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There have been a few people, including myself, in the forum who have battled chronic nausea, vomiting, cramping, gastric emptying, etc. and after having undergone lots of tests and procedures, were told there was not yet a diagnosis for their symptoms. In my case, my g.i. doctor eventually hypothesized that my nausea, cramping, and chronic gastric emptying was due to vagus nerve separation and possible damage. The vagus nerve serves as a connection between the brain and the gut. During WLS, its afferent and efferent segments are separated and, according to the National Institutes of Health, "the gastric vagal branches are often damaged during bariatric surgery." In my case, I am mostly dealing with nausea, chronic cramping, and frequent gastric emptying (I've experienced those same extreme rushes to the toilet you describe, but haven't dealt much with vomiting issues). My PCP prescribed an anti-cramping medication called Bentyl, which I take twice a day. I'd say that it's alleviated my symptoms by about 50%. My g.i. doctor offered Elavil and/or Librax as alternatives (both reduce g.i. spasms) but the Bentyl has been doing a good job for me so far. If you have the opportunity, you may want to ask your PCP or G.I. doctor whether any of these medications might help your situation. I hope you feel a lot better soon.

I was told no shakes with sucralose. The bariatric pal store offers pre op diet shakes with sucralose? I wander why sucralose is not advised. Also, anyone purchase bariatric pal shakes? Thoughts?

I believe their chewy bite vitamins are like the calcium citrate chews (the packaging looks the same). I have been taking the calcium since I got home from the hospital without any problems. I know bariatric advantage has samples of their vitamins. I got them from my nutritionist. Perhaps yours has them or if not the company could send you one. If not, I know that I tried one flavor of the calcium chews I didn’t like and they took them back no questions asked. Hope this helps.

I started having non-cardiac chest pains less than 14 months after sleeve surgery. (surgery was June 2010) I was told I was having some sort of spasms. Medication prescribed did nothing. Fast forward to 2015, I'd gradually worked myself up to 8 - 10 Tums EVERY day. I had them in the console of the truck, next to my bed so I could turn over and get a couple in the middle of the night, almost every single night, I had another bottle in the medicine cabinet. I had NO idea it was bad to take that many. I finally went to the doctor after reading this is not good. He did a endoscopy and I have a hiatal hernia, I had a stricture and an ulcer. He put me on a prescription PPI. That was Nov 2019. It worked immediately, but only lasted about 2 months and I started needing Tums again occasionally. Now I'm eating them more often. I've had the bloating for years and occasionally have trouble swallowing. I made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon, clearly this other doctor isn't too familiar with bariatric surgery. I am hoping this new doctor will be able to help me. I've vomited every so often in the prior years, but in the past two or three weeks I've thrown up 4 times. Always in the evening after dinner. Any idea why this would start now?

Hello. I have had the Gastric Sleeve surgery. I am currently taking Bariatric Advantage "Advanced Multi EA Chewable" vitamins and I hate them. My doctor told me specifically to stay about from "Capsule" vitamins for a specified amount of time after surgery and to also stay away from "Gummy" vitamins too. Anyway, now I see that Bariatric Advantage also has a "Chewy Bite" form of the vitamin. I am wondering if this form of vitamin is okay to take for Gastric Sleeve patients? Do any other Gastric Sleeve people take the "Chewy Bite" form of the vitamin?? I really want and need to stick to my vitamin regiment, but this "Chewable" by Bariatric Advantage is just very large and very nasty to me and is making it hard to stick with it.

I’m sorry sure about affordable but self pay at inova Bariatric sis 16 thousand. Most insurances in Virginia cover inova Bariatrics. If your insurance doesn’t cover Bariatric, Hopefully you can get all the preop stuff done/payed by insurance and you just pay for the surgery.

This may seem like a strange question. I am just wondering if I need to make a special appointment with the bariatric psychologist on my team. I have lost now 60 pounds since the day of surgery RNY on February 24. Not quite 3 1/2 months yet. I feel like I’m losing weight too fast and I really don’t know how to cope with it. Everybody seems so excited and happy for me but I can’t wrap my brain around what’s happening. I did not do this for weight loss I did it for fixing severe Gerd so maybe that’s why I feel “weird”... I told my boyfriend that I just feel like I am in someone else’s body, lol 😂 The best way to explain this feeling is when something is too good to be true it almost feels skeptical - And you can’t let yourself be “happy”.... Has anybody else felt disbelief in the weight loss amount?!

