Search the Community

I was diagnosed with Hashi's 14 years ago. I also have Celiac Disease, which I have been told that they are closely related autoimmune diseases. I take Armour thyroid. I have tried all of the others, and have found that this works best for me. I have had my meds changed so many times that I can't remember. I am pre-op, and with my past diet history, I can loose the weight to a certain point, but I can't maintain it. I also know that if I am not on the right meds or the right dose, it is virtually impossible for me to loose weight. My suggestion would be to stop eating all gluten (I had to, but this is what I have also been told when you have hashi's), if possible work with your doc to find your sweet spot on blood tests. If something is not working, change it. There is a large range of "normal" and I need to be at the low range of that, others may be different. I am wondering if/how all of this will change after surgery!

Hi, My name is Karen, I'm 45 years old and have struggled with my weight my whole life. I'm 5'6" and currently weigh 261 pounds, my highest was 277. I've tried every diet, under the sun. I've tried fad diets, weight watchers, taken pills and supplements, tried hypnosis..etc..nothing ever works for long. I am now disabled and can no longer do alot of excercise so just dieting is not really working..once over 40 I can't just go without eating for a few days and lose 5 pounds like I did as a 20 year old. You have to work harder as you get older and without being able to really excercise,,it's been almost impossible for me. I have several conditions that have limited me but I feel if I get some of this weight off, it might help. My neurologist is the one that mentioned I might try Lapband. I have not been to a seminar, spoken with a surgeon or taken any of the steps for the surgery yet. The only thing I've done is try to educate myself,,reading alot. I called my insurance company and they will pay most of it but I will also receive medicare in April so I'm hoping I will have little if any out of pocket expenses if I qualify for the surgery. Anything I need to know financially? I guess why I'm here is that I'd like to know where to begin and what to expect. What's it like for others? I'd like to hear from anyone about anything since I know nothing. I'd especially like to know how long it takes from the time you begin the whole process till you have surgery. How hard is it to qualify? I have an autoimmune disease, will this hinder me from being able to get the surgery? My illness is stable right now, I feel like if I get some of this weight off, it might help my condition. I'm sorry I have alot of questions. I'm scared and excited at the same time. The thought of being able to walk a steady pace and play something other than cards with my kids and grandkids is so appealing to me. I hate the way I look and feel, I really want my life back.

Discuss this with your surgeon. There are times when the medical needs of a particular patient require modifications to the surgeon's standard protocols. It is my understanding that caffeine is mostly problematic because it is slightly dehydrating. Some surgeons are OK with caffeine intake if the patient can offset the potential Fluid loss with extra Water intake. For example, surgeons generally agree that NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen) are not allowed after VSG surgery. My surgeon agrees that the risk is outweighed by the benefit of treating my autoimmune disease, so I am allowed to take NSAIDs as needed, but I have to stay on a PPI to minimize the risk of ulcers. Every patient is different, and good surgeons can work with the individual needs.

Sandee, I had the same issue with back pain. I had the MRIs and the blood work done to rule out SLE and other autoimmune disorders. My back would "go out" frequently and I would not be able to stand up straight. my one hip would literally be higher than the other, I would get leg pain, and sometimes even have less bladder control. I definitely had some sort of disc involvement, but no one ever caught it or did anything medically for me. Ice, rest, chiropractic and acupuncture became my treatments of choice. I was also uncoordinated. It seems like I would be catching my balance frequently. I was an apple shape woman, so much of my extra weight was in my abdominal area, but I had good size thighs and arms and when I started to lose, it went from everywhere. Be sure to measure yourself well before surgery, you will be surprised where the inches fall off. I had surgery in August of this year and my back is much better. I just don't have the aches and pains, I can run circles around my hubbie and don't have to lean on the shopping cart to get through the store anymore. I hope the sleeve helps you as much as it has helped me. I feel very fortunate to have been able to do this for myself and my family.

I have just begun the process for the lap band surgery. However, in the last 4 weeks, I have been having proximal muscle pain, in the shoulders, hips, knees and elbows. I read somewhere that hypothyroidism can manifest as a myopathy or muscle pain that is very similar to my symptoms. Have any of you had this experience? Was the pain severe? I just completed my blood work for the surgery which tested my T3 T4 and TSH, and the nurse at the office said that my bloodwork was normal. I am not sure if I should see a Endocrinologist or Rheumatologist. I was hoping on having the surgery the beginning of august, but now I am worried that it might be some sort of autoimmune connective tissue disease, which I read is a contraindication to the lap band. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!!! Jillian:help:

Ok..update. Becoming not so numb. They took at pea size chunk out of my gum! Didn't hurt when it was done...but I am starting to feel it ...I will be sore in the am....too bad I talk for a living! I'll let you all know what comes back! Maybe it isn't an autoimmune disorder. But..if it isn't ..then I am back to square one ...oh well....I will cross that bridge when I get to it....

