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I'm a week or so past my 3 mo post op. As I was warned, I am experiencing hair loss. My hair is dropping out like crazy - I keep expecting to find total bald spots on my scalp; luckily not for now. I made sure I took over 60 mg protein, 2000 mg biotin & 30 mg of zinc daily trying to forestall this hair loss obviously to no avail. My question is what was your experience? How many weeks did you have hair falling out? Did you find that it grew back eventually?

I use Beneprotein by the makers of Benefiber. It is a stir in whey protein powder. You can purchase it online at www.walgreens.com or at Walgreens stores.

I use the Low-Carb Slim Fast shakes in a can, they are very good with strawberry, vanilla and chocolate flavors. They use splenda for the sweetner. Very yummy and loaded with protein. Nutritional stats for them one canned shake: Calories - 190 Protein - 20 grams Carbs - 6 Fat - 9 grams

The high amount of Protein can create constipation. Also, you may need a boost of Fiber in your diet since we don't absorb everything anymore. Constipation can also mean you're still not getting enough liquids, even with the larger amount that we drink.

Had the same problem and increasing my fluids really helped. At 4 months post-op I slacked off my liquids and continued taking my stool softener but got stopped up again. Back to pushing the fluids! In my case I know it's the high protein that is stopping me up.

My surgery was 7/31 and I did not see any weight loss until I got in 65grms of protein and my water!! It will come promise ! Remember your body is healing and it is holding on to whatever it can!

I didn't take this lightly either. It took me 2 years to finally decide to take the step. I was lucky. I did the 6 month program in 3 months. Basically, my husband's employer is such an advocate of the surgery that in Feb 2011 they customized the Aetna program. Basically, they did away with the 2 year weight requirement, and took the 6 month program and cut it down to 3 months. I was very very lucky. I'm doing ok now. Honestly, it was difficult the first couple of weeks. I have had 9 abdominal surgeries and have a lot of mesh in there. They docs had to peel some of it away and cut out some scar tissue. It was a little more difficult surgery. I also had a lot of trouble getting Water down (resulted in severe dehydration), but I used this site as a tool and found lots of people had problems with this. What ended up working for me was the sugar free popsicles, ice ice and ice (i hated before surgery), chicken broth, and putting a wedge of lemon in my water made it go down better. I also couldn't get any Protein shakes down. I bought tons of them, but they all made me vomit. As a result I was very weak and not feeling well. Once I was allowed to eat scrambled eggs and such it was 180 degree turn overnight.....literally. I am 4 weeks post op tomorrow, and I'm feeling so well. I honestly was regretting it the first couple of weeks with all the problems, but now I'm glad. I am still stuggling mentally. I thought I had a handle on my addiction with food, but now I really do understand that addiction. I am taking it day by day and learning more and more. The best thing was I had to take my son on a cubscout trip this past Saturday. All my jeans were too big. I was wearing a size 20W. I went to Kohls to get an outfit to wear. I grabbled the 18W and 1x stuff.....IT WAS TOO BIG. I am officially in regular size clothes again in less than 4 weeks.....I'm just amazed. I sat in the try on room crying. Now, I'm starting to exercise and am happier. My kids are loving it too, b/c I'm starting to do stuff with them. I still tire out, but before surgery I didn't do anything, and now I am.......Hope this helps some.

So i could have made a wig with all the hair ive lost since surgery 6 ago. It was alarming to see how much hair i was losing. My hairdresser told me about this brush that you can buy at sally beauty supply called "wet" brush. $8.99. So I was desperate. Ive taken a boat load of biotin i get in my vitamins every day and i reach my protein goals every day. I tried it and it works!!! it detangles my mid back length hair without losing handfuls. So being the sceptic i am i thought well, i will just shed through out the day....NOPE. Im loving this.... Wanted to share with anyone who really is struggling with this issue.

It is pretty normal to have diarrea during liquid phase. Then it is normal to have constipation too.... Most of us have figured out how to balance it out over time, but it can be frustrating. I had surgery recently, and in spite of using miralax daily i developed constipation which is not typical for me. Anyway, I am off the meds now, taking Probiotics and order is being restored to the universe. If you have cramps, intestinal upset, you are probably having trouble digesting. If it is just a tad of diarrea, probably normal for an all liquid diet. I drink premier Protein, but every once in a while it starts giving me cramps and runs... like I develop an intolerance to something in there. My former NUT told me to take 3 months off and try again, and sure enough I was fine after taking time off from it. Weird though.

