Search the Community

The sugar free stuff made my gut angry and I have autoimmune diseases but no gut ones. I had to stop all of that and find a stevia based Protein powder and was fine... The surgery itself is known to often reset and help improve inflammatory autoimmune diseases according to my rheumatologist and others Getting enough Fiber for the bowels us a bit tricky at first so you might need to troubleshoot that early in advanced

Sending prayers. I have lupus and I understand autoimmune disorders. You really truly have had a hard time. I myself am worried about a stricture. It takes too long for the food to go past my esophagus into my stomach and no matter how small I chew the food it sits there for a very long time. I do not throw up but I feel like the food is there. I am eating about 1/4 of a cup at one time and I'll be out 7 weeks on Monday. I had a complication with surgery which may have narrowed the opening of the esophagus and stomach opening and I'm willing to bet the scar tissue from the issues is what is getting the best of me. I see other people seem to be eating so much more than me. The esophageal tube the anesthesia used (besides the bougie) slipped into my stomach at the exact moment my surgeon was making the last two cut/staples, and it so happened the esophageal tube was stapled inside my stomach. Unstapling it was proving to be too hard. They brought in a team of gatro's and they were going to go and cut around it but that would have severely narrowed my stomach/esophagus, and after several tries by other doctor's and surgeons, my surgeon was finally able to remove the staples and get the esophageal tube out of me. However, I have to make sure that every piece of food I have is completely and thoroughly chewed and I can barely get 2 ounces of food completely in me (except I can take down a sugar-free pudding) even Soup the most I have done is almost 1/4 a cup. I will definitely keep you in my prayers and if things don't seem to go down any better for me by my next appointment I will have them do some testing.

I have a friend who has sparked my interest about lap band. Upon doing some investigation on my own, I discovered that Lap Band is not recommended for those with autoimmune disorders such as MS. Is there anyone out there that has MS and has had the procedure done?

I have an autoimmune disease (psoriatic arthritis, little psoriasis but severe arthritis) and was sleeved five weeks ago. I don't want to give you or anyone else false hope, but the surgery has put my condition into remission. No-one can understand why, not even my rheumy. I was on two immune suppressant treatments just to keep everything at bay - methotrexate (chemo drug) for last 7 years (max dose for last two years) and had been in discussion about cutting back - I stopped it 7 weeks ago and currently don't need it. Also inject a biological therapy once a week. Rheumy restarted it 3 weeks post surgery to stay ahead of my immune system starting to attack my joints again and, touch wood, all is going well. So down to one jab a week and my life has been transformed. I know it may return with a vengeance so am taking things week by week. Bariatric centre and rheumy watching with interest. Good luck with your surgery, I wish you the very best and a good outcome for you!

I am 62 and today is the second anniversary of my surgery. Yes, I was 60 when I had the surgery two years ago. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and wish I'd done it 10 years sooner. I am SO MUCH HEALTHIER! No, I wasn't pre-diabetic, no autoimmune issues, etc., just getting heavier and heavier every year, and watching my blood pressure become worrisome. We've all been there, tried every diet known to mankind (some several times), goaded ourselves into exercise programs, gyms, fitness routines, etc., only to continue to gain about 6-10 pounds a year. Six pounds? Not bad... until after 10 years it's 60 pounds, after 20 years it's 120 pounds. SIXTY IS NOT TOO OLD FOR THIS SURGERY!! I was anxious, I was nervous, but I kept reminding myself: Eyes on the prize! I will tell you... no more back pain, my knees are much better, my BMI is down, my blood pressure is normal. I look in the mirror and actually smile at what I see there. How long has it been since THAT's happened? I go clothes shopping and don't hate every second, and this summer I went to the swimming pool with my daughter- in a bathing suit, in public! I feel like I am living like a "normal" person again... not someone who is always pulling and tugging on her clothes, wearing things that don't fit well, don't look good, don't make me feel good, worrying about "will I fit" in the theater seat, on the airplane, in the amusement park ride seat. I am pretty sure, even if it doesn't "cure" your arthritis issues (I know, not the correct term but you know what I mean), you will feel so much better about yourself, it'll be worth it! I won't lie... there are things I miss, things I can't now do, but I am talking about the things that got me into the weight loss mess in the first place. I won't ever again sit down and eat unlimited amounts of food: Not gonna eat a whole pizza, not gonna load my plate with seconds at Thanksgiving (and then have multiple desserts), not gonna do a whole lot of things that I used to love. But you know what? IT'S OK. I'm still learning to live with my new anatomy, my new physiology, but I'm working with it. Here's a story, a story makes me feel happy. My daughter and I are big fans of going to Disney World, and our vacations have morphed as she's grown (she'll be 25 next week). As adults, one of our favorite pastimes on vacation (not just at Disney) is enjoying good food and drink. My daughter and I went to Disney this summer, for the first time since my surgery. I was pretty concerned, especially as one of my favorite restaurants anywhere is at Disney. It's called Boma, and it's a buffet of African-inspired dishes (along with more "americanized" options). I LOVE THEIR FOOD. Authentic African dishes, multiple hand-carved roasts, 5 soup options, 10 salad options, and a dessert buffet that extends to the moon! Ahh... Boma... never gonna be the same again, and I knew that going in. But guess what? I had a WONDERFUL time! I was just careful. I tried 3 of the soups (about 2T of each, enough to taste and enjoy) and had small slices of each of the meats. I had little tastes of each of my daughter's desserts, and yes, I HAD A GLASS OF WINE. Was I well within my eating regimen? No way... I know I ate more than normal, but I wasn't stuffed, wasn't sick, and most of all, I was satisfied. It reinforced that with thinking and planning, I can STILL enjoy the aspects of a good meal, just in moderation. I was MORE than satisfied, I was EXCITED that this new "stomach" of mine isn't going to limit my enjoyment- but now I am going to limit my consumption. I felt like it was such a positive, successful evening, and I left Boma floating on air! HAVE THE SURGERY. Do it for more than just the autoimmune benefits. Do it for the excitement of feeling good about yourself for the rest of your days! Stick to the plan, follow the rules, don't play loose and fast at the beginning. It's normal to be anxious, to worry about "what if" but here's a little secret: You already know what's going to happen IF you don't have the surgery... because it's how we all lived, all these years. Another diet, another exercise program... what's gonna happen with that. HAVE THE SURGERY. Don't look back, eyes on the prize!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!

