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I have Hypothyroidism that is caused by Hoshimoto's Autoimmune disease. Since diagnosed about a year ago I found that I couldn't lose weight no matter what I did! I am 3 weeks post-op and have lost 25lbs but am wondering if I'm going to be able to lose much more weight due to the Hypothyroidism. Any body else have experience with this or know information that can give me hope?

Hi - I am in the process of a revision from band to sleeve. It would seem that my body does not want to accept the band, but I am hopeful about the sleeve since it does not require any "foreign" parts to be added. I was wondering if anyone in this forum - or any other forum - has had problems with the band that seem to be associated with an autoimmune disease. I have Lupus / Lupus Nephritis, which is typically a dis qualifier for wls but I was lucky enough to find a surgeon willing to take a chance. My body began to reject the band approximately 3 - 4 months after the surgery. I vomit after eating anything with density...and the problem is becoming worse. I am down to liquids and even these must be thinned out. For example, I have to use Water or milk to decrease the density of a Protein shake. It's just awful. I was hoping to find someone to dialogue with regarding autoimmune diseases. I would welcome insight from people who know people, too Cheers

I've heard this as well.. The only things I have found is this : Allergan intentionally did not study patients with either a family history or personal history of autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS or scleroderma, because of concerns about the dangers for those patients. We don’t know if FDA will require a warning for autoimmune patients and those with family members with autoimmune diseases, but they should. If the risk was too high to study Lap-Bands for those patients, it’s too high to sell Lap-Bands to those patients. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/what-you-need-know-about-lap-band-surgery?page=5 Here is a link to a similar thread http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/122498-rheumatoid-arthritis-lap-band-surgery/

I had hypothyroid before surgery, you will feel better as soon as your levels improve (a week or two). Not sure how the surgery caused this though this is usually caused by autoimmune disease.

Hey there, I'm also getting the surgery for autoimmune arthritis. It has better odds of clearing up my pain than any of the meds that are still available to me. If that works out--if the surgery brings my arthritis under control--then even self-pay, at ~$12k, it's a steal, compared to the price of arthritis meds (except methotrexate, that's fairly inexpensive... but also not sufficient to control the arthritis alone, and I'm allergic to a whole class of biologics). I'm a little over two weeks out from the surgery (Oct 3), and I am having all kinds of second and third and fourth thoughts. If I'm in the unlucky percentage of people whose arthritis isn't significantly improved by the surgery, I worry I will regret having it done. (Very few people regret it, but it does happen.) This is, of course, pretty silly; even if the surgery doesn't directly improve my arthritis, weighing less will make it more bearable. Plus, there's the reduced stress from not having to live as a fat person in a society that hates fat people. And I feel like I'm in this terrible cycle, right now, where I am too tired and too in pain to take proper care of myself -- to cook the healthy foods (standing that long in the kitchen? can't do it) and go to the gym (pain and exhaustion combine to be very demotivating) and keep my caffeine intake under control (I'm always tired) -- and the surgery and its associated weight loss really may be enough to break that cycle for me. So I get the reluctance. But I also think weight loss surgery should be prescribed for more of us with autoimmune arthritis, based on the promising results from the studies that have been done. (And insurance should cover it. Heaven knows I'll be saving them a fortune, getting this done.)

I'm a pescatarian, but mostly eat vegetarian. Some of my veggie go-tos are (I eat far too much cheese, which may not work for you with the autoimmune - not sure): greek yogurt Quark (its a cheese that is yogurt consistency - but thinner than greek yogurt) I almost always have quark with frozen blueberries for breakfast - by the time i get to work, the bb are still a little frozen, but not hard) cottage cheese (there is one that is higher protein) My favorite lunch is ricotta bake (google "Eggface ricotta bake") - I always add some sauteed spinach. I make a double batch and cook them in a mini loaf pan (makes 8 mini loaves) - freeze half of them. beans/lentils (although not a lot of protein here) tofu - I either buy extra firm, drain it, and bake it or buy the baked tofu from places like trader joe's eggs - mostly scrambled Veggie sausage (I like morninstar farms) egg salad (2 eggs, 1 TBL greek yog, 1 TBL may) Veggie burgers (look at the protein content, some are low protein/high carb) Snacks almonds Sargento nut snack packs cheese fairlife milk

