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Showing results for 'autoimmune'.
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UUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! Non supportive family
g00dbyefat replied to pstroud100's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Sorry to hear...that sucks! I agree that I think it's jealousy. Luckily most of my friends/family is VERY excited. Like you I have been heavy all my life, tried EVERYTHING under the sun to lose it and can't. I remember when I was 21 I lost and got down to a size 22, that lasted for about 4-6 months until my thyroid went autoimmune and really screwed me up. Then I found out several years later I had PCOS too. My endocrinologist now told me about lap-band and how it was my "best option". She said w/ my 2 illnesses that I will just keep getting bigger and bigger, pretty much no matter what I do. I made up my mind then and there!! I do have one friend who doesn't agree w/ my decision. She said that said I should just "strictly diet" eating low carb options and work out (like she has). I have been doing that for years, and no change...just holding off massive gains I suppose. Well I was of course VERY UPSET at the lack of support, and haven't talked to her much since then. I heard thru a friend that she was complaining of gaining weight no matter what she tried (she has PCOS too). Well she can do what she wants, I KNOW I'm doing the right decision for me!!! You are too...STAY STRONG no matter what anyone says. You know your body best!!! :biggrin: -
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?
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From what the doctor told me the foreign object like the lap band doesn't cause autoimmune diseases like Lupus. However, people with Lupus and the other immune diseases, the patient doesn't show signs of the disease, or it the disease just goes undiagnosed, till they get the band and the disease reacts to it.
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Cellcept and getting banded
Believer replied to epm316's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I was on cellcept for about 3 weeks and it was the worst time in my life. I was taking it for an autoimmune disease and was already banded at the time... -
Hi to everyone, I am Diane also new to this site with problems. I was banded September of 2003. I believed it would save my life and still believe it does for most of you. I am just one that it did not work for. I had the chest pain with each bite. I finally had the band deflated and have not been throwing up, but in July of 2004 I began to have other health problems. My fingers swelled up, I became extremely exhausted and had arthritis to the point of not being able to pick anything off the floor. November of 2004 I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease. Most docs say it is not related to the Lap-band, some feel it (could be related). I have been afraid to have the band removed as the disease I have caused scar tissue mostly in the skin but also in my other organs... I am afraid that the band is now burried and that it might be surrounded by blood vessels. My disease is very rare and I am on a TRIAL 12 month chemotherapy regime to save my life as it has progressed to my lungs. I guess I am looking for others with Lap-band/autoimmune problems or support to have the band removed. Thanks for any comments you might have. Diane
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I am looking for others might question health problems that have occured since the lapband surgery. I am not trying to frighten anyone. I know this is a miracle for many of you out there. However, I have questions as to whether my body did not like the band. I developed puffy hands, raynoads syndrome and arthritis. As it turns out, one year after my banding, I am diagnosed with Scleroderma. This is an autoimmune disease and is in some ways related to silicone. (I am not saying it is related to the lapband). I am wondering if anyone else has had any of these symtoms. I will probably die from the Scleroderma in the future. I am undergoing 12 months of trial chemotherapy for it.... Anyone ?
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What makes you think it is unrelated? I have a deadly illness just one year after I had the lap-band put in, I started having symtoms and found out I have something very similar to Lupus called Scleroderma. It too is an autoimmune disease. I have heard of people who have had their bands removed and have recovered from these diseases... What about you?
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Extreme muscle weaknes, soreness, awful
aubrie replied to shannon6's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
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. -
Silicone or Saline ?
