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I understand. .I have dealt with chronic fatigue for 25 yrs..I am 8 wks out..most calories I get in so far 700...I have hashis autoimmune, lupus, polymyalgia, fibromyalgia an the list goes on..it doesn't matter wat I eat by early afternoon I'm so tired an fatigue I stay close to home,or home or let others drive. I take armour thyroid. .u mentioned u just had ur testing done..I hope she is running more then a tsh test...that's incomplete. I'm getting ready to go back Tuesday I've got the proper thyroid test I'm telling her I want ran. Its out of protocol. .tsh, T3, T4 an reversed T3..although u may realize all this already. .but she's going to have to raise my dosage as well. Sythroid never wrkd for me. Have u also had ur adrenals chkd? I am 8 wks out..I just added plums an melon this wk..for me even with complex carbs they do opposite on me..they played havic on my insulin so I am very choosey about carbs. I did try a teaspoon or so of quinoa this week..I hope u get feeling better..

If your dr thinks you may have an autoimmune disease, you should start with a Rheumatologist. Your internist should be able to refer you to one. I am not sure about waiting or not waiting until after the surgery to do this. If you are started on some type of biologic you will have to stop it prior to the surgery and then after the surgery at your surgeons discretion. I will definitely do that but I think it's best to do it after surgery and after everything is calmed down a little bit with me. I couldn't get my surgery scheduled in time to take classes as a full-time nursing student this semester so I have to take a whole semester off as a break. I'm halfway through and it's not the end of the world but also not ideal. The good part is, I'll have this whole semester to get my health back in shape and will be completely free for doctor's appointments galore! I am also glad I get to have some down time while I adjust to another surgery and let me esophagus heal from the erosion caused by the first surgery. Maybe they will find something, that would be awesome..until then I'm crossing my fingers for a successful bypass!

How does your Rheumatologist feel about you having this surgery? Most autoimmune diseases is the body attacking itself. It thinks your healthy cells are a virus or infection and attacks them. If your body feels it is under attack (even falsely so) you can have flares. What your Rheumatologist says and feel is above what the other doctors think when it comes to surgeries and such because they understand your cells and what is going better than the other doctors. So before you schedule she /he knows what you are planning.

I've read about a number of people bruising more easily (even with solid labs). Some people have dental problems, too. I'm still in my first month post-op, so I don't know. I got the surgery to combat autoimmune arthritis--WLS clears it up for up to 50% of people who get it--but it's too soon to know if it'll do that for me. Apparently arthritis isn't like diabetes, which sometimes clears up immediately post-op; studies seem to run for six months to a couple of years, on my particular type of arthritis. So I am trying to wait patiently, to see if I'm one of the lucky ones.

theres also a bit of literature on not performing bands on anyone with any type of autoimmune disease for worry of worsening the autoimmune disorder by introducing a foreign body into the body....it's technical, but last I checked my surgeon wouldn't perform bands on patients with Crohn's disease. Just too big of a risk.

Hi all! Karen here from Pennsylvania. I had my lap band surgery last Dec. on the 16th after trying way too many costly weight loss options that never worked, including about $900 on hcg injections. I'm the only patient in my county who has Hashimoto's hypothyroid autoimmune condition so my doctor says I'm "special" because he's the only doctor who has a patient with this condition, so he gets to report back on my progress, which so far seems to be going really, really slow. I lost 15# in the first month and another 3# in the second month and nothing since, despite two fills, the second of which was just last month. The only difference I've notice is that I have to eat a lot slower, especially my scrambled eggs & cheese, so it takes me longer to eat. Since I have this autoimmune condition which is accompanied by a gluten intolerance, I rarely if ever eat any breads. My menu is so simple it's pathetic: gluten free Chex Cereal or eggs & cheese for Breakfast, brown rice & peas for lunch and again for dinner and an apple and yogurt with each meal. Evening snack, 1-2 bags of microwave popcorn. That's pretty much it. My doctor says that's fine as long as I take Vitamins. I just started my exercising again last week so I'm hopeful that adding an hour mixed cardio and stretching will help speed up the process but I'm not going to stress over it. I'm eating healthy and not overeating and I'm exercising, and right now I can't afford a third fill on the band so I'll just have to be happy with whatever my body decides to do, right? So anyway, glad to have found you all! I get busy with a couple of home businesses so I'm not sure how often I'll get here but keep up the great work everyone!

