Search the Community

Ask your doctor if they are okay to crush first because some pills can't be crushed. For me, I was chewing my meds even before my surgery due to my EOS (autoimmune disorder that causes narrowing in the throat and leads to choking) so nothing honestly changed for me. Some meds come in liquid form or chewable so I'd ask my doctor were I you.

I decided to use Bluepoint group and Fair Oaks Hospital. Main reasons are the hospital is a bariatric center of exelence. Realizing surgeon is important but pre during and after support very important to success. I have an autoimmune problem and appreciated that Dr Moazzez knew about my issues and is addressing some special issues I have. No date yet but hoping for end of June or early July. Happy so far with my initial consults and their info seminar.

I know someone who had psoriatic arthritis(it is autoimmune like rheumatoid arthritis)and they had no problem with being approved. I also have an autoimmune disorder (psoriasis)and had no issues. Good luck ~~~Stephanie

As always, talk to your doctor about your medical needs and history to be safe. The only diseases that are noted as contradictions for the Lap Band are connective tissue autoimmune diseases- not all autoimmune diseases. This is directly from their website: "You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases." Rheumatoid Arthritis should be fine with the band but again, double check with your doctor. Btw, I have Multiple Sclerosis which is also an autoimmune disease. The band has actually helped me tremendously.

Every product mentioned ^ makes my skin worse, I must just have the most sensitive skin in the world and yet, if I don't wash it with a product, I get pimples from that. Also as a dermatologist once told me, nose and above is hygiene, below the nose (bottom of face I mean) is hormonal and it doesn't matter what product you are using, that is internal hormonal.. I was really interested in this whole coconut oil thing so did a quick Google search and got horrifying results, 9 out of 10 responses in the various pages I went to said the exact same thing - first few days amazing smooth lovely, then suddenly, covered in bumps that take a very long time to go away. coconut oil is comodogenic no matter how virgin. I wish it weren't so, because it seemed like the perfect answer. I also have rosacea and need anti-inflammatory products and I'm on an autoimmune protocol now and all of those products, yes even neutrogena and aveeno, contain all sorts of methyl ethyl tri sulfate etc etc.

The way it was explained to me, a stricture is a narrowing area of the stomach,,mine is at the top where food enters the stomach. Food kept getting "hung up" and I'd get an uncomfortable feeling and sometimes food would come back up..I thought I was either eating too much or it was the the lack of muscle from myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune disease I have) causing trouble swallowing. I think you might be thinking of restriction. That's the ability to eat less,,not stricture. Hope I explained it ok.

I have psoriasis for years and got psoriatic arthritis at the young age of 22 i am now 24 psoriasis is considered a chronic autoimmune disease i chose the band because it was less drastric then the sleeve or bypass i consulted with all my doctors and my surgeon absolutely insisted on the band 1. Because i was a smaller patient and 2. Due to my condition and the healing process and meds. According to my dermatologist there is no link to WLS as being a bad idea and worsening my conditions, studies are only going by what may have happened to 1 person. In fact my dr encouraged WLS if i am successful i can ease off my meds! I do not doubt my decision nor would i have gone forward if my dr's didnt think it was a good idea. So with that being said anyone wanting the band should always consult with their DR before not some random joe smoe or an article!

Nowhere does it say all inflammatory autoimmune diseases. It lists Crohns's disease and other digestive diseases, not all inflammatory autoimmune diseases. In fact, it doesn't list any that aren't directly gastrointestinal. The bottom line is, saying that the band isn't recommended for all autoimmune diseases simply is not true. There are thousands of autoimmune diseases out there and only a very small handful of them fall under Allergan's contradiction.

My concern in posting this is that we shouldn't encourage someone to get a device implanted just because we've had a good experience. Many people with ONE Autoimmune disorder often have other undiagnosed autoimmune issues that are found after a device such as the band, is implanted. My post isn't meant to be an alarm, but a word of caution when replying to a thread about which surgery to choose. On the other site I frequent there are multiple boards for each surgery, including revision. Literally hundreds of posts are made by people monthly who are having band troubles and needing to revise. About 75% revise to sleeve and are very pleased with the outcome. Shouldn't these 75% have just had the sleeve to start with and avoided the risk, pain, scar tissue, aftercare and expense of a second surgery?

