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I have severe plaque psoriasis and I'm currently taking Enbrel, but I have to stop 6 months before my surgery, so I'm about to stop soon. Enbrel hasn't worked that great for me anyway. I read on the lap-band site that if you have an autoimmune disease, you shouldn't get the lap-band. It's my understanding that psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, but none of the doctors have mentioned that I shouldn't have the band because of it. Has anyone has an psoriasis-related complications?

I have diabetes,ibsulin dependent, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pcos plus a bunch of other non weight related physical and mental health issues. Due to the sleeve, I'm now mostly diabetic and blood pressure free!! Maybe it's justmy results but there really seems to be a toss up with RNY and sleeve. If you have gerd, rny seems better but if you have autoimmune disease, psychiatric meds, pain meds for Chronic pain type situations, then according to my surgeon and some research, sleeve is better.

@@theantichick ... that was an awesome post about the interplay of fat cells, estrogen, autoimmune diseases, etc. I never knew ANY of that stuff! Thank you.

i have not heard this. i have heard that for most people, losing weight reduces the number and severity of flare ups. i think bypass can make certain autoimmune disorders worse because it affects the GI tract, where the immune system "resides." i have a friend with fibro and scleroderma and her doc has strongly recommended the sleeve over bypass, but the surgeon hasn't decided yet (based on his research) which procedure he thinks she should have.

Go see your doctor and have some blood work done. If anything is badly out of whack, it should show up. If not, it's very likely just menopause and you can relax and chock it up to hormones run amuck. I'm in the throws of perimenopause now. I'm about to turn 49 and still regular as a freaking clock. Wish it would hurry up, in all honesty, I'm ready to be done! In the US, the average age for menopause is 51. (that's what my doc says, anywho) My bestie is 49 and it's been 8 months since she's had a period...lucky turd. She has had big issues with night sweats. Drenchers. Her physical was fine, though, nothing wrong......just menopause. It can't hurt to get checked out pronto, because as you know, night sweats can be an indication of something not so good... and I'm not talking just cancer. They can also be caused by certain vitamin deficiencies and other metabolic issues. (B12, D, autoimmune stuff) Best to get on top of it. You'll sleep better when you get to the bottom of it. Best wishes!

My surgeon has a LOT of surgeries under his belt, and people travel to see him from a long way. I'm only 1 1/2 hours away, but.... his protocol is ONE WEEK liquid diet. Well, 6 DAYS of full liquid and one day (day before surgery) as clear liquid. Everyone I know who's had this surgery (on another group, and one person my husband works with) has given me dark and dire warnings about that. I'm scared because of it, and the surgeon and dietitian are unconcerned and say my Dr has always done pre-op diet one week out. Prior to my seeing my doctor the first time about WLS, I was diagnosed with NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis), basically fatty liver with inflammation. I was also diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis (not contagious... my body just thinks my liver is a foreign invader). I'm in remission for the AIH, and i've lost a little weight too... but I'm still spooked and wondering if anyone else has only had to do a one week pre-op diet....

I love IF. I use it for weight loss (4 years post/currently 15 lbs over my lowest) and to calm my autoimmune woes...also improves sleep quality. I do 16/8...about 1200 calories daily.

My surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday the 12th, after being delayed for about a month. My surgeon seems to follow some different protocols from what I've seen a lot of other people post. I only have to follow my pre-op diet for one week, and it consists of two protein shakes a day then a small meal consisting of lean protein and veggies. I thought I would be tired and hangry, but my hunger has been pretty manageable and I actually feel physically better and less tired and achy than I did before starting the pre-op diet (I have an autoimmune disease and my GI doctor suspects I have mild Celiac disease so it could have something to do with not eating gluten). So, yay, I guess! He also wants me drinking lots of water the morning of surgery, up until about two hours before my scheduled start time, so that's definitely unusual.

I am a 48 year old feamle with pseudo tumor cerebri which is a swollen optic nerve (behind eye). This is usually seen in overweight people. Nine years ago I was diagnosed with this and also found out I was celiac. So, I went on a gluten free diet and lost 100 lbs. My optic nerve was not swollen anymore. Now in the past 7 years I put 60 pounds back on. Weight is a life long strudggle and in my case genetic ( both parents overweight). In 10/12 I am told optic nerve is fine. Then earlier this week 6/25/13 I am told it is swollen again. Drs. told me not to stop asthma meds abruptly or nerve could rupture and I could go blind. Long story short. Apparently, weight loss is the only thing that will decrease the swelling. I ahve been trying to lose weight since 13. Yo-yo syndrome. My question is has anybody else had pseudo tumor cerebri and had lapband surgery to lose weight to shrink the optic nerve? Also, do you think United healthcare would consider me having pseudo tumor cerebri a reason to pay for the surgey or deny it? One more question, has anyone with celiac disease been told that the lapband was not for them because you could get another autoimmune disorder like Lupus from the lapband? Any information would be greatly appreciated as I start to explore this option.

