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I have been struggling with hypothyroidism for the past 6 years....still trying to get levels evened out! My Endocrineologist was very supportive and my Bariatric doctor said I would have NO PROBLEM with hypo and the band. I can still take my meds (they are small enough), but you do have to take caution when eating anything with Calcium within 3 hours of taking your meds....that makes Protein shakes something that I have in the afternoon or evening! It has been a great experience so far! Good luck!

Here is the run down... Had vsg 2 years ago. Lost 180 pounds. Pre-vsg I had a slew of health issues. PCOS, high lipids, high blood pressure, diabetes...you name it, I had it. Now...I am 10 weeks pregnant. I see a high risk ob with consultation from my Bari surgeon. However, I now have to eat every hour or two and for the first time in my life, I am constantly hypo! Docs are ok with 1 hour post meal bs at 70. My body is not. I also had two miscarriages pre-vsg and was constantly hyper with them. I am struggling to keep weight gain at a minimum but loading carbs is zapping me! Any advice?

Are you sweating at night or just getting hot? I started having night sweats and mine ended up being reactive hypoglycemia. I had to adjust my diet at night to fix it. RHG is pretty common in WLS patients.

Even if you have never had bs issues before WLS, it is common with RNY to have reactive hypoglycemia. I have read many posts on this subject. I know that some RNYers that suffer with it carry the sugar tablets with them. You really need to follow Drs orders with this because it can be quite dangerous if you get to the point that you are fainting. Would not want that to happen while driving, etc. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than I have will come along and add more information here. Good luck to you!

I have hypo thyroid and I was sleeved on June 17 ad I have lost 37 pounds just in the first month!

I know ive seen other posters refuse because of the possibility of dumping... i would ask them if i can get out of it... maybe u could get a home monitor n test instead for say 2wks... i believe thats what she did... id tell them ur OBVIOUSLY not in gestational diabetes! And have done 2 that should be sufficient... Also i wouldnt worry too much about the 67... hopefully if u get a monitor, you'll have it to be safe... but it sounds like reactive hypoglycemia... i assume u dont eat a lot of carbs, being a sleever... so all that sugar in the drink (esp on top of a pastry ) just threw ur system for a loop n it got over excited and made too much insulin... id think the WORST thing u could do is go shock it again! Try explaining that to them n see what they say... i wouldnt risk ur job but if they understood more maybe theyd b satisfied In the mean time... no carb binges for u! Lol Good luck!!!

Hi Everyone ! My name is Mary, and I'm almost 3 weeks post-surgery. As of a week ago, I was down 24 lbs, but that included the weight I lost during the 10 pre-op diet period. I'm starting to feel pretty good, other than I get tired easily. That may be compounded by the fact that I have other chronic illnesses (hypo-thyroid, ulcerative colitis), but I'm glad to be getting into the pureed food stage ! Was anyone else bothered by the odd sensations of the gas exiting your body? It kind of made my left shoulder hurt a little....nothing major, just a discomfort. :thumbup:

First let me say Thank You for all your prayers. My surgery was Friday 9/16. Here is my story and I'm sticking to it. First I am still very sore and still alot of gas. My surgery had a few complications. I have a hypo-Thyroid so this played a little issue with the surgery but not bad. Then they discovered that I was bleeding under the skin and had to put a drain and bag on. I only say this so everyone knows that not every surgery is perfect. That being said I do have to say that outside of the complications it really was a wonderful experience. The people from Belite were there with me all the time. They were great and compassionate and honestly caring. JoAnne from Belite was actually there and when she came to see me after my surgery, she immediately ran to the Dr's and told them that I did not look well. I had every Dr and nurse in my room. I tried to get up severval times after surgery to walk to relieve the gas but as I sat on the end of the bed I fell back and passed out. They were there to fix the situation and since I had to stay in bed...no walking,,,hence a slower recovery. Belite was there to pick me up, transfer me to the hospital in Tijuana for pre-op then take me to the hotel for the night. We met with the surgery team that night at the hotel and they answered every question we had. INT hospital is one of the cleanest hospitals I have ever seen and I was a little hesitant of going to Tijuana. We felt very safe. I actually felt more safe there then in some of the US cities. And we were full-time RV'ers for 10 years so I have seen alot of cities. Dr Rodriguez and his surgical team were the tops in their field. We are now thinking of going back in a few months for my husband and will not hesitate to use Belite and Dr Rodriguez. Any questions I haven't covered pleas ask. Everyone else that had their surgery done the same day as me had no problems. I think my problems were a result of a combination of a 58 yr old women 5'0 245 lbs and with a Hypo-Thyroid problem. I really can't say enough good about, INT Hospital, Dr Rodriguez and his team, and all my new friends at Belite....Thank you especially JoAnne, Jamie, Amy, and Alberta (driver) Good Luck to all approaching their surgery and my prayers will be with you all. Janet

