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Hi everyone. I appreciate learning from your shared experiences. I'm a 62-year-young grandma with a zest for life. I joined here 2+ years ago, but initially ruled out WLS. Over the past two years my health has declined surprisingly, becoming complex with several new diagnoses, including: 1. A rare and progressive neurological disorder (misdiagnosed for years). - I'm told my nerve fibers will not replenish, thus my muscles (legs, especially) will continue to weaken. I'm also told I should be realistic about my physical limitations as my level of exercise isn't expected to improve post surgery. I am realistic, but I'm always hopeful. My exercise level currently consists of short distance walking (1-3 blocks) every other day as tolerated and on opposite days 10 minutes on a recumbent cross-trainer (NuStep). 2. Autoimmune issues have been resistant to stronger meds intended to cut inflammation, which also progresses my neurological disorder. 3. It was the diagnosis of liver disease (fibrosis stage 3) in January that led me to move forward with WLS. I am scheduled for the sleeve in late July. Can any of you relate to having similar health issues with WLS, especially nearing the golden years? Or did less-than-optimal exercise levels hinder weight loss (losing less than expected)? I'm praying the surgery will jolt my nerves to replenish at least somewhat and exceed expectations. We'll see. Thanks for your time! (Feel free to message me privately.)

No, actually the issue is what meds you take if you have an autoimmune disorder. If you take Methatrexate or similar you cannot do it.

Great question... I was open to the best option for me. With the bypass, you absolutely cannot take certain meds that I sometimes need to take. I have had multiple surgeries on my legs from sports and now from injuries sustained due to my weight. I have also had some inflammation issues with autoimmune conditions. Should I need to take prednisone or anti-inflammatories, I can under strict supervision. If I had the bypass, from what I was told I can't take those period. When I had my consult, we discussed all of my options and came to the conclusion that this is my best option. The sleeve is new. From what I was told, it is becoming more popular in Europe than bypass. True, the long term studies have not concluded, maybe that is why.

Gummies are great. I have tea infused with CBD EVERY MORNING! I have multiple autoimmune diseases that cause insane inflammation. The Tea seems to keep it at bay but also makes me come alive in the morning. Sent from my LM-V405 using BariatricPal mobile app

Anyone else on Humira, Methotrexate & steroids? I'm having surgery 5/31 & I have to come off all my meds 2 weeks prior. I'm wondering how long the doctor will keep me off them.

Lupus, fibromyalgia, RA, Celiac's and other autoimmune diseases. Sleeved May 15. Feeling so much better. Down 30 and no flairs since surgery. Stopped several meds 10 days before surgery and have not restarted them. It has been a Good thing...

I don't have RA but I have lupus another autoimmune disorder. Had surgery in Oct 12 I've been off my lupus meds since. My labs have been normal and lesser episodes of joint pain.. surgery or should I say weight loss helped control my lupus best thing I ever did..

Thank you all. When I first started out on this path I didn't believe I'd really make it to this point. Honestly I thought if I could just get below 300, I'd be happy. What I have gotten back this year has been amazing! You get out of it what you truly put into it and I plan to keep on chugging with my many hurdles til I reach that final goal line. I can see it's possible now and I want people to know that it really can happen and will happen, but you have to get up and put up the fight every day even when you are sick or injured or depressed. It's hard and when you backslide to a bad habit you need to pick yourself up, give yourself a scolding, and get back on the right track. I got more bad medical news yesterday afternoon about my heart and my autoimmune diseases being more aggressive than we would want, but I'm fighting to stay "sober" and stay on my plan and keep chugging forward. You may never be a size 2, honestly at 5'9 it's just not reasonable for some of us, but you can be so close to your goal a year from when you start...just start and see it through! ❤️ I went from a 34w/36w to a size 12/14 in one year!!!!!!