Okay I am no doctor, but..... about a year ago I started getting severe abdominal pain, joint pain in my knees and ankles, extreme fatigue (I never threw up, but was in the bathroom all the time) I was just sick and sick of feeling crappy. Well after 5 months of doctor visits, I finally got diagnosed with Celiac's Disease (autoimmune disease triggered by gluten) Once I stopped eating gluten everything cleared up. Of course I have no idea if this is something that you might have, but it is worth researching and bringing up to your GI doctor. Hopefully they will figure this out for you quickly so you can have your surgery as planed.

So I will be sleeved in December, and I have been sharing my plans with a few female friends. My decision to have the surgery was mainly Type I Diabetes, sleep apnea, Transverse Myelitis, asthma, high cholesterol high BP, etc. etc. This surgery will help my blood sugars, which will help my cholesterol, lower my dependence on BP medications and asthma meds and possibly thyroid meds., eliminate my sleep apnea and stress incontinence, I AM READY! My friends, being chicks, listen to me talk about my comorbitites/autoimmune issues and then say, "No fair! You're going to be skinnier than me!" REALLY? THAT is your reaction? Unreal.

I am SO glad to hear your liver is better!!!! Wow! That's a blessing for sure! As for my liver.... my enzymes were elevated, sending me to a specialist. Blood work showed the score for probable NASH, then I was scheduled for biopsy... where they go in through the jugular. Results were NASH with no fibrosis, cirrhosis, nor portal hypertension. I was put on prednisone (was on it a horrid 3 months) because my specialist thought I had/have autoimmune hepatitis, though the biopsy results showed NO interface hepatitis. I really want a second opinion on that as none of it made sense due to the lack of the defining factor (interface hepatitis) and any antibodies in my blood work. There was also no indication whatsoever in the biopsy results that my liver was enlarged and, in fact, said it was normal size. I'm assuming, then, that things will go well. I did read one research paper that said (and I knew this already) that rapid weight loss can cause inflammation, etc. in the liver. One risk vs another, I suppose. What you said makes perfect sense to me, and unless they see something different during the surgery I'm sure everything will be fine. Thank you so much for the info, Patient, and I'm so so SO glad the surgery helped with your liver issues!

Hello! I am a pre op patient. My doctor has recommended I have he sleeve procedure because of medications I am taking now. I have an autoimmune condition. I know the malabsorption isn’t as bad with VSG as it is with RNY. I am terrified that all my other meds will stop working after the surgery- specifically antidepressants, etc. Does anyone have experience with this? Unfortunately I called the doc office and the nurse didn’t really give me any info. Thanks !

I just found this information at Risk Information Contra-indications The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if: You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases. Here are some posts on this forum about the subject. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/anyone-diagnosed-auto-immune-disease-after-being-banded-28872/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/auto-immune-disease-band-rejection-15372/ It appears that LapBand™ may not be for you.:smile2: I would still look into it though, if I were you. Good luck.