I am also hypo - I keep taking my syntroid

The "Hair loss" is called Telogen Effluvium https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/effluviums#1 It's not really "Hair loss" it's just a larger % of your hair follicles going into rest at once, so when they reactivate they shed the hair they were holding and that gives the appearance of "hair loss". Fear is normal, NSAIDs are not the only pain relief out there, there are options. Pretty much everything you've listed is normal fears, and pretty much, all of those fears, you'll laugh at down the road. I was 370 at my largest. I'm 210 now, I have some extra saggy skin, but it's really not THAT bad and it's totally hidden under even decently tight clothing. Just remember, staying overweight *WILL* kill you. If something was to happen during your surgery, the best place for that to happen, is in a hospital. No one but you can tell you if what you are going to do is right for you. You have to make that call. Weigh out all the pros and cons, and make your decision based on that, no one is going to look down on you for making the best decision for your life that you can.

Long time member but i haven't posted anywhere in ages, but I used to be on the Lapband board. I was a long time very successful band patient i was orginally banded in Jan 02 (in Canada, pre FDC approval) lost weight at a great rate. My first band (Innamed) slipped a total of 3 times before it came out for six months, I also had surgeries to move my port and another because my tubing disconnect. Next we went to the J&J band and it was great until it slipped badly, I had it for about 6-7 years and it worked like a charm, restriction was great most of the time, lost to my goal size and then it self tightened and i left it there because of travel, personal stress etc and i thought it would release on its own when i went for a defill it completely slipped around my esophagus and it was horrible. With the J&J I had a port revision surgery in there too. Then we tried a 3rd band it never worked right, I couldn't get restriction because if we did more than i had instant reflux etc. I revised to the sleeve last week with a new surgeon in Philadelphia who told me the band was basically around my esophagus and i had no pouch which is why I had no restriction and why I could not be tightened any more. But I lost about 150 lbs in 12-16 months and maintained that loss for 10 years plus, with little to no effort. In the meantime because of the band with no restriction, some prescribed evil steroids that I had to take that put 30lbs on me in a matter of 8 days... (they change your brain chemistry in weird ways) hashimoto's disease (hypo thyroid) fluctuations for the last few years and a few other things I gained about 70-80 lbs that I could not lose weight I tried. I went gluten free and dairy free, nada, I tried the HCG diet lost 20 lbs gained it back and generally I don't eat more than 1500-1700 calories per day including when I am drinking wine, eating out 3 meals a day etc. I hired a trainer, almost went paleo not quite. Now in talking to my surgeon he has said there are new studies showing band patients 9-12 years out who suddenly gain weight they can't lose for love nor money. They try everything and it won't come off more restriction, calories restriction etc. So we made a joint strategic decision to go to the sleeve since I knew the risk, what type of lifestyle change I was in for, portion control etc. wouldn't be a problem since i had it already. In our conversations we talked a lot about Ghrelin which is produced in the stomach and it makes you hungry, when you are feeling that craving to overeat or binge typically it is ghrelin and obese people produce more ghrelin than non obese people typically with some exceptions. We also talked about leptin which makes you feel satiated and is produced in the brain. With the sleeve, about 70-90% of the ghrelin produced is surgically removed with the part of the stomach they remove. i am curious have you noticed a difference in how hungry you get, cravings and the satiation of cravings ie: I can eat two bites of cake vs. I want the whole cake now? Have you also noticed the full feelings getting different than before from the leptin. My surgeon has said in his conversations with his patients they noticed their cravings reduced which helps them with portion control and in making better choices which helps a number of other things. In other words the brain and stomach don't conspire to make cheetos seem like a great dinner choice or ben and jerry your best friend. Overall I eat very healthy without a ton of junk food in my life we cook at home, we make our own stocks and Soups etc. to help get me through the liquids phase. But we do eat well and drink wine, we might be foodies (we are told we are, I just like trying new things). I have never eaten out of control even with the last band and no restriction just trying to lose weight has been terrible, depressing and frustrating. Especially after my first experiences which was I lost well, ate well, exercised and it worked like it was supposed too. I am a consultant and I travel for my job excessively so hence the eat out three meals a day most of the time I don't have a choice in that, but you can make healthy choices even in eating out and I do. I look at fats and calories along with Proteins and make good choices. Any thoughts you have I would appreciate and any advice you have I would love to read. Thanks for reading and good luck

