Search the Community

Hi LisaMergs!You are well met! Thank you for your advice. It is very encouraging to hear about someone who has had this serious of a problem and is managing well without nsaids. You hit the nail on the head when you said you were dreading being without your advil more than your favorite foods. I have been worried that I will be thinner but in pain. My quality of life is too important. I'm too old to worry about vanity...give me health! Girl you can have both health AND vanity! Take back your life! Lol. I'll be sure to follow your journey!!! As an aside, my surgeon, upon consultation with my rheumatologist, felt bypass was the safer alternative for me- with autoimmune issues. But that's me. Lol! I certainly am gonna give it my all. Thank you sooo much for your help and I hope I can one day return the favor. I wish you the very best in life and weight loss! ❤

OD, have you explored alternative eating? I love meat, total coyote, but because of my autoimmune stuff, I am learning a lot about "raw" cuisine and it is incredibly healthful and tasty and has tought me that we don't have to miss out or deprive ourselves, just play with the ingredients! I mean heck, you can have truffles and cake for goodness sake, via Eggface's Protein recipes

Don't forget about Graves Disease, which is autoimmune. That is what I had. I was very thin.

Can you- anyone please answer? ... or tell me where I can find the answer? I've searched & looked & SEARCHED. I get different answers. 1) What causes band erosion? Does anyone really know? Is it related to immune tolerance? 2) Why is there a contraindication for : You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease.... The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases. (this taken from the inamed site: http://www.allerganandinamed.com/products/obesity/us/patient/lapband/risk.html Thank you to anyone who replies. Feel free to PM or email at evanesce@rcn.com Amy

Hi, I'm Cathy and I'm 57 years old. I've battled obesity for my entire life. I could get focused and lose and then gradually I'd gain it all back. My oldest son had weight problems as well. Three years ago he got the lapband and lost 200 pounds in about 16 months. He looks fabulous and has kept it off. I wanted to get it done when he did, but could not afford it nad my insurance wouldn't cover it. So, life always has twists and turns. I ended up on disability due to an autoimmune problem and recently got Medicare. I was so happy to find out that they will cover it. I had to get a referral from my primary care to the surgeon....done. March 10 I meet with the surgeon and I am so anxious to get the show on the road. I can only imagine what it may feel like to be a normal size and go into a store that isn't a plus size! I was glad to find this forum. Thanks

Hi, I'm a 28 year old male with a Realize Band. I was banded in Nov. 2009 (weighed 274) and now weigh approx. 222. I lost about 12 pounds from the initial liquid diet, and the rest of the weight loss has been from dysphagia that has been occurring with no fill in the band. I've lost about 35 pounds over the last couple months. I had a bit of fill toward the beginning (a few CCs), but that wasn't enough to cause much restriction. In the early summer, when my left sternocleidomastoid (neck muscle) became inflamed, I had my fill emptied. Most of my weight loss has occurred since that time. Here are my symptoms: -Neck muscle (sternocleidomastoid) inflamed and hurting -Pain in knees and elbows...sometimes in various other bones/muscles/joints -Pain in various places in my abdomen -Dysphagia (hard to swallow even a couple bites of soft-serve ice cream...have to gag myself to get it out) -ears hurt (have already been checked for ear infection; there is none) -often have back pain -Unusually dark urine -heart stometimes feels like it starts beating too fast -Blood pressure has been all over the map lately -Massive headaches I've recently had an upper GI. Also CT scans of my neck, pelvis and abdomen. I've also had an x-ray of my chest. Everything has came back normal. I'm in so much pain that I typically don't want to get out of bed. I'm a college senior, but am not taking classes right now because of this. I almost blew my near 4.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) due to taking classes this summer. I'm concerned that I have scleroderma and will die in my 20's or 30's due to complications related to that. They say not to assume the worst, etc., etc., but my symptoms do seem to match up with scleroderma (AKA systemic sclerosis). I've also read that even though much more women have it than men, more men die from it. I hope that I haven't ended my life before it even starts, but we shall see. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Has anyone here been diagnosed with autoimmune disease(s) as a result of the procedure? I have an appt. w/ a rheumatologist on the 1st. Regards, David

Well, it's just that dysphagia is a hallmark symptom of scleroderma. But then again, what do I know...I hadn't even heard of such a thing as an "autoimmune disease" prior to having the procedure done. Compared to other areas of study, I've never been particularly interested in biology/anatomy and didn't start educating myself about our inner workings to speak of until earlier this year. Thanks for your response. -David

