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I have been hypothyroid for many years, had the surgery 10/31/12 and lost 107 lbs. Last March I became hyperthyroid for some reason for a few months, then dropped and became very hypo again. The endocrinologist says she has no idea why it happened. I think it really contributed to hair loss, but not too much to weight loss. She put me on tirosint, a thyroid replacement medication that is more expensive but believed to be better absorbed in our small stomachs. My levels have been steady since. The thought is that once one has thyroid problems they are more likely to have more thyroid problems down the road. We just have to stay vigilant.

I wanted to comment on your statement of, " not so fat" smh people tell me that all the time and say o you shouldn't do the surgery just exercise. Which pisses me off I do exercise but having hypo thyroids is so hard so hard to lose weight. I need a tool that can help me stick my toe in the door then I'll bum rush my way in lol . Here's me now just getting my appointments in order hoping for a may date...

2005 I was banded. I loved my band. I was able to have two healthy children in 2007 and 2009. I got serious about my health and weight in 2010. I hit my goal weight early February 2011. February 12, 2011 my band "slipped" when I tried to eat and I instantly threw up. I knew instantly something was very wrong with my band as the pain was so severe I couldn't walk. I was writhing in pain. 10 out of 10 pain... I had never experienced pain like that before. Ambulance took me to the ER. Dr's ordered a plain X-ray as well as a CT scan. Same radiologist read both scans and reported that there were NO abnormalities. In the X-ray my band was at the base of my stomach.... my stomach was up in my chest, and the band was at 130 degrees NOT the typical 45 degree mark. My stomach had actually prolapsed up through the band and the band was cutting of the blood to my stomach. They tried to send me home. I refused. They transferred me to another hospital hours later, where the doctors also relied on that report of "no abnormalities". But unfortunately my scans weren't sent with me when I was transferred. The next hospital didn't do there own scan for over 24 hours. I had 2 endoscopies while I was there. The first one showed my stomach full of blood and that my tissue looked purple. Second one my tissue was black. I was there for about 37 hours when my vitals all changed. Blood started coming out from my nose and mouth. They rushed me into surgery. I had to have 4 blood transfusions and I almost died. My stomach was black when they opened me up. Dead. 98% of it. 22 staples from my belly button to my sternum. They were barely able to piece me together with a roux en y bypass. I have EXTREME dumping. EARLY AND LATE. I am constantly in the hospital with my blood sugar in the 30's and 40's after I eat. I have reactive hypoglycemia and it's only getting worse. I used to have it fairly under control with my diet.... but it's been getting harder and harder to do. My entire life has changed. I'm scared of food now. I struggle to keep my weight UP now! It's such an emotional roller coaster. I'm very thin now... I typically weigh in at only 115.... and I've been as low as 105. If I had to do it all over.... I would never have been banded. My kids suffer because mommy is too sick. I'm scared to drive because my blood sugar tanks so quickly that I have no warning signs. I'm at risk of seizures and comas when it gets that low. I can't keep a job, since I'm not reliable. I get sick constantly. I'm desperately trying to find a way to afford a service dog that can help scent when my blood sugar is tanking so I can eat sugar and prevent the awful episodes.... but they are extremely expensive and insurance doesn't cover it. I get dizzy, sweaty, my heart pounds, I can't talk or walk, I can't form complete sentences, my tongue, hands and feet go numb, my body basically starts to shut down. I can't eat too much sugar or simple carbs, as they set off these episodes. But if an episode occurs, I have to eat a lot of sugar for my body to get back to normal.... BUT not too much.... or it will send me into another episode. I was only 29 when my band slipped. I just want people to know what can happen. That they know the TRUTH of it all.... and that hopefully the doctors treating us can take it seriously. If they had diagnosed me right away, any surgeon could have removed my band instantly and my stomach wouldn't have died. PLEASE educate yourself before making your choice about weight loss surgery AND make sure you are educated if YOU ARE banded. Most doctors know very little about lap bands... so if you experience a slip, you need to be your own advocate and demand an x-ray, ct scan AND a barium swallow study in real time. THEN you should ask to see the scans yourself and have them explain what they see. Chances are that you will know more about lap bands than the doctors :-( I wish I had educated myself more about the risks, and I wish I had learned that my obesity was much more of an emotional issue for me, rather than a physical issue. If I had only figured out my emotional addiction with food and stuck to diet and exercise...........x-ray.pdf