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! Odd... some people the other link does better, some can't get to it. Try this one. Same location, just a different URL path to get there: http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1258-sleeved-spoonies/

The following is a direct quote from Dr.Weill. "I don' t believe that most diseases are related to toxic buildups in the liver or that cleansing the liver is a worthwhile health practice. Some health conditions may follow compromised liver function, but these are due to liver damage. Serious liver disease can result from alcoholism or infection with hepatitis viruses B and C. It can also be caused by an autoimmune disease or be the result of cancer. An important function of the liver is to deal with toxins that enter the body. If you are in good health and not overloading your systems with toxic substances (such as alcohol), the liver will cleanse itself very well" From what I have learned through relative courses over the past few years, the liver does not need anymore than healthy food and lots of Water. Try to refrain from fast food, preprepared-prepacked foods, artificial sweeteners, and high fatty foods. The liver has the uncanny ability to rebuild and repair itself so if you start treating it right through a healthy lifestyle then it will detox and cleanse itself. Carol

For what it's worth, I don't think the band caused the autoimmune disorder. It may have made the effects show up more obviously or rapidly, but it wouldn't cause it. Autoimmune is something that lives in your system. It just chooses when to show up - spoken by a Graves Disease (and likely Hashimoto's) patient t whose autoimmune did not show up until mid-40's)

I was in your place 9 wks ago..I did all the prep over the yrs an this spring 2 of my specialists referred me to the surgeon. I guess I was in denial bc I never dreamed I qualified for insurance approval. But with my hashis an several autoimmune diseases I had put on 55 pds in 4 months...ugh. .sure enuff I went thru all preop requirements. .my last 2 wks I was on protein shakes 1 balanced meal a day then 48 hrs of strictly protein shakes..I have been thru several brands of protein by my wk 3bc I was gagging! Over th www thought of another protein shake..I seen some options on here an one I tried was the nectar brand..(I believe) it has different flavors u can get a variety pack an I ushered it to help get my 64 oz water in an the flavors aware packed with protein. ..their w not thick. .just like drinking water but u get it all...oh..I also used the chike protein brand also...an of course I had the pure protein. .I turned tried the Atkins an it to me it was nasty..it upset my tummy needless to s aww y I threw them out! I remember myself being in a ball of nerves my few days before. .my anxiety got to me..I was over thinking everything too! I was more then ready or I wouldn't have gone thru all the preop requirements. I trusted my surgeon, my drs, I new the protocol an I knew the risk. It was like well I'm not going to have much of a life fat..so I'm doin this! My surgeon an specialist all said the benefits out way the risk...surgeon told me just get thru first month..u will do great . The head will play games...hang in there...call ur surgeon if u need to..I stayed 2 days I couldn't get much water down. So I stayed to get Iv fluids. ..by that second night I was ready to go home..just take one day at a time. Ur preop staff are experts also postop staff..they'll take excellent care...they fix you up in preop an when u get relaxed it'll b over an wake up... u got this! ! Hang in there..I gained 8 pds from surgery an fluids. .don't b alarmed! It will come off!! I did stall for several wks at 3 wks out..don't get discouraged. .ur body is trying adjust to major surgery. ..be easy on yourself. .come here...luv this site. .be sure to take it measurement. Pics. .try not worry..this is ur new second chance. ..I'm 8 wks out an 62 down...I'm not even caring anymore just strictly stick to ur protocol. .trust. .it work!!!! Keep us posted!!

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

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.