Comments like this may not affect those who have already had the lapband surgery or who are in advanced stages of getting it done but those of us who are just beginning. It's very confusing when someone comes on here dogging the procedure that I'm thinking of having. It makes me feel nervous and question my choices. It makes me start scramming to find more information..looking for some fine print that tells me how bad it is what I'm trying to do. Not to mention, my doctor will not give me a referral for any other WLS due to my autoimmune disease, she feels it would be risky. So I only have one choice and she's making me question my one chance. So I was just wondering why someone would want to come on here and make even more sour remarks about the lapband, it only adds to what she's saying.. but of course sleevetalk is more positive, it appears they are coming here to lay out dirt to make the band sound bad. So I end up with self doubt and wondering if I should do this at all. By the way, I did a little searching into the sleeve and I've read plenty of negative in just the 1 hour reading. I think you're going to find good and bad if you look hard enough about all WLS. And after reading for 2 months, I've found that different procedures suit different individuals. I read that the sleeve is for people who have very large amounts of weight to lose. I need to lose 125, it's enough but I don't feel I'm in a chronic stage that I have to go drastic to have a very large portion of my stomach removed,,which is irreversible. I'm looking for something to aid me, to be my helper. I know I have to work too, the lapband would be my partner in crime. I really want this to be a happy and exciting journey for me but I'm getting fatter and very depressed. I want to come here and get motivated and plan my new life. I do that through the successes of others while waiting for my turn,,please people,,don't ruin it for some of us.

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.

Everyone is correct...the VSG does NOT get rid of Hypo/Hyperthyroidism or Hoshimoto's. In my case the surgery did absolutely nothing to change my medication dosage...I have Hoshimoto's Autoimmune disease.

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.

My husband is afraid too. Luckily (or unluckily?) for me, I have some concrete health issues I can point to--I think it helps men wrap their minds around this stuff. 1. I am diabetic and want my A1Cs perfect, for once in my life. 2. High cholesterol, high BP, and sleep apnea will all be improved when I lose weight. 3. I have a weird autoimmune disease that causes my body to attack various organs in my body. It is often thought these attacks are mounted by gut hormones, and that losing weight may improve my body's inflammatory response. I figure it's worth a try... Good luck to you. If you can break it down for your husband, it might help. I hope it does!

Thank you all for your incredible advice!!!!! I learned alot!!! I have had issues with my knees since 1997! My knee issues really scare me because my dad had had a failed knee replacement last year. Little more than a year out the doctor is saying it should be redone. His first recovery was horrible and I can't imagine him going through that again. But it made me realize I need to face this issue before I need a replacement. Time to stop putting my head in the sand and being ignored by doctors! @VSGAnn2014. I have been complacent in my weight loss because I look good but really I could loose 20 more lbs and not look too thin. Maybe that is what my knees need and it worth trying. I have lost most of my weight with minimal exercise because of the knees.... Who knows how far I could go if I worked a little harder or how it could improve my health. My biggest goal is to be active and I am not there yet. I am going to look for a orthopedic sports MD. My rheumatologist is worthless. He told me to lose weight and totally ignored the fact I had autoimmune disorder that can cause arthritis and wouldn't even do an x-Ray! I am glad there are other specialist I can try. Finally I am going to give PT a try. I already have the referral and it can't hurt. @Valentina..... I looked up Synvisc... It is from chickens!!!! My dad had that a couple years ago and they called him chicken legs!!!

One More reason to have the sleeve. Once you have the bypass you can never take ibuprofen or any medication at that type, no steroids. when you're young you think you're invincible but if you get older and have arthritis or any kind of inflammatory disease you will wish you could take an ibuprofen! I have an autoimmune disease. My Rheumatologist would not approve the bypass but he would approve to sleeve.

I havnt read the thread just ur first...I am having issues with the chronic fatigue still...have for yrs..I'm 4 wks out but I have several autoimmune diseases I have to pace myself. I take the vitamins an I give myself a b12 shot wkly...I still do protein drinks...hope u get better soon..

There is a condition called shojgren syndrome your symptoms sound like, its in the arthritis family, like an autoimmune disorder. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

@@bellabloom - I am so sorry you are dealing with this and my response is a bit off topic, but I wanted to mention something. Have you ever been tested for autoimmune diseases? The reason I ask is that many of your symptoms sound like what I had when they discovered I had Graves disease (and likely Hashimotos but long story on that). Graves is when your immune system attacks your thyroid and you become Hyperthyroid (not hypo which is what you hear most people have). it was discovered when I was 44 and still at 320 pounds. The thing is, I had massive hot flashes, sweating, sudden weight loss, tremors, heart palpitations, etc. With Hashimotos, your thyroid will swing wildly back and forth between hyper and hypo and some of your symptoms sound hypo (hair loss, cold, low heart rate). (I too swung back and forth which is why I think mine was also Hashimotos but they had already destroyed my thyroid before testing for Hashis.) Anyway, all to say, is it at all possible there is something else going on in your body? A good rheumatologist can run a lot of tests but if it is thyroid related, they will refer you to endocrinologist. Might be worth checking out.... Best wishes on your recovery.