Considering there are a multitude of thyroid disorders, without a specific confirmed medical diagnosis, it would be impossible to offer an opinion as to how WLS could affect your prognosis. As someone who has dealt with the extreme swing from stroke-level hyperthyroidism cause by the autoimmune disorder of Grave's Disease to a partial thyroidectomy during the early weeks of an unknown pregnancy which placed addition stress on my remaining thyroid causing the destruction of all thyroid function; I have run the gambit of thyroid crisis scenarios including a couple of life threatening emergencies with myxedema comas. I am closely monitored by a team of endocrinologists who specialize in unique cases. How WLS could affect your particular thyroid issue would be best answered by an endocrinologist who specialize in thyroid disorders. As far as my 40 years of experience dealing with the thyroid roller coaster, my tsh, uptake, t3 levels and thyroid medication dosage were never affected by my weight. Good luck to you!

It could be the meds but not from the pain aspect but from the dryness. Many medications ( especially that nausea patch) dry out the eyes and mouth. I have Sjogren's, an autoimmune disease that is dry eyes and mouth. When your eyes are dry, your vision changes. Your tears create a film that is important to the health and working of your eyes. There are lots of stories like yours of Sjogren's patients going to their eye doctor saying I can't see with these glasses but when he tests them, it varies, depending on the moisture level of their eyes. Also right after surgery, you are dry. During the surgery they did put ointment, yes, kind of like Vaseline, in your eyes to keep your eyes safe ( no harm to your corneas) during surgery. It is the same stuff I use daily. Anesthesiologist are responsible for caring for those kinds of things during surgery. Hospitals are generally dry air atmosphere, you aren't drinking, and yeah you may have an iv but it isn't your regular condition. Your mouth is dry, your lips feel chapped, and the same goes for your eyes. Another factor if you have any double vision, is that some medications can affect the muscles around your eyes. They don't affect all muscles but those tiny muscles and it is a great affect if you aren't eating. You use those muscles to adjust your eyes gently and focus. Think of what you do when you squint. That is those muscles doing their maximum work. So wait and see if your vision how your vision is after a few days.

Hello Everyone! I started my journey to get the gastric sleeve. I have to do 4 months of classes. My questions is I have RA and fibro and scared of the possible complications due to my conditions has anyone had any complications and not able to take meds? I'm on a fb support group and get freaked out. I was sure this is what I wanted until I started reading some of the complains. Horrible acid reflux, nausea,vomiting, losing teeth and so on. So I'm a bit freaked out at the moment. Lol, any info from anyone with a autoimmune disease will be helpful. Thanks everyone!

Hi folks, I'm Vickie, a pediatric RN living in Alaska. I found out about the band several years ago but heard lots of negative things, so I never pursued it; all I knew is that I didn't want bypass surgery. Meanwhile, the pounds kept creeping on (where do they come from? ). So here I am, nearly 40 years old, 300 pounds, and I'm gaining a few pounds a year. Getting around is getting harder (which makes being a nurse interesting to say the least) and, since I have an autoimmune disease (Sarcoidosis), it makes it really tough sometimes. I've pretty much decided I want the band (concerns about my Sarcoidosis notwithstanding -- especially my worries about the coughing I do every day possibly dislodging the band), but the only doc who does it up here has done about 15. So I'll have to travel, and of course with that comes lots of arranging and such. Also, my insurance company in their "infinite wisdom" (snerk) wants me to have a six month weight loss trial with a doc. Because, you know, I haven't been on enough diets, right? One thing that does concern me, besides the Sarcoidosis, is that as it stands, I only eat about 1500 calories a day on average. Thanks to genetics and a history of crazy dieting, in order to lose weight I really need to consume no more than about 1000 cals a day. Can I really do that with the band?? So, that's me. Married to my high school sweetie, mom of three teens (heaven help me), brand spankin' new nurse, Birkinstock wearin', granola crunchin', folk music lovin' hippie freak who has worked hard to accept my weight over the years. However, since it's getting beyond vanity into mobility and health issues, it's time to do something. Thanks for listening. I'm looking forward to making new friends and learning a lot. I'll try not to talk too much. Vickie in Alaska

