SuperRoo

Great surgeon! Dr. Moazzaz was my surgeon in 2010 for the sleeve. I also had the same reaction to narcotics after surgery as well but I got to the point of throwing up before I realized that it was the narcotics causing the nausea. I don't have words of wisdom, but I can share my experience. I followed the Bariatric office recommendations and switched to the IR version of Effexor for the surgery. It never seemed to work as well as the XR for me, so I eventually switched back to the XR version, and just dumped the pulvules in applesauce or straight on my tongue (making sure not to bite them). I've been taking XR this way for years now, but within the last couple years, it seems I've become more hostile,intolerant than I had been before. Work is a lot worse and more stressful and I'm getting older and am working in a young mind's field (IT). Originally I was taking the Effexor for headache prevention but it eventually turned out to help lessen my anxiety. Recently, my anxiety spiked into an anxiety attack due to a bad combination of decisions, assuming too many risks at the same time and job insecurity, so I have started recently seeing a psychiatrist (to control my anxiety, and determine if I am bipolar or if I need a mood stabilizer). Her question to me was why was I taking XR if the surgeon recommended no XR, and we switched me back to the IR for the Effexor 3 weeks ago. One major thing I noticed with the IR is that I was no longer irritable (what a relief!). But, I was really sad and down at the end of the IR dose window especially in the evening. The psychiatrist asked me to follow up with the surgeon to find out if XR really is proscribed. I think she is worried about my sadness and wants me to consider XR again, but I'd much rather put up with being sad/down than be so irritable that I keep annoying my work lead. I didn't talk with the nurse practitioner directly. She did leave me a message saying that XR was not contraindicated since the sleeve procedure did not change the intestines, but that the medicine effect could change based on where it is absorbed (she was not answering specifically for Venlafaxine). If a sleeve patient does take XR, they should closely monitor the medication effects on themselves. Sometimes dose amounts or intervals will need to be adjusted. Since you are so fresh from surgery, maybe the nausea will go away when you are more healed. I personally would treat the XR like strawberry seeds, and not take XR until I was past the point of healing that I could eat strawberries. Until then, I would take the IR (tablet form). But of course, that is just an opinion. The nurse practitioner sounded so lovely, sensible and full of great information, that I might go back to BPSG office for a follow up. Good luck with your call. I hope you find something that works for you! Andrea

Aprilbell: Kudos for finding the bargains. Great post. Good to start thinking about smaller clothes. Sunshine: Awesome idea about shopping early for smaller sizes!