I see myself in your post.. I don't have the autoimmune disorder you do, but my name is also Amanda and in high school I was convinced that I was THE FATTEST PERSON IN THE WORLD. I've been considered "fat" since I was in middle school - if not earlier. But now, I look back at the photos, and I see a healthy, beautiful girl who had no idea who she was or how to love herself. I may have gotten fatter over my life, but at least I got smarter too!

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

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

As for steroids, you Dr. will probably take this into account. I have been on and off them for years due to autoimmune disorders. My surgeon could trend my weight with my steroids. However, you cannot be on them before/after surgery. It will impair your ability to heal. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, All, I just joined the forum. I am scheduled to have lap band surgery on Monday, but almost backed out today at my preop visit. I stumbled upon some facebook groups that had members that were very against lapband. I decided in the beginning that I didn't want to have RNY because I don't want to have parts of my stomach/intestines removed/rerouted. I have about 80 lb to lose. The before-mentioned groups strongly tried to convince me not to go through with it. They listed issues such as fibromyalgia, autoimmune problems, arthritis, etc, as complications. I don't want to fix one problem in my life, only to cause a whole slew of other problems, possibly much worse. At my preop visit today, I wanted to bring this up with my MD, but she was in a hurry and I kind of chickened out. So, I decided, screw FB, I am heading to the web to search more positive groups. Does anyone have any comments to my fears? I would really appreciate any/all comments. Thanks in advance!

I'm not too certain if you mentioned having arthritis, but as I do suffer from it- both rheumatoid ( an autoimmune disease ) and osteo, as well as migraines. I didn't mourn the thought of not having certain foods, rather the loss of my best friend, ibuprofen. I literally lived on it- 4 at a time. The point is- I would not make your decision based upon the ability or inability to take it. I'm 5 months post op RNY, my RA has NOT FLARED (I fear the word remission still- will revisit that at the one year mark) and the only two headaches I've had post op were easily managed with a single Tylenol. So one never knows how many things will get better post op. Choose your surgical tool based upon what you think will hold you the most accountable and offers you the greatest chance of success. And, of course, you feel most comfortable with. Good Luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello everyone. I've been overweight my whole life and recently have started seriously considering starting the process to see if I can be banded. I've definitely got both the BMI and co-morbidities to make me a good candidate for the surgery. However, when I was first diagnosed with PCOS & insulin resistance about 7 years ago, I was also diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which is a fancy way of saying my body is currently allergic to my platelets and destroys them for no known reason. It's an autoimmune disorder and there is no "cure". It can supposedly come and go at a whim, but in my case I've persistently had low to very low platelet counts since my diagnosis. Has anyone been able to undergo the surgery despite having a low platelet count or specifically ITP? It is the only thing I can foresee keeping me from being able to get banded. Before I go in even for a consult, I was curious to know if anyone else had a similar issue and whether or not it could be dealt with and how. When I had to have oral surgery to get my wisdom teeth out (all 4 impacted, yay...) my dentist literally would not touch me, he only took x-rays and referred me to an oral surgeon. We all consulted together along with my hematologist to figure out if and how I could get my wisdom teeth out. My hematologist was prepared to put me on steroids to try to boost my platelet count in case the oral surgeon was uncomfortable with the risk of performing the extractions when my platelets were so low, but fortunately it did not come to that. Obviously I survived the ordeal without bleeding out (it was horrendously painful for other reasons, but at least my platelets weren't the issue!) My ITP hasn't caused any life-threatening problems so far and my hematologist has never seen any reason to try to treat it. Other than having a persistently low platelet count, bruising easily and bleeding a bit longer from wounds than is normal, I've not had any major health problems or life-threatening occurrences because of it yet. I'm sure I could get my hematologist's cooperation to try to raise my platelet count with steroids or whatever else might work so I could undergo surgery, but my concern is that a surgeon might not even want to consider me as a candidate in the first place or that insurance might deny approval for the surgery citing the ITP as a contraindication for treatment. If anyone has had any experience either way, I'd be grateful to hear about it. I just want to be prepared, whether to advocate strongly for myself in case I run into some resistance or prepare for disappointment if my ITP is too big of a red flag. Thanks.