Started adding more protein in now via whey protein shakes but having a bit of diarrhea. Should I stick to clear proteins? Nutritionist recommended maybe lactaid milk instead of skin plus. Could be just stomach adjusting? Ugh. Very frustrating. I hate GI issues too.

I'm only on Day 2 of my liquid diet (pre-op) and I'm STARVING. How do people make it? All I wanna do is sleep just so I can get the 2 weeks out of the way before surgery. I know thats not an option and in all honesty I have to get used to the liquid diet. Can someone please give me some suggestions on how to get through this.

Just had my 6 week follow up. Everything is working perfect & I am ahead of schedule. No need for a fill. So it's been 4 weeks since I last saw the Doc & I been trying new/different foods to see what I can tolerate on the solid food phase. Everything I tried has been no problem, I can consume about 4-5oz of protein followed by a cup of vegetables and I am very satisfied (Not full or stuffed) for at least 4-5 hours. My average loss per week since being on solid foods is 2.5lbs. If I eat to fast or swallow to big I have a heartburn feeling that passes within in a minute, & my body tells me when to stop ( I either sigh or hiccup ). No BPing or vomiting what so ever. Can only imagine how much I'll lose when I go back to the gym! Oh, yeah....Im also sleeping better & my blood pressure went from a consistent 120/80 to 107/60 !!! I am so happy that I had this done!!!!

I'm the exact same way. It does get a little better when you are eating solids because they will fill you up faster. I didn't ever feel "full" or "stuck" though until one day like 5-6 weeks out when I was eating too fast. Then I quickly realized I really did have restriction! I agree with the protein first because it really does help. I just keep telling myself that this is better than the alternative of getting sick with everything I eat... and I am losing weight just fine.

I'd go back to dietician. Maybe you need to say at soft foods for awhile. Get your protein in.

I felt like my restriction wasn't very good either. There are a few of us on this forum in the same boat. I think that is why they stress protein first, it is dense and filling. On days where I eat more protein, I tend to do a lot better.

Stall here too!! I was beginning to think I've been doing something off-plan.....but getting all my requirements (Protein and water). Surgery was June 14th and have post op appt tomorrow with my surgeon. Hoping to get some advice there. None the less...this is frustrating!! But I will follow the plan.

I drink fluids 20-30 minutes after meals, per my nutritionist, and I'm eating like 5-6 mini meals per day, again mostly consisting of Protein. I only eat the 1 sucker a day if I have a craving.. lol.. Also, my nutritionist said to aim for at least 60 protein, and no more than 60 carbs per day. I think I'm way below the carb count.

My understanding is it doesn't matter how much Protein, Water or Vitamins you take. Its just going to happen I started taking large doses of Biotin and B vitamins (hair vitamins) four months prior to surgery and following surgery. I absolutely refused to lose hair and was going to be different then everyone else. At almost 3 months to the day, I noticed hairs on my pillow but didn't think much of it (not true). While in the shower and rinsing my hair, a big clump came out in my hand while I was gently squeezing water out. And, it's been that way since (12/2/15 surgery). I've got thick curly hair and don't notice anything troublesome yet, but I'm only 5 months post surgery. I've looked at wigs, wiglets and weaves-just in case. I also color my hair and lose alot at the hairdresser-she's not as gentle as me. Instead of going every 4 weeks, I bought this product you can spray at your roots. I'm wondering if this will help hide patchy spots too? I try to limit washing my hair to once/week-coarse dry hair loves this. I wet it or spray leave-in in between. And, limit brushing to the underneath at night and morning. Let's face it, if it's going to come out, it's going to come out regardless of when/how much I touch it. There's a name for our hair loss: Telogen Effluvium Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon that occurs after pregnancy, major surgery, drastic weight loss, or extreme stress, in which you shed large amounts of hair every day, usually when shampooing, styling, or brushing. It can also be a side effect of certain medications, such as antidepressants, beta-blockers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. During telogen effluvium, hair shifts faster than normal from its growing phase into the "resting" phase before moving quickly into the shedding, or telogen, phase. The symptoms: Women with telogen effluvium typically notice hair loss 6 weeks to 3 months after a stressful event. At its peak, you may lose handfuls of hair. How much hair have you lost and is it noticeable? Pam

I was told the hair loss is from the shock your body took to have surgery. It has to do with the chemicals in your body it switched to say its time to shed. That's why it isn't permanent lost. But yeah I think to help new hair growth is to take your vitamins and up your protein.