I have Celiac Disease. For those of you who do not know what that is, here is a basic description: Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten. So, eating gluten free is hard enough considering it's everywhere! But, trying to make good food choices while avoiding gluten is even more difficult. I eat a lot of lean meats which fill me up, but sometimes eating a simple piece of meat over and over becomes a bit, well, to be honest, nauseating. A piece of chicken breast, a broiled, ground turkey patty, sliced deli meats. We all know that what we decide to eat is a big deal because what we pick is pretty much going to be all we get in. So, if anyone out there who has had the sleeve also has Celiac Disease, let me know what your meals look like. There may be something in your meal plan that I'm not thinking of.

@Missouri-Lee's Summit thank you.The next time I see my gastric team I’m going to see if they will print out my metric.I have been tested for cancer,autoimmune diseases etc.The only thing they can suggest is a lot of my weight issues are stress related.And I know I could do a better job at eating better food,but that’s a whole story in itself😂

Lap Band - I did some preliminary research and didn't like what I saw in terms of weight loss rate statistics. When I met with my surgeon, he told me he would not do the lap band for me because my starting BMI was too high - he says that people with a starting BMI over 40 tend to really struggle to lose all their weight with the band. He won't do it for people as heavy as me, and only on lighter people if they absolutely refuse to consider any other kind of surgery. I also didn't like the idea of all the fills/adjustments. I work full time, who has time for that? Finally, I wanted a permanent tool, not one I could opt out of if the idea of pigging out on vacation was tempting. Bypass - I strongly considered this surgery. I know a fair number of people who have had this surgery and have done great! But I have a strong family and personal history of autoimmune diseases and my surgeon and I agreed that it would be good to leave as many options for future meds on the table as possible, and that therefore the sleeve was the better overall option for me. I know some people say things like "I didn't want my plumbing re-routed" -- that didn't concern me. For me, I wouldn't make a medical decision based on emotions regarding anatomy that I am never going to see. I also considered Duodenal Switch and might have opted for it, but my insurance requires a minimum BMI of 60 before they will pay for it. At a BMI of 59.9, it was just barely off the table! Make sure to discuss all of your options with your surgeon and you will come to the right decision for you. Good luck!

Am I the oldest? I'm 73 and will hopefully have the sleeve done in Feb. My story is similar to everyone's: yo-yoed my entire adult life, losing and gaining overweight but not obese. Nine years ago I developed an autoimmune disease which is controlled by steroids. Long term steroid therapy is like having another disease. Besides potential diabetes, increased risk of infection (thankfully I have not developed), what affects weight is increased appetite, slower metabolism, and redistribution of weight (belly fat). For the past eight years I have been well over 225 lb and it is next to impossible to lose. I also have high blood pressure and sleep apnea. My PCP and Hematologist as well as other Drs feel that I am a good candidate for the sleeve. My goal is to obviously lose weight but also to have a tool for me to eat less for the rest of my life.I want to be able to get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren, have energy for my passions and to take a brisk walk. In short I want quality of life for whatever years I have left.I have completed all the requirements and am waiting to be scheduled. I have researched alot about bariatric surgery really enjoy reading these posts. I am especially impressed that so many of you have exceeded your weight loss goals. I anticipate that I will be a slow loser due to my age and the steroids but I am prepared and committed for the journey.

I am researching medical marijuana to help with nausea, and side effects I am experiencing due to being newly diagnosed with MS. I know some. Peoples have had success, but feel strange about if since I have not experimented with anything like this since college 30 years ago. BTW- medical marijuana was recently legalized in any form with the exception of smoking it in NYS. I'm so glad I was diagnosed after being sleeved or I would have been unable due to an autoimmune exception in the policy without a long fight.