I need a schedule for eating. It makes me sound like a lazy POS but I’m currently not working since I got diagnosed with autoimmune + sleeve + hernia repair once BMI is below 30. I have insomnia and stay up really late and can sleep till 2-4pm. Messed up, I know. I end up eating one snack, 2-3 protein shakes and dinner around midnight. I wake up and feel so behind on my day.

why did you have your band removed? I sure hope that with the band out that maybe my autoimmune diseases will at least be controlable. Did you have to diet before or did they give your blood thinner injections to take? How long did it take for them to remove your band? Thanks, Cheryl

For reference, I have a complicated medical history including several co-morbidities, an autoimmune disease that has affected my gut, eyes, and spine, with a history of small bowel ulcerations, and a history of iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency that only respond to high dose pills (Vitamin D) and regular iron infusions. A while back I saw my first bariatric surgeon and had an awful experience. The guy was dismissive of my concerns, brushed off my questions, and was in the room less than 5 minutes and told me the DS was my only option and anything else would fail. His nurse was rude and took my blood pressure with the wrong cuff and when it came out at 175/112 told me I was just too nervous. (I know what "white coat hypertension looks like and mine does not look like that!). They rushed me through, didn't answer my questions, and I felt like a number. I saw my second surgeon today and the difference in visit was like night and day! He was much more engaged, has the same concerns about my surgery that I do, and said that it may be possible to only do a sleeve but if that ends up being the case we will make the best of it! He even volunteered to call my Gastroenterologist and chat with her to get her opinion and risk assessment if we go for a more invasive surgery. She has treated me for almost a decade so I really trust her opinion but I couldn't get an appointment to see her. He thanked me for giving him an interesting challenge to work on! And I got to meet my case manager who was super sweet. So all in all I am feeling much better at this place, super thankful for the long chat the doctor took the time to have, and incredibly relieved that the concerns are not all in my head like the last surgeon made me feel! To anyone with lots of questions and a doctor who won't answer them, it was definitely worth the effort to get a second opinion. As one of my doctors said "You need to be REALLY confident and comfortable with the surgeon that's going to cut into your gut and rearrange your insides!" LOL Oh, and my blood pressure was 104/67. 🤣

I am 2 year post sleeve surgery. Had lost 125 with about 50 more to go. I have an autoimmune disorder so for last 3 months I have been on prednisone and have been eating everything. I have gained 18 pds. I am so upset. Why can't I stop eating... Ugh Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi there! I just created an autoimmune support group for us! Please follow and post there. I keep losing this thread because it's not in a forum. I sure hope to see all of us there. Here's the link http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/groups/show/269-autoimmune-sleevers/

Hi All! I've been thinking about this for 3 yrs. I finally cleared all the tests (for the last 2 yrs, i was unable to do it because i had bowel problems. We now know i have an autoimmune disorder). Now, i put my deposit down and have a date (one month out). I came to this site to find people like me. People who can understand what i'm going through. I know there are a lot of you out there who have been through this! I'm a 40 yr old mom of 3. I'm so scared that me not being able to control my weight has lead to the surgery and now im putting myself at risk. Negativity begets negativity - so i desperately want to get to that positive place where i don't go online to read about blood clots, horror stories! GOsh, not to mention friends & doctors who think i'm nutz. Have any of you felt like this? Should i go to a therapist? Do yoga? Find local support groups? Thank you for listening to me. Thank you to whoever responds. I appreciate you!

Thanks to all of you. I'm feeling better now. I actually re read what I posted and am a little embarrassed of my ranting tantrum. I went to the seminar tonight and the surgeon informed me I would be a good candidate despite an autoimmune diesease I suffer from so that was one hurdle. I then asked the nurse about the surgery I may be having and how long it would hold up lapband and she said it wouldn't be long, maybe a month..2nd hurdle. I was told that I had to go through a 6 month pre diet program, that my insurance required it. I found that odd because I called the insurance company prior to going to the seminar and was told what the criteria was and that was not mentioned..hmmm Oh well, guess I'll have to do what I have to do.

I'm sorry that you're in the same situation. I'm having seizures and in constant pain due to trigeminal neuralgia , raw and several autoimmune diseases. Being in a wheelchair is limiting. My weight loss has stopped and sometimes gone up. I need to lose. About 40 more pounds. It's depressing after all the problems during the surgery. No hope for change so I'm learning to live with it. I hope others are doing well.