Well we all have our stories and with them we have success and failures. My is failure but it will be a success soon. I started out not knowing how sick I truly was. I had a stroke and 3 TIA which are like mini strokes, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Hypo- thyroid, A blockage in the vein in my brain and a ton of minor problems. After surgery I had a bad infection that was caused by the hospital staff and a Minor heart attack. With all this I do not regret having this surgery. So remember that we are all not a like and the horror stories are not every bodies. I did loss some hair but it was a lack of vit. Also some of the stories are about people not being honest with themselves and have problems afterwards. Good luck I hope it helps.

I had to start seeing an endocrinologist because my PCP wouldn't do anything for mine? I just had all my labs done for surgery so it must be OK otherwise I think they would have said something??? Trust me you don't want it done it hurts!!! I cried both times they did it, and I have a high tolerance for pain!!!! It is very hard to lose weight with a hypo thyroid and very easy to gain it and that's why I am having the surgery too!!!

Oh I get this condition also (although haven't attempted to get a diagnosis). I didn't know it was formerly classified as a medical condition. Mine came after running for long distances on my tread mill and doing cross fit. I found rolling and lacross ball mashing helps temporarily and is required almost every day. What really helps though is when I purchased the following reactivator shorts from Intelliskin: http://www.intelliskin.net/products-men.php I do not know if there are woman versions of these, but I think they might be unisex. It is designed to align and correct hip alignment and other flexor issues. The difference in how I feel when sitting all day or after working out where hips reflectors are used (eg running, squats, wall ball throws, Olympic lifts, kettle bell swings, etc) is night and day. As a bonus, my athletic agility and explosive performance is also way up because I am not constantly dealing with SI or psoa pain. Instead the hips function as they are supposed to. They are great. Kind of pricy though. Doing air squats with these on is awesome and they allow me to go really deep. Doing the deep air squats actually helps a lot in managing the symptoms. Plus they feel really good to do in a sensual way (endorphin release).

I had my yearly physical with my pcp today. Great news, I am officially going off my blood pressure medicine. He wants me to try stopping the gout medicine too but I told him I'm scared intil I'm maintainingmy weiggt and not losing anymore. We're going to check again in 2 months but it was so good to hear all my labs were perfect except potassium. I had really high c reactive protein before surgery (close to 20) and I was 3.5 today. Yay!!!

My surgeon told us that there is a nerve that gets impacted just after surgery that can cause flushing and heating. Not sure if it can get inflamed again or be reactive for other reasons??? Maybe some swelling pushing on something?

Hi Coops, Well, here is what I would try if you are interested, and remember, it's never too late and I believe you can do it. Let us know how you do. Good luck! Kickstart yourself with 2 or 3 days of just liquid Protein shakes. I found this sort of "reactivates" my sleeve and gets my head back on. It's hard to do after eating somewhat normally, but it does get the restriction fired up again (at least for me). Start writing everything down again - MFP or other Measure your food. I have started eyeballing things, not a great habit to get into... Get that Water in! 64 oz minimum, you know the drill. The same old routine: firm protein first, then vegs, then carbs. Plan out your exercise regime. Maybe split your time between cardio and strength training. Cardio will burn fat, strength training will build muscle, which will raise your metabolic rate over time.