I’m 11.5 months post op and I have lost 175 lbs total since this process. Starting weight was 358, surgery day weight was 331, current weight 183! Prior to my surgery, I was terrible at logging food, exercising regularly, and had a terrible relationship with food (addiction, portion control, etc). Of course I knew what to do conceptually but the follow through was the issue. I told myself (and truly believe) that the surgery was not the fix! It’s just a tool! A tool that allows me to fix the broken things. What I’m getting at is, although logging food is “difficult”, it’s necessary! You have to be willing do do things differently and consistently if you want to reach your goals. Set up your environment to help you be more consistent: meal plan, log your planned foods the night before or first thing in the morning. Proactivity rather than reactivity is key! I treat my food log like I budget my finances, I track input and output and plan ahead! You got this! You just have to tell yourself you’ll do what it takes. The habits that got you in this situation won’t get you out of it! Embrace your second chance at becoming the best version of yourself and focus on the inputs and the desired outputs will happen! Don’t be afraid to consult your medical team and seek mental health help if need be. We all decided we can’t do it on our own which is why we took this journey. You owe it to yourself to be better than you think you can be! Good luck!

There is a condition called "reactive hypoglycemia" which is low blood sugar that occurs after a meal - usually within 4 hours after eating. Several individuals who underwent gastric bypass developed this condition even though they never had diabetes prior to surgery. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness, anxiety and confusion.

All labs have been great and have been read by my barbaric surgeon. Will look into it more. Will research additional vitamins and ask about the reactive hypoglycemia. Thanks for the input.

Thanks. I went to my GP to discuss my sugar problems. He's going to do another GTT. When I have my 5 hour test 19 years ago, they took me to the hospital in an ambulance. I'm really dreading the test next Fri. Ever since I started exercising, I'm having trouble again with my hypo. Doc said I need to eat more carbs. I'm not so sure about that.

No offense, but your doctor is on crack. The last thing a hypo needs for stabilization is carbs. That is such an old school of thought and exactly what has made diabetics fat for so long. Protein, protein, protein! Carbs will certainly give you the immediate rise, but then you crash again. Your foods intake and your body mass and composition are still changing - you haven't "settled" yet. Keep up the protein - if you want to have something before you work out, half a Protein shake is a grand idea.

I was having issues with mine too for a while. I believe mine was reactive hypoglycemia. If I ate something like a banana it would drop really low.

Yes, I do get hungry every few hours and I also get reactive hypoglycemia if I allow too many carbs into my diet. When that happens it can be a vicious circle. Instead of eating 3 regular meals a day, I eat 5 or 6 small meals ensuring I get dense Protein. It does help with feeling hungry inbetween. There are also times when I am truly not hungry but my brain is telling me I need to eat something. I fight that head hunger all the time using distraction. Having gained 7lbs between thanksgiving and now, I have to get myself back on track 100%. I may do a 5 day pouch reset just to help get any sugar out of my system which I think will help with that hunger every few hours.

i have been HYPO thyroid since I was 16 (i am 44 now)... since surgery a year ago my level has been decreasing ....its down to 0.6 as of Monday lowest it's been in YEARS! ....(it has been up to 30.2 in previous years) and I am stable on my medication which is the lowest dose in 30 years! My dr told me just yesterday that she wanted to watch it close in the next 6-8 months because if my weight goes down more I may have to stop the meds....so I dont get hyperthyroid.

I think the number had greatly improved recently. Especially since we have move to an accountable healthcare system. Pretty much means we need to prevent diseases instead of treating them with meds. Best way to prevent most common diseases, diabetes, HBP, GERD, sleep apnea, joint pain... etc. is weight loss. It's being proactive instead of reactive.

yes. I'm hypo. I've lost 157lbs from my recent high of 287lbs. I'm in normal BMI and weight range and am my final Goal #3.

I definitely recovered a lot faster than pre-surgery when I would be so tired after a severe hypo attack. I think I might have been a little dehydrated too. With summer here and getting more exercise i, I need to increase my Water intake past 64 ounces.

perhaps you could have a glucose drink? or a lozenge? it could be a touch of hypo insulinism.

I have hypo thyroid and i am 2 months out. I have lost 45 pounds so far. My doc is a debbie downer as he thinks that is slow, but ai m half way to goal so I am concidering it a win