mrsshmoo8289

I just read on another post that you are not allowed to have NSAID's EVER after LapBand surgery. Can someone confirm this? I need 600 mg of ibuprofen three times a day for a collapsed disc in my spine. I can't not take it, I even tried to go down to 400 and couldn't walk. This may be a dealbreaker. I'm scared that it will be.

I called today to schedule my day-long orientation about WLS (end of March). The woman who helped me commented that I'm at the highest limit where the surgeons like to do Lap Band. She said they've found from experience that Lap Band is less effective at a BMI of 50 or higher. Mine is 50.9. *hides in shame* I've looked around at a lot of posters here and I don't see anyone who started with as large an amount as me. I'm brokenhearted that I crossed the 300 pound mark back in November. I am fighting hard to get back under, but it's just not working. I log all my food on Sparkpeople, let them do the math so I know I'm in the right ranges...only to fluctuate between 303 and 306. When I saw 306 again just two days ago, I was despondent. I've been hungry for two weeks, fought it to stay in my ranges, and I gain three pounds? What's up with that? Anyway, I'm wanting to know who started with a BMI of 50 or higher, and wondering how you are doing with it. From my research so far, I prefer Lap Band over the sleeve. I don't want to permanently alter my stomach like that. The woman at the clinic said I could elect to have whichever surgery I wanted, but she just wanted to tell me about their findings. They scared me. If I have to, I'll go on a liquid diet and get under 50%. That's gotta work, right? I don't want to have WLS and have it not work either. I think I would be beyond despondent then. I need something to work. I've been morbidly obese for 22 years and I hate living in this body.

Question for those of you who have had the surgery - does it affect your ability to have a MRI? I ask this because I have a collapsed disc in my spine (among other morbid obesity issues), for which I need to have periodic MRIs done. Do the staples used in gastric sleeve interfere with an MRI and mean I could never have another one?

Thanks! I just read that you can't have NSAIDs ever with a Lap Band. Is this also true for gastric sleeve? I need those for spine pain (I have a collapsed disc). That alone would disqualify me from the surgery. Hoping it's compatible.

I take five psychiatric meds a day. I have been seriously considering gastric sleeve, but I'm afraid it will affect how my meds are absorbed. I take some at Breakfast, some at lunch, some at dinner, so it's not just once a day. I can't have them go through my stomach too fast so they're not effective. I'm also considering Lap Band for this reason. Does anyone have experience with this type of situation? Doesn't have to be psych meds, any kind of meds would be affected. This is one of my biggest reasons to hesitate making the appointment with the bariatric surgeon, that and potential for weight regain later despite best efforts. I don't want to end up on permanent liquid only, or something like 1000 calories day. That seems too low to me. Thanks for any help you can give with this. Looking forward to meeting you all.

Thank you!

I've ordered both this one and the lap band one. I don't know which direction to go, so I want to thoroughly research both. In addition to these forums, those books looked like the best resources. Good to see some positive feedback.

Thank you, everyone! I was having a hard time finding the higher numbers, so I thought I would just ask here. It's very encouraging to read these replies! I will wait until the class before I make any decisions about which procedure and the surgeon. After all, this was just the woman who answers the phone and not the surgeon and his nurse practitioner who will be answering a lot of questions. The surgeon does 90% of his surgeries as WLS. He's out of the University of Virginia Medical Center, one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. I feel very comfortable with his qualifications and see that others here have used him (searched him on the surgeon area). Their web page says the two surgeons have extensive experience with the most serious cases, BMI 60+. A big factor in this is insurance. Because I also work at UVA, the lowest cost option is to use UVA as my medical provider. There is another medical center run by Sentara in town but it would cost me more to use them. They're not out of network, but they're a higher cost. Ultimately, cost is not the greatest factor. This is an investment. But it does make me want to start with UVA and go from there. I've got The Big books coming on LapBand and also gastric sleeve. Even though I think I prefer the band, I want to make an educated opinion. I figure if I have a lot of knowledge going into the class, I will be able to get the most out of it. Then I can decide whether I need a second opinion or what. I don't think the surgeon lacks skills for operating over 50 BMI. I want to make the best decision for me though. Thanks again for your replies. I really appreciate it!

That sounds exactly like me. Good luck with your surgery and your new life.

So glad to see so many of you can still eat peanut butter! I came here to start this exact topic because I don't think I could live without it. Right now I eat a PBJ every day, I know I won't be able to do that after surgery, but it's the Peanut Butter I love the most.

Geodon made me gain 80 pounds while I was on it. It's meant to be taken twice a day - it has a short half life - and it is meant to be taken with food. Food affects the absorption of the drug. I was told 400 calories when I was on it two years ago, I guess the guideline is 500 now. I am not banded, I'm still doing my research, but wanted to tell you my experience with Geodon.

I take five psychiatric meds a day. I have been seriously considering the Lap Band procedure, but I'm afraid it will affect how my meds are absorbed. I take some at Breakfast, some at lunch, some at dinner, so it's not just once a day. Does anyone have experience with this type of situation? Doesn't have to be psych meds, any kind of meds would be affected. This is one of my biggest reasons to hesitate making the appointment with the bariatric surgeon, that and potential for weight regain later despite best efforts. I don't want to end up on liquid only, or something like 1000 calories day. That seems too low to me. Thanks for any help you can give with this. Looking forward to meeting you all.

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I'm very grateful to all of you who took time to respond to me. Yeah, two of my meds (Effexor XR and Wellbutrin XL) are extended release, so can't be cut. I am also on a high dose of Abilify though and don't want any malabsorption problems. I have psychotic depression, and if I don't keep that Abilify level at 20 mg, I can't get through the workday. Definitely a question for my PCP, pdoc, and bariatric surgeon. But I also wanted to know peoples' real experiences. It's one thing for a doc who doesn't have a lap band to tell you something, but another to talk to people who have been there.