Hi Everyone,

i had my sleeve done approx 3 years ago. I lost soooo much weight very quickly & went from 94kg down to 59kg within about 5 months. My weight stabilised at 62kg & I lived quite happily for the next few years. The only issues I had were significant (I'd say 70%) hair loss which has still not returned and reflux/nausea.

If I drink alcohol I get so sick. I start sweating and feel like I'm going to vomit. So I have had to give that up too but it's not a problem.

Over the last 6 months I have gained about 12kg. I constantly feel like my stomach is in my throat & keep eating food to push the stomach back down. I even get up at night and eat. I get a bit of reprieve from the symptoms then it happens again so I eat more. I also feel like eating settles my stomach. Water is so hard for me to drink that on days when I force myself to drink nothing but water, I'll be lucky to get a 750ml bottle down. I find diluted juice is okay & for some reason I can drink more of this.

I feel like such a failure. The weight gain has made me severely depressed. I don't want to leave the house because no clothes fit me and I feel like a massive failure. Even though I am still 20kglighter than when I had the sleeve, my body image is worse now than it was before.

I feel like there is no hope & no use trying anything else.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms?

I haven't regained much weight since having the VSG in August of 2015, but I can relate to feeling severely depressed and like a major failure. I squandered much of the earlier years of my youth being miserable about my weight, and so self-conscious I became a bit of a hermit. I declined social invitations because I had nothing to wear. I now waste time feeling angry at myself and regretful for having wasting time earlier on, even though I realize how counterproductive that cycle of thinking is. I try to remember that quote about how success is not final, failure is not fatal, it's the courage to continue that counts.

Have you discussed this with your surgeon, or even just with your general physician? It might be wise to get some blood work done, including having your hormone levels checked, if you haven't done so recently. It's possible there's an underlying medical condition that is contributing to your cravings and could be treated. I have PCOS and hypothyroidism, but was not on the proper medication for it for a long time. I was taking far too high of a dose of one medication (Spiro) that was causing weight gain. PCOS itself was making me crave carbs. Since starting Metformin I broke a long stall and lost the final amount of weight to reach my goal. It caused unpleasant side effects (nausea, insomnia) at first, but then once I was acclimated to it I no longer had any problems. I also am taking a really low dose of Wellbutrin. I've found that it helps me with depression, as well as helping to curb my appetite a little. A higher dose made me more jittery and caused weight loss, but the lowest dose has still been effective.

Maybe something like sugar free popsicles could help you to prevent dehydration when you're having a hard time getting enough water. In my first couple of months post-op plain water would make me nauseous, so I drank a lot of sugar free lemonade and Crystal Light. Peppermint might help to settle your stomach, too.

Best wishes!

@Ba02

You could be suffering from GERD or you might have a hital hernia. You need to see a DR ASAP.

I agree that you need to consult your doctor. There could be something treatable going on and you could lose the weight again.

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I feel like such a failure. The weight gain has made me severely depressed

The only way you are a failure is if you completely give up and don't bother to seek improvement. I suspect that if you truly felt there was no hope, you would not have even bothered posting this topic. I would say you are most definitely NOT a failure. You have had a setback. It happens to all of us.

Talk to your doctor. Maybe you need an EGD. It could be a simple fixable issue.

What's an EGD?