The loss you're seeing now is part of a cycle that started with surgery and your initial weight loss. Those hairs went into shock and stopped growing until a few months later they fall out. But the next stage starts right away, which is those hairs start growing again in your scalp. The sucky part is you will lose new shocked hairs due to the rapid weight loss, so your hair will be going through this cycle until your weight stabilizes. There isn't anything you are doing wrong or missing out on to stop it. Get all your Protein and then wait it out. This too shall pass!

I apologize for this because I know it’s been talked about a million times. BUT seriously I am at my wits end. I am 9 weeks out from RNY and just stuck. I lost 25 prior to surgery, 27.9 since surgery now under 200 @ 197.6. The scale won’t move. I am not breaking the rules, I am getting 60-80 grams of Protein a day, drinking 80 or more oz of Water per day. Carbs hanging in between 30-70. I’m killing it at the gym. I CrossFit 3-4 times a week and walk several miles on my off days. I reached out to my team and she planned for a call next week. She did mention maybe I wasn’t getting enough carbs, maybe needing like 100-150 on CrossFit days! Any experience with this? Seems like a lot and I’ve always been sensitive to carbs so I’m hesitant to try. However if I need that to get back to burning I’ll do it. Calories are never over 800-900 a day. Usually hang in the 700 range. Any advice from a CrossFitter or anyone who has been through this is much appreciated

I was slow too, or should I say I am slow to lose. I was told to eat my protein first, vegies next and last carbs... I can't eat any bread , wraps or very little pasta... here is the kicker, I can eat a cookie !!!!!:smile2:

Thanks for the responses. I know for a fact that I'm not getting enough Protein because I hate the Protein drinks. I also don't eat a lot. My thighs have gotten huge since I started working out which makes me feel like I'm gaining weight. Ugh

Just banded last Tuesday. Happy to be now enjoying EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control shakes with 17 grams of protein and only 110 calories. Low fat, Low Carb, Low Calorie soy protein.