Because I'm allergic I guess I didn't research it completely. I thought NSAIDs were taboo for both. My surgeon stated that the prednisone would be an issue, as it would counteract the hormone benefits of the surgery. I am scheduled to do an NSAID allergy challenge of one possible that may not cause a reaction, and I was considering canceling because I didn't think I could use it after the surgery. I guess it won't be a waste to go ahead. I have enough chronic issues with the RA, I don't want to have to worry about long-term issues with the bypass so that is why I opted for the sleeve. I see that you are below your goal - Congrats!! Do you have an autoimmune disease? If so did the surgery provide you with improvement in controlling it?

@@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.

Ugh don't know where my post went... Yes I'm neatly four weeks post op, chronic pain issues unchanged for now but have new awesome energy and diabetes is way better as is blood pressure much more stable... I use stevia since it's natural and also use g6 sports powder from GNC sweetened with stevia bc it's yummy to me especially in non fat milk... if your non lactose intolerant... there'd unsweetened nut milks of course.... I've lost 25lbs so far, and no real complications... I drink premier occasionally if necessary on emergency bc insurance paid for it... but if I drink to much, my tummy reacts badly!! I'm excited for you and me! Therr is a gal in my support group with autoimmune disease as well who said post surgery, her pain got way better and now she's jogging and 150 lbs down in less then a year I believe!! Amazing

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.

I'm 14 months out and my surgery involves a sleeved stomach. I never really had to worry about eating too fast because I have EoE which is an autoimmune disorder that causes narrowing of the esophagus and choking issues. So I've been a suuuuuuper slow eater since 2015 when I first started choking on almost everything I put into my mouth. I had to learn to chew my food to absolute mush or choke and end up in the hospital with them trying to give me medicine to relax my throat so that the food could go down naturally. By the time I had my surgery last year I was already used to taking an hour to two hours to eat a meal. Nothing really changed for me in that respect except that because I eat less sometimes it only takes me 45 minutes to eat. I just take a bite and chew it slowly and then wait about 30 seconds before taking another bite. Then I take another 30 seconds or more to chew so that it's around a minute in total between swallowing each bite so I'll know when I'm full before eating too much and feeling like I'm going to vomit (not gonna lie, I HAVE eaten a bit too fast a few times and it's not pleasant. I get nauseous for a good hour or two and feel uncomfortably full for around two hours. Considering I can count the number of times I've done this on both hands and still have fingers to spare... it's rare. Eight times in 14 months is really not too bad imo.) With protein you can either add in a pre-made 20 or 30g Protein shake (or clear protein) or two and then try to eat the rest in your diet. Or, you can buy protein powder and add it to your food or drinks. Fluid itself is a hard one. I get around 55-65 oz of fluid a day but early on it was a struggle for me to even get in the bare minimum my surgeon wanted of 48oz (half the time I was lucky if I could get in 32oz). The beginning is always the hardest. Trying to get into a routine that works for you, and getting used to a new way of eating. It's a lot to adjust to at once. Just do your best to meet your goals and if you don't then just try harder the next day. Eventually, you'll find a way to get there! (it worked for me, anyway)

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.

I didn't think my age would be an issue, and it's encouraging to hear so many others receive WLS later in life. I think I wonder more about the autoimmune issues. I've heard healing can be slower, or recovery. Thanks for sharing.

It's so hard trying to balance autoimmune protocol diet for Hashi's and protein intake for sleevers. It's a daily battle....

I am researching on if it s good idea to have lap band if you have auto immune disorder? I don't have lupus or anything. I have ankylosing Spondylitis, which is a rheumdoit (spell?) arthritis. Anyone have autoimmune disorder and had the lapband? Thanks PIXIES

Don't worry about the spelling, once I got through "ankylosing Spondylitis", I was so blown away you could have spelled "hello" like this "movjkdjvhkndfgm" and I wouldn't have noticed!:smile2: I don't know if the actual autoimmune aspect would be a problem but, LapBand™ would definitely be of benefit with the arthritis. Have you ever heard of "Butyoudon'tlooksick.com" or "Healingwell.com"? They both have large and very informative autoimmune forums so you might want to poke around there for some guidance. I found them when I had ulcerative colitis and some other problems which my doctor suspected might have been Lupus. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and they are a wealth of information for any autoimmune disease.

fatty liver is one of he reasons someone might do this type of surgery, so i'm sure it wont stop you. I have autoimmune liver disease so i'm followed closely by a specialist. He told me that after surgery i will have to be followed closely after surgery because in some patients, fatty liver does develop (of increase) in teh period after surgery. I guess the fat is being metabolised in the liver instead of sugars so it may take a while to adjust to it. a careful watch of LFT on your blood results is the fix.

