I am 4 months post VSG tomorrow. I have been treated for hypothyroidism for nearly 15 years, under control with meds, most recently synthroid for past 18 months. I also have moderate sleep apnea and use a CPAP mask regularly.
Pre surgery my TSH was 0.5 (normal range is 0.4 - 4.8).
First post surgery blood test showed my TSH has skyrocketed to 25.5! As my doctor says - it's as if I stopped taking the meds, which I definitely have not!
The rest of the tests were great - HBA1c 5.6, cholesterol and triglycerides all in normal range.
My weight loss has slowed down to almost nothing, first two months 20 lb, since then only 6 lb, and after I received the test results, I realized that the symptoms I developed in the past few weeks, leg cramps, icy cold feet and hands, hair loss (which I attributed just to the surgery) are connected to the high TSH.
I have seen some articles that VSG affects the absorption of synthroid because of the decreased stomach size and changes in PH, which is made worse by the PPI I was taking at the same time as the synthroid. I now separate them.
Has this happened to anybody else, or have you heard about it? Besides being very tired and hard to focus and concentrate at work, I am really discouraged that it is basically stopping my weight loss. I know that I am in the time frame when it is easiest to lose, and am so worried about my lack of success.
