Potential Side Effects list

[Mr-Smith 7]

After reading up on the sleeve for several months I have been listing the potential side effects. Is this list complete or do I need to be concerned about anything else?

• Weight Loss
• Too much weight Loss
• Feeling cold all the time
• Chronic GERD
• Strictures
• Leaks
• Calcium deficiencies
• Iron deficiencies
• Can't take slow release drugs (Opinions Vary)
• No Aspirin (Opinions vary but anecdotal, it's not an issue)
• Issues from Surgery
• Twisting up the sleeve (There is a technical term for this but I don't recall it)
• Possible dumping
• Food tolerance issues
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Hair loss that grows back
• gall bladder issues
• Chronic fatigue until fully recovered
• During weight loss, elevated Estrogen levels. For women a higher risk of pregnancy, for men, well we get grumpy
• Lactose Intolerance
• B12 deficiency (must supplement)
• A new wardrobe (no small expense)

Yes, I know being obese comes with risks as well. Most of this is manageable but the GERD and feeling cold concern me.

[kellyw74 258]

Just so you know, there aren't ANY drugs that you can not take with the sleeve. I take slow released drugs and do fine with them. The bypass restricts medications you can take. My dr. told me that there are NOT any pills that are restricted with the sleeve long term.

Being cold sucks, but it comes and goes.

Kelly

[mjb123 3]

That is a pretty good list. Keep in mind...... The only thing on that list that has effected me is..... weight loss. I like to think that the people who have this surgery don't experience any of that like me and that we are a majority! Nothing else has bothered me at all. But it is good that you are making yourself aware of all the bad stuff...... but in my opinion, that bad stuff wouldn't ever stop me from making the decision to have the surgery a thousand times over again!

One bad thing you may want to add.

- you will have to throw away or give away all of your clothes on the way down!

Good Luck!

[longer-life 139]

I love the list.

The "no aspirin" & "no slow release" have been addressed. I wonder if there is a consensus among all surgeons when it comes to this.

I had to have gallbladder surgery after losing 50 pounds very slowly on Weight Watchers, so I guess that one applies to all weight loss.

Aren't all thin people always cold? (My old coworkers loved placing their freezing hands on my cheeks to show me how cold they were. )

I hope someone elaborate on the nutritional deficiencies and the Iron & Calcium deficiencies.

[peanut 0]

I do stay colder now but as far as the deficiencies as long as

U take ur Vitamins and eat ur Protein and keep ur levels

Checked u should be fine

[Catracks 865]

Feeling cold is so much better than me being fat ans=d not being able to tolerate the heat of a California summer anymore. I used to always be outside. Now I huddle inside with the A/C on.

[Foxbins 625]

Re: feeling cold. I was FREEZING the first six months. Now, I'm not! Somehow, the thermal regulation switch got reset and I'm not bundled up like Nanook of the North anymore. I am waiting for ski season to find out if I am going to get colder than I did when I was fat.

As far as the rest of your list, I only have the hair loss that grows back so far. I am taking Calcium supplements because osteoporosis runs in my family and I'm post-menopausal, but I took them before surgery. I am taking Iron supplements because I gave blood twice after surgery (the Red Cross had me on speed dial, I think) and I can't eat enough to bring my Iron stores back up through food. My GP scolded me and said no more blood donations...

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Two potential side effects - one applies to women

1) You will need to supplement Vitamin B12

2) women's hormone levels go a little nutty during the rapid weight loss phase, because fat cells store estrogen and it gets dumped into the blood stream. This can cause disruptions in cycles and some puberty like symptoms - but this tempers after a few months. I don't know about guys hormones.

[ldydrgnkpr 49]

My labs after 6 months came back excellent. (PCP ordered labs for her record) As for being cold, I was a cold fat girl now I'm a cold (medium?) girl. Stricture, no. No ill side effects as far as I can tell. I feel GREAT! food tolerence issues- I do find I can not tolerate sweets. So to me that is a plus. I have no issues with any OTC pain meds. I sleep better now than I did 8 months ago. I will see my surgeon in October so we will see what he thinks.

Deb

[skinnyb2012 2]

I have only had a couple of side effects, the GERD is bad but with medicine it is so much better. The pain when healing and the fatigue but that goes away after about a month.....

I wish I felt cold, down 54lbs and still hot all the time!!!!! Lol.

[peacequeen 434]

To any of you experts...I wear a hormone patch, will I be able to wear it after surgery? I guess I don't understand how the meds work. I take a bit of medication so I'm trying to learn what I can.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

-I was told to double up on birth control....and I am into menopause! Doc said with all the estrogen dumping out of the fat, it is much easier to get pregnant. It is better NOT to get pregnant until you have lost all your weight and have stabilized a bit.

-You can have problems with Calcium because when you reduce the weight bearing properties of being fat, you lose some bone density. If you take PCPs you have a harder time keeping and/or putting on more calcium because much of calcium need an acid environment to be absorbed...thats why we take calcium citrate. Also If you take Iron pills or have iron in your multies, this inhibits calcium absorption... so take them at least two hours apart.

-You lose much of your production of intrinsic factor, which allows you to utilize B12...thats why you need to take sub lingual tabs.

[Tiffykins 672]

• Weight Loss
• Too much weight Loss
• Feeling cold all the time - was temporary only through the rapid weight loss phase. My body was in maintenance through the winter, minus 140lbs, I'm pretty sure it's okay to get cold easier considering I was half the woman I was pre-op
• Chronic GERD Take PPI never have refulx
• Strictures Only a 2% risk of this occurring(should be lower with an experienced surgeon)
• Leaks 1% or less risk
• Calcium deficiencies Taking the proper Calcium supplement is essential, just like taking proper, high-quality adult multi-vitamins ensure this doesn't happen. Citrate is your best option
• Iron deficiencies not necessary, not common if anemia is not an issue pre-op. Multi with Iron helps to keep levels normal
• Can't take slow release drugs Incorrect, there are zero medication restrictions with the sleeve
• No Aspirin Absolutely false, I take a baby aspirin every day and will for the rest of my life due to a rare, genetic clotting disorder, and aspirin therapy is the only treatment
• Issues from Surgery Could occur with any anesthesia procedure
• Twisting up the sleeve (There is a technical term for this but I don't recall it) Unsure of this condition would need to know medical terminology to reply intelligently
• Possible dumping reactive hypoglycemia is more common and is often confused with dumping, transit time has been studied some doctors believe transit time can effect dumping/hypoglycemia, others disagree
• Food tolerance issues Very minimal and usually resolve the further out you are from surgery
• Nutritional deficiencies Only if you do not take care of yourself and do not make good food choices
• Hair loss that grows back True
• gall bladder issues Ehhh can happen to anyone after weight loss, I lost mine at 8 months post-VSG
• Chronic fatigue until fully recovered Can be avoided with proper Fluid, Vitamin, Protein intake. I napped a couple of times a day for the first month or so, but I had complications related to my revision from the band.

B12 must be taken sublingually or by injection due to the intrinsic factor of the stomach being removed with the VSG. Lactose intolerance, or whey intolerance can occur making Protein Drinks limited. That's all I can think of at this point.

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Another positive side effect - I find myself smiling a LOT more.

[ranoodle 6]

Great information everyone. Thank you.