Emotional Mood Swings Post-op

[alli.wakefield 16]

My husband and I both had surgery November 15 so we are seven weeks post op. Things have been going smoothly, about as expected. We are both hitting water/protein goals and losing steadily. However, something weird has started and I’m wondering if anyone else has experience with this.

My husband (26yr) came home from work yesterday and had an emotional breakdown. Full on ‘crying, doomsday, all hope is lost’ breakdown. My hubby isn’t the crying type, in fact, it’s pretty difficult to get an emotional response out of him at all, ever. So naturally, it kinda freaked me out. I started quizzing him with questions to try and find out where this is coming from but he insists that he isn’t overwhelmed at work, our home life is stable and he isn’t having any other emotional trauma right now. So I’m wondering, is this a side effect of losing extreme amounts of weight quickly? He’s lost 55 pounds since starting the pre-op diet and has lost 70 overall with the supervised diet for insurance requirements. And if anyone has experienced or heard of this, does it level out as the weight loss slows or could this be his natural hormone levels coming out and maybe he should seek medical advice?

[DK 39]

Hi. I have been experiencing this also. I'm not having complete emotional breakdowns, but I have been crying more frequently. I am planning on talking with the doctor at my next appointment. I don't think it would hurt to talk with the doctor about it. For me I think I'm just emotionally overwhelmed with so many changes going on. Perhaps it could be something like that. The place I had my surgery done at has a counselor on staff that I might be meeting with. See if that's something the doctor would recommend it may be helpful.

[glomom23 10]

My husband and I both had surgery November 15 so we are seven weeks post op. Things have been going smoothly, about as expected. We are both hitting water/protein goals and losing steadily. However, something weird has started and I’m wondering if anyone else has experience with this.

My husband (26yr) came home from work yesterday and had an emotional breakdown. Full on ‘crying, doomsday, all hope is lost’ breakdown. My hubby isn’t the crying type, in fact, it’s pretty difficult to get an emotional response out of him at all, ever. So naturally, it kinda freaked me out. I started quizzing him with questions to try and find out where this is coming from but he insists that he isn’t overwhelmed at work, our home life is stable and he isn’t having any other emotional trauma right now. So I’m wondering, is this a side effect of losing extreme amounts of weight quickly? He’s lost 55 pounds since starting the pre-op diet and has lost 70 overall with the supervised diet for insurance requirements. And if anyone has experienced or heard of this, does it level out as the weight loss slows or could this be his natural hormone levels coming out and maybe he should seek medical advice?

I am a very emotional person who enjoys a good cry but I wasn’t ready for the emotional outburst I have my first week post op. Sleeved on 18 Dec. I was bawling like a baby because I didn’t like the number on my scale!
Have spoken with my dietician and she has reassured me I am doing great and not to over focus on what my scale says. She also suggested only weighing 2x a week instead of daily.

[alli.wakefield 16]

1 hour ago, DK said:

Hi. I have been experiencing this also. I'm not having complete emotional breakdowns, but I have been crying more frequently. I am planning on talking with the doctor at my next appointment. I don't think it would hurt to talk with the doctor about it. For me I think I'm just emotionally overwhelmed with so many changes going on. Perhaps it could be something like that. The place I had my surgery done at has a counselor on staff that I might be meeting with. See if that's something the doctor would recommend it may be helpful.

We don't meet with the surgeon again until three months post op, so about another month from now. Maybe it's worth the call to the office though and see what the surgeon's medical assistant says about it...

[_Kate_ 2,224]

I had a few emotional breakdowns in the first few months after surgery. Maybe it’s a mental reaction or perhaps a physical one, hormones raging like crazy. It will pass, lots go through it. You have both done really well !

[sc09 95]

My surgeon and girly dr both told me that hormones are stored in fat and when we start loosing weight quickly all the hormones from the lost fat floods the system. I had emotional break downs and horrible horrible anger out bursts. I'd be happy one moment and wanting to kills someone the next and then crying about it 30 minute later. From conversations with both dr.'s it's pretty common and you just have to ride it out till it evens out. I'm 8 months out now and it's gotten way better. Good luck on your journey!!

[Creekimp13 5,838]

My doc said in a pre-surg seminar that about once a week someone bursts into tears at the hospital and says they wish they hadn't had surgery. LOL. It can be emotional, stressful, scary...for a lot of folks.

[sc09 95]

10 minutes ago, Creekimp13 said:

My doc said in a pre-surg seminar that about once a week someone bursts into tears at the hospital and says they wish they hadn't had surgery. LOL. It can be emotional, stressful, scary...for a lot of folks.

Oh the day after my surgery when they took me to do the leak test I got nauseated and threw up and then lost it and started crying saying "why did I do this to myself" over and over. My poor husband had no clue what to do and ran and got the nurse who I heard telling him "buyers remorse is normal" as they were walking in the room.

[alli.wakefield 16]

1 hour ago, sc09 said:

My surgeon and girly dr both told me that hormones are stored in fat and when we start loosing weight quickly all the hormones from the lost fat floods the system. I had emotional break downs and horrible horrible anger out bursts. I'd be happy one moment and wanting to kills someone the next and then crying about it 30 minute later. From conversations with both dr.'s it's pretty common and you just have to ride it out till it evens out. I'm 8 months out now and it's gotten way better. Good luck on your journey!!

Ah, thank you! This gives me some hope for the future! I think a large part of his worry is that he can't control the emotions which just seem to make him more emotional! LOL I am certainly an emotional person, a cute commercial can have me tearing up, but I haven't felt anything out of the ordinary lately...

I know my surgeon once mentioned to me that the main reason he wanted me off my birth control pill prior to surgery is because I already had excess estrogen stored in my belly fat and he wanted to lower my levels as much as possible to help prevent blood clots post-op. My husband carries his weight primarily in his belly, so maybe he has excess estrogen that's getting released as he loses the belly?? Haha, I don't know but I hope his emotions level out soon, mostly, because I hate to see him stressed about feeling out of control of his emotions.

[sc09 95]

@alli.wakefield I'm the same way. That apple commercial that came on last Christmas made me cry every time and that was prior to my surgery. I cried way more after surgery but it's leveled out now. I don't bust out crying for no reason or snapping heads off while at work either. Which makes everyone here more comfortable. LOL