I wish this forum would reactivate, and all of us "late baby boomers" could socialize. I had my surgery done on Aug 22, 2013. At my highest weight that I know of (Jan of '12), I was 327. When I had surgery last August, I was 271. I'm now at about 219. I don't really know my actual weight bc I only get on the scale at the doctor's office (I have scale issues.... LOL). I'm 53 (going to be 54 at the end of next week). My husband is 54. We joined a gym in June of 2013, and we are there SIX DAYS A WEEK. He's lost 50+pounds by working out and making better food choices, we are both in better shape NOW than when we were in our 30's and 40's.... Seriously! Keep posting, LET'S TRY TO GET THIS "FIFTIES" THREAD GOING AGAIN!!!!

I suffer from hypothyroidism which was never there untill the birth of my daughter. Since then its been a struggle for me and weight which prior I had zero issues with. I'm concern how my hypo will play out with me losing weight after VSG. from the few people in other networks I've heard their meds have decreased, and they seem at least some to lose weight at a slower rate, than someone without hypo. Would love any who has hypo and had wls to please give me some insight thank-you and GOOD MORNING TO ALL LET TODAY BE A PRODUCTIVE SUPPORTIVE DAY!

Good morning! I am feeling discouraged today . I see so many of you where you are having great success with losing weight and here I am and it's just slowly coming off! I know that I should not be comparing myself to anybody else. Since surgery Jan 20th I have lost a measly 12 lbs. most days I get all my fluids in and almost all of my required 60grs of protein. According to my NUT I can eat anything I want as long as I chew chew chew. I am keeping it to mostly soft foods. I have hypo thyroid/Graves disease which has always made it hard to lose weight . I was really hoping that with the surgery I would be able to lose faster. Maybe I am being to hard on myself after all 12 lbs in 3 weeks is still good better then WW or any other diet I ever tried!

I asked my doctor how he knows how much is in there. He said that during the fill, he actually removes all the fluid, checks the hypo, then re-injects the fluid, plus the fill amount.

I keep away from most carbs. Definitely proactive in getting mt Protein in (love turkey dishes! lol) I did run out of my meds for hypo but at the time I was overdosed. I did gey a full panel done last year and my levels came back normal. I have been taking kelp since. Aside from slow # weightloss...taking my Vitamins and minerals keeps me straight. But I am not sure if it may be reverting back to hypo. I use myfitnesspal as a tracker. It reminds me alot my caloric intake ia too low lol

Ms. Dee your honesty is nothing short of inspirational! Just amazing. Soooo, time to step up and share embarrassing stories. This one is a beaut! I seldom dump but when I do it's late stage dumping - aka reactive hypoglycemia. Too much simple carbs (white rice) or too much sugar (I dumped once on grapes for Pete's sake) and two to three hours after eating my sugars drop like a rock in a pond. I mean REALLY drops. First time it happened I checked my blood sugar and it was 37. Now I know this. I know the symptoms. I know the cause. I even know the "cure" - I eat just about anything with sugar in it and in 15 minutes I'm absolutely fine. So a couple of weeks ago my wife and I had been running some post holiday errands. We finally get home and I'm thinking "I am so going to have a glass of wine". But we have some leftover eggnog and my wife says she'd love an eggnog with a little Captain Morgan's spiced rum and a dash of nutmeg. Wow. Why didn't I think of that? I think I'll join you! So I have my rum laced glass of eggnog and guys I have to tell you, it was like the nectar of life. I knocked down that first eggnog in about a minute and a half. Honey, you ready for another one? I go to make us a second round and I'm thinking the only problem with this plan is that my glass just isn't big enough for "the nectar of life". No problem! We've got some of those Dixie plastic cups. You guys know the ones, bright red, hold 16oz. Perfect size for the nectar of life right? Eggnog, check. Rum, check. Can't forget the dash of nutmeg, check. About an hour to an hour and a half later I fell asleep watching TV. Another hour or so later my wife wakes me up - "time for bed." Right behind you Honey! So I stand up and right away I'm thinking I don't feel so good. Cold sweats, my whole body has the shakes - you dumb a** you're dumping! On the nectar of life no less. Bummer. But hey, I'm on my way to bed. I'll just grab my Vitamins and hit the sack. So I get my vitamins down and... The next thing I remember I'm sitting (sort of) on the floor of our kitchen. My little plastic box that used to have my vitamins in it is sitting on the floor in my general vicinity. The vitamins that used to be in my little plastic box are - well, everywhere. It looked like my little plastic box had exploded in a shower of Vitamin shrapnel. My black lab is sniffing her way through the carnage to see if there's anything that would appeal to her meat-o-saurus taste buds. Fortunately, she apparently is not a vitamin kind of girl. Then she realizes that Dad is awake and on "her floor" so of course it's time for black lab kisses. LOTS of black lab kisses. So I'm sitting there trying to breathe while avoiding lab tongue in my mouth. I'm thinking. If I tell my wife about this, I'm dead. No, I'm worse than dead. She is not going to be amused. Then it comes to me - she's already upstairs in bed. Probably asleep already. You dummy, don't tell her! Pick up the vitamins, swear the lab to secrecy, life is good. Good plan! And it would have worked too. Except for one little detail. Apparently on my way to my unscheduled meeting with the floor, the kitchen trash can got in my way. The metal, kitchen, trash can. The one that now looks surprisingly like I drove my car into it. Wonder if she'll notice? Maybe I could blame it on the dog (sorry Libbi!)? She noticed. And sure enough, she was not amused. I survived. But it was touch and go there for a while. And the nectar of life? Never, ever again. Hey, I ain't no fool! Come on you guys. You know you want to. Dee shared her's. I shared mine. Let's hear some of those embarrassing stories!

