Carmen Pena

Dear Spangebabe, I am having the exact, same experience. I’ve had anxiety all my life and was on 2mg Lorazepam since I was 42. The few moneys before my surgery I ate with reckless abandon. I’m a professor so I was off for the summer. I spent my days dreaming, reading, talking about, and googling gastric sleeve. It was glorious. I was 185lb at 4’10”. Although I was really fat and it was harder for me to move I never felt better. I was so calm. I did have a few panic attacks in the hospital but not too bad. I was great for the first two months post op. I almost felt like the surgery cured my anxiety. I was even thinking of getting off Lorazepam. But then it came back with a vengeance! I am at 4mg per day and that is barely enough to keep it at bay and that is a hefty dose. I wonder if it’s related to the heartburn we get after gastric sleeve. I take my lansoprazole religiously. I have no answers but I surely can relate to you. I hope doctors begin looking into the link between anxiety and gastric sleeve. We need answers.

I have gained so much from this community that I wanted to share my own experience in hopes that it would comfort someone else. I had gastric sleeve July 18, 2019. Like most people, the weight just fell off the first three months (25 lbs.) then I hit the dreaded plateau in November; for some reason my body wanted to hang out at 160. I was worried I was done losing. I started to step up my exercise to get over the hump, but then I injured my knee. Long story short, I am now losing again even though I can’t exercise just yet due to a knee sprain. I know gastric sleeve is supposed to take away your hunger; that did not happen for me. I most definitely get fuller faster, but I find myself eating more often and not losing. My appetite has always been my Achilles heel; I am always hungry. I started taking Contrave, and ai am now losing again. It really helps control my appetite. It felt so great to jump on the scale This morning and see 156lbs.. Stalls are frustrating, but they do happen and you can even stall for three months. Don’t lose faith, and don’t beat yourself up. You will start losing again; it just takes time.