Examples of autoimmune diseases are lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren syndrome, type 1 diabetes. The theory behind the contraindication is that someone whose immune system attacks its own tissues is vulnerable to having their immune system "reject" the band (which is made of biocompatible materials that don't bother people with a healthy immune system).

I have not been able to do this, my sweats keep falling off my butt, all I wear right.now are sweats because I'm on leave from work due to complications from surgery and my autoimmune disorder and I keep saying when I go back I will need to weed out...... but what if ahhhh scary don't want to ever spend that much money again on fat clothes it's expensive kudos to you Cyn-shakiraa Dos 12-17-12

you have come to the right place for "Proper Education" an "Personal Experiances" ..Im not male nor a chef however being married to an Italian we do luv to eat! we do enjoy going out an he LOVES to cook! trying to make a long story short bare me: Im 51 have battled yo yo dieting an weight since I was 17. my body started falling apart in my mid 20s. I have seen countless drs, specialists, thru countless testing blah blah blah..5 yrs ago I had to quit work for the 2nd time in 2 months my body refused to cooperate. the past 12 months I had gained again 40 pds in 2 months. finally got referral to endo after putting my foot down on seeing one. my immunologists couldnt understand why no other dr I had seen would refer me to well it was bc my thyroid panel was always on the low side of the "NORMAL" gold standard range. he did as I asked ...within 2 wks I was having an in office US on thyroid, (I had been complaining for 2 yrs of trouble swollowing) low an behold goiter on side the other thyroid "dead" shrinking. the PROPER bw on thyroid panel that I had researched from mary shoman had those tests ran sure enough I ended up on the biopsy table confirmed hashis, insulin resistant. with over 25 yrs of yo yo dieting an already the past yr of slashing calories down to 500 or less still having a difficult time of the numbers dropping I was prime canidate for sleeve to be done. that was farthest from my mind even though 20 some yrs ago I did think about it yet I never dreamed my ins would pay for it. now all of a sudden I have 2 specialists sending me to the surgeon, saying the sleeve way was best no switiching of organs an getting rid of the portion of the tummy of the stomach hormones that would never shut up an down sizing the tummy from a 40 oz to 4 oz would make all the differance in the world! before I knew it I was accepted online by our hopsital over here insurance was verified immediatly an within 2 wks I had started preop classes, going thru the mental evaluations didnt have to repeat the stomach endoscopys bc my internist had already done one a yr before , had all bw done by then I was on armour thyroid an got my levels where they are approved for surgery an released by my endo to go forward with it I also had severe apnea, fibro, lupus, polymyalgia , GERD, prediabetic, insulin resistance an hashis an list goes on, I had a surgery date within 3 months from start to table! I am 7 months PO..100 pds down would I do this again? YOU BET!!! best thing I ever did besides marrying my bes friend an hes my biggest supporter an having my 2 beautful adult kids! I am 51 (I dont know if I mentioned age earlier) but I am feeling now that my life is actually starting new! If I hadnt had this surgery for the tool it provides(its not "the miracle" but a tool) I saw myself with all the health dx I had there is no doubt I would have ended up being over 300 pds more miserable an bedridden! for me I dont wish that on anyone! thats honestly UNHAPPINESS UNHEALTHY (an no one can convince me that being fat is healthy) Im sorry I was FAT an theres no other term for me I use...I refused to be delusional anylonger an just living. I actually wasnt "living" I was merely in survival mode an that term I use bc I was merely breathing an a couch potatoe. no life! now I am all of a sudden able to actually keep up with my home , I am not out of breath as bad I do get some asthma a little an my meds for my autoimmune an inflammation do flare but controlled better. I have another 40 or so pds to go to make goal I havnt broadcasted my tool yet but only to a selected few I didnt need others "UNEDUCATED" neg comments bc the majority of ppl have no clue of the facts. this was hard enough the first month especially fighting with head hunger an going thru craving with drawls that the brain an body do go thru I needed positive support around me. but to eat there own. I will eventually help others if asked. I hope I have had a positive impact an answered some questions. your at the right place. my only regret is that I didnt do this 10 or more yrs sooner! I would do it again in a heart beat regardless of what I endured the first few months!! best wishes an keep us posted!