I agree with the suggestion about seeing a nutritionist. Perhaps the calories you're taking in aren't quite the right kind for you. I do notice that for me, the scale moves lower if I eat more...but only if it's good calories (Proteins with a very few whole wheat carbs). Keep track of your foods religiously for a couple weeks before you see the nutritionist so s/he can pinpoint where things could change. I love the app Lose It, but others prefer My Fitness Pal. Good luck!! you'll get there!! ETA: PS I am hypo too and so far my meds haven't changed since having the lap band. Are you taking them in the morning on an empty stomach (no meals for 30min to an hr)? For the first year of taking Levothyroxine, I didn't know that you had to do that. I take it right when I wake up before my shower and morning routine.

Thanks everyone! Most days I may take in 1000-1500 calories, and I workout 5 days a week. Those workouts usually burn 1000+....so my net is too low for my body to recover. 1700 seems high but there were a couple times I did hit it and I lost weight. One of my problems is I need to eat more & but right now I am limited on funds to buy what I need to hit 1700. I've been having issues lately keeping food down...seems like I get food stuck easily lately. If my calorie net is too low or negative my body reacts by storing :/ I am still losing fat but it is frustrating. Can't net enough because I don't eat enough lol Did any of you have any underlying medical issues like with your thyroid by chance? That was the only reason I qualified for surgery because I was hypo & my surgery goal was only 60lbs. My body likes to horde anyway cause of the hypo part. I'll have to wait and see how my tax return looks to see if I can make an appointment with the doctor I went too. I did selfpay so it costs $200+ for a visit and I don't have that to go to it.

Haven't posted in awhile, but I am not finding anything really on GOOGLE to address the issues I am having. My one year post-op coverage ended last March (had surgery 3/29/12 - goal is 60lbs). The first year out I did pretty well, and the second year was weight wise a bust for me. I seemed to have lost/gain the same 5lbs all year...first year I had a net loss of over 34lbs...second year only 14lbs. Now here's the thing..I'm not necessarily concerned about my number weight because I workout alot, and it's pretty intense. I lost inches for sure and have put on muscle..continue to do so at this point. But the scale hasn't budged past 209...I was 258 when I started the journey. My goal for surgery to be a success is 198...so being THAT close and it hasn't happened yet is frustrating me. This will be my third year, 2nd year post op, and I am considering having the Fluid removed from my band if I get a decent tax return, just to see if that would help me get the net calories I need, which is about 1700 for my activity level. I'm on the fence about it..I was hypothryoid, and didn't actually have a eating issue. But because I am so active at this point, I don't take in enough calories, so my weight isn't moving. I can easily burn and exceed my daily intake in one workout session. So I need to eat more, but with my band being filled I am having issues with it. I have had some increase in vomitting the last few months, but my band hasn't been increased in almost a year. So it's hit or miss. I am also wondering if my thyroid is reverting back to being hypo. When my panels were checked last year, I read normal, but I wonder if that might be causing issues too. So I guess my question is for those that are pretty active...did you have to do anything with your band to be able to get more good calories in? I eat every 3-4 hours, and I don't eat crappy foods the majority of the time. My liquid consists of 95% Water, and I make an effort to drink enough. I feel really stuck. I went from the "fat person" to the "fit person" and I really feel like at this point I should be at least in the 190s! LOL Any input would be appreciated, thank you Manda

