My gf had the gby in 2007.
I soon noticed that something more than her digestion had changed.
She in a way became more "absent". Hard to explain but her personality changed: Not keen on life around her as before. Not as strong in her mind and will as before...
In months things got worse. She started to loose focus; could stop in the middle of a conversation not remembering what we were talking about. Started to loose her way on familiar roads. Started to slip things out of her hand, while carrying it.
After a year or so I noticed that her mathematic sense hat gone bad. Also her handwriting - which had earlier been one of the best - changed to "doctors writing", say hard to read at all.
In 2010 she started to faint, or... In the middle of a conversation she could flip to absense. Like she wasn't there at all, and it could last for only seconds but also for minutes or even for hours. Sometimes she fell to the ground, other times she just sat down and stayed absent until the attac had gone.
At this point I started to keep book on the "events". When did she drop Things? When did she have vision disturbances? When did she loose track on time?
Also she developed sensory distrubances. She lost capability og figuring out weather something was warm or cold, humid or dry.
Today my gf can't spell. She very often has a hard time remembering simple words and she can hardly finish a conversation about the weather.
Often her vision is bad, like she turns blind on her left eye. Daily she has the shakes like an old drug adict. Minor events like loud noises makes her really scared and on top of it all: her hair and skin has turned 30 years older in those 7 years past surgery.
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As you (hence my spelling) might have guessed, I'm from abroad. In europe NO ONE hardly ever discuss the late complications after gastric surgery. Possibly because of the big money involved (?) but I really would like to ask if anyone else has noticed neurologic changes after the surgery?
It is a well known fact that gby can cause neutritional defiancies, and it's an other well known fact that just 20 days of Vitamin B defiancy can cause irreversible neurological defects. Still, it seems like it's the mistery of all times that gby could cause any symptomes like those of my girlfriends.
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Most important might be to stress, that my gf has almost no feelenig of all those issues I mention above... Sure she agrees that her skin and hair has changed, and eventually she get frustrated that she can't find the Words in a conversation or her own way home after a short walk, but all in all she just doesn't remember, that she was ever any different!

But how about you? Have any of you any experience of neurologic disabilities? Did someone near you change personality after surgery?
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Please excuse for my bad spelling, but let me know, if any of you have any experience - and even better; if anyone knows how to stop Things from getting even worse.
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Kind regards Mogens

I'm only 15 days it off surgery but noticed already that I am very emotional and feel as though I am slipping into a depression and having panic attacks.

I have had blood work done just 7 days out of surgery and will have it again in 15 more days from today to ensure that my vitamins and minerals are at correct levels. So far in my first blood work that came back my alt/spgp levels were high which is your liver enzyme. Which is a sign of liver failure or hepatitis neither of which I was having before the surgery. So telling me that and telling me to wait to the end of the month for more blood work to ensure its ok our messed up that is crazy.

Did your doctor's keep an eye out for here minerals and vitamins monthly as here in Atlanta, GA?

Depends on the doctor. Here is what I've seen: some will and some will have you do extra testing with the PCP, some will do it themselves. It just all depends. There is no rhyme or reason.

I guess that is true every doctor is different. I guess that is why when going into this research is really important as to whom does your surgery. I know I did allot of research before signing up with a group of doctors about follow up care and what all was expected. At emory university is where I had my surgery done so far they have been great the hardest thing is they are not close to me at all so just to run to them is not always easy for me but that is why I made sure that family doctor was in on every step of this also. I follow-up with my family doctor for most of blood work and so far so good on getting the care and support I need from my doctors. Also emory offers a patient portal where you can message your doctors and they are very quick about getting back to you. The only problem I face so far is my liver enzymes being high which ain't great but just going that is due to my surgery was only 9 days when that blood work was done. Last night was the only time I felt the dumping syndrome they tell us about and it was all my fault didn't realize that someone who prepared a meal for me cooked it in processes oils and it made me very sick. But was over it within an hour and back to feeling ok. My intestines feel as though they are rolling or should say things rolling through themwhich feels weird. From time to time have severe chest pain mainly when trying to do any of the protein drinks or cold stuff.

Also been feeling depressed but learned a long time ago that if you can recognize it by yourself you can usually pull through it so I'm trying to get it off the house more even though my cuts arr still painful when I am very active

Seven years ago Danish doctors didn't care too much about blood Work after bariatric surgery.
My Girlfriend had a test in the early days after, and then Again three months out, but they didn't even bother to perform a full scale tast soo...
Until 2012 the Danish Health society standard only required testing for a few Vitamin and minerals. Some doctors are now starting to talk about possible serious (neurologic) conditions due to malnutrition after bariatric surgery, but it is still very hard to find someone hwo will perform full scale blood Work - that is until you are already in a serious condition, and then damage might have been done.

Dear dml32276

My girlfriend has been seeing neurologists for a couple of years now.
Every test performed on her showed that her left side was visibly weakened. Her vision and her

sensory abilities was in some ways malfunctioning. Anyway she’s only been told that there could be more than a dozen explanations for the matter and the advises has been to start doing some more exercises and “look at the bright sides of life”…
Only last month a German neurologist stated that her symptoms – beyond any reasonable doubt – were related to her continued malnutritional state. Next week she will start on a full screen Vitamin B infusion on a daily basis. After 14 days she will be lowered to an infusion every fortnight. All the way she will have to perform some cognitive tests and hopefully we will end up with a prove, that the cure works. J


Regarding your state of health; feeling depressed is a quite natural effect of the things you have had done to your body.
Especially your adrenals - which is responsible for a lot of your body’s production of hormones (estrogen included) – has completely changed supplies of nutrition. In popular terms your body is at the moment passing through an artificial menopause so no wonder if it’s a bit sad.

Dear Swimbikerun.
Thank you for your links. I'll spend my sunday looking into it.

You are most welcome. I'm very shocked and outraged that some of the Facebook groups, when confronted with how aftercare is, how some doctors are, are trying to put down the patient(s) rather than asking how they would feel in that position?

Thank you to Alex Brecher for letting us be honest about the good and bad so we can all have knowledge that helps us to make the best experience and outcome for each patient as possible!

Dear Swimbikerun.
Thank you for your links. I'll spend my sunday looking into it.

Morgens,

I am glad they are finally taking the Vitamin B serious. I sincerely hope it helps. Please help her take all the Vitamins and have a high Protein diet.

Good Luck