So I’m struggling with the whole thought of loose skin. I’ve lost 60 pounds already. I’m 5’4. The gastric sleeve was a medical necessity not by choice I have an autoimmune disease. I was 280 now I’m 220 about 8 weeks post op. I was always comfortable in my skin. Now idk. I keep losing and I know that I won’t be able to afford plastics. TMI but I also have big boobs. Always have since high school when I was a skinny. Now I worry I’m just going to be a walking flab. Im getting insecure which is not like me at all. The struggle is real.

I am pre-op and the sipping Water is the thing I most dread. I can eat tiny amounts of food -- I have been doing so a long time. Without surgery I am down from 330 to 240 but I got down to 215 and then with my insulin regimen, I would pop up 30 or 40 pounds, starve down, pop back up so I surrender and am going the surgery. So I have been taking the post-op supps a long while - was schedule to have the surgery last Jan but I had lsot so much weight I cancelled it. then I got my diabetes diagnosis changed from Type II to Type I -- that also discouraged my interest in the surgery cause the surgery is not going to put Type I into remission Type I is an autoimmune disease unrelated to what I weight. I can eat very small amounts of food, even just starve and have actually gotten used to being hungry a lot. But water is my best friend. I drink a ton of it -- at least a gallon, probably more. Now I have started sipping, to prepare myself for my proably-Jan 2014 surgery -- but sipping is hard. You have my empathy,

I just can't handle pasta of any kind, i have too many digestive issues and autoimmune, so it's the faux-noodles made of veggies for me, but seriously, a quick blanche of the zuchinni spaghetti, covered in alfredo with shrimp, so delicious and just like noodles!

Hi Jen: Are you seeing a Rheumatologist? If not you might want to consult one to help with a diagnosis. I went to doctors or 14 years, most of them told me that my symptoms were all in my head. It wasn't till I sat down one day and wrote down everything I though was a symptom and when I was done I had 2 sides of a piece of paper. I went and saw a new Rhematologist and gave him the paper with the symptoms, he spent an hour and a half with me going over everything and then sent me for a million x-rays and tons of blood work and some other tests. He had told me he thought I had reactive arthritis. I went home and looked it up and thought hum, that doesn't sound too bad. When he got my results he told me I have Ankylosing Spondylitis! I said what the HELL is that I can't even pronounce that. It is also a form of arthritis and is an autoimmune disease with no known cure. I also have a secondary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis , along with Fibromyalgia. He is constantly testing me though for Lupus, that's what they thought I might have in the beginning, but it is hard to diagnos. Don't give up on a diagnosis, only you know your body and you need to keep pressing the doctors for a diagnosis, not just arthritis of unknown origin. I am pre-op right now, but will be getting sleeved in July. My doctors say it should help with some of the issues I have. Also when you have one autoimmune disease, it is possible to have more than one of them. I hope you get a clear diagnosis in the near future it will help put your mind at ease when you have a name to what is causing you so much troiuble. Sorry for the long post....Jill