this is strictly my experience and journey...I have several dx's ..mine has changed soo many times depending on the psych I seen over the past 25 yrs. It's been Bipolar, MDD, PTSD, and then back to Bipolar/with MD...I understand I was reading your story and my goodness I thought I was reading mine. bless your heart. I lived through that vicious cycle the past 30 yrs. But mine went further. after 25 yrs of battling weight (up and down up and down) and many specialist I was also dx with hashi's. ( autoimmune disease) that destroyed one side of my thyroid I was put on armour a yr ago right before going through the process of getting the sleeve. I also dx with insulin resistant, pre diabetic. I ate also out of all emotions and craved simple carves to no end! I ended gaining like 30 some pds within a 6 wk period that's when my endocrinologists dug deeper with extensive BW and ended up doing US on thyroid and biopsy. I also had already been through 12 yrs under dr care for the "mental" issues and treatment with psycho therapy which done me wonders got other perspectives and causes of my underlying eating issues and I hadn't even thought about the sleeve bc I had no idea it was even being done. yea I thought about WLS in the past yrs but I always thought I didn't qualify till 2 of my specialist directed me to my surgeon. after being put on armour for my thyroid and I got my BW in the normal range before I was accepted for the sleeve , I was on a cocktail of 4 drugs for the mental diseases over the past 12 yrs it was 2 yrs ago I got weaned down to 2 and now I am at 1 and doing great. since getting my thyroid levels at optimal levels my mental issues has improved so much(for me) I was released by my psych and endo to have the surgery my highest weight was close to 275 and without the surgery I was headed to the 300 plus and I was miserable where I was. it does make you have a more depressive attitude toward yourself and it turns to being angry and disgust with yourself (talking about me and how I treated myself and myself internal dialogue) which made me a very outward moody person I hated life and could not stand the idea of facing a day which I know the MDD/Bipolar also had its affect on that thinking as well. But I am 10 months PO over 100 pds down. I no longer turn to food for that self comfort you mentioned that only last a short while till I bottomed out again and repeated this cycle to numb myself and how I was internalizing and it was a vicious cycle. I understand. I am soo thankful my 2 specialist directed me to the sleeve. my internist said I was candidate and the sleeve with me on daily meds there's no malabsorption issue and no redirecting organs and has a huge success rate as long as I DO MY PART and STICK TO MY PROGRAM. I had already started the lifestyle changes 2 yrs prior to this. I had already removed all processed sugars, breads, pastas etc bc of my autoimmune diseases and I had already dropped the calories while doing this of eating the less the 600 cal a day and yes for those who doesn't understand the starvation of this reduced cal intake and still kept getting bigger and bigger it happens. I am the testiment and charted. I was hungry all the time! but my body was in war with itself and it got to where everything I ate it stored. now I eat to live and have been released from prison and loving life. I am 51 and my life is just starting. do your research and I am so glad you asked this question. talk with your dr's you trust and that will support you. there's alot to the process. but SOOO worth it. I have found myself and relearning each day. as long as I am stable which I have been for a while I'm doing great. am I perfect? heck NO! but my awsome days totally outweigh my bad days now. my self esteem is out the roof. I have a dear friend who is over 300 pds and she came over one day and asked me how I have been losing weight. she is bipolar (not sure if its actual dx from a psych or self dx) but she has stood by that for over 40 yrs and I told her about my stopping the sugar addiction a few yrs ago and her words were "I don't see myself losing weight or getting off the sugar addiction wagon" and of course I said strict portion control..(her and hubs lives for food) its their recreation...(Iv been there done that)! I said as long as you tell yourself that it wont change. I am hoping my new life changes will inspire her! sorry such a long post I just wanted to share what I went through and I hope this helped. keep us posted dear and best wishes..xx

I was the worlds worst diet Mountain Dew addict there ever was. I could go through a 24 pack in about 3 days by myself. I have had this addiction since I was 18! I'm now 44! I think, though this is pure speculation, that the chemicals in it induced my autoimmune disease. So, I'm going to stay away from it now that I've broke myself from it. Whether it induced my autoimmune disease or not, it's still unhealthy.

GERD actually is considered a comorbidity but just not for my insurance company. DJD is a comorbidity for a lot of companies, but not mine. Of course they don't consider RA as obesity related since it's autoimmune, but all I know is that if I weighed less I would definitely feel less pain! I left a message with my PCP today to ask for a referral for a sleep study. That's the only other thing my insurance will cover that I haven't been tested for. It's unclear if I even have symptoms because my husband has severe sleep apnea and uses CPAP which is kind of noisy, plus my pug bunks with us and he definitely snores...loudly! LOL But I agree-----stupid insurance companies! Argh! I know it would help my pain so much which would allow me to decrease some of my *expensive* meds! Oh well..........apparently, while my insurance company *does* require going through the weight loss program they don't require the 5% weight loss. So it'll be a fine line!

shell....that's what my husband felt..(he's a pediatric cardiologist) and the other docs were thinking also.....especially because of the shortness of time / proximity to the lapband surgery. It seems right around 10 days pericarditis can develop after a surgery of any sort. And it probably was the result of my surgery....but we can never say for sure.....but in the big picture.....I really can't get upset over having the lapband surgery.....because, if this domino effect of mega health problems didn't start.....then I would have suddenly dropped dead from the moyamoya. So, in essence.....it saved my life....even if it probably was the catalyst for the Pericarditis. (in my opinion, the moyamoya had been developing in the background for at least 5 yrs...according to the sx's I were complaining about and experiencing) anyhow.....warm wishes to you.....and I will have you in my thoughts and prayers during your surgery. Are they comfortable with your autoimmune disorder and having the surgery? Well, I am sure they worked you up quite a bit!!!! Now....go and start taking your first skinny steps! diane : )

