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I have an autoimmune issue that causes dry mouth and in the past have used a sugar free chewing gum to help produce some saliva, but haven't for a while. Thing that comes to mind for me is I have always felt a little hungry after chewing gum. Not sure why, but maybe the chewing stimulates the stomach and it starts with the stomach acid to help digest the food it is expecting but doesn't receive. i certainly wouldn't be chewing gum within a few months of having WLS. I am guessing you are going to get a lot of differing opinions, but initially the most important one will be your surgeon's and then a number of months after surgery will possibly be your experience of it. There is this but no idea who wrote it, could be just your average punter. https://www.gastricsleevedietguide.com/top-6-gastric-sleeve-surgery-myths-fail/ There is this, at least a doctor https://www.drshillingford.com/blog/why-bariatric-patients-should-stop-chewing-gum-18203.html And another blogger, not a docter, there is a section on chewing gum https://thegastricguru.com/chewing-and-digestion

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 swear... my saga never ends. Got the good news about my kidney. Then I got the latest blood results back. My labs were WONDERFUL. Except for my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level. It was high enough to order more tests to see what was going on, and to see if I had Hashimoto Disease (and another autoimmune but can't remember what). Seriously? My TSH has NEVER been high before. And the rest of my labs were so perfect I would have thought that they ran someone else's blood instead of mine... except that bilirubin level was still high (but not quite as high). So... back to the lab again. More calls with my nurse practitioner. Turns out my newer thyroid related tests were all fine. WHEW! Another close call. So... bilirubin still high (may never know why), but my liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, stomach, intestines (the parts they could see), Right kidney, and my thyroid are all in good shape. Nasty scarring on my left kidney, but otherwise fine. My EKG is back to normal. No UTI after my last round of antibiotics. Oh... skin checks are usually normal too (had 2 cancerous lesions removed but not the bad kind). Knee seems to be doing better after an injury. I do have some mild osteopenia. I guess that just leaves my lungs that haven't been checked out recently? Hmmm... wonder when I will have a bad asthma flareup... seems like that will be next LMAO. Oh.... and my brain hasn't been checked, but I did pass my psych eval well enough to qualify for surgery, so I guess that is good. But really... what is next? LMAO Grateful everything is good news, but boy am I sick of doctors visits! I need to reschedule my dermatologist 6 month check, and my eye exam, then I have my nutritionist and surgeon nurse practitioner visit in the next 2 months back to my FNP and cardiologist in the fall... but after that I would really love to have yearly visits only! And to fire a couple docs!

I actually have to keep liquid near me on hand and have the surgeons permission because I have EOS (Eosinophilic Esophagitis), which is an autoimmune disorder that causes stricture in your throat and leads to choking. I don't sip often when I eat, but usually during lunch or dinner a bite of food sticks in my throat and I have to. I've had EOS for about four years now and my food has always gotten chewed to absolute mush and I've been a slow eater since I first started choking, but the issue still happens. I get my throat stretched usually every two years and it's been a year and a half since last time so there is definite stricture issues and just last week I choked on one of my multivitamins... -_-". I'm currently sticking to chewables now since my throat is officially too narrow to swallow pills. So there are medical exceptions to the rule.

This may help understand why fluids should be avoided when eating meals.... https://www.tristatebariatrics.org/blog-post/eating-and-drinking-after-weight-loss-surgery I find it easy to not drink for 30minutes after a meal since my ESG, I look at the time I finished eating and don't drink for 30 minutes. I assume this is more complicated in the post op stages with a lot more smaller meals thus eating more regularly. I guess its all in the sipping, carry a water bottle with you, sip away - a lot, stop drinking the required time before a meal and don't pick it up for 30 minutes. It may have been a little different for me, I have been use to sipping a lot and often (for a number of years) as a I have a autoimmune syndrome that results in no or very little salvia production. I know someone who takes very small sips when eating and she is doing fine, she is about six months out, she was given the okay to...but each surgeon seems to have their own guidelines and its best to follow your own surgeon's guidelines.

I am 73 years old and I was sleeved this past Wed 19th. All of my doctors said I was a good candidate despite my age and autoimmune disease. You are not too old.

I just got home from seeing the ortho doc about my shoulder. I have what is called frozen shoulder and he explained that the likely cause was my autoimmune issues. It seems my immune system got tired of attacking just my thyroid and is now focused on my left shoulder too. Bummer. He said it may take up to two years to fully resolve itself and could spread to my right shoulder also... Just great.... Ok, pity party over. The bright side is most cases resolve without surgery and I just need to do some specific exercises daily to help it along. If the pain is ever too intense I can opt for a ultra sound guided cortisone shot. I skipped the shot for now and will just focus on learning the exercises and praying my right shoulder is spared.