Dr. Schulman replied to coltonwade's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
As you know, silicone implants have been re-approved by teh FDA. Like most plastics surgeons, I had been using silicone implants all along for breast reconstruction and have had no problems. Any possible connection wiht cancer/lupus/arthrits/autoimmune disease has not been shown. Yes, silicone implants look and feel better (more natural and no rippling). There are some disadvantages though: 1. Silicone implants are prefilled and require a larger incision to place them. For most of you needing a lift as well, this is not a concern. 2. Becasue they are prefilled in 25cc increments, it may be difficult to choose the correct size if you have some significant breast asymmetry. (unlike saline which are filled at the time of surgery and can be adjusted to coorect for discrepencies) 3. Because ruptures are difficult to detect, the FDA recommends MRI exam 2 years after implantation and then every 3 years. This is time consuming, and not covered by insurance unless a rupture is suspected beforehand. In my practice, I am about 75% silicone and 25% saline for all cosmetic breast cases (including breast contouring after weight loss). Talk to your surgeon and he/she should be able to list all the pros and cons of each implant type. -
We hadn't given the issue much thought when our son was born until a friend of ours, who we respect and who is an MD, told us that his children weren't vaccinated. We decided to hold off on getting our baby done until we had researched the whole thing. I have to admit that at first I was scared to even consider not vaccinating. There was a whole fear mentality out there and it was really difficult at first, to overcome that and look at things without the big emotional charge. After much research, we decided that we weren't convinced that vaccines were safe or effective. We also felt that they may interfere with the development of our baby's immune system and indeed may possibly an assault on it. I have to say that after what we learned, the decision was an easy one. I am in health care and was asked to give vaccine awareness workshops for several years in the early and mid '90's. I'm sure there is new information out there that I'm not aware of as I haven't been actively involved in the issue for some time. I do know three families who have brain damaged children after they developed central nervous system irritation and massive seizures after vaccination. I know three families who associate the onset of their child's autism with vaccination. I also have one friend whose autistic child was never vaccinated. When I dug into the statistics for the outbreaks of whooping cough that occasionally broke out in our area, I discovered that of those that had it, 40 to 60% had been vaccinated. Also, I suspect that the apparent increase in autoimmune disorders may be linked to early childhood vaccinations. I hope I'm wrong about this. Our son is almost 16 now, and he may decide to get vaccinated some day. I would feel a lot better about him doing it now than as a baby. What I hope for is that parents make an informed choice, whichever way they choose. We all want to do what we believe is best for our children.
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Hi, I have and autoimmune illness and have the band. If you have any questions, feel free to ask
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Insurance Approval Stage
Teestir333 replied to Teestir333's topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story
Here are some of the things I have done up-to-date: Attended a Seminar (End of 1/2008) 1st Dr.'s appt 2/5/08 1st Nutritionist Appt 2/2008 (paid for out-of pocket and she is worth it) 2nd Dr.'s appt 3/2008 2nd nutritionist appt 3/2008 EGD Scope 3/2008 Psych Eval 3/2008 3rd Dr.'s Appt 4/2008 and 3rd nutritionist appt 4/2008 Prior to considering lap-band, I have had a sleep Study with a severity level of 90, I have been put on byetta injections and glucophage for type II diabetes, Crestor for high cholestrol, and to top it all off I have 2 autoimmune diseases Lupus & Hashimotos (with Sjogrens and Raynauds as secondary symptoms) - so this is a lot of medication for any person to take - so if dropping the weight means getting healthier and reducing the intake of medication than this will be a much welcomed experience. I have struggled with weight all my life and thought I had everything under control but as you can see it was just a matter of time. I am hoping for a positive outcome from being approved all the way to the actual results of the lap-band surgery. I wish everyone luck and I have put a new group of people in my prayers. -
Lap band and autoimmune?
celticdreamer replied to pixiestix's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I have severe psoriasis and am hypothyroid, both autoimmune disorders. My surgeon's office hasn't even commented on either. I wouldn't worry about it. -
Lap band and autoimmune?
Sgt Bob replied to pixiestix's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I just found this information at Risk Information Contra-indications The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if: You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases. Here are some posts on this forum about the subject. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/anyone-diagnosed-auto-immune-disease-after-being-banded-28872/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/auto-immune-disease-band-rejection-15372/ It appears that LapBand™ may not be for you.:smile2: I would still look into it though, if I were you. Good luck. -
Lap band and autoimmune?