Can I ask what autoimmune disease you have? I have Systemic Lupus. My surgeon recommended the sleeve as well. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ using the BariatricPal App

So I started my pre op VCLD shakes and Soups today, surgery date is June 7th. I'm still hungry but I don't care cause it will all be worth it in a years time I'm pretty sure I'm only allowed to eat, well drink lol the shakes and soups but I'm going to ask my nutritionist tomorrow. But after reading some posts I think SF jelly might be okay?? I took some photos of myself today in only my bra and underwear and I can't believe how huge I've gotten, I suppose you just kind of pretend that you're not. But no need to pretend now as I intend to look very different eventually Two things I'm worried about: 1. Saggy and baggy skin. My surgeon said the only way you can combat this is by exercising?? Is this true?? 2. I have an autoimmune disease and am required to take a sh*t load of drugs daily. Is it still easy to swallow pills after VSG?? Would love to hear about your experiences and any advice Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I second core power. It's the best protein shake I've had. I had my friend with a feeding tube and no stomach (autoimmune) recommend it. You just have to make sure you get the 42 G protein one or it has a ton of added sugar.

if you read the book "ultrametabolism" he explains why its so hard to lose weight when you are having an inflammation crisis. check it out. you may also want to look into the autoimmune paleo diet or even the whole30 diet. both of these food plans can greatly reduce inflammation in your body. good luck!

Hi everyone! I am doing some of my own research on this and will also go back to my doctors with the same questions, but wanted to throw it out here as well. I have always had slightly elevated liver enzymes, but the last 4-6 months, they keep elevating every time they do labs. I am now seeing a hepatologist and she is testing liver enzymes every 2 weeks to keep a close eye on them and may end up doing a liver biopsy if this continues. Has anyone else here experienced this over a year after surgery? I don't even know if it has anything to do with surgery as I also have some autoimmune issues going on. Could it have something to do with increased protein intake after surgery? I use a lot of protein shakes and mixes as I do not eat meat and try to make sure I am supplementing my diet with enough protein, but don't use more than has been recommended by my doctor, so I'm not overdosing on proteins. Does using soy or whey protein make a difference? Any input from any of your experience would sure be appreciated.

I have been lurking for a couple of weeks and finally joined today. I have gotten a tentative approval for VSG. Final approval is dependent on heart health clearance via results of echocardiogram, which is scheduled mid-February. Hopefully, I can set up my surgery in March. I view Gastric Sleeve and all bariatric procedures, as tools to help, not as a sure fix....it is not the easy way out as some would claim! I have been severely hypothyroid since I was 20 years old after having most of my thyroid removed because of Graves' Disease (autoimmune hyperthyroid). Although, I take thyroid replacement, synthetic drugs do not work as well as your own natural hormones. For the past 40 years, my weight issues have been cyclical "hills and valleys". I would normally stay slim about 12 years and then would go into a gaining pattern but never topping more than 163, lasting 6 to 7 years before dropping the excess weight again. In 2012, I suffered a head injury and my weight exploded. I went from 117 to 212 in 8 months! The medical community is now starting to study the relationship of TBI's (traumatic brain injury) and weight gain. I can relate a definitive change in my food cravings and appetite. This time, I couldn't get the weight off even though I had a history of successful dieting. My resolve was as strong as ever but something had changed with the head injury. What this proves is the path to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight is rockier and steeper for some than others through no fault of their own. The adverse changes to my health was the catalyst that motivated me to look into VSG. I recently had to start on HBP meds and have a been experiencing knee issues. I have always enjoyed an active lifestyle but the extra weight has elevated my fears of a stroke or heart attack due to heart palpitations and shortness of breath with even the slightest exertion. I am certain I will be asking lots of questions and am grateful for such a knowledgeable and supportive group.

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

Yeah I understand stopping some meds a week or maybe even two but a month or two seems excessive and honestly cruel unless they are gonna give you something else for pain until surgery... I have fibromyalgia and an undiagnosed autoimmune disorder and I can't imagine not having my meds that long...i'd be bed ridden.

Hello I have been on prednisone for a month now. 20mg day thats a pretty small dose I guess. I have gained 4lbs. I'm trying to just maintain my weight I know losing at this time is a battle I don't think I'll win. I must say though this medication has helped my symptoms greatly. I have a rare autoimmune disease of the skin and mucus membranes. I had awful mouth lesions and the drugs have worked. You have to weigh out the pros and cons for you for me the fews lbs have been worth it to feel soooo much better. I thank good I have my band I think that is my saving grace or I think I would have ballooned up by now. Good luck to you.