Am I the oldest? I'm 73 and will hopefully have the sleeve done in Feb. My story is similar to everyone's: yo-yoed my entire adult life, losing and gaining overweight but not obese. Nine years ago I developed an autoimmune disease which is controlled by steroids. Long term steroid therapy is like having another disease. Besides potential diabetes, increased risk of infection (thankfully I have not developed), what affects weight is increased appetite, slower metabolism, and redistribution of weight (belly fat). For the past eight years I have been well over 225 lb and it is next to impossible to lose. I also have high blood pressure and sleep apnea. My PCP and Hematologist as well as other Drs feel that I am a good candidate for the sleeve. My goal is to obviously lose weight but also to have a tool for me to eat less for the rest of my life.I want to be able to get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren, have energy for my passions and to take a brisk walk. In short I want quality of life for whatever years I have left.I have completed all the requirements and am waiting to be scheduled. I have researched alot about bariatric surgery really enjoy reading these posts. I am especially impressed that so many of you have exceeded your weight loss goals. I anticipate that I will be a slow loser due to my age and the steroids but I am prepared and committed for the journey.

There is a lot of info online about CRP - look at the medical sites like Mayo Clinic and webmd. High CRP can have cardiac implications. I'm glad they are testing you for different autoimmune disorders. I was tested for everything under the sun and nothing came back positive, so the rheumatologist just wrote me off. When I stopped gluten, I was a different person in just 3 days. It was amazing, I went from needing a walker just to get around, to walking 2 miles - within 2 weeks! That was about 5 years ago. When I stopped all sugar a year ago (pre surgery), the inflammation dropped even more. Absolutely no NSAIDS needed and I was using Aleve twice a day, every day. Now that I am doing a whole foods plant based (WFPB) diet, I feel even better. I will have more inflammatory markers drawn in February and I expect them to be normal now. This is just my own story - not saying it has to be the same for anyone else, But dietary changes transformed my life as far as inflammation goes.

About 2 months after my surgery, I went through hell with some autoimmune diseases (sarcoid, psoriasis, arthritis, eye issues). The surgery triggered massive flare ups for me even after I had been fine for years. I think my whole body was in shock and it reacted. I'm not aware of anyone else dealing with this, so I thought I would share my story.

No, all my inflammation is gone since surgery. Sounds like you have some sort of autoimmune issue. Did they test your CRP?

Due to an autoimmune issue I produce very little saliva and have permanent dry mouth. There are various products from mouth mousse, gel, toothpaste, gum, mouth wash and things like the melts that can help. For me, I sip lots of water and swish around, occasionally I dabble in the various products but mostly rely on fluids. You could also try stimulating the mouth by running your tongue around it, especially the roof of the mouth, this helps to produce a littlle saliva too. If you are aren't producing saliva or a lot of saliva the first step in digestion is compromised, digestive enzymes may help with that.

Hi, I would absolutely LOVE to see Alaska! All the wildlife. Yes I am a July sibling lol. July 8th, 2019. I am doing well. Went from start 203, surgery 198 to 166 today. I could... should be better.. I am 53, an do enjoy a little wine etc. I feel so much better. I have fine but a whole lot of hair. At 3.5 month I did have some come out more than I wanted. It appears it may have slowed down now at 4.5 months, I think me and my husband are the only ones to notice. I am going to cut my hair medium length in the next couple days as it isn’t as full. I started bariatric vitamins months prior to surgery, I take the bariatric vitamins, biotin, hair skin nails with vitamins, sublingual d3, sublingual b complex, collagen, msm, protein either shake or powder daily. It is frustrating. I guess it is normal to lose up toll 6 months. Hoping it doesn’t last that long. My nails are ruined from my psoriatic arthritis so I couldn’t tell you if that is affected. the issue with my liver was 10 years ago when I was just diagnosed with my autoimmune disorders. That is why I try to double check everything from my doctors. I made certain I hit my goals. It is confusing because some say you cam only absorb a certain amount at a time. I added peanut butter powder, collagen powder to my shakes etc. So all of that may have been a waste. hope you hair loss stops ASAP as it sucks. No other way to say it. Hope you are hitting all your goals!