I just learned how to use the quick reply (hee hee hee) I'm at the start of my journey. I go to my first info meeting on 12/11 and i'm very excited. I fought this decision for years but now that i'm in the 300 lb+ range it's time to make some serious life changing decisions. Let me just tell you I am scarde out of my mind, but as I watch shows like the 700 lb man and other eating disorders shows I'm happy that I have decided to do this. I have recently done alot of research on hypothyroidism and found a great site by Mary Shomon called Thyroid Disease Information - Hypothyroidism - Hyperthyroidism - Thyroid Cancer - Autoimmune Disease - Hashimoto's - Graves' - Goiter - Nodules I have learned alot. But it seems that the info came too little too late. I'm ready to make this change for me.

There are a couple of blood tests that have to co-inside for the diagonsis of lupus. also you have to have, I believe 5 systoms from a long list to be diagnosed with lupus. Leatha probably knows what I am talking about. Years ago when ever they could not figure out what a person had they called it lupus. Now they are aware of a whole field of autoimmune diseases. I for one have had 2 of the three blood tests quite elevated for the last 20 years but not the third one (double ss something or another) plus only 3 symtoms. I have been to 2 rheumatoidologists only to have them tell me I don't have lupus or any other autoimmune diseases. That 2/3 of the people with elevated blood test do not have a problem. Only one third will eventually get a AI disease. NO you cannot catch it . The reason they are concerned if you already have and AI disease is the chance your body will reject the band because with an AI disease your body fights against itself and does not have the good antibodies it needs to fight off inflammation or it will reject forgein things. You can miscarry really easy if you have an AI disease because your body rejects the fetus. So your body could reject the band with a AI disease. Which is different that having an allergic reaction. I have not read any where where the band could cause an AI disease. Also my DR refuses to band you if you have an AI disease. He looked at my blood work and said OK. I hope this isn't to long or confusing.

As far as I am aware having an autoimmune disease is one of the reasons given on the lapband site for a band not being recommended. When I have a chance I will try and find the info and post it.

I forgot to write down the SED Rate, but my CRP was 5.46. I wasn't thinking of irritation from the band itself; I was thinking issues with reflux/aspiration. Could that create an underlying infection? When the nurse called, she asked me if I had a family history of autoimmune disorders. I don't. No heart disease or cancer, either. It's not related to BC. I had my uterus removed about 25 years ago.

I have an autoimmune spectrum disease which causes chronic inflammation in my joints; if I can't my meloxicam I can't move too well. I had to decrease my pre-band surgery dose of the NSAID by 50% which just gets me by, though barely. I have to take Prevacid daily to protect my stomach. On a few occasions, my surgeon has allowed me to take an Advil liquigel which did not have any negative effects. When I had my gall bladder surgery in August, my band did not need to be unfilled. I have heard of people needing their bands unfilled for surgery, however my surgeon said that for me it was not necessary. Good luck, feel better!

Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 8 Diet Myths Debunked! Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 1 Negative-calorie foods Some high fiber foods like celery and citrus fruits are claimed to be negative calorie foods. The presumption is that it takes more energy for the body to digest these foods, and thus burns more calories than the calories in the food itself. The truth is that the amount of calories it takes the body to digest food are minuscule compared to the calories in the food. Read a counter-viewpoint and decide what is true for you, “Eating Foods that Burn More Calories.” 2. Muscle weighs more than fat Don’t fool yourself. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight the same — 1-pound! However, because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame will make you look leaner. Also, 1-pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day whereas 1-pound of fat burns only 2 calories — so muscle increases your metabolic rate. Learn about “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.” 3. A diet is the best way to lose weight In the short-term “dieting,” that is following a prescriptive plan of eating fewer calories for a period of time, results in weight loss. But the weight loss is only temporary and weight is regained when former eating habits are resumed. Instead, find a way to eat healthy forever. That’s the way to lose weight and keep it off. More articles on Eating Healthy after weight loss surgery! 4. An entree salad is the low-cal choice on the menu Salads can be a very healthy choice — or a very unhealthy choice! A general rule of thumb might be the yummier that you make a salad the less healthy it becomes. Watch those toppings: cheeses, candied walnuts, dressing — yikes! Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad has 580 calories, and 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat. Compare that to a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with 440 calories, and 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat. More Unhealthy Foods we think are healthy! 5. Skipping meals speeds up weight loss Not eating actually slows down metabolism. So to keep your metabolism going eat a healthy breakfast, followed by healthy lunch and dinner, several hours apart. Not eating also can cause ravenous hunger later in the day, which may drive you to overindulge. Check out this Healthy Lunch Solution after Bariatrics! 6. “Light” foods are better Light foods may contain fewer calories or fat, but not without increasing sodium, sugar, chemical additives, or artificial sweeteners. A serving of fat-free cream cheese is only 15-calories less than the real, full-fate version. But the sodium content is 11 milligrams more. Sodium is a major cause of bloating. Add to that, when people perceive a food as light they tend to eat more of it, sometimes consuming more calories than if they had eaten the real version. Read “The Bitter Truth about Aspartame” 7. A gluten-free diet will help you lose weight A gluten-free diet is assumed to be a no-carb diet. That is not true. A gluten-free product replaces gluten-containing grains like wheat flour with non-gluten-containing grains like rice flour. Both wheat flour and rice flour are high in carbohydrates — and gluten-free pastries are high in calories. A gluten-free diet was designed for people with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine cannot digest gluten. Read “Gluten-Free is Unhealthy and Expensive” 8. Over-the-counter diet pills help weight loss The Federal Trade Commission charged four weight loss companies with fraud. The companies charged with deceptive marketing practices include diet products we’ve all seen nationally-advertised: HCG Diet Direct, Sensa Products, LeanSpa, and L’Occitane. Talk to your doctor about your options for safe and effective medications for weight loss, combined with dietary and physical activity improvements. Learn about Getting Active after weight loss. This information was sourced from authoritative sources and is shared for informational purposes only. Use your best judgement and consult with your trusted healthcare provider before changing your diet and exercise habits. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

Less than a day to go! YIP-E-I-O! Hospital called this morning and moved my surgery up from 11:30 to 10:00am, and need to be there by 8:00am to get the ball rolling with all the prep stuff. Did you get your surgery time? Pardon me with all the questions ^^, just want to get some bearings with whom I am talking. So yeah..., you can read my Bio (still haven't posted my story/background yet), but it'll come. In a nutshell - I am the heaviest person in my extended family on both sides. EVERYONE is tall and thin..., I am tall and large. I started putting on weight after my first child was born 20 years ago, and soon after the twins were born 16 years ago, it really started to show up. Went from a size 12/14 up to a 22 on one point. Had a personal trainer the gym..., did Weight Watchers..., did Advocare..., blah, blah, blah. AND THEN, my husband had an affair and moved out..., I lost 90 lbs in four months..., was in the hospital with gallbladder attack/removal in fifth month..., filed for divorce...., turned 40 years old a couple months later..., and then diagnosed with HYPOTHYROID DISEASE...,, and fast forward to a couple years ago when I get diagnosed with HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS - the autoimmune cousin to Hypothyroid Disease. That's when the Eureka moment occurred ---- I will never get this weight off by strictly dieting and/or starving myself because my thyroid was all out of wack! So here we are..., the eve of "When Lauren Gets Her Groove Back"! And in 6 months I will get a Right Hip Replacement, due to Osteoarthritis..., and after it's all said and done, I will be ready to capture life again! Oh, and btw - I turn 50 this August and actually looking forward to it. 2nd Quarter really sucked and hoping for the 3rd Quarter Rebound!!!!