I just started taking bariatric choice once daily vitamins. I take it at night and have been feeling sick to my stomach all day today. Has anyone else experienced this?

I take Bariatric fusion extra iron extra Vitamin D Sent from my U693CL using BariatricPal mobile app

I am almost 8 weeks post surg, I am doing great, lost weight, I was on 3 diabetes meds and now only 1, Gerd is doing good, I was on 11 meds and now only 4 including bariatric vitamins. I am so blessed that I have not had a bad experience with my sleeve surgery as others, beyond the first week. My only problem is still BM issues, but I am dealing with it. I am so happy I did this. Hang in there I know it will get better for you all soon. God Bless

I hope you have a supportive surgical team. I’m in the pureed phase (post-VSG) and only slightly hungry. But…this procedure requires significant mind and body changes. We have to follow our plans (I’m on four ounces at this point) and seek guidance from our medical teams if we’re struggling. This tool is amazing if we use it as just that: a tool to assist us with making a lifestyle change. I encourage you to reach out to your nutritionist and bariatric therapist to sort through these challenges. You can do this, one day at a time!

that's pretty universal, from what I've read (i.e,, two if it's an over-the-counter brand). Here are the guidelines from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (see below). If one Costco supplement meets the requirements, then you're fine. With most drugstore and grocery store vitamins, you have to take two to meet the requirements. my clinic has both RNY and VSG patients on the same vitamin regimen, but yours may be different https://asmbs.org/app/uploads/2017/06/ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf?/app/uploads/2008/09/asmbs-nutritional-guidelines-2016-update.pdf

My 5 year surgery date is September 2021. I had an unremarkable recovery from my sleeve surgery. I lost 110 pounds but have put about 15 back on (or had... I have lost 9 of those). The biggest "issue" I had post-surgery was either hiccuping or sneezing when I was full. About a year ago, I started having acid issues. They've progressed to the point of significant GERD. I had been taking a PPI but it stopped working at all... seriously, I wake up at night coughing and gagging because there is stomach acid pretty much in my back teeth! Anyhow, for the last year I've been taking the PPI until it stops working, go off of it for about a month, take it again and it helps a bit but then stops working... wash, rinse, repeat. Four or five months ago I started having horrible pain with eating on occasion and would sometimes throw up. The vomiting has become almost a daily occurrence although not with every meal, and with no predictability. SO I called my surgeon, she listened to my complaints, and sent me for an upper GI swallow. The films show that I have a hiatal hernia and a narrowing of my esophagus. They could tell this because the 12mm barium coated sizing-pill that they had me swallow, to track it through my system, wouldn't go through the esophageal opening into my stomach. There is also narrowing of the pylorus, at the bottom of my pouch, but they can't tell how narrow because the stupid sizing pill was stuck in my esophagus! When I talked to my surgeon after she saw the films, she had me scheduled for an endoscopy (on 6/18) and surgery (on 6/22) to put my pouch back where it belongs, close the enlarged opening in my diaphragm, and to open up my esophagus. She also said- rather offhand- that depending on what she sees in the endoscopy/surgery that I might need a revision. I believe this was in referral to the pyloric narrowing, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure I really know what a revision is. My surgeon is a leader in robotic bariatric surgery, but she's not much for communication and "bedside manner." Anyhow... I don't know what to expect from all of this, what post-op requirements would be, etc. Surgeon scheduled the surgery as she said it clearly needs to be done, just wants the endoscopy done so there are "no surprises" once she gets in there. She also said to expect to be in the hospital for a couple of nights. I really don't know what to expect and have called her office for clarification but so far, no response. I guess I am sharing here to see if anyone has had anything like this happen this far out from surgery, has any advice or guesses, experience with this to share, etc.

You lost 55 pounds in six weeks (down 125 pounds total) and you’re questioning your decision? That’s an amazing weight loss already! Remember, the less you weigh, the slower the weight comes off. I definitely understand being obsessed with the scale but I encourage you to focus on NSVs also. And think about long-term goals. I know it’s going to take me about a year to lose 115 pounds, so I am taking it day by day. I recommend working with a bariatric therapist or seeking behavioral strategies from Overeaters Anonymous or a mindful eating program to learn to stop eating when full. It can be really tough especially when you love the food you’re eating. But, this is a journey and a battle and we have so many resources to help us. Good luck!

that's a question for your bariatric clinic. Some allow it, some don't.