I've been curious about this too, as there is a dry sauna at my club but it doesn't seem very inviting. I've always enjoyed steam saunas though. I did a very quick search on the web and found this: Dr Weil on sauna and your health Question I've heard totally varied opinions on the benefits/hazards of saunas and steam baths. What's your opinion? Answer January 28, 1997 To me, the benefits far outweigh any hazards. If you're in reasonable health, the benefits of a sauna or steam bath are great. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, saunas may be good for you, but you'll want to be cautious; check with your physician first, and go easy. And with either of these conditions, it's not a good idea to jump right into cold Water afterward, as Finns always do. When you take a sauna, the heat pumps up blood circulation near the skin and stimulates sweating. The Finns say a proper sauna elicits about a quart of sweat per hour. I generally encourage sweating. It helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. In medieval times, healers relied on saunas to cure illnesses, and priests used their heat to chase away evil spirits. In the United States there's a lot of concern about pregnant women taking steam baths or saunas. A study published four years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association found some association between neural-tube defects and heat exposure from saunas, hot tubs, and fever during the first three months of pregnancy. (Neural-tube defects include anencephaly and spina bifida, both disastrous abnormalities.) The biggest problem was hot tubs, which pregnant women should approach cautiously. Interestingly, though, in Finland it's not uncommon for doctors to give the OK on saunas from conception all the way up to the day of delivery - and there, neural-tube defects are very low. In fact, in Finland saunas were once a traditional place for childbirth. It's worth noting that Finnish women tend to stay in the sauna for six to twelve minutes, and they shorten that time during pregnancy. Also, saunas raise the body's core temperature insignificantly compared to hot tubs. Finnish saunas also tend to be different from most US versions - unless these are run by Scandinavians. In Finland, saunas are usually heated by a wood stove. First there's a dry phase that can get hotter than 200° F. Then the participants splash water on the stove and spend some time in the steam. Many US saunas employ an electric stove, which you can't put water on. So you're just exposed to dry heat, which I find irritating to my respiratory passages. Some saunas in health clubs are set to a lukewarm temperature. Turn up the heat. Even if you're in a very hot steam bath or sauna, it's mostly the temperature of the surface of your body that goes up. As it increases, blood vessels dilate, and circulation in the skin climbs. As resistance to blood flow through your veins and capillaries drops, your blood pressure goes down. Then your heartbeat increases to keep blood pressure normal. Finns always follow a sauna with a plunge into cold water. I find this incredibly refreshing and enjoyable, and healthy as well. Then you relax afterwards. The main risk of a sauna is staying in too long and fainting from overheating. People who are most susceptible to this are those with heart disease or who have been using drugs or alcohol. It really isn't a good idea to combine drinking or other drugs with a sauna or hot tub. Children should not use saunas without supervision. Also, be sure you drink plenty of water, to replace the water you're losing. By the way, the correct pronunciation is sow-na, not saw-na. Dr. Weil And this is from Wikipedia: Information in this section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. Please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing the sources against which it was checked. During a 10-20 minute sauna session, the heart rate increases by 50-75%. The increased cardiac load is the equivalent to a brisk walk. There is a nominal effect on blood pressure because the heat also causes blood vessels in skin to expand to accommodate increased blood flow. Blood vessels become more flexible <SUP class=reference id=_ref-0>[1]</SUP> and there is increased circulation to the extremities. During a sauna, blood flow to the skin increases to as high as 50-70% of cardiac output (compared to the standard 5-10%). This is due to the blood vessels in the skin's surface expanding to accommodate the increased blood flow, a process known as vasodilation. This increased blood flow brings important nutrients to subcutaneous and surface tissue, promoting cellular activity and growth.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> It is especially beneficial to areas of the skin which normally suffer from poor circulation. Along with nourishing the skin, the high temperatures also cause the skin's 2 million eccrine glands to excrete sweat to cool down the skin and blood capillaries. Research has shown that sweat is much more effective than water at emulsifying fat located in the skin's sebaceous glands, and thus at removing the sebum and bacteria lodged in the fat.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> The vasodilation caused by the high temperatures also allows essential fluids to be transported to the skin's surface. This enhances the development of collagen, giving the skin a continued elasticity and wrinkle-free complexion. Steambaths and saunas induce perspiring to provide a comprehensive cleansing of the skin and sweat glands. Skin is the largest organ in the body. 30% of body wastes are passed through the skin.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> Profuse sweating enhances the detoxifying capacity of the skin by opening pores and flushing impurities from the body.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> When taking a sauna, skin temperature rises to 40°C (104°F) and internal body temperature rises to about 38°C (100.4°F). Exposure to the high heat creates an artificial fever state, a process known as hyperthermia. Fever is part of the body’s natural healing process. Fever stimulates the immune system, resulting in increased production of disease fighting white blood cells, antibodies and interferon (an anti viral Protein with cancer fighting capability).<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> Steam inhalation is an excellent treatment for many respiratory problems. For example, the moist air in saunas can relieve throat irritation. Steam also loosens secretions and can stimulate discharge of mucous from the lungs and throat, giving relief to sufferers of bronchitis. Finally, steam can also aid sinusitis by relieving congestion and inflammation of the upper respiratory mucous membranes. An occasional secondary occurrence caused by breathing in the steam-- In some cases and with some people, if they have a weak respiratory system, example; the infection of a common cold or sore throat, may be carried into the lungs causing it to spread. This is uncommon but does occur. However, to counter this from happening a small opening for the head in the wall of the sauna at the level of the seat will allow the persons head to be outside the sauna (on a small shelf) and thus the benefit of the 38°C (100.4°F) still takes place without the fear of increasing the infection. The heat also kills all kinds of bacteria and insects, e.g. lice. This knowledge was used widely during the Winter War and Continuation War when Finnish troops were forced to sauna (although the unclean conditions in the field made it unnecessary to force them). While the men were in their sauna, their equipment was in another. This cleansed both very effectively while Russians had problems with many diseases.<SUP class=reference id=_ref-1>[2]</SUP> However, it should be noted, people with heart problems may be at risk due to blood pressure unpredictably rising or lowering after using a sauna. People with stable coronary artery disease are generally safe in a sauna, but people with uncontrollable heart problems may be advised to stay away from a Sauna by a doctor in order to avoid possible complications. People with autoimmune disorders may also be at risk.