I’ve lost a significant amount of hair from sleeve, bypass and autoimmune disease. Nothing has helped so far. Biotin is great to try and keep existing hair healthy but I’ve never read anything that says it helps with hair loss. As your weight and diet stabilize it will come back. I’ve been told 9-12 months

My 1 year followup appointment is next week, so I had lab work done today in advance of that. The test results are auto-released to an online portal and I was looking through them (I don't think they've even been reviewed by a doc yet) and most of it looks good but my WBC has dropped. Dramatically. Like by half and is on the cutoff for being outside normal lab values. So what causes WBC to drop, I wonder? Cancer... don't have that. Autoimmune disorders... don't have any of those. Viral infection... nope, I'm fine. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies... crap. This is a possibility for someone like me. In looking at other labs, there are a couple other markers for malnutrition, including lowered transferrin and TIBC. Obviously, my medical team will review all of this and decide if it's anything to act on, but I was really surprised about this. I eat healthy and on-plan about 98% of the time, though not a lot of calories. I am currently averaging 1100 calories per day, but over the last 9 months, averaged out, I've eaten 900 calories per day. I never imagined malnutrition was even an option with the sleeve, and it made me wonder if anyone else has dealt with a malnutrition diagnosis (sleeve or otherwise), and how was it handled by your team?

Following this topic bc it's of interest to me. I'm wanting to know about beyond Aleve and other NSAIDS. I'm curious about the "big guns" biologic medications for like Rheumatoid Arthritis which I have. Remicade IV is my drip - but haven't been able to get my infusion for months due to surgeries (2 including the GB RNY) which has left me reeling in inflammatory pain off and on.... I'm hopeful though, bc although RA is autoimmune, I know the extra fat doesn't help!

In 2008, I had surgery for the lap band. I never really did lose that much weight with it - I started off at 220 or so. I think the lowest I got down to was 140 or so. I also had reflux before I had the band, so as you might imagine, the band made it worse. In 2017, my band slipped; I couldn't even drink water, nothing could go down, so the band was removed immediately. The surgeon who removed it is a bariatric surgeon, so I mentioned my real concern about gaining the weight back. He then suggested the sleeve. One year almost to the day, I went through surgery for the sleeve. My doctor also fixed the hiatal hernia that had developed from the band. I knew the sleeve surgery had its risks, particularly since I already had scarring from where the band used to be. However, all went well, and I am so happy that I went through it. I feel fantastic, no more reflux, no more antacids, and I lost approximately 105 pounds from when I had the band. I fluctuate between weighing 112 to 115 pounds. I haven't been this weight in 30 years. Part of my concern about the band removal was the prospect of needing to take prednisone in the future. I have a autoimmune disorder (sarcoidosis) that is mostly dormant but flared up once, and I needed to take prednisone for six months in order to function. I must have gained about 50 or 60 pounds while on steroids - my appetite was voracious. I was afraid that if I didn't have something like the band or the sleeve to curb my eating, I could really gain weight if I needed to go back on prednisone. I hope your surgery went well today!

I’m sorry for the long rant but I want you to see the full picture: sleeve vs. sleeve + behavior modification/commitment. You’re 2 weeks out. Don’t be so hard on yourself or doubt your decision. What is done is done. No regrets. This could be the beginning of an amazing healthy future. No looking back now — only ahead... Here we go: I am 7 years post sleeve and I’ve regained all of my weight back and some. Highest weight before sleeve was 210, Surgery day weight was 193 (done in Mexico). I got down to 147 and maintained that for about 2 years and then started regaining. I’m 214 now. According to my current U.S. surgeon (Dr. Stanley Klein), my Mexico surgeon (Dr. Ariel Ortiz) completely blotched my sleeve in 30 minutes (surgery report information) making it look like an hourglass instead of a banana. BUT, I regained not because of my “bad” sleeve but because I changed my eating habits. I have A LOT of restriction still, more than a friend who’s 4 years out. I also became very anemic which caused me to pass out and get into an accident in 2014. I’m terrible about taking my Vitamins, so that’s also not my sleeve’s fault. I then received multiple infusions over the years, had my esophagus dilated twice because I wasn’t eating enough (mostly GERD pain related) and developed a grazing eating style (probably the biggest contributor to why I regained). Having GERD since day 1 (couldn’t keep any liquids down/stayed on IV till I was literally kicked out - started putting my stuff outside - to get room ready for next patient), a hiatal hernia and two ulcers, I am now revising to the RNY (surgery date TBD 8/1/19). My malabsorption/malnutrition is because I don’t take any vitamins. I’ve become “nutritionally crippled” as my surgeon put it which makes my body crave carbs for immediate conversion to energy. It’s literally biologically driven at this point and he told me not to blame myself for the regain — he’s so nice but I do blame myself because I got myself here! Due to the malnutrition, I’ve developed some metabolically induced issues: thyroid problem, autoimmune problem, multiple infections that antibiotics do nothing for (or maybe I’ve become