Hello All,

I need your help/advice,

I had my gastric bypass completed back on Oct 2018 and still continue to feel weak. I'm currently taking the Optisource, post bariatric surgery vitamins and my labs come out just fine but I continue to feel weak and always feel tired. Another of my medical conditions is depression which I've been experiencing for years since before my surgery. I was able to meet my weight loss goal but when walking I feel as I if I don't have the strength to support my body weight. At this point I don't know if this lack of strength is due to my depression or a consequence of the weight loss surgery.

If anyone has information they can share it will be greatly appreciated

Thank you in advance

Ask your team about iron & b12 supplements

tiredness could be due to depression, too - not sure about weakness, though.

From what I understand (I'm still pre-op), when you lose all that fat it dumps a ton of hormones into your body which can really affect your emotions/ depression. Luckily, that's temporary and will pass. Are you on psych meds? If so, when was the last time you had them rejiggered? Bypass changes your metabolism and how you absorb things too, so it may be that you need to work with your doctor/ psychiatrist on finding the right combination for you in your new body. Depression can really wear you out and we're all going through such stressful times right now.

Aside from that, the B-12 and iron as mentioned above, you may want to add a probiotic to your regular course of vitamins. (I recommend flor restore- you can find it in regular drug stores and often the grocery store too). They're learning so much now about how gut bacteria impacts the brain including happiness/ depression. It may help.

Has your doc checked your thyroid? Hypothyroidism can cause that tired/weak feeling. Also if you have a nutritionist maybe he/she can make suggestions of things you can eat that might help raise your energy level.

I hope you get a solution and feel better soon!

Lots of good advice/possibilities above, Fernandotrejo. To that I will only add a prayer that solutions are discovered for you soon. Years ago I went through a post divorce depression for nearly a year, and recall how exhausted I was almost all the time and especially some days were worse. Ugh, I can still recall it deep in my bones now and it was tough. It was as you describe, walking, I felt my legs could give out beneath me, and I was normal weight back then.

Don’t give up! You’ve obviously worked VERY hard coming through WLS and REACHING GOAL?! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Glad you found us and posted here, as no doubt others may be experiencing what you are and will benefit from the discussion. Keep us posted as you check out these possibilities, okay? Hopefully, one tweak of something will color your world bright again, and that is worth seeking.?

7 hours ago, Suzi_the_Q said:

From what I understand (I'm still pre-op), when you lose all that fat it dumps a ton of hormones into your body which can really affect your emotions/ depression. Luckily, that's temporary and will pass. Are you on psych meds? If so, when was the last time you had them rejiggered? Bypass changes your metabolism and how you absorb things too, so it may be that you need to work with your doctor/ psychiatrist on finding the right combination for you in your new body. Depression can really wear you out and we're all going through such stressful times right now.

since she's over 1.5 years post-surgery, she's probably well beyond the hormone dump stage - but it could be due to med dosages needing to be adjusted, as you suggested (if she's on psych meds, that is). Or like another poster said, it could be thyroid-related, too.

You also should have cholesterol checked. There are documented cases of people developing starvation-induced high cholesterol after high weight loss. Your symptoms correlate closely to what you describe. "A 25-y-old policeman who had sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity 10 mo previously presented with generalized weakness, constipation, and significant weight loss after severe dietary restriction." All of his bariatric lab had been normal.

Transient Severe Hypercholesterolemia Following Bariatric Surgery Treated Successfully With Increased Food Intake
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26732832/?from_single_result=starvation-induced+hypercholesterolemia