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I am hypo and was banded in feb 2010 and have lost only 26 pounds....its super frustrating because I work out and eat right for the most part and have decent restriction...i take 100 mcg of synthroid and just recently had my levels checked and they are fine...

hi, i am also hypo and while i was in the hospital they dissolved it for me but when i got home i called my doc for another reason but i asked if i could take it with out dissolving it and he said yes because its small enough it shouldnt get stuck. Im 3 weeks out and have had no problems. Good Luck!

I have been taking thyroid meds since 2005. And it not made me gain infact it has help. I have hypo thyroid See a specualist let the decide.

Dumping actually can cause a whole-body response that includes dizziness. It can be dreadful. That said, while some bandsters do experience diarrhea in response to sugar, they don't experience the same kind of dumping that people who've had gastric bypass do. If you're experiencing dizziness/lightheadedness in response to sugar, I'd ask the doctor to check for reactive hypoglycemia. It's a more likely culprit.

Hello folks... I am 23 months postoperative. I was 3.5 lbs from goal and decided to up the daily routine of exercise wanting to hit goal, I am a slow loser. More importantly the emotional victory was really all that I cared about, not the physical. So Instead of my normal 600 calorie a day burn on the elliptical I started burning 750 calories daily. I managed to lose 1.4 lbs in a month, but started to become ill. Having all the signs and at times severe, of hypoglycemia. After three weeks of fearing to drive at times, I finally went to see my Dr. My normally very nice blood pressure was extremely high and she followed up with lots of blood work, a kidney workup etc. I was asked to check my blood sugars randomly and especially when feeling ill . I'll call them spells. I would tremble, feel light headed, blurred vision, rapid heart rate and overall weakness with a strong desire to EAT. This at times woke me in the middle of the night accompanied with cold sweats, feeling much like a heart attack or my impression of one. There were times at work I'd have a project in my hand and not know why, my thought process was on "hold". I was lethargic and my memory would shut down. After googling hypoglycemia I was convinced that was what I had, yet my blood sugars were always within normal ranges, my A1C (three month average of blood sugars ) was great. So more testing was ordered, I do not have the results yet, of all the tests but one thing I do know is that I had a 2 hr fasting glucose tolerance test and that was not fun. The test is simple. They check your blood upon arrival, my number fasting was at 93, then they make you drink a bottle of sweet syrup within 5 minutes, then I was SICK. Many of the same symptoms were replicated, although not all, I was near passing out, blurred vision, not even being able to focus on my Ipad. I thought I was going to vomit, defecate in my pants and maybe even stroke out. I could barely speak. and actually didn't dare to in fear I'd throw up. This lasted nearly an hour. At hour two they draw your blood again and it is suppose to be 140 or less to be in normal ranges. Mine was 56. I have done further reading and honestly never read about this prior to my surgery, but this seems to be a delayed symptom of the Gastric Sleeve. It's called Reactive Hypoglycemia. Protein and vegetables. I've added a slice of 15 grain bread or a whole wheat English muffin to my diet daily and overall do feel better. I've had a few spells, not nearly as bad as before, and no more night issues. My question is there anyone else here with the same problem? If so why had I NEVER heard of this? If someone has had this experience I have questions about whether this is temporary, will I end up gaining because i'm eating more carbs etc. Thank you in advance for your help!

I will order my powders and stop the Pure Protein. I have severe asthma as well as severe shellfish allergy. I am now concerned my recent increase with wheezing and shortness of breath instead of weather reactive could be due to the protein drink I have as meal replacement. I read on everything due to a reaction I had to a medication that had edible ink (squid ink). I contacted the manufacture and they stated it was such a small amount they were not concerned to list "if allergic to fish or shellfish do not use". I keep an epipen with me every where I go. Thanks for making your post!!!!!"