I go in for my first appointment tomorrow. Some 2.5 hour Weight Management / Nutrition Class my insurance company says I have to attend. I bet there's a lot of you here that are like me: We could teach the class with what we KNOW we're supposed to do... LOL! Why do I want to get sleeved: Selfless Reasons: My two beautiful daughters (1 & 4 years old) I want to run and play with them without huffing like an old steam engine, or without paying for it with back, hip, knee, ankle, and foot pain for the next three days. For my wife: We recently found out that my wife has an autoimmune disease that if we cannot get it into remission has a mortality rate of around 10 years. By the time we know if this disease is going to prove fatal to her: Her mother also has an autoimmune disease (a different one) and may not be with us anymore by then. Her father is a chronic alcoholic and will not help me with his granddaughters. My own parents are on the other end of the country, and will be in their 80s by the time we know. I cannot be so selfish to not take the best care of myself I can if I’m going to have to raise my girls by myself. It brings me to tears to think of these two amazing little girls all alone in this world, just because daddy couldn’t get his weight and health under control. I cannot, and will not fail them. Selfish Reasons: I want to be buff again. I worked as an Air Force Cop, and at the time I was 190 lbs with a 50” chest and a 32” waist. I could run 10 to 15 miles with over 100 lbs of gear on my back like it was a stroll through a park. I’d like to get as close to that as I can. Back in the early 90s I went to a nude beach on a dare from a hot Australian girl I met while scuba diving in Cancun. I’d love to have the confidence to do it again. There’s no way in hell I’d subject anyone to seeing me like that with the way I look now! If the time with my wife is short, I want us to experience anything and everything she wants. This has gone beyond just “I want to be skinny” for me. It will affect my whole family. Thanks for reading. I'll be back as soon as I know more about my times and dates. R

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.

I was diagnosed with Graves in 2005. For a while I was a looser with Graves, then it turned and i gained. I was treated with RAI and went total hypo. It has taken years for the synthetic replacement to level off. I gained a bunch my weight post RAI. 40+, which they said shouldn't happen once my thyroid is balanced. If you are gaining with graves and treat it, you will probably gain if you get RAI. Graves sucks either way because you can only treat the symptoms not the disease. So even if you treat the thyroid, you can still get all the wacky autoimmune effects. Like hives, etc. I think if you are healthy, and thyroid is under control, you will be able to get the band. In my opinion, the sooner you start the journey, the better. Good luck!!!!

AMEN! When you add in hormonal and autoimmune issues, thing are even more complicated. My ortho who I love when he's treating my bones, once said he lost weight by no eating breakfast. Instead he had a cup of coffee then ate lunch and dinner. The side eye I gave him for that was epic. He's fine when he's addressing my arthritis issues, but since he doesn't have a degree in nutrition I don't care what he has to say about my eating habits.