This is the go to place for quick answers to my questions, can someone shed some light on this issue.

I've noticed some post-op patients have experienced depression and mood swings and this made me nervous.

Does everyone go through mood swings/mental changes after surgery? If so, why?

For those that did experience these changes, did you see a therapist post surgery?

For those who have NOT experienced mood swings/depression, why not you?

Thanks for your responses.

It is your body.Tell them that if they don't help out you will try doing it on your own. They don't like that. Of course if you violent when are off then stay on.

Well, i was never a violent person. That is not the reason for me taking an anti depressant. I was a depressed and anxious person before starting on the medication, but not anymore as I explained in my last post above. I will think about next steps some more considering the medical professionals are not being that helpful.

Actually mood swings are to be expected. When your body loses fat, a ton of hormones are released. And especially with rapid weight loss like you get with the sleeve, the emotional swings can be especially dramatic.

It's very important to prepare yourself for these mood changes the first 6 months or so. Things will eventually return to normal, but it can be tough. Hang in there and use this forum and the rest if your support system

I'm sleeping a stuttering 6-7 hours and waking up tired. it's really getting on my nerves because i used to LOVE sleep. It recharged my batteries and sometimes I'd lay in bed on the weekend just to enjoy the feeling. Now it just feels like it's an opportunity for me to play the tape of what did i do to myself. I JUST WANT TO SLEEP

Don't kick the dogs.... I'm getting nervous, now I don't know what to expect.

Actually mood swings are to be expected. When your body loses fat, a ton of hormones are released. And especially with rapid weight loss like you get with the sleeve, the emotional swings can be especially dramatic.

It's very important to prepare yourself for these mood changes the first 6 months or so. Things will eventually return to normal, but it can be tough. Hang in there and use this forum and the rest if your support system

I will thanks.

I am 6 days to surgery and very emotional. Excited, scared. I have always been afraid of addiction and I know lots of people who are addicted to all sorts of things. My addiction is food, of course. I find that I am eating more thinking " this is the last time, and what will I do when I don't have that whole comfort and calm that is instant relief". Ha but I know that I know the comfort is only for a little while and the thing that was bothering you still needs to be addressed. I know that the learning to cope without food is a process, just like becoming dependent on food was a process.

New tools to learn. Keeping my hands busy during stress? I am so glad to be able to come here and use the keyboard! Maybe I can learn a new hobby? hmmm ( yeah, eating very sneakily became mine) And maybe I will feel like MOVING more often in the evenings. I am on my feet all day at work but when my back stops hurting and joints stop hurting.....ohhhh what a day!

There is so much good to look forward too! Thanks for listening fellow sleevers and if I ramble b/c of the anticipation, at least I'm not shoving food in my mouth! lol

How do you get off them?

I have been on current Citalopram 40 mg for about 13 months. Before starting citalopram I REALLY needed it for depression and anxiety. My eating habits and fitness levels generally sucked and I was an emotional eater. I have a hypothesis that my eating patterns back then really messed with my headspace.

I managed pretty good between start of Citalopram and surgery. I cannot deny it was helping me back then.

As my eating and fitness patterns changed after surgery my mood skyrocketed. I feel great almost all the time' date=' especially after running. I asked both my PCP and psychiatrist about getting off them, but they do not want me regressing to pre 13 months. They pretty much did not want to change anything that would jeopardize my current mental state and did not want to consider that losing weight, improving eating habits, improving fitness levels have done a better job then the Citalopram. I don't know how much the citalopram pills are still helping me because things considerable improved since my surgery 7 months ago. A lot. More then a lot!

Major reason I want to get off it is because of impact on libido, as true with all SSRIs. And it is two additional pills that I need to take daily and refill every month. It would be nice to take care of all those issues.

Any advice?[/quote']

I'm not a doc- nor do I play one on TV take my 'advice' as more of a this is what worked for my ex husband. Is citalopram a capsule? My ex was on Effexor. The withdrawal symptoms are insane- there are some people online that say its worse than cocaine or heroin! He was on 150 mg. Each day he would lower his dose slightly. There were 150 beads in the lovely little pill and he would slowly take them out. He did this over a 6 week time period. The last week he went from 7-1 mg. and then quit. He had some minor withdrawal symptoms the first week, but he was able to handle them.

That is how he did it himself.

That being said- he needed the drugs. No amount of my convincing was going to help him see that and he did what he wanted. I do however totally understand where you are at. I feel very similar to you that a lot of my un-medicated depression stemmed from bad habits and lifestyle pre-surgery. I feel like a whole new person now.

I'm not a doc- nor do I play one on TV take my 'advice' as more of a this is what worked for my ex husband. Is citalopram a capsule? My ex was on Effexor. The withdrawal symptoms are insane- there are some people online that say its worse than cocaine or heroin! He was on 150 mg. Each day he would lower his dose slightly. There were 150 beads in the lovely little pill and he would slowly take them out. He did this over a 6 week time period. The last week he went from 7-1 mg. and then quit. He had some minor withdrawal symptoms the first week' date=' but he was able to handle them.

That is how he did it himself.

That being said- he needed the drugs. No amount of my convincing was going to help him see that and he did what he wanted. I do however totally understand where you are at. I feel very similar to you that a lot of my un-medicated depression stemmed from bad habits and lifestyle pre-surgery. I feel like a whole new person now.[/quote']

Thanks for taking the time to respond. A lot of good information here.

No problem! Hope I could help

I appreciate this thread so much. Post op I'm having a hard time adjusting and its comforting to know I'm not the only one and it should get better

I hope everyone does well and gets better soon too, I'm 5 months post surgery and struggling with depression, I'm always on the defense and very bad mood swings :-(