If I don't eat enough Protein I drink a protein juice drink. I like the flavor and it is from Syntrax....nector. They have some cool flavors. I also have protein meals from Blissfull Wellness. I like their hot chocolate. They range from 15 to 30 g of protein per serving. I have just found out that I am reactive Hypoglycemic so now instead of eating 4 times a day I have to try to eat 3 meals and 3 Snacks. I had no idea that I could get that but they said they did not want to tell me because why add another thing onto what I have already have..But like me I got it so they say.LOL I drink 64 oz of Water a day. Ii love water and when it gets closer to summer I will drink more....I can't handle boiled eggs. They are too dense for me so I eat scrambled. Weird to be able to eat it one way but not another. I try very hard to make food interesting and different as much as possible. I eat so many different kinds of things now. Except. Beef it hates me. Pork does not care for me either. But I eat a lot of Beans and legumes, peas, nuts and seeds like squirrels do..lol If I am shopping it takes me forever to buy food because I always look for salt content. Calories and amount of protein. Their are a lot of tasty recipes on Pinterest for salads and healthy meals that look and taste great. I never count calories and I eat very slow....I sometimes can eat more then I need and other times I can't eat much. But I put a plate together. Protein, veggies and carb and I always eat the protein first. Then the veggies and last but not least the carbs. I am a true believer that we need everything in our diets as we live in the real world. But in moderation and balance..... Hope this is what you were looking for.....

Fessie, I am hypo-thyroid also and I definitely feel your pain in how slow our weight loss can be. I have lost abt the same amount as you and am 8 weeks post op. I am just thankful to finally be losing weight. What was getting me was seeing people post 25-35 pds lost that were banded around the same time as myself. These same people were posting about eating oreo Cookies and pizza, while I was staying strictly to the band diet, portion sizes and excersing. Even in the early stages on a liquid diet I lost very little. I am over being bothered by that now and will just be thankful for my pound here and there. I started a post last week for hypothyroid bandsters you should read. Shirley54 had some very encouraging things to say and shared her slow weight loss as well.

hey guys, I've been on thyroid medication for a few years now for being hypo. I had my bloodwork done a few days ago and the doc called me and said the numbers were thru the roof and to immediately stop taking my meds. He wants me to come in after about 4 weeks for another blood test, but he said he thinks I'm going to be able to stop the medication since I have lost so much weight!!

I think that would be pretty rare. Some people develop reactive hypoglycemia (I emphasize SOME people - certainly nowhere near everyone!!), but you usually just get dizzy with that, and you can prevent that by eating something every 3-4 hours and really limiting (or avoiding) sugar. But totally passing out would be very unusual. Plus I'm not even sure her passing out is related to weight loss surgery in the first place. And like the above person said, it could be that she was dehydrated and eating way too few calories, too. Hard to say without a lot more info. edited to add that in answer to your question, no, it is not normal. If it were, we'd hear about that all the time on here. I don't even remember if I've ever heard that at all in the four (??) years I've been on this forum.

Thanks ladeedee - like you I wish there was more for vets. I have a horror of being where I was and am so aware that it's psychology as much as physiology. I get reactive hypoglycemia if I overeat sugar. It's happened more than once. That statement tells me all I need to know about sugar but I struggle to act on it. Well done you for your own stats. And maybe the key is gradually changing behaviour rather than back to the see saw. I can do 7lbs in a week intermittent fasting. But I can't sustain it. I need something for everyday that I can comfortably do! Anyway. We get to give ourselves back pat's. We're doing okay !

My thyroid blanked out on me while I was pregnant and we didn't catch it until 2 years later. I remember the end of the day feeling bone-crushingly tired. My levels have been played with and my old doctor (insert bad words here) would never listen to me. My new doctor is the best, she is young and willing to listen and help me however she can. She got my levels up to high end of normal, and she told me that she really wants me to pursue lap band because it will be hard for me to loose it on my own. She whipped up my referral right quick as soon as I said I think that's the way I should go. So far no one has said anything to me about my hypo being a problem as far as WLS is concerned. The main concern is scar tissue from 2 c-sections and a gallbladder removal and the fact that my BMI is so high that any surgery is a risk.

I'm just one person, but I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypo) and I had lapband done in Feb 2011. I had a personal trainer I worked out with for 6 months and worked out at Lifetime Fitness with him twice, sometimes three times a week, and worked out at home also. I bought a Polar to monitor my progress. I started jogging along with my walking regimen. lost 30 lbs--that's it. No more. Not one ounce, not one gram. It is September of 2012 now, and I'm still sitting at 30 pounds down. I went through intense feelings of guilt, disappointment, every negative you can think of, that was me. It still is to some degree. I am now coming out of my funk, well over a year later, and realizing that I have to live my life anyway, that I might just be fat the rest of my life; but I don't have to be out of breath all the time, and I don't have to be tired all the time, so the working out has started up again. Just be prepared, and be informed. Good luck.