I was banded in December of 2005 and have lost 92-95 pounds. I am currently 31 years old and was married just a few months ago. I'm very happy, but very sick; doctor's are grasping at straws and really do not know what is wrong with me. I had my first weak spell in May. It was my then-fiancé’s family picnic at a park. We were inside, and I was able to eat a little of the delicious food there. We stepped outside to leave and, all of a sudden, as we were bidding our goodbyes, I felt terribly weak. I barely made it to the car, got nauseous, and vomited a little. My dh's uncle is a doctor, so they were able to wrap up my head in cold compresses and get me feeling better. It was a VERY stressful weekend as my in-laws were at my house, we had a lot of the agenda, and I was so worried about everything being perfect. I attributed it to stress. Fast forward several months. Just before my wedding in November, like 2 or 3 weeks before, I wake up early in the morning with chills and 103 degree fever. It was a weekend, so we went to the ER. I was non-responsive, and it was hard to rouse me according to my parents. I was very dehydrated which could have been caused by the fever. They ran every sort of test imaginable, and I was admitted overnight when my EKG came back a little abnormal - flipped t waves. I saw a new doctor in my new hometown referred me to a cardiologist. Essentially, whenever I would stand up in the ER, my blood pressure would drop scarily low. Ever since then, I've been monitoring my blood pressure and pulse rate. Rarely is my pulse less than 100/minute. My blood pressure is always lower than average which causes my heart to beat fast so as to provide my body with the necessary blood. Long story short, the cardiologist released me saying that the flipped t waves were probably due to the extreme dehydration caused by the spiked fever. I went on my merry way, relieved. A week or so later, exactly one week before the wedding, I had 101.5 fever. I went back to this new general practitioner I had seen when I was in the hospital. More tests for the flu and the like. I explained that I was going on a week long cruise but didn't have my passport. As such, if I were to get sick at sea and have to get off the boat, I would be STUCK out there with no way to fly home. His diagnosis? "Fever of unknown origin." 'Script? Take Tylenol and Advil alternatively every 2 hours until the fever breaks. Also, exercise 3 to 5 times a week. This didn't sit well with me. I was worried about being stranded in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Guatemala</st1:place></st1:country-region> or something, so I went to see the GP I've been having since I was a child. He's awesome, but is semi-retired and an hour from where I live now, so I was trying to establish a relationship with someone else. He looked at my blood work and noticed that my white blood count was a little elevated, indicating some sort of infection. Since I was on an antibiotic when I got admitted to the hospital, he treated me for some sort of unknown virus and put me on cortisone. He even gave me a prescription for another round of cortisone so that I could take it on the cruise ship, if necessary. I did. So here we are in February. After two fevers out of the blue ranging from 100.5 to 101.5, complete with body aches and chills, that prevented me from working, I decided that I needed to get help. We called around. I didn't want to go back to the "fever of unknown origins" doctor for obvious reasons. My GP in my hometown wasn't in the office that day. The internist I had seen years ago couldn't take me and the one here in town wasn't taking new patients. I ended up at the office of another GP. He was puzzled, especially since the fevers spike so high so quickly, and aren't related to other symptoms. The only thing that I have before is typically a little cough (I think it might be due to heartburn) and the fact that my band doesn't let me eat anything the day before. Typically, I can't even keep down milk! The weird thing is that, prior to the fever episode this morning, three days ago I ate 2 fried eggs and an entire chicken fried steak from Shoneys. Being able to eat this much is VERY atypical for me, but I didn't question it thinking I needed the Protein. This new doctor did another in-office EKG which showed not only flipped t waves, but also something wrong with the st waves. He ordered a nuclear stress test which I did the next week and didn't show anything. When I went in for the results, he did say that my November ultrasound of the heart done when I was hospitalized showed that I had mitral valve prolapse. I was shocked and he didn't have an answer for me when I asked why the GP nor the cardiologist mentioned it. He suggested I get on a beta blocker, Zocor for high cholesterol, and continue taking Zoloft for depression and anxiety. The whole game planned changed when I told him that my dh and I were not preventing pregnancy. All are dangers for unborn children, so he suggested that I not take anything. He attributed my weakness to the mitral valve prolapse. I told him that I could certainly contend with being weak when I got out of the tub and seeing black if I stood up too soon, but I could not deal with the erratic, high fevers that cause me such weakness that I have chills and literally have to contemplate whether or not to urinate on myself in the bed I'm so weak. I don't think it is fair for me, at 31, to have to make that kind of decision, but I digress. He had no idea what was causing the fevers. I asked, since I can not eat the day before one of these strange episodes, if the band could be moving around, stimulating a nerve or just causing irritation internally, thus inducing the fever to come on. He said that he didn't know enough about bands, but suggested I get in touch with my surgeon. I have an appointment with Dr. Lavin on March 5th. I also called the cardiologist's office. The nurse told me that my report from November said nothing about mitral valve prolapse but she will have the doctor take another look and get back to me. She was also surprised that he attributed weakness to mitral valve prolapse and said she had never heard of such a thing. She also expressed concern that he told me to get off of Zoloft cold turkey as that can have an adverse affect on people. I'm still waiting for him to get back to me. My question is this... I'm pretty sure that most of these episodes with the exception of the one in May, perhaps, happened after my last fill. Typically, when I'm under the weather, it is a struggle for me to keep food down. This is the case when I menstruate every month. Sometimes I can eat considerably more than others, albeit the entire chicken fried steak was the only time I've ever been able to eat so much. Three days later, however, I couldn't eat a bite of supper without throwing it up, I spit up all night long, and I awoke at 4:30 a.m. with the onset of chills. My fever rose to 101.1. Since my last fill, I have had a touch of heartburn, but the over the counter anti-acid pills do the trick and I suffer from it less than once a month. My fever/weakness episodes are becoming a lot more frequent. I've had 4 in the last month... one on Thursday, one the following Friday, last Saturday, and again this Saturday. I did the follow-up blood work this morning when I was sick in hopes that something would show up. My question to you is this, does it sound like slippage. My friend who is brilliant and a nurse says that there is a nerve that runs near your stomach that, when stimulated/massaged, causes your blood pressure to drop. There is one in your neck that you can massage to lower your blood pressure; he used to use this technique when he was a paramedic. Does any of this sound remotely familiar to anyone??? Say a prayer for me in the meantime. I just don't know what more to do or where to turn. Thanks!