Hi there- I was also diagnosed with celiac from the endoscopy. My GI took an intestinal biopsy that came up positive. After that we did the antibody and genetic blood testing just to be sure. My doctor said the sleeve wouldn't interfere with celiac treatment- as @@OutsideMatchInside said the post-op diet is essentially gluten free. The main difference is we will never go back to eating grains at all in small amounts when our plans allow it. I actually have a lifelong allergy to ri ce as well so I'll be practically carb free from here on out, with the exception of fruits, veggies, Beans etc. If you are having gastric bypass or another surgery that changes your intestines it is a problem. Sleeve should be fine. My GI has me doing a capsule endoscopy- I swallow a pill sized 360 camera that photographs my intestines and the damage caused to them by celiac. I'll repeat the procedure 6 months later so we can conpare the photos and see if my intestines have begun to repair themselves under the absence of gluten. My one big regret regarding the sleeve so far (and it's a big one, it bugs me every day) is that I didn't try 6 months of a gluten free diet before getting sleeved. Celiac is autoimmune and doesn't just act on your intestines- you can have immune responses in almost every system in your body. It's entirely possible that my great difficulty losing weight was in part due to celiac and many of the other problems I had chalked up to obesity. Experts now believe up to a third of celiac sufferers are obese. But in the end does it really matter? No, because getting healthy by losing weight is the plan and I'm doing that already. If you want to talk more let me know. I'm only 6 weeks post op and still learning about celiac and the gluten free diet myself. But, God I feel so much better already and I really don't think it's just the sleeve to thank for that. I hope you feel better too. Oh! And besides the obvious stuff like bread and pasta- gluten hides in other places you wouldn't expect. Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, anything with malt vinegar, some Vitamins. So keep an eye out.

Advice for those researching Lapband: Ask what your doctor's experience is with removing lap bands. How long can I expect to keep my band before it needs to be removed? (Bands are being removed anywhere between 2 years out and onwards. I personally know of only 3 people who have had their bands 5+ years and one of those is on band #2.) What long term negative effects have your patients experienced with Lapband? Lapband is a high pressure system. The band creates a great deal of pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. The esophagus, in attempting to move food into the pouch, puts tremendous pressure on the LES, as well. Over time this causes damage and the sphincter fails to open. This creates a feeling of being "stuck" but your food hasn't even made it to the pouch. This situation is becoming more and more common in the banded population and causes permanent long term damage that cannot be reversed. This is what is called "difficulty swallowing" on the disclosure. It's actually band induced achalasia. Often on the various wls forums or social media groups, people will speak of random tightness, difficulty with swallowing yogurt, liquids, etc, regurgitation of meals despite cutting their food, chewing thouroghly and eating only 1/2 cup meals. What's your practice's re operation %? (Re operation following Lapband is upwards of 50%) any claims of lower % might mean your doctors patients are seeking help elsewhere when problems arise. How many of your Lapband patients have reached goal weight? (Average EW loss is in the 40-60% range...if you have 100 lb to lose, you can expect to lose 40-60 lb.) What do you consider compliance? -attendance at support meetings? -weighing, measuring, logging food intake? -adherence to a particular diet? -steady weight loss? -monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual band check ups? -what is the protocol for fills? (Many doctors consider failure to lose 1-2 lb per week noncompliance despite their patients claiming to adhere to a strict protocol.) I hear a lot about certain complications such as: achalasia, gastroparesis, adhesions of stomach to liver, erosion, band slips, band tightening without a recent fill. What's your experience with these issues. (More and more banded patients are experiencing these complications starting as early as 1 year post op and as long as 9-10 years out.) Will you band someone with autoimmune disorders? (This is a mixed bag...my personal experience is that having a foreign object in my body exacerbated my IBS) Do you screen for contraindications using EGD, esophageal manometry and upper GI? (These tests should be done to evaluate your ability to tolerate banding) If I have a hiatal hernia, what procedure do you use to repair it? What type of sutures do you use? (Nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures are never used in conjunction with bariatric surgery to repair existing hiatal hernia). As a final warning, recently there have been increasing reports of cardiac issues following banding...irregular heartbeat, arrhythmias, palpitations, etc. The heart and the esophagus lie side by side in the chest. The vagus nerve(controls heart rate, breathing and GI tract) is also in the same area. Food retained in the esophagus puts pressure on the nerve and heart. This is not good. I'm posting this because although I lost over 100 lb while I had my band, I now have permanent esophageal damage, cardiac problems and I'm on additional medications to manage the complications caused by my band. I was compliant with diet and lifestyle changes. Part of the problem was that my hiatal hernia was repaired using a nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures. Also, upon removing my band it was found to be placed very high on the stomach. I didn't have esophageal manometry testing prior to my band placement. (My band doctor was recently named as one of Seattle's Best Bariatric Surgeons for 2013.) 3 years later I had 0% motility when tested. I never had swallowing problems before banding. I still have difficulty with many foods. Bands are a money maker for doctors who are still implanting them. They get paid to put them in, fill them, empty them and remove them, then revise their patients. Many reputable medical institutions will no longer implant a band and many who still do, consider it a short term device and remove within 2-3 years then revise to gastric sleeve before permanent damage is done. I thought the band was least invasive. I have 15 incisions on my belly I didn't have when I started this. 3 surgeries, dozens of diagnostic, invasive tests, $150,000 later and I don't have a WL tool. I have a cardiac condition I didn't have, esophageal dilation and achalasia + 3 new meds costing me $150/month out of pocket. There are risks with all surgeries. Hopefully the questions I suggested will help you make a fully informed decision. Do your research and be open to hearing the "negative" along with the positive...it might save you from years of suffering. Best of luck to you! Bandarella