I've had late stage dumping a few times which is reactive hypoglycemia. Usually two to three hours following eating something I shouldn't have. I can eat almost anything with sugar and symptoms disappear within 20 to 30 minutes. But in my case, I have always been able to identify the food that caused the dumping. From your description, it sounds like your sugar is low and pretty much stays low. I'd discuss that with your doctor. It's not common but hypoglycemia can be serious and result in loss of consciousness if it gets low enough. I'd check with the big kahuna.

I have experienced "late stage" dumping (which normally occurs two to three hours following eating) in the form of reactive hypoglycemia a few times. First time it happened I checked my blood sugar and it was 37. In my case, eating just about anything with sugar sees the symptoms resolve within 10-20 minutes. But this is not a daily occurrence for me and without exception, I have always been able to identify the food that caused the problem. How long after eating your breakfast does the hypoglycemia occur? Would appear to be a totally different scenario to experiencing low blood sugar on a daily basis unless your breakfast is normally Cereal or something else with a high sugar content. Have you talked with your doctor? If not I would recommend that you do. Hypoglycemia can be serious in some cases. I don't think it's common but it can result in loss of consciousness and worse under certain circumstances. The good news is that it's usually very treatable. Huge congratulations on your weight loss!!

I would agree, forgot about the Hypo....

Congrats to you! I have Hypo Thyroid disease too. You will do fine. Just take your meds and vitamins everyday.

Am having open rny on Jan 20 I have hypo thyroid. This makes losing weight really hard. Does anyone else have thyroid and can I still expect to lose regularly with only an occasional plateau?

The Quest bars are my "go to" for sweet cravings. They're high in Protein and Fiber, and do not spike blood sugar. For me, if I have a regular cookie, cake, candy.....any of it, it sets me up for an out of control eating frenzy. Also, being that I have reactive hypoglycemia, it messes badly with my blood sugar in a way where I have to eat a lot just to balance it. Not worth it... The Quest and Atkins bars are fabulous, and eating one doesn't leave me wanting to eat the entire box.

Dumping is often the result of eating foods with too much sugar but it can also be the result of eating carbs (for example white rice). Although decidedly unpleasant, dumping is seldom serious and rarely requires medical attention. It's also important to remember that many bypass patients never experience dumping. It's a mistake to count on dumping as a benefit of bypass since it may never occur. From a weight loss standpoint it makes no difference. There is no scientific evidence that patients who dump are any more or less successful than those who don't. For folks who experience dumping, about two-thirds experience early dumping. Early dumping usually occurs twenty to thirty minutes following eating. The remaining one third experience late dumping which usually occurs two to three hours following eating but can occur twelve hours or more later. Late dumping is usually reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and symptoms can usually be resolved quickly by eating just about anything that contains sugar. I seldom dump but when I do it's late dumping. In my case, white rice and popcorn are definitely off the menu options. The list of things that might result in dumping would be pretty long. But probably of little value anyway on an individual basis. Person A dumps on "X" every time while person B has no trouble at all with "X" but dumps on "Y", and person C doesn't dump on anything.. Regardless of whether you dump or not, you're gonna love the new you!!