For the people who have hypo what were your numbers before meds if you don't mind. Just want to know where I fall. I'm like right I'm te edge but since there is such a huge "normal" range I'm curious. I hope this all make me feel better bc right now I feel like crap. Taking my first rx sleep pill even though I've had insomnia all my life. Taking my first thyroid med tomorrow and I got an X-ray of my back and might have to start pain injections. It's nice to start gettin answers about my health and start doing something about it

Thanks ladies, I didn't touch my band at all while I was pregnant it stayed the same since I didn't have any problems during pregnancy. However I recently moved to Oklahoma from California I will be going out to Cali in November so maybe I can schedule a visit w/ my LB dr and talk about it that will be my one year mark with nursing so maybe I can get a fill then. I've been getting impatient and hate seeing my old self creep back. My baby only nurses and is eating some solids now but would it be a bad idea to do the two day liquid two day soft food thing to "reactivate" the band? And does anyone know if that works?

not my doctor! I have hypo thyroid and pcos....was banded 5/20....goodluck!

Hi. I am a diabetic and I'm not taking my meds either. I spoke to my dr about it and he said to just monitor it for two weeks then see if you still need it. Don't forget, surgery, the meds and your mental state all put stress on your body which can increase the levels. Give your body time to heal and speak to your dr about it. I was more worried that if I did have my insulin that I would have a hypo!

It really depends on your body. Sugar may cause dumping. About a year out, it's becoming more common to develop reactive hypoglycemia. If either happens, you'll be avoiding sugar. I don't have dumping so I eat things with sugar. I find I don't feel like more than a few bites and then I'm done. Not like before where I'd stuff my face on sweet stuff.

So June 18 Is my one year anniversary. Need to lose five more pounds to meet my one year goal of losing 100 pounds. Down 95 pounds from 345 to 249.8 . I have no troubles eating anything sometimes I feel like I can eat to much. Of course anything bad goes down very easily. The surgery was just a tool is still a lot of hard work and my metabolism is so slow it's taking me forever to lose this weight. But I feel I will make my goal however long it takes. I've been getting dizzy spells or almost blacking out spells this past week. Once while driving that was scary I get hot flushed jitters shaky nauseated and have to lay down. Takes about 15 minutes for it to pass. I've read other posts that this has happened to other people about a year out I think it's hypo glycemic attack. Did go to the doctors and they did test my glucose level was On the low range of normal. I don't have diabetes and it doesn't run in my family. Waiting for the thyroid tests and a few other tests to see if that'll determine anything. Cut out coffee hoping that might be the culprit as I read that has helped others. Anyone else with almost blacking out spells? I have no regrets, Love shopping love being more active bought a bike first time riding in 20 years. Hope next summer I'll be down to goal weight and skinny mini.

For those interested in learning more about why low carb works, you might check out "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. Basically, he makes a case that many obese people have a metabolic disorder that doesn't allow them to process carbs correctly. As a result, we gain weight, suffer from hypo/hyperglycemia, become insulin resistant, etc. I do more than just low carb (defined as less than 60gm of carbs per day). I also avoid grains, fruits, dairy and starchy vegetables as they have a very dramatic and immediate impact on my blood sugar. I do not have an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, but it certainly has made a difference. Not only am I now losing about 2 lb per week instead of the 'barely' 1 lb, but all of the things attributed to chronic fatigue (which I think is just a diagnosis given when they've ruled everything else out) are completely gone. Even my arthritis has lessened in intensity. .

Hi There again. I'll let Betsy speak to the malabsorption amount in RNY. All I really know is, it is a fact that there is more in RNY than there is for LAP-BAND as we absorb everything we eat :smile2: You ask what I would do? I would keep pursuing a diagnosis, that is for certain. I'd also pursue the band. This is my opinion only, of course--I have no medical training. The reason I'd choose the band over the other WLS procedures is that you are unsure of your thyroid condition. I would not want to permanently disable parts of my digestive tract. RNY -is- reversible, just not as easily as is a band. Also, RNY affects some other hormones, not sure if I'd really want that if I were already having endocrine problems. My thinking is that if you do get a band, whey you are hypo, you'll not really lose weight, you might even gain. When hyper, the band will help you with portion control and you'll lose, probably pretty quickly. Especially if you work the band properly. This is based on my hyper phase experience. I was HUNGRY. So I ate. Question for you, are the surgeons willing to do the band with the thyroid issues going on? Have you tried Armour thyroid? I've read that some people do much better converting it than the synthetic variety. Best wishes in your decision!