I am interested but the link didn't work. My experience with various diets and WLS have convinced me that diet does impact autoimmune disease. But I think everyone has different triggers. It could gluten for one person and dairy for someone else. WLS provided a unique opportunity to discover mine. Also both psoriasis and fibro pain improved.. I know after medifast diet that soy is a trigger for me. Lost a ton of weight but had the worst psoriasis flare of my life. I also agree losing weight reduces inflammation so it improves things like autoimmune disease. My personal experience supports that but my dermatologist also said the same thing as your doctor. I love my sleeve!

@@TammyDTM hi there..I still take plaquinil. I have only used the pred maybe less then 2 wks in the last 11 months (if my memory is correct) I have been scared to take it bc of the weight issue. thats just me. so I use alternative methods of pain management. the plaquinil helps termendously. Im no hurry to stop it bc I went thru a few months recently (within 4 months) that I was doing well to remember to get my second dose in. I was only getting 1 in its 200mg and man I was in soo much pain I couldnt hardly move got like the tin man! I thought geezzz I am in a bad flair! well it was bc I was only getting in half of my dose. I had to put them both out where I could see what I needed to take thru the day and I started feeling much better! I also changed from pill form on the D3 to organic liquid it has made a TOTAL differance! my swallowing solids is getting harder and harder. but the liquid is doing so much better. Iv been on pill form D for yrs but there was too many fillers and it wasnt affective..now its doing wonders! I stopped the pill form magnesium those are horse pills lol! they were impossible to swallow! I ordered pure magnesium oil and spray that on my muscles or feet or where ever and OMGoodness! what a differance! I have soo much more stamina energy yet at the same time I still pace myself...I do get really fatigued on exertion and I mean when I have my really good days I go and go and go and then I it hits me I have to recover. thats just the life of autoimmune..ugh..but over all I feel the best now despite some of the diseases. I feel more in remission now or milder in symptoms then I have in 15 yrs! I do keep pred and robaxin (muscle relaxer) on hand for emergency if I get desperate but I haven't used them. I see my kinesiologist 2 to 3 x a month get a message the same day total diet change organic as much as possible and grass fed meats if all possible. I have stopped my nexium few months back only need a rolaids occassionally I took nexium for yrs! I do take folic acid and biotin there really tiny so I can swallow them pill form still. I do take armour thyroid I will for life. I am glad you found me! this has been the decision I ever did (except for breast reduction 15 yrs ago) lol...your on the right road. but I believe some things can be controlled with the right foods and I mean by eating a non flammatory diet. night shade veggies promote inflammation as well. google. when you get to the point where you have more options of foods and can tolerate you will be able to see a differance. I am 8 months PO and my treat has been a piece of the 70% organic chocolate with coconut. thats my thing. I break off a square which is tiny and Im good! I have lost consistantly 1.5 to 3 pds a wk...you do have something to look forward to! although us lupies are at differant disease degrees. I do have kidney involvment , and several other organ issues but Im stable and really feeling so much better and I know the plaquinil is helping. I dont care to stay on it. but my meds have went down indeed! taking more then alternative route now days as much as possible. hang in there!!