I consider myself an expert when it comes to autoimmune rheumatic diseases. First- let's talk your prednisone: See an endocrinologist. Pronto. I was taking 60 mg of pred a day for years. There was no weaning off, because any time I got down to 20-25mg, I literally could not function. In any capacity. Enter the endocrinologist. Because the prednisone does just as much (if not more!) damage than good, my adrenal function was gone, I had prednisone induced glaucoma as well as prednisone induced diabetes. I needed off the meds ASAP. She prescribed me ORAL hydrocortisone. It mimics- and tricks- your body into believing it is prednisone, and is MUCH easier to wean off of than the prednisone. It took a total of 2.5 months vs over a year or longer if it were the prednisone. Do this. Again, ASAP. Ask for it. Second- methotrexate, either by pill or injection: pills made me sick, puking, typical chemo side effects. The shots did not, and they actually work much more effectively than the pills, so if given a choice, it is a once a week teeny tiny needle. Side effects- don't bother paying attention to them. The benefits far outweigh any possible adverse effects. You will need regular blood work to monitor your liver enzymes. Again, I have been on a very high dosage, so mine were often screwy. Third: I can't imagine any surgeon doing WLS or ANY elective surgery while you are on either of these meds. I had to "wash out" before I could have my surgery, meaning get all traces of the meds out of my blood system and stored reserves. Both drugs make you more susceptible to infection and the prednisone especially makes healing hard. And keeps weight on. Again- seeing an endocrinologist will get you off the pred by using oral hydrocortisone pills. Usually PMR goes away after a year or so. I wonder if you don't have true rheumatoid arthritis? The tests- a sed rate and C-reactive Protein screen are used for PMR as well as other autoimmune arthritis diagnosis. Just a thought. So- don't worry about side effects of the methotrexate and get off the pred!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Hi am just seeing this now. Thank you for responding. I did get off prednisone about 8 months ago. But it started to come back and about 2 months later I couldn't take it and went back on. My rheumatologist says cut down till I feel pain. Then start methotrexate. Shots. So I can continue to get off prednisone. I did have all the testing done. They did suspect fibromyalgia ms. Lupus RA etc Till all tests were done. I will look into seeing an endocrinologist. I did tell the dr about prednisone. He said it was fine and I may lose slower. I am now 9 weeks out and lost 20 pounds. 10 more the week before surgery. I was "only" 201 day of surgery. I would like to lose faster but. I really want to get off the prednisone. Thank you and why doesn't my rheumatologist k ow about this? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am an autoimmune nightmare. Literally. Started with APA and then Rheumatoid, then Sjogrens. You name it. Though SLE was in the cards but got lucky there. There was some anecdotal findings about people with severe RA having had bypass who went into remission. That's all I needed to hear. Sign me up. In 9 years time, I didn't have a day without pain, fatigue, depression, you name it. Couldn't walk to the bathroom without pain let alone to the corner. Well, I had the bypass in March. Six months ago. Guess what? I will not say I'm in "remission" ( the Rword!) BUT I also have literally been pain free/symptom free since that day. I have NO clue why, and frankly, I don't care. All I know is that these have been the best 6months in forever. I'll take it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am an autoimmune nightmare. Literally. Started with APA and then Rheumatoid, then Sjogrens. You name it. Thought SLE was in the cards but got lucky there. There were anecdotal findings about people with severe RA having had bypass who went into remission. That's all I needed to hear. Sign me up. In 9 years time, I didn't have a day without pain, fatigue, depression, you name it. Couldn't walk to the bathroom without pain let alone to the corner. Well, I had the bypass in March. Six months ago. Guess what? I will not say I'm in "remission" ( the Rword!) BUT I also have literally been pain free/symptom free since that day. I have NO clue why, and frankly, I don't care. All I know is that these have been the best 6months in forever. I'll take it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have "non-specific connective tissue autoimmune disase", i.e. they don't know exactly what's wrong with me. I take Methotrexate, Celebrex and Lyrica. You can't take immune suppressants before or directly after surgery because it would inhibit your healing. But my surgeon said it was fine to resume my Lyrica the next day after surgery. I did have to wait 2 weeks to restart the Celebrex (NSAID.) I had no problems. Following the diet and dropping weight makes you feel so much better, it means less muscle and joint pain for me, tho I still have flare ups. It is now known that fat creates inflammation, which is a major factor in my level of pain. I'm getting back on track after regaining 30 lbs, and I have noticed that the extra pounds creates SO much more joint pain than what I was feeling before regaining. I really think that weight loss (fat loss) will help just about anybody's overall health including inflammatory autoimmune diseases.

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and have had no issues with this autoimmune disease since I had surgery in 2011. Just take thyroid medication like always. Sent from my Z981 using the BariatricPal App