don't know why. I saw a rheumatologist who said that my symptoms seemed similar to an autoimmune disease, but that I didn't have an autoimmune disease (not enough evidence - mostly normal blood work). She said some autoimmune diseases can cause meningitis (like lupus), but she said there was no evidence of lupus in me. She said that my symptoms seemed more like a foreign body reaction. I told her I had a LapBand, and she was concerned. She was worried that I might be having a weird reaction to the band. I spoke with my surgeon who said there has only been one case of a person having an allergic reaction to the band, but the patient presented with very different symptoms (she had a weird rash). My one worry is that I have a lot of allergies, including allergies to metal. I was assured at banding that titanium is not reactive in humans, but I've heard conflicting reports since. I'm even allergic to stainless steel (I can't wear stainless steel earrings). I recently found out that in addition to the titanium in the band, the band also contains stainless steel in the form of a connector in the port tubing. Could I be allergic to the band? And could this be causing my meningitis? Despite my surgeon's doubts, she felt the band should come out just in case. So I ended having the band removed last Tuesday (May 9th). It's too early to tell if this is the cause of my symptoms. I really hope this helps - but who knows. I'm freaking out now though, over the past year I've gained back all of my weight plus 5 (I'm up 70 pounds). I feel pretty empowered though. I was able to gain and lose all of this weight WITH the band. It really shows me that it was all of my hard work that made me lose weight, and not just the band. I know when I get better, I'll be able to lose the weight again. I'm just not that worried right now - my health is my current concern. I'm wondering if anyone has heard of people having a foreign body reaction to the band or similar complications. I know the manufacturers warn of this in their brochures, but I'm pretty sure this is to cover their @$$#$. I'm feeling pretty alone (if there is only one other person with this complication). I'd love to hear from some of you that have had band complications and removal and who have decided not to have further WLS. JennyJ 298/302/175 banded 1/04 298 - 1/2004 230 - 3/2005 band removed 5/06 302 - 5/2006

I have a personal and family history of autoimmune disease that would make it difficult to get the right meds after bypass (prednisone etc.). I also hate the idea of cutting out and rearranging my intestines. I know that removing most of your stomach is also drastic and unnatural but the intestinal chop-job and reroute is more than I want to inflict on my body. Lesser considerations: struggling to get adequate vitamins for the rest of your life with the bypass, strong possibility that you will have to completely give up several types of food and not even taste them again (asparagus, steak, bread, sweets -- I have read that all of these can cause major distress to people with bypass), greater risk of surgical complications with the bypass, stronger possibility of lingering unpleasant digestive problems with the bypass (gas, diarrhea, vomiting), the idea of a blind, inaccessible portion of your stomach floating around and possibly getting cancerous with no way to scope it and see what's going on, and the fact that the few people I know who have had the bypass did well with their weight loss but struggled with energy and health after. This is a sleeve board so likely you will get lots of people singing the praises of the sleeve and explaining the downsides (as we see them) to the bypass -- make sure you get lots of good info from all different kinds of sources before you make your decision. Good luck to you!

This thread is interesting, I use essential oils in my hair for years and years just because I like it. OP forgot to ask were you recently tested for autoimmunes and the other culprit...

For what it's worth, autoimmune disease is nothing like having a shot immune system. Sorry you are having such trouble @@abenamati!

Thank you all for responding. More info as I left it out by mistake; about a month after I balanced out on my weight loss of 96lbs (7 months after surgery) the symptoms first began with joint swelling and pain. I was being looked at for Autoimmune issues then. That was the first time RA was suggested by Dr.'s. Lymes was ruled out then. As I was supposed to be tested for RA and or other disorders, I found out I was pregnant. I stopped that avenue of testing and put all focus on the baby. Through my pregnancy all symptoms went away and I felt great. For two months before the pregnancy I had my right knee joint drained twice and my hands and fingers were so swollen and painful that I could barely use them. During the pregnancy it was as if I never had an issue. Two weeks after he was born when my hormones were rushing back in place (and all over, lol) the symptoms returned and ten times worse. Could it be hormone driven? These disorders do not run in my family. Could I have had it my whole life but never knew it because it was dormant until the drastic weigh loss? It just seems so coincidental after the surgery, then gallbladder, then it "started", stopped and turned up again after I gave birth.

I think different insurance companies require different comorbites. Mine requires none if your over 40bmi but if your under you must be above 35bmi and at least 1 of the comorbites. I have high bp, overactive bladder, arthrites and high cholesterol and possibly autoimmune condition. So I hope that one of them will work. You can Google your insurance and bastric sugery and it should show which comorbites they are asking for as a requirement for your surgery. We got this, hang in there. Get as much info you can get then you will know what to expect and maybe even be a voice in the whole process.

my son has scleroderma which is also an autoimmune disease. but you would probably have a skin rash of some sort and thickening skin in that area. my sons is on his left leg from foot to hip. anyway, he has alot if dizziness, lightheaded feelings also, they have not been able to determine cause yet. but I did read that some rheumatoid and auto immune diseases have some ear involvement also. so for now they are just telling us his is either from his disease or stress..

