Hi everyone, I know that most men refuse to talk about feelings but I need to know if this is normal. I had the VSG 3 1/2 months ago. I've lost a lot of weight and was really happy about it. Now I'm going through some pretty extreme emotional mood swings. My feelings get hurt at the drop of a hat. I've really been feeling sad, lonely, and depressed. Is anyone else going through this? Do you know if there's anything that can be done to help?

I think therapy would help a lot!

Thanks and I agree but what I'm wondering is if this might be a physical side effect.

I was depressed pre-surgery and still am 22 months post-op. But I had some wild mood swings that 1st month post-op. My 1st week post-op, I was pissed at the world and wanted to fight everyone. Fortunately, I was stuck in the house and I live alone! :-)

Thank you, that's very helpful as it sounds a lot like what I'm experiencing. You say that you're still depressed, I hope it gets better for both of us.

I think it'd be more unusual to go through everything we do and NOT have some non-physical changes like you described.

I'm not psychologist, but this is how I see it....food was (and is) part of what defined us to ourselves and others. It gave us comfort, was part of our identity, etc. Whether you were the big guy who smoked racks and racks of ribs for, like four people (my hand up for that one), or the guy who cooks huge meals for others (ditto) or who uses treats as rewards (ditt....oh, crap ), your old relationship with food is part of your relationship with yourself.

So, that's one part of it.

The second part, at least for me, was that suddenly, I was wearing clothes I couldn't have fit in in high school, twenty years ago. You can't go through that kind of change without wondering whether down is up, up is down, or what's normal anymore.

People treat you differently. There's praise, there's watchful eyes, there's snide comments. I lost one of my best friends because of the surgery. He just went full d-bag on me. Why? Dunno. His problem. But it all contributed to a lot of mental work I had to get through myself.

Therapy is great. Self-therapy in healthy ways, like running, lifting, or even for me long hikes can help. I took up running, and it's a good way to refocus and get your mood swings and emotions out there. No harm in talking to someone about any of it. TOTALLY. NORMAL.

It kind of feels like going through puberty again. I'm not sad or particularly angry, but I am on edge and "amped up". I want to drive fast and challenge strangers to arm wrestling contests. The whole thing feels strange. There are a lot of hormones stored in fat and as you're losing they flood your system. Your body attempts to compensate and next thing you know you're all out of whack. It's helped me considerably to just sit down for a minute, and mentally go through the physiological processes that are taking place. I've found that once I go through it in my own mind the feelings taper off for a little while. For now it's tolerable, but if I find myself looking to buy a Camaro or wearing a Jethro Tull t-shirt I'm calling the headshrinker ASAP.

Thanks and I agree but what I'm wondering is if this might be a physical side effect.

If you think this might be a physical side effect, you might want to call your surgeon. Best wishes!

All good information and advise, thanks. I wouldn't say it makes me feel better to know some of you are going through it too, but it does help to know I'm not alone in this which means it must be normal.

I'm sorry about your friend Jeff. I kind of feel like I might be driving some of mine away too.

Prior to my sleeve surgery, I was post-stroke (which was my main "last straw", because I did not want another one). Right away with my first visit with my bariatric physician, she changed my anxiety / depression med from Certraline to Wellbutrin.

For the most part my mood is stable, but I told the doc (at around three months) that I was starting to feel overwhelmed with all of this weighing, measuring, tracking and denying myselfing the pleasure of my old food habits and flavors, she doubled the dose of my Wellbutrin and then took a couple of other meds away.

I also told my dear sweat BF that if I started to get snarky and unkind, then he should ask my daughters to come pick me up and put me in a nursing home. But you know what? When my anxiety cranks up, he just holds me and tells me that everything will be alright.

You are here in the right right place for venting your feelings. And no, you are not the only one to go through emotional growth as your health changes and improves. I wish you good luck and good health.

I've read some research that indicates that a very low carb diet can contribute to depression

Amazing. .. i just found this site about an hour ago and joined. Already so many caring people have shared support. Miss Mac you've got a good guy there.

You are welcome here and we are a bit like an extended family. Keep reading and posting!

I forgot to mention that we have tons of neurons in our gut, not just our brain. These neurons also help keep the neurotransmitters in balance. With the surgery, we just had a bunch wicked out. Also, a lot of estrogen is stored in fat cells and gets released as those cells decrease in size. Many of us are sensitive to estrogen and it increases depression.

I am with you in feeling some of the emotional roller coaster.

Hi everyone, I know that most men refuse to talk about feelings but I need to know if this is normal. I had the VSG 3 1/2 months ago. I've lost a lot of weight and was really happy about it. Now I'm going through some pretty extreme emotional mood swings. My feelings get hurt at the drop of a hat. I've really been feeling sad, lonely, and depressed. Is anyone else going through this? Do you know if there's anything that can be done to help?

Dwayne, I'm curious to know if you had bouts of depression before surgery. I've had seasonal affective disorder my whole life and wasn't finally diagnosed and properly medicated for BP II until my 30s. I had heard that depression can be heightened after surgery and read this book before surgery and twice after. I found it very helpful.

Find a reputable psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist near you and go talk it out and try to keep your mind open. You may be offered medication which you may or may not want, but from personal experience, I have found that my meds stabilize my mood so there are less ups and downs and the ups and downs become less frequent and less severe. I recommend skipping the psychologist because you can get the same talk from a psychiatrist with the added benefit of not having to go to a new doctor and tell your life story all over again should your psychologist suggest you go on meds or you choose to. Don't forget, meds don't have to be for life and you don't have to feel all over the place.

I wish you peace.