My surgeon won't perform the band on anyone who has any type of autoimmune disorder because of potential for band rejection. You might want to confirm with your surgeon before you proceed that he/she doesn't feel that's an issue. Having said that, I only have MORE MORE MORE energy when I lose. There was a brief time post op during which I only could have clear liquids (no protein) and frankly I felt bad. That only lasted 1 week and once I added protein in I felt better. However I have ALWAYS done better, energy wise, when eating foods that are high in protein and low in processed carbohydrates. I think your "energy" will depend partly on attitude and partly on what you choose to eat once you have the band. If you have protein, then healthy veggies, then fruit, and finally grains, you should be fine. However again with your CFS and other autoimmune issues, you may react to the band in a totally different way. That would worry me a bit, were I you.

Dear all I’m so glad I’ve found this site! This post may be a bit long, I’m very sorry in advance! My background in brief is this. I am 36 years old and live in the UK. I weigh 17st 12lb, and have a BMI of 39.16. I have had mild chronic fatigue syndrome since I was 15 years old. In the past 6 years I’ve also been diagnosed with an unstable underactive thyroid, and two other autoimmune diseases called ocular myasthenia gravis and premature ovarian failure. My eating history is one of comfort eating when stressed but not complete bingeing. I have had counselling for this and other stuff for a year and have made good progress but no long-term weight loss. I also NEVER get full!! Apparently, a combination of 3 autoimmune conditions and being obese also means that the risk of my getting diabetes is higher than usual. I was referred to a professor in Oxford who while treating me pointed out that losing weight will quite probably help me to alleviate some of my symptoms, but that the conditions I have mean that losing weight successfully would be much more difficult and so he recommended that I be referred for a gastric band. I met with the gastric specialist in Oxford last Monday, they’re really nice, and seemed to feel that I am an ideal candidate, and today I found out that I have been approved for surgery, potentially in January or February 2009. I want to apologise for the next bit. I’ve read a lot of posts today and I know that many people are trying to get a band but not necessarily able to get funding for the op. I really don’t want to appear ungrateful for the opportunity but I just don’t know whether to get it done, my doctors are infinitely more enthusiastic than me. To try and help me decide I’ve drawn up a list of pros and cons that I can think of so far for me of having a gastric band, which are, for me: Pros: Faster weight loss than I could achieve without it, greater chance of maintaining weight loss, decrease medical symptoms, reduce risk of diabetes, solves the problem of never getting full. Cons: Risk of procedure, loss of ability to eat normally with friends in restaurants etc, am already pretty prone to vomiting, can I still get enough nutrition/calories to do a substantial amount of exercise, will I get a loss of energy? The last 'con' is my main question. I was reading a crappy celeb magazine the other day and it had an article about (not an interview with) Fern Britton. It said that she has suffered from greatly reduced energy levels since the op. Now this could be total rubbish and not actually true for her but it really worried me. Having had chronic fatigue for so long the energy I do have is very precious to me. If it came down to a straight choice between the band vs. higher energy and ability to exercise I’d have to choose the latter. Even if you don’t have anything else to comment, please could anyone who’s had the band tell me their experience with energy levels and whether they've been reduced or not? I realise that I will feel puny to start with but it’s the longer term prospect that I am more concerned with. It would be sooooo much help, I’m just not sure what to decide at the moment. Thanks for being patient and reading to the end (hopefully!) x

I have thought about doing exactly what you are taking about. The trainer my hubby got for me had no clue about rny, but he listened to what I wanted to do and helped me in the regards. I then had a friend help me with some other exercises. I have also found that trainers do not understand people with autoimmune diseases. My RA and RNY gives me a very different view of the world of fitness. I think the key is to find a good routine for working out and start the habit early. I was back playing soccer 8 weeks after my surgery. It has really helped during this time. As for new rny people I always suggest find a goal and work towards it. I want to run a 5k and get accepted to the police academy. That is what I work on when I work out. Most trainers can help you achieve goals.