I have severe psoriasis and am hypothyroid, both autoimmune disorders. My surgeon's office hasn't even commented on either. I wouldn't worry about it.

I am quite surprised that they decided to band you. Having an autoimmune disease is supposed to be a contraindication for being banded.

Unfortunately you'll find a lot of myths like that online. I know if you have predisposition for it exposure to toxins can trigger it, but medical devices aren't considered a toxin. I have an autoimmune disease, btw. I have Multiple Sclerosis. That's why I know the info I do about them and I'm familiar with a lot of the hoax causes and cures floating around, too. I'll be praying you don't have CREST or Lupus. Best wishes.

My 1 year followup appointment is next week, so I had lab work done today in advance of that. The test results are auto-released to an online portal and I was looking through them (I don't think they've even been reviewed by a doc yet) and most of it looks good but my WBC has dropped. Dramatically. Like by half and is on the cutoff for being outside normal lab values. So what causes WBC to drop, I wonder? Cancer... don't have that. Autoimmune disorders... don't have any of those. Viral infection... nope, I'm fine. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies... crap. This is a possibility for someone like me. In looking at other labs, there are a couple other markers for malnutrition, including lowered transferrin and TIBC. Obviously, my medical team will review all of this and decide if it's anything to act on, but I was really surprised about this. I eat healthy and on-plan about 98% of the time, though not a lot of calories. I am currently averaging 1100 calories per day, but over the last 9 months, averaged out, I've eaten 900 calories per day. I never imagined malnutrition was even an option with the sleeve, and it made me wonder if anyone else has dealt with a malnutrition diagnosis (sleeve or otherwise), and how was it handled by your team?

I had hypothyroidism and hashimotos, an autoimmune disease due to thyroid. I ended up having to have a thyroidectomy 2 years ago and boy!! I packed on the pounds! I'm hoping the sleeve helps. I have read articles are the subject and from what I understand, stalls ate very common for people living us. Did you loose normally at first?

Have they checked your thyroid like done an entire panel not just a t4? For years I was exhausted all the time and unable to lose anything, turns out I had an autoimmune disease killing my thyroid. It took my gyn to figure it out the pcp didnt. Ask for a full thyroid pannel to make sure it's working alright bc if it isn't it knocks your metabolism way down

I'm at goal, and unfortunately still have a size 22 skin wrapped around my size 2 body. I'm looking into plastics, but for now just cover it up. I was a pear shape, and all of my skin is tummy, lower back, and upper legs, but I hide it well. The plastic surgeon that I had my consult thought I was there for tattoo removal, he was floored when I opened my robe and he saw the excess skin. We will be submitting my paperwork in the next few weeks to see if insurance will help with payment at all. Like the others I wouldn't trade my new life, body, and confidence for anything. Because of a genetic autoimmune disease I have almost no elasticity in my skin, so I didn't bounce back at all in the skin department. But I'm going to take care of that very soon, with or without insurance, with would be better of course. LOL

I haven't been sleeved, yet. I am just beginning my journey. I have my surgeon consult on 6/30 and I will start my 3 month weight management the same day. I just have to weigh my exact weight on the day on consult to qualify as 40+ bmi, so that my insurance will cover the surgery. Anyway, I also have RA, Lupus, Sjorens, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Right now, I'm just on Imuran for the lupus/RA/Sjogrens and I'm on eliquis for the ASP. all autoimmune. The lupus/ RA have played a major part in my not-so-active lifestyle. I am a special needs Mama, and honestly, after I've taken care of him, I'm just give out. I know that lupus/ra etc, won't be cured by the weight loss from surgery. I just hope that by losing the weight, I've done everything I can do to not add to the risks I face from these diseases. My special needs son is going to need his Mama for many many more years. My mother passed away the day after her 48th birthday. I was 24. I don't want the same story ending.

Copied from Allergan: Your surgeon may consider whether the LAP-BAND ® is right for you if your BMI is at least 35 and you have a health problem that is related to obesity. Your surgeon may also have other criteria he or she uses. Ask him or her to discuss the criteria with you. Contra-indications The LAP-BAND ® System is not right for you if: You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohns disease. You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. *You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel). You have portal hypertension. Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance you might have a narrowed opening. You have/experienced an intra-operative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement. You have cirrhosis. You have chronic pancreatitis. You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the LAP-BAND ® System has been placed, the band may need to be deflated. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill. In rare cases, removal may be needed.) You are addicted to alcohol or drugs. You are under 18 years of age. You have an infection anywhere in your body or one that could contaminate the surgical area. *You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure. You might be allergic to materials in the device. You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device. *You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases. I put * on the potentially applicable contraindications. Talk to your rheumatologist about this, please. Best of luck!