The exact same thing happened to me! I really didn't want the bypass because it seemed too drastic to me. I went to another well-known surgeon in the area for a second opinion. He explained to me that the bypass is "the gold standard" of WLSs. The medical world has a LOT more data with the bypass. He also told me that he was confident that if I insisted on the sleeve that I would regret it and end up doing a bypass in the long run. So I went forward with the bypass and have not regretted it. I was suffering from an autoimmune disease and post-menopausal - there was no way that I could get out of my downward spiral. My excess weight was aggravating my joint pain, and my joint pain (and slower metabolism) was keeping me from being active and losing weight. Tomorrow I will be 3 months post surgery, and I've already lost over half the weight I'd like to lose. I am pain free - my autoimmune disease is in remission - and I am no longer taking any medicines (except for Vitamin supplements). I feel and look 15 years younger! Think about why you wanted to do WLS in the first place - that should be your deciding factor.

I had prenecious (sp) anemia diagnosed in 1999. It was caused by ????, but my immune system started going haywire. I now take B12 shots for this. I also developed fibrolmalgia, shingles, thryroid, etc. Sometimes anemia is the trigger for the autoimmune issues. I found myself losing memory, getting confused, staggering when walking, to name a few of the symptoms. I still have some when I get tired, but I feel much better now with less weight. The good news is that they can fix this. Sometimes its caused by a slow bleed internally. It is good to have your PCP to monitor this and make sure they get to the root cause. Feel better soon.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't fret about the pain and nausea from the surgery. Like CrankyMagpie I too have autoimmune arthritis. Let me must say that the joint pain form that is horrible on good days, and when it's cold or it rains it's 10x worse. So I say to myself, "self, you handle that pain from the Arthritis without taking any heavy duty pain meds, what makes you think you can't handle a few little cuts on you tummy and some gas like you ate a whole pot of beans without chewing". The answer is I can. I can do this. All of us preop folks, we got this. Post op champions, you guys are awesome. You all made it, we all can make it. Fear is just False Expectations Appearing Real. Kick fear in the a__

I have my first appointment on the 10th Dec. I am 58 and my weight has always been a battle as I also have Hashimoto's ( under active thyroid) I am leaning towards a gastric sleeve to stop me eating for energy. My disease causes energy level drops. I read somewhere that by removing most of the stomach it reduces issues with autoimmune diseases has anyone heard of this? I just hope if I go down this way that my weight reduces and stabilizes for the first time in my life.

It could be SO MANY things. I'm glad you're in the hospital. Ask for a second opinion while you're in there. It could be an autoimmune response, a vitamin deficiency, a virus, electrolite imbalance....etc., etc., etc. Make sure they exhaust all the possibilities.

Your experience sounds awful! I have osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia as well as several autoimmune disorders (Hashimotos, PCOS, and lichen planus). A year ago I was in excruciating pain all the time and so tired I slept 12 hours a day. I have gradually been working on improving my health and losing weight was just a part of it. I am even running my first half marathon on Sunday! With your fibro, slow loss, and depression, I would highly recommend getting tested for Hashimotos. Make sure your doc tests for thyroid antibodies, and not just a TSH test. Since you mentioned that you have not seen an endocrinologist, that would be my first recommendation. Check with your pharmacy to see what endos in your area prescribe Armour thyroid, Cytomel, or other T3/T4 thyroid meds. The endos that only treat with T3 (Synthroid) are usually not the best docs for improving your health. If you get this done and find out you have Hashis, read the book "Stop the Thyroid Madness." Second, get your Vit D levels checked. Low Vit D levels can cause a lot of pain. You need to get your levels to an optimal level, not just in range (80+ is optimal, but 35+ is considered in range). I hurt all over if my level is below 50 and once over 80 I start feeling a whole lot better. After you get tested for Hashis, I would also recommend trying the AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet. In addition to reducing inflammation, which will help you feel better, it will help repair your gut. Your gut is the main immune system for your body and if it's not healthy then you're going to feel horrible.