3 years out and I still have plenty of no-gos, however I have turned that to my advantage and whenever I feel that I am eating a little too wontonly, I eat a sticker food . Potato anything is a losing bet, more than a single bite and it's like feeding white rice to a pidgeon Dense greens in a salad are wonderful, but I can only eat 4 bites before having to stop for at least 30 minutes. It has been known to take me 6 hours to finish a nutritious salad :/ And during that time it just sits in my chest, ummph. As for queasies/slimes, eggs are a real gamble, sometimes they slide right down delicious and nutritious, other times the mere smell has my mouth watering in the bad way. Hot dogs are my favorite junk food but more than 2 bites and I'm courting danger, painful embarrassing, slimy danger. And hamburger patties are a great source of protein, delicious, but one bite and it's sitting in my chest the rest of the night. I have had beautiful organic delicious cheeseburgers take me 36 hours to finish! My workaround for that is to make cheeseburger salad, but alas, see above regarding dense greens. With my new autoimmune protocol diet I'm adhering to right now, the big issue of course are the greens.

By BMI I most likely qualified for bypass, however, I recently had some autoimmune issues and was put on Prednisone. With bypass prednisone is not allowed ever so I ended up with the sleeve.

I had my band placed in 2005. In 2009 i was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disease. I have never been able to get my thyroid regulated completely. Finally a month ago I saw an endocrinologist who told me that the band was probably causing absorption issues. I am having my band removed next month.

If you have the autoimmune type of Thyroid Disease, it doesn't go away after the surgery, however Sarsar is right in that you have to be re-evaluated. My doctor told me that it is not uncommon to have to have a reduction in the dose following a large weight loss. I have not had my post op Thyroid evaluation yet as I am only 3 weeks out, but I will be going in soon to have the test checked to see where I am.

Ok, now I'm concerned. During one of my blood tests many years ago, they found antibodies to Lupus. Does that mean I have Lupus or that I've been exposed to it? I've never pursued it because at the time the reason for all the tests were due to my high risk pregnancy 17 years ago. They were trying to find a reason why my blood pressure shot up immediately after becoming pregnant. In all the medical questions I answered for the Dr and the psych, Lupus or autoimmune diseases were never mentioned. Should I tell my Dr next time I see him? I'm really wondering now if erosions are linked to autoimmune diseases like Lisa mentioned. I hate to say it because I don't like to be a worry wart or incite panic, but I bet it would be interesting to see how many people that had erosion also had an autoimmune disease.

I have been doing my nightly researching and came across something that woudl really address only long-term band users (probably those that got banded at least 5 years ago) but am sounding if off you guys. Some sites say that because of the silicone in the band, autoimmune problems could THEORETICALLY result. THe full quote is here: Silastic reaction- it is possible that the material of the Band could create some type of body immune reaction that stimulates a separate disease process such as arthritis or Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE). However the Band is made of a silicone elastomer which is completely non-reactive to the body tissues, as far as it has been possible to determine. The same type of material has been in use in a number of implanted medical devices over time, and no problems with tissue reaction have been demonstrated. Here again, the early data is reassuring but no true long-term information exist There was another quote I believe right on Inamed's site, but I can't seem to locate this. Has anyone heard of someone's body actually rejecting the band? And causing autoimmune problems to boot? I am going to post this on an Australian band mailing list, since I believe they have had the band alot logner than the States has. Sonia

Thx for allowing me to join. I had surgery 2014 @200lb. Today, 5yrs later, weighing in 50 HEAVIER than surgery date. I have MANY autoimmune diseases-no cure, but steroids are used to get under control. One of the diseases actually attacks my thyroid gland, causing hypothyroidism (Hashimoto Disease). Has anyone else had this crazy roller coaster ride?!? Besides loosing my sanity, I’m about to give up on losing anymore. I eat VERY healthy, but I had to STOP walking bc the bones & joints in my feet are wearing down and breaking down. Autoimmune diseases are just the opposite of a healthy immune system. Healthy-immune system attacks any bacteria, infections and destroys it. Autoimmune-My immune system is wired backwards-immune system sees HEALTHY tissue/organs as “bad stuff” and attacks healthy tissue/organs instead. (Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bladder, skin, hair, stomach, etc.) Any pointers from anyone with autoimmune diseases also trying to get back to a healthy weight? I have refused to take anymore steroids period. I’m afraid the damage is done to my cervical & lumbar spine as well as the thyroid. Trying to regulate thyroid w/meds for over 5yrs. I’m desperate and need LOTS OF PRAYER. I’m so tired of being tired & frumpy as well as sick all the time. Plz help😩