My surgeon spoke with my Rheumy. He wanted to make sure the autoimmune wasn't an issue with my organs. The hesitance you may feel from the surgeon may be stereotyping that Fibro gets sometimes. Don't be discouraged or take it personally people that don't walk your path may never understand. Best of luck!

I there! I just figured out how to create a support group for autoimmune sleevers. If several of us join and start posting there, we might be able to create a place for those of us with RA, psoriatric arthritis, hashimotos, lupus, SA, etc. I set it to public so anyone can join. Pls join if this pertains to you, and invite your forum friends as well. I'm a support group creation virgin so be gentle with me if I screwed it up. Here's the link (I hope!) http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/groups/show/269-autoimmune-sleevers/

This isn't the exact same thing, but I have an autoimmune disease and was put on steroids approximately 10 days after my last appointment for my medically supervised diet, and I have gained weight - like 5lbs - since I was last in. Because I'm ravenous because that's what steroids do. I think it's up to you about lifting weights, but I know my friends who have had the surgery have said that they should have conditioned their core and back a little more to be able to support just how weak you are after abdominal surgery! Maybe do just bodyweight exercise?

I over packed!!!lol!! I always do! for sure chap stick, I took my own heating pad I used it on my chest the minute I got in my room an kept it on all night. I took gas x strips..yes it helped mine to a point. still had discomfort but I also tried an sleep most of the evening I got in my room around 7 or 8 pm I want able to drink or even sip till almost 11 or so that night.I had hernia repair an every sip or swallow I had esophagas spasms..ugh ...I did take my own meds with me my own pjs..take the pain meds. my tummy never hurt. only a few of the small incisions walk as much as you can an soon as you can. I got up 4 hrs after surgery walked to the door turned around an got back in bed. an hr later tried again made it to the hall turned around went to bed. slept till 5 am woke up hubs an I walked fown to nurse station walked back. every hr I walked further an further till I was doing laps. I stayed 2 full days..needed IV fluids couldnt drink much..had no appetite at all. I was crinkling nose up at foods. I had 4 to 6 wks of being released from restrictions. its major surgery even though your not admitted long. but it'll take a good 6 months to heal the tummy. so give yourself at least a month to lift anything over 10 pds..plz ask your dr first. looks like everyones differant. it took me 6 months to get strength back. but I also have autoimmune diseases , 51 yrs old an stay at home. everyone bounces back pysically differant paces. best wishes! keep us posted...

I never ever have mine because I take my BC back to back with no gaps. Was sleeved on the 23rd and it sort of started on the 22nd and definitely did the night after surgery. I still have it and I'm taking my pills. I also have tons of mouth ulcers related to my autoimmune disease. I think my body is just totally thrown off and pissed at me.

It's really difficult to predict how anyone's body will respond and heal. My surgeon told me about a patient of his who went back to work the day after his surgery (I took 2 weeks off - I had a terrible reaction to the anaesthesia and my blood pressure went crazy). You should probably be feeling OK a month after surgery. For me, it was longer. I wouldn't say that I felt "weak", the problem I was having was the weird stomach sensation/kinda like heartburn. I used to get dizzy if I stood up too quickly, but it passed very fast. My periods got weird, I did end up triggering a huge autoimmune condition and was very, very ill (I don't know of anyone who went through this, I'm not trying to freak you out). Even with all that, I managed to survive a demanding job. You find that you will just do what you have to. Honestly, you never know what you are capable of. Just keep going! I would be vigilant about hitting your protein targets to keep your energy levels up. Also stick with the water and the vitamins. In terms of clothing, that's also very difficult to predict. If you start at a very, very high weight then it actually takes a little while to get down to the next size but once your weight is lower, then you might be changing sizes every month. It also depends on your body type, where you hold the weight and how you lose the weight. Weight loss is not linear (there will be stalls), so you may be stuck on one dress size for four months and then race through 2 dress sizes in a month. For that reason, I would avoid "stocking up". You may have kept a special pair of skinny jeans or aspirational dress for years, but find out that by the time you try it on, it won't fit. Or it only fits for a week. It doesn't take long to order a few things online every month if you have the budget. Otherwise, check out discount and second hand stores. Clothes are so cheap these days. You will be fine! If I were you, I would focus on the positives. Get excited, you're about to change your life! If you go in with a positive mindset, the journey is a lot easier! It's very normal to feel anxious, but these forums don't always reflect how awesome things will be!