Hi BariPals, I’m 3.5 weeks post op and that wiped out, low energy stage is still with me. Wondering when energy usually kicks back in? I’m getting my protein & fluids in, averaging 600-700 cal daily. I walk 1.5 miles daily but/and have little energy for much of anything else. Do you remember when your energy returned? Thanks!

I am at nearly three weeks post op, so far I haven't experienced any lack of energy or fatigue...it is early days though. To be fair I haven't been doing anything really energetic other than walking loops around the house and garden/ or walking on the treadmill at a lowish pace. I am back to work today, I will see how the energy levels are at the end of the week.

It does get better @Lily66 but I still have bad days with my low blood pressure. I always had a tendency to low BP but post surgery it became multiple times a day of dizziness & vision diminishing. I also suffer from randomly blocked ears (like you may get going up or down a mountain range or flying). Nothing fixes it, you just have to wait for it to pass.

I also suffer from reoccurring vertigo virus - room spinning & nausea. I had a bad attack two days ago & a light one last night.

I’ve now been diagnosed with Gilbert’s Syndrome & I think this explains a lot about my inability to undertake strenuous activities (dramatic drop in BP & blood sugars, sudden muscle weakness, ...)

My energy levels are generally back to normal.

@biginjapan Sounds like your BP is dropping. Does it happen after you get up after sitting or reclining for a while? I’d try to find some non constipating iron tablets (we don’t need more of that) & vitamin B tablets to give you a boost. And then as soon as it’s safe again see you doctor & get some bloods done. Maybe reduce your daily walk for a little while too until your energy levels are higher & you’re At the eating solid foods stage. My surgeon said no physical activity to at least week 5 except for a gentle stroll around your house/garden or down the block & back. Remember you are still healing.

Go slowly & find the pace that works for you.

14 hours ago, Lily66 said:

Prayers for you @biginjapan that you’re feeling stronger/stable soon! Maybe our dark circles are fat loss under the very thin skin of the eye area? Hmm. Not sure.

I am trying to do light chores around the house today and have to rest like every 1/2 hour for about 15 minutes or so because of light headed/weakness and I feel that weakness throughout my entire body. Will continue searching for clues...

Re: dark circles - it could be the fat loss as well. I definitely notice it more in my face than in any other part of my body. Thankfully they look better today, so that's reassuring. Although last night I Facetimed my parents and they both thought I had put on weight (!). They don't know about the surgery, and I know that computer/phone cameras are not great, but still, you would have thought they would have noticed a 30 pound weight loss!

That's really too bad about your energy levels - hopefully things will get better soon. I spent all day yesterday going through my closets, boxes, and suitcases to sort through my clothes (yes, suitcases, because Japanese apartments have little storage space and I hate throwing clothes out with weight loss and gains since it's virtually impossible to buy clothes here). I basically sorted everything into piles (too big, just right, almost right, too small) but have to pack everything back into storage now. I sure don't feel like doing it although it looks like my closets exploded all over the apartment! But I think that has more to do with laziness than energy levels.

I think your energy will come back once you start eating a few more calories. If you are out walking say an hour, you will burn around 250 calores and if you are eating only 600-800 you dont have much left to have energy from. So watch out for eating too few calories as well. The first few weeks or so are your body taking the energy it needs to heal so dont overdo it.

I'm four months out and still have no energy. I also get faint whenever I get up too fast from lying down. (I guess I need to speak to my doctor about the latter.)

20 hours ago, catchthewind said:

I also get faint whenever I get up too fast from lying down. (I guess I need to speak to my doctor about the latter.)

Hehe, I'm 10-11 months out and I still have that problem. It's just us getting up too quick. I hope that after my weight stabilizing for a while that it changes. I talked to my doc about it and it's quite normal. We just have to get up slowly or stand in place for a few secs before continuing on.

If you’re on any type of blood pressure med you may want to check that, too. My energy was zilch, no energy, so light headed, etc. I began taking my BP and sure enough, super low! We cut my dose in half, still happening.

I’ve now been totally off BP med 8 days and see that was a big culprit. Indeed, it appears I no longer need it! Thrilled...shocked....thrilled again!

It took me about 2 months to start feeling normal I had to go to the hospital and get banana bag twice

At three weeks I was still in pretty bad shape. I think at two months I was better. I had to rebuild metabolism.

Thanks...I seem to feel fine, up and at ‘em one day, then wiped out the next. Probably fairly typical for 5 weeks out. Good luck to everyone!

It took me 8-10 weeks to even get some of my energy back I couldn’t keep anything on my stomach and was extremely weak. I couldn’t even walk to the end of my driveway and had to get 3 banana bags at the hospital. Now I have much more energy than I have ever had

6 minutes ago, Holmanj said:

It took me 8-10 weeks to even get some of my energy back I couldn’t keep anything on my stomach and was extremely weak. I couldn’t even walk to the end of my driveway and had to get 3 banana bags at the hospital. Now I have much more energy than I have ever had

Wow! I’m so happy for you to have moved through the hard times to “more energy than ever had!” Thanks for motivating those of us who are still trudging through.

I’m so glad to have had the surgery...it was truly my last and best hope after years and years of trying, but some days are easier than others 5 weeks post op. Congratulations!

Taking iron supplements seemed to help me, particularly this specific brand. Someone recommended it and it doesn’t bother me like other iron supplements.

On 4/4/2020 at 9:00 PM, Arabesque said:

I was the total opposite of @biginjapan. It took me a good 4/5 months to get my energy back. I had terrible trouble with low blood pressure (still do but not quite as bad) & sudden drops in my sugar levels. I walked around with bottles of diluted hydralite because sometimes just doing the grocery shopping would have me in cold sweats, shaking & having dizzy turns. I almost keeled over several times & almost fell off my treadmill. Not fun.

This pretty much describes me. I’m 40 days post op.