Welcome! I am a type I diabetic (autoimmune, can't be cured), but I can tell you that my diabetes is much easier to control, hypertension is gone, as is high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Life is good with the sleeve!

Hi all I posted on this site previously when trying to decide whether to start the process of getting the band. You were all so much help that as soon as I started to panic I realised you're all probably the best people to come to for advice! In a nutshell, it was suggested by my NHS endocrinologist that I be referred for a band, as I have three autoimmune diseases and chronic fatigue syndrome, which is making losing weight extra hard and also increasing my risks of further serious health problems a huge amount. I also have issues with food, and eat too much and/or the wrong thing quite often for various reasons, often emotional (I guess that would be a few of us on here!). I also have a big appetite and very rarely get full so even at the best of times it’s tough to . I had my initial appointment in October and they said I appeared to be an ideal candidate but needed to prove I could lose weight. At my appointment on 16th Dec I had only lost half a stone but put on a lot of muscle - I thought they wouldn't offer it to me. However, they are still extremely keen and offered me an op date of 26th March. It's taken a while to decide to actually have it, but now I have I'm just freaking out completely!! What I am scared of is that I won't be up to the amount of changes that are required - if you eat emotionally I'm guessing that isn't easily changed after the op. My pre-op instructions are to have 800 calories a day for the two weeks before, and 6 weeks on liquids only post-op, it sounds sooo hard!! I'm also very worried that I won't be able to drink enough (I require about 4-6 litres a day - this has been checked and isn't abnormal, just the way my body seems to work). I’m not naïve, and I don’t expect the band to fix everything by itself. I already do lots of exercise (5 hrs badminton, 2 hrs gym, 1.5 hrs walking per week), and managed to give up smoking a few years ago so I know I have some willpower. I guess I see it as an extra tool in my pursuit of a healthy weight rather than a fix-all. I just worry that I’m not capable of it, especially the 8 weeks of incredibly strict regime. Sorry to rant but does I wondered if anyone has any advice? xxxx

I'm in the process of getting approved and had uterine cancer last year. My oncologist is on board and feels the weight loss will actually reduce my chances of recurrence. I didn't do chemo/radiation though because I was diagnosed so young. I do however have an autoimmune disease that has caused ulcerations of the small intestines and colon in the past. I'm stable on a biologic currently but that may not always be the case and off medications the ulcerations will probably come back. I saw a surgeon and was surprised he advised I get a DS with my history. My GI is not in favor of this plan. I think the sleeve would be a lot safer, so I have an appointment with a second surgeon to see if we can go that route, even if it may not result in as much weight loss as the DS. I also have a family history of cancer of the colon and small intestines and for me being able to have full imaging studies is important as I age, which will be much more complicated with the surgeries that affect the small intestines.

Actually the trauma from childhood was something different, my parents were killed several years ago while I was an adult..but that's beside the point..but just wanted to clear that up. Shirley, you made alot of sense and you're probably right. I just didn't feel like I should lie, it's not in my character. I did want to make sure I was making the right choices and answering all questions as honest as possible. I was under the impression they would help me through everything and that any tests wouldn't rule out surgery but help them to help me???? The psych knew most of my weight gain was because I quit smoking 8 years ago (35 pound gain) then I developed a rare autoimmune disease and was on steroid treatment for a long time and gained 70 more. So why he felt my past trajedies were related, I'm not sure. I do want to have the right mind set, therefore the therapy. I just still have issues with the fact that I haven't met my surgeon who should have already followed up with me about the procedure I had that will determine if I even get to have lapband or not and they won't return my calls. I think that's unprofessional and makes me wonder what my follow up care would be like.

I met my now bf when I was about 2.5 months post op and I disclosed everything on our first date. But I was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the beginning of the year so if this relationship was destined for anything I couldn't start it with a lie. I'm so happy I did He's really been the one thing this year that hasn't sucked but I think he's also part of the reason why I'm pretty happy now What if this guy is husband material?? Would you wanna start that with a lie?? HW - 140kg or 310lbs SW - 132.5kg or 291.5lbs CW - 92kg or 202.5lbs Surgery date - 7 June 2016

It is possible that you have some kind of autoimmune disease. This may have nothing to do with the band and is something that may have developed whether you were banded or not. Be very careful if you decide to get debanded that you do not end up disappointed.Imagine how you will feel if you do get the band removed and you still have the symptoms.