Sgt Bob replied to pixiestix's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
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. -
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
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Allergy/Reaction to Metal or Silicone
Teresa Williams replied to maygetbanded's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
:crying: Hi, I have the same concern. People do have allergic reactions to nearly anything foreign put into their bodies as their immune system recognizes it as non self. These reactions can take several forms however an autoimmune reaction entailing stiff joints in the fingers similar to arthritis was experienced by myself from the "inert" mesh (made by the manufacurers of gortex) for a hernia repair. This and a low grade fever and the fact that the mesh never bonded to the repair and I ended up oozing out serous Fluid led my surgeon to remove it. Silicone has been the subject of much autoimmune scrutiny with auto immune reactions from breast implants etc. So I say buyer beware. Don't let anyone tell you silicone or mesh is non reactive. We are reactive. I am a nursing student also. -
Lap Band and Autoimmune disorders (Lupus)
EllieMaeClampet replied to EllieMaeClampet's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Thanks for the comments. I actually heard this on a Lap Band commercial earlier today. I have been hearing Lap Band commercials for a couple of years now and today was the very first time I ever heard mention of the autoimmune disorders as a contra-indication. Also - I did some queries and found that autoimmune disorders are listed all over the place as being a contra-indication - I never noticed that before either. However, none of the sites that I looked at, made any comment whatsoever as to "why" an auto-immune illness could be a problem with the Lap Band. I am wondering if this is something new that is just now being published... -
Lap Band and Autoimmune disorders (Lupus)
Elismom1992 replied to EllieMaeClampet's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
I think that part of the problem has to do with the medication needed for inflammation with a lot of autoimmune disorders. I have rheumatoid arthritis and my surgeon did discuss the issue of taking large amounts of anti-inflammatories and pain medication, but he said it was something he was willing to work with and keep an eye on in the future. I have a great deal of problems with my lower back, knees, and feet so both the surgeon and my rheumatologist were completely supportive of the surgery due to the extra strain my joints were under due to the excess weight. But, I have also read arguments against the insertion of a foreign object into a person who's body has already demonstrated an ability to attack it's own tissue. So, there are questions about how that kind of system will react to a completely unknown item being introduced. However, I haven't had any flare-ups or other extreme episodes since my surgery in August. Hopefully that will continue. -
Hi - I haven't posted in a long, long time. For now I just want to quickly ask about "autoimmune disease" and Lap Band. I just heard, for the first time that having an Autoimmune connective tissue disease (like Lupus) is a 'contra-indication" for the surgery. I have had a Lap Band for 1 year and now it appears I may have Lupus. Does anybody know what the problem is ???? I cannot find any information on why there is an issue with Lupus and the Lap Band. Thanks in advance...
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I have hashimotos thyroiditis (autoimmune disease where the antibodies kill the thyroid) and I'm losing weight with my band. Appreciate the band as there are millions of other obese people without the privilege of using it. ETA: somebody flamed me so I'm toning it down a bit.
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I have psoriatic arthritis. I stopped the plaquenil about a month before surgery, and haven't taken it since. I have tried to leave off the mobic, but I just can't. My right pinkie DIP joint is so swollen and the rheumatologist said it is totally deformed and will always be. I think this is from stopping the mobic. It's a tough decision, ruin the stomach, or have enormous joints...I figured the fingers would be likt this eventually, so be it. My back pain is nearly gone, and foot pain is not too bad. I have had no immune problems with having a foreign object in the body. Dr says they implant these in people with autoimmune diseases all the time. It's tough to put the NSAID's into the stomach though as you know it isn't a good thing. I guess it's a tradeoff that has to be done...
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I also have trouble with my hair falling out now and am going to drs. trying to find out what it's from, I hope my body is not rejecting the band, I am worried I have an autoimmune disease.
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Hi all- Not sure if this is the proper place for this posting but wasn't sure where to put it, so please forgive me if it's in the wrong spot. I started this lab band process in September and am moving forward with pre-op testing and insurance approval. Unfortunately in the mean time I have learned that I have rheumatoid arthritis. So since this is such a fabulous place for answers and support I'm wondering if there is anyone out here who has RA and what if any affect that has had on the fact that your banded. RA is an autoimmune disease and my concern is with putting a foreign object into my body it will kick my immune system into overdrive making my RA worse. Any thoughts?? :help:
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Hi Dar, I too have fibro and another autoimmune disorder.Not too sure what it is though. I go to the rhumitologist every 3 months for check ups and refills on meds. Are you on anything for either condition? I have just begun my lap band journey. I've been for the consultation and go to pulmonologist tomorrow. The BS had me go for blood work and the guy taking my blood was surprised by all of the tests that were ordered. 21 viles of blood!!! I'm so glad to hear that someone out there has had the band with similar conditions as myself. As for all of the problems that you have encountered, I'm sorry to hear that. I know when we get the flair ups it's hard to eat healthy. It's sometimes painful to have to cook because of all the time that it takes to prep the food and to prepare it. So much easier to pick up the phone and order delivery or drive to the closest fast food place. But when it gets to that point I just keep telling myself that if I can get thru this time of pain to eat something more healthy and be able to loose weight, in the long run my overall health IS going to become better and I WILL feel better. Congratulations on the 20 lbs.:clap2: have you tried to make healthy meals that you can tolerate and freezing them in small portions to thaw and heat on those days that you just don't feel well enough to do all the work? That's what I've started doing for my family. That comes in handy on thoes days that are too hectick too! Keep your head up and just think, you're 20 lbs. lighter than you used to be!! keep in touch Theresa