You aren't being a baby and I think it is general consensus that a colonoscopy is one of the more unpleasant procedures out there (as is anything that has to do with our bowels), but it really isn't that bad. Get the colonoscopy. You are so much better off to be proactive rather than reactive. I know you are worried because some pretty scary terms have been thrown at you, but it is always better to know what you are (or aren't) dealing with. Knowledge is power. Try to think about it this way - you are just ahead of some of your peers in getting the procedure, but then you will be an expert!!! Your specialist makes his bread and butter off doing this procedure, and he knows the benefit of early detection, so try to think of this a being a good, lucky thing that is happening. I kid you not - the preparation for the test is far worse than the test itself. When you get the test, they will give you a drug that will relax you and chances are you will sleep through the whole thing, or will remember very little of it. The drug (they use different ones) is administered by IV and also kind of works as a bit of an amnesiac. I remember the last time I had an endoscopy (camera down your throat rather than up your butt - hopefully a different camera - ha ha), I thought I was awake for the whole thing, but as time went on I became less and less sure of what actually happened. I will warn you that the preparation is really, really, really yucky. You have to drink this really awful stuff (recommendation: drink it with something really strongly flavored like cranberry juice - have the juice as cold as it can be), and then be prepared to stay really close to the bathroom for the next 8 hours. If I remember correctly they make you drink it again in the morning (I tried to block it out). Make sure you have some baby powder and really soft tissue available!! I can't remember for sure, but you also won't be able to eat solids for a day or two before the test. They need your bowel to be as clear as possible. During the procedure, they will have you lay on your side and they slip in a tube with the camera the length of your large intestine (colon), about 6 feet, they then draw it slowly out and can see everything on the way out. They can detect polyps, growths and other disease and can often treat at the same time. Once you are done, you have to stay for as long as it takes you to wake up. You will need a ride as you will be impaired by the drugs, but there really isn't significant pain afterwards. I know that this scary (terrifying really), but again, I firmly believe when you have the correct information, you can deal with the reality, whatever it is. Try not to get too stressed out over the rare possibilitites - easier said than done, I know. Right now you are in a position of worrying and wondering - in short the place where nightmares begin. Be good to yourself and make sure you have someone you can talk to to help you get through this. If you want to pm me - I would be more than happy to help in any way you think I can. Here is something to think about while waiting: In this strange world, who on earth grows up dreaming of looking up people's butts for a living? Can you imagine talking to people about their bowel movements all day every day? I mean did he like playing with poop as a child? When did intestines become fascinating and exotic? I always wanted to ask my colorectal sugeon what drew him to this specialty - I am not sure enough of myself (or his sense of humor) to do it though Maybe one day I will be brave enough...........(or maybe not) Jacquie

I am hypo - mom was hyper and had to ahve her thyroid removed. I have seen a dr. who does not believe in the standard guidelines for hypo and hyper meaning that with meds I was considered normal (borderline)but had all the symptoms of still being hypo. He changed my meds and I feel so much better. I guess my point is that if you are borderline, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you start feeling a rapid heartbeat or feel really hyperactive then I'd get it rechecked. My mom was a basketcase when she was hyper - ate whole apples pies adn was a bean pole too! Didn't make me happy since I've always had a weight issue! By the wasy the doctor I saw is an MD, but practices functional and intergrated medicine. He's really helped me a lot with some other medical issues too. Good Luck!

They can be caused by reactive hypoglycemia, which I have found is common in WLS patients that are 18+ months out. Mine are not menopause (hysterectomy 5 yrs ago) and the docs did a bunch of tests to rule out cancer. I final started tweaking my diet and have figured out how to get rid if them.

Hi meggiep! Glad you mention it's coumadin...whole different animal. When it comes to razor cuts, there is no way to assess how superficial the cut is until we see the patient in the ER. If I were you I would tell your friend to go to his PCP and have his PT/PTT times checked (coagulation times). There is a possibility that he may have to have his dose adjusted. Just a thought. Remember...preventive medicine always beats reactive medicine!!! Best,