There are specialized blood tests that your PCP can order to either rule out or confirm a autoimmune diagnosis. You should not need to see a rheumatologist for a Dx. The rheumatologist may be better able to manage an autoimmune spectrum disease, however I have had much better treatment outcomes with my board certified internal medicine PCP. I'm sorry you are having to go through all of this...it's scary and when you don't feel well all of that is amplified. Perhaps your PCP can order additional tests for you to rule out specific disorders. What was the name of the test you tested positive for? I hope you feel better and have some answers to your questions very soon...

Hello, new to the forum. I am 54 years old and on day 4 of my 2 week pre op Clear luquid diet. Not too bad so far. I was wondering if there are others who have autoimmune diseases and what was your experiences with weightloss surgery? Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all! I'm a self pay who will be sleeved on Monday 2/25/13 with Dr. Borland in New Iberia, Louisiana. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm really ready! Over the years I've made appt. after appt with different doctors and I canceled everyone before my consultation. I am soooooo glad I canceled all those lap band appts. I have friends who got the band and have had nothing but trouble. Anyway my rheumatologist and my family doctor both suggested the sleeve and I tossed around the idea and prayed over it. It took a few weeks but I called and made the appt with Dr Borland and I had 2 weeks til my appt day (1/21/13) and I didn't cancel, I actually went to the consultation. I liked him on the spot. He was friendly, knowledgable, he answered my questions, understands my condition (I have several autoimmune diseases) and he said he felt very comfortable with me having surgery. The date was set for 2/25/13 for surgery. I had my blood work, chest X-rays & an EKG the following week (2/28/13) and my EKG had a high heart rate (106) so I explained that I had just trekked thru the hospital parking lot, then down the halls, back & forth from X-ray, back to admitting, back to X-ray....I told him "your heart would be beating fast too if you lugged 150 extra pounds around all day" that got a chuckle from him. So anyway I passed all my Pre-op tests, I've lost 8 lbs since I saw him. I have to do a clear diet for 24 hours before surgery and at 4pm on Sunday I have to drink 10oz of magnesium citrate and then again at 6pm. Nothing to drink that is red or citrus. I'm ready to be a BIG LOSER!!!!

My concern in posting this is that we shouldn't encourage someone to get a device implanted just because we've had a good experience. Many people with ONE Autoimmune disorder often have other undiagnosed autoimmune issues that are found after a device such as the band, is implanted. My post isn't meant to be an alarm, but a word of caution when replying to a thread about which surgery to choose. On the other site I frequent there are multiple boards for each surgery, including revision. Literally hundreds of posts are made by people monthly who are having band troubles and needing to revise. About 75% revise to sleeve and are very pleased with the outcome. Shouldn't these 75% have just had the sleeve to start with and avoided the risk, pain, scar tissue, aftercare and expense of a second surgery?

Nowhere does it say all inflammatory autoimmune diseases. It lists Crohns's disease and other digestive diseases, not all inflammatory autoimmune diseases. In fact, it doesn't list any that aren't directly gastrointestinal. The bottom line is, saying that the band isn't recommended for all autoimmune diseases simply is not true. There are thousands of autoimmune diseases out there and only a very small handful of them fall under Allergan's contradiction.

I have psoriasis for years and got psoriatic arthritis at the young age of 22 i am now 24 psoriasis is considered a chronic autoimmune disease i chose the band because it was less drastric then the sleeve or bypass i consulted with all my doctors and my surgeon absolutely insisted on the band 1. Because i was a smaller patient and 2. Due to my condition and the healing process and meds. According to my dermatologist there is no link to WLS as being a bad idea and worsening my conditions, studies are only going by what may have happened to 1 person. In fact my dr encouraged WLS if i am successful i can ease off my meds! I do not doubt my decision nor would i have gone forward if my dr's didnt think it was a good idea. So with that being said anyone wanting the band should always consult with their DR before not some random joe smoe or an article!

It's an autoimmune disease that hypothyroidism is associated with. The other thing is - Biotin can increase TSH levels. Sent from my KFFOWI using the BariatricPal App

WOW! You guys are so "on the ball" with responses!! Thanks so much! Okay, you've given me hope! Honestly, I felt "lame" for asking... like, how lazy am I that I'm questioning having to "work"? But, if I had any willpower left, I wouldn't be considering altering my body, risking gallbladder trouble and future autoimmune disorder possibilites. If, like I've seen so many people do, I could exercise for more than 6 months, and ALWAYS win the head hunger battle, and NEVER EVER over indulge, I wouldn't be doing this. So, thanks for the answers. I really could use the help that the band will offer. I call it my "internal control" because it won't let me overeat no matter how much I want to. There will be immediate and swift consequences when I give in, and I need those. Instead of the pounds that slowly creep on, how about some major pain? Now that's a reason not to overeat. Hopefully I won't be a slow learner!