I chose the sleeve, because the complications and malabsorption with bypass always bothered me. When I heard the sleeve was proven effective I knew it was the one for me if I was going surgery route. I first attempted to lose on my own a few years back. I also have hormonal conditions such as autoimmune thyroid and PCOS, which lead me to believed I had malabsorption issues just from things I noticed with how I felt. They did confirm when they did Vitamin levels that I was deficient in several and close to being deficient in one. I feel more comfortable giving my body the change to absorb as much as it can by still having my stomach and not re-routing GI tract and lose/maintain healthy weight at the same time. Plus, I've never been fixated on being an unrealistic weight goal or loss. I am very realistic - my goal was in line with the weight range my dietitian gave me which will still have me in the obese category technically for my height... I'm looking to be healthier, more mobile, and have more strength not to be thin per se or a certain pant size. Lastly, I had hoped to avoid as much distress of loose skin, and thought I'd be better with sleeve since my end goal after surgery would still be quite overweight. I've lost around 7% so far of my body weight at a normal, healthy rate, and honestly I've already started noticing changes with my skin. When I lost significant weight (almost 100lbs) a few years back I had virtually no loose skin except an unnoticeable to others amount on my stomach. As I lose now I am coming to terms with the likelihood I will require some skin removal, and should start savings now. I had hoped I could just be okay with it and wear it proudly, but I'm actually having skin irritation already just from around 25lb loss. Each weight loss journey a person has is different. This experience is so much different from my last one just a few years ago. And as everyone pointed out you can gain with either option which is often shown on weight loss documentaries. I was told by my program's psychologist to prepare for a 10-20lb weight gain after you hit your goal weight, and to set a limit you will not allow yourself to go over i.e. 200lbs, so if you reach that point you reevaluate yourself and get back on track, because weight will always be an issue for each of us, and everyone that loses through whatever means has to stay on top of it or it'll become uncontrollable. Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App

I just got a call from my surgeon's Nurse. The issue that postponed my surgery with the autoimmune treatment has been cleared up, I have my original 4/12 surgery date back. So I will enjoy some chicken wings tonight & tomorrow starts the liquid pre-op diet!

Probably the only reason I don't have that issue is because I have EOS (it's an autoimmune disorder that causes narrowing in the throat and can cause choking) and because of that for the past few years I've eaten really, really, really slowly because choking freaks me out and after wayyyy too many ER visits with food stuck in my throat I finally got a clue. 😓 My advice, take smaller bites and chew your food to MUSH before swallowing. If you are eating foods that you don't need to chew (yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.) then just take a small bite and then set the food aside for 30 seconds to a minute before taking another bite. Still keep with the small bites.