So my surgeon (that did my band, band removal, and RNY) will not do a band on anyone with crohn's or other autoimmune disorders. There's a theory (I don't know if studies prove it or its just a theory) that inserting a foreign body (in this case a lap band) into the body of someone with an autoimmune disorder will cause worsening of the autoimmune disorder and that the body can attempt to attack and eradicate the foreign body causing inflammation and other various rejection symptoms. I'm not a doctor, nor did I sleep at a holiday inn express last night, but I was a miserable lap-band patient....I won't say don't do it but I will say research like crazy before you make that decision. There is also a lap band talk forum...but they're kinda mean if you don't agree with everything you say or don't support the lap band 100%. VERY different from RNYtalk :/ Good luck!!!!! HW 312, pre-op (RNY) 255, current weight 199

wow where do I begin: Let me begin back on Aug 17th when I came in from outside from taking my dog to potty and (as some of you know I live with my mom) I came in and the room was spinning, I immediately couldn't stand up, I was falling to my right side and all of the sudden I went down. She finally managed to get me up with the help of furniture and walls to get me to my bed. She called my best friend over and after and hour and half of debating whether or not I could walk to the car to go to the ER I was unable and of course she thought I was having a stroke so she called an ambulance. So off to the local hospital I go, small town here...after an hr in ER the dr came in after a CT scan and said I had a blood clot on the brain, What??? Talk about scared to death so I was immediately prepped to be transferred to Nashville by ambulance. Tons of testing went on throughout the night and next day only to find that I did not have a blood clot nor no signs of a stroke at this time, the neurologist on staff suggested for me to see an ENT that it must be inner ear. So I came home and made an appt with my reg. PCP and he said well it could have been a mild TIA and not shown up or yes inner ear so let's get you in to see an ENT. Went to the ENT here in town, he gave me Meclizine, I was on that for 1 month, did not help with my dizziness, nausea or sometime walking drunk. My mom has been driving me since I am still dizzy. Fast forward to 3 weeks ago when I decided this ENT wasn't helping and I made an appt to see another, out of town, he said we'd get to the bottom of it. Now fast forwarding to 2 weeks ago, I went in to my PCP because over the last few months my legs have been aching, ankles hurting when I walk, so he took blood and it came back and tested positive for an autoimmune disease like fibromyalgia, lupus, RA. He suggested for me to see a Rheumatologist. I've searched and searched for one in Nashville but all are full with appts till December and the one we have here in town is not good and so I found a group in Paducah Ky that has a dr there but yet again I have to wait to get in, so I wait and still in pain. You ask why the title of detox? I was reading the side effects of aspartame and it was horrible and let me tell you I was addicted. Every bottle of Water I drank and that added up to 5,6,7 a day and every bottle had a packet of Crystal Light in it, I cannot stand plain water, it gags me so Friday I had my last Crystal Light but tonight I fell off the wagon, I couldn't stand it any longer. I had a MIO bottle around and squirtted a few drops of it in my water. Now it is sweetened to with Sucralose, got to study up on that one. I had been drinking bottled water with crystal light in it for years so maybe this has caught up with me, I don't know. All I know is that 16 months ago when I had surgery my thoughts were "oh I'm gona lose weight and feel like a million bucks and exercise", well that hasn't come yet for me because of my aching body and other health issues along the way. I do wish and hope the Rheumatologist can find out something when I go and shed some light on maybe why I am in pain everyday and I also read where autoimmune diseases can also go along with inner ear probs, lovely. huh? Thanks for listening to my so called rant. Donna

I had this conversation with my doctor this week because before surgery 800mg ibuprofen was normal for me to take for autoimmune pain. He said from time to time was fine but my 800mg days were over. This will be something I will have to talk to rheumatologist about.

why cant she take NSAIDS with the band? I have been banded since Sept 2006 and have been on NSAIDS pre band and post band daily. I have an autoimmune disease that causes joint and muscle pain so without them I cant walk. Just wondering if a Dr said not NSAIDS with the band or what because mine never said a thing.

Holy Hannah! That's a lot! Have you asked your immunologist? Or whatever specialist deals with autoimmune stuff... They might be able to give you some insight. I'm sure you're surgeon can also be able to offer insight. I have a friend with Sjogren's. Hers is pretty far progressed but I know it's been a battle for her and I hope things have progressed in the research to the point where there's better care for the disease. Good luck!