I've been taking specialist bariatric vitamins, but I agree the cost is huge. I've been working to the specification of vitamins from the website recommendations of the ASMBS, and if I could find those specifications in over the counter vitamins I'd take them. I couldn't find any here in the UK though so still paying out...

I've actually never taken bariatric vitamins - I've taken over the counter ones like Centrum since day 1.

Have any of you that are least where I am now (9 months) stopped taking the bariatric vitamins and started the over the counter ones? I looked into the Centrum Silver and I may start taking these instead now that I am this far out. The price difference between these and the ones I have been buying thru this website is huge.

I'm scheduled for June 16. Doing the pre-op diet. 2nd day and it's driving me nuts mentally. I'm trying to stay busy AND positive. I've been meeting my friends outside, wearing a mask at all times because the last thing I need is to get sick before I'm "renewed!" Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose but in saying that you may have reached your balance & are in maintenance. That is the calories you are consuming are equal to the calories you are burning. To lose more you either have to consume less or increase your activity. Whatever weight you end up at has to be sustainable. Many bariatric patients end up at a weight that is higher than what they may have initially wanted. But they’re at a weight they can maintain while still enjoying & living the healthy & happy life they want. It’s fine to eat several smaller meals across a day or graze on three meals as long as caloric intake is constant. It just has to work for you. I eat three meals and about 4 nutritious snacks every day because I can’t physically consume enough in three meals to maintain - my restriction kicks in & I can’t eat any more. My total caloric intake sits at about 1200 calories a day. Another path you could look at is Dr Matt Weiner’s videos & books about resetting your basal metabolic rate which could enable you to lose more if you are interested. The intent is to reset your metabolism to run faster so your body burns more calories just to function. I guess the big questions are do you want to have to take appetite suppressants for the rest of your life to maintain at a lower weight? Do you want to live your life consuming fewer calories &/or maintaining a higher activity level to stay at a lower weight? You may say yes to either of these questions & that’s fine. It’s your decision. Congrats on your weight loss & good luck whatever you decide.

I was told straws were forbidden and I could never use one again. I’ve seen so many varying opinions on this and the fact that there is so much fallacy with Bariatric s in general, I gave them a try last week at almost 9 wks out. I’ve had ZERO issues with too much air or pain. I go back and forth between shaker cups, straws, and mugs and notice no difference. If anything, I find I swallow more air with a regular cup.

a lot of insurance companies do cover it, but unfortunately, some employers don't want that coverage for the policies they offer their employees because the rider for bariatric surgery is pretty expensive. In other words, even if we had the exact same insurance company, if we worked for different employers, my employer might not have included that coverage to their employees' plans - whereas yours might have. So it's often more an issue of the employer not wanting that rider than it is the insurance company not offering it, if that makes sense. some people who are self-pay end up going abroad for it since it's often much cheaper outside of the US. Mexico is a pretty popular destination for it. If you decide to go abroad, though, be sure to really research surgeons - there are some excellent ones and some not-so-great ones...

Hello! My name is Meagan, I'm 34 new! I've struggled with my weight since...well...pretty much as long as I can remember. I've always been plus size but was an athlete in high school so I was really fit and toned at 150lbs, but would still dread going clothes shopping because 9/10 times it resulted in me crying in the dressing room. Since HS, its been a non-stop struggle to lose weight. I've tried every diet there is to try, gym memberships, work outs, trainers, medical fitness programs, supplements. You name it, I've tried it. Not only am I dealing with genetics (my paternal side of the family is very much overweight and has a host of medical problems because of it) but I also was diagnosed with depression and anxiety about 10 years ago. My current weight is the largest I've been at 265. I'm tired, y'all. I'm tired of working so hard, of following the meal plans and doing the work outs and seeing zero results. I've always struggled with my self esteem because of my weight and this past year it hit an all time low. I started to research bariatric surgery options a few weeks ago and am ready to start the process. However, I just found out that surgery is not covered by my insurance (through my job) and the bariatric program I want to go through, requires insurance before I can start the program. What insurance company have you all seen that covers surgery? Supplemental plans? Help.

I've taken Centrum Silver (or the generic equivalent) since day 1. I started with the chewables and then switched over to regular tablets when I was about six months out. If you take grocery store or drug store vitamins, you'll probably have to take two a day to meet the requirements. With some bariatric-specific vitamins (but not all...), you only have to take one (but again - check. With some of those you also have to take two (or more) a day...)