I've been battling my weight since I was 6 years old. I've been big for as far back as I can remember. I did just about every diet there was and not a single one worked. Eventually I just gave up. I had looked briefly into WLS in my 20's but I didn't think I'd be able to change my eating habits so drastically. I didn't think I had that kind of willpower. Plus, potential complications scared me and the permanence scared me. So I stopped looking into it. When I was 21 in May of 2009 my eldest niece was born. I was still in pretty good health despite being over 300 pounds. So I didn't really have the determination to go through with WLS. However, when her sister was born in February 2019 my health was very bad. I was 389 pounds, I have two permanent back injuries (one caused by my osteoarthritis), high blood pressure, tachycardia, hypothyroidism, the aforementioned osteoarthritis, I was pre-diabetic, have EoE (an autoimmune disorder), and I'd had brain surgery in May 2017 for my trigeminal neuralgia. When I held my new niece I was hit with the realization that if something didn't change, if I didn't find a way to get myself healthier and lose weight, then I likely wouldn't be around to watch her grow up. I cried, because watching my eldest niece grow up has been my greatest joy. It broke my heart that I may not be around to watch her sister grow up. That made things more real for me, I suppose. It pushed me into making that change and taking it seriously. I was referred to a bariatric surgeon and had to do a 6 months of monitored weigh-in's per my insurance. I didn't actually have to LOSE weight. I was just told not to GAIN weight. But, I took the initiative to try and make myself as successful as possible by using that time to prepare myself for a new way of eating. I used the first month to cut out seconds and cut my portion sizes down. The second month I cut out soda. The third month I cut out rice. The fourth month I cut out pasta. The fifth month I cut out bread. The six month I cut out potatoes and beans. The last two months before my surgery (they were overscheduled and pushed me back) I just maintained that diet and on my surgery date I was 321 pounds, meaning I'd lost 68 pounds on my own. I'm still very proud of myself for that. For me, the final push was my family. My family is my strength. They are what pulled me through the absolute worst time in my life (August 2016-May2017 when I had a 10 month TN flare that led to my brain surgery) when I KNOW I would have given up without them. Since my weight loss surgery? I have a new niece (from my brother and his wife) and my first and only nephew (from my sister and her husband). Now that I've lost over 200 pounds I don't worry so much that I won't be there to watch them grow up. And when I see my 2 year old niece light up when she see's me I know I made the right choice, the best choice, to have this surgery because now I get to watch her and her brother grow up just like I've got to watch her 12 year old sister grow up and just as I'll get to see her cousins grow up. Everyone has a different reason for why they do this. Sometimes it's for family, like myself. And sometimes it's personal. Every person who goes through this has a different journey, different experiences, and a different story to tell. And I wish you the very best on your own journey.

Hi! Anyone have chest/shoulder pain not immediately after surgery? I am 2 months post op and it started 2 weeks ago and is getting more frequent and lasting longer. Gas meds don’t work, Tylenol works a tiny bit. I have one pain under/behind my left clavicle that hurts mostly when compressed or when I open my jaw. The other pain is behind the incision on my chest (right under bra line on left side), like behind the bone. It’s where the sternum and ribs meet and radiates backwards to my spine. The weird thing is - my spine gets pins and needles when I have this pain. No weakness in my limbs. I can exercise through the pain, no problem. No shortness of breath or fever. These two types of pain never happen at the same time. It’s like it moves around. My mom has paracarditis, which is autoimmune and not hereditary, but it kind of matches this pain. I also read that it could be a leak - could it be this far out? I messaged my care team and hope to reach them before Xmas. It all started when I returned to working from home and was sitting all day. I thought it was muscular. It was also when I upped my exercise to 5-6 days/week, began running, and started Pilates. Can anyone relate or have an insight? Thank you!!!

my mom has never been overweight. but she had an overweight husband and two kids who were overweight adults. (and i was a fat teen for a while) she is a food pusher. she cooked diet meals for my dad, but kept lots of ice cream and candy in the house at the same time... his weakness. she is a compulsive food shopper and will hoard food. will buy tons and tons of junk and cram her cupboards full. she would buy soda pop on sale and drop off at my brothers house (knowing he needs to be under a certain weight at work). i dont understand her. as a fat teen she would offer me all kinds of crap, ask repeatedly if i wanted seconds, thirds. she claims food is love for her, but its not food she lovingly cooked with her hands. its just garbage. my MIL certainly enables her food addicted boyfriend. but she is overweight too and claims the reason she makes such bad food choices when she has an autoimmune disorder is her boyfriends insistence on keeping bad food in the house.. so she gets to blame him while she enables him. i get that. i dont get my mom. my first H was abusive to me about my weight.. i worked really hard at the gym. my mom knew this. but she would still buy me crap, special! i have had to set boundaries with my MIL with my kids, she doesnt seem to see anything wrong with filling my son (who is trying really hard to control his weight!) with take out, candy, junk from morning till night when he is there! there are a lot of food pushers out there. i think each one of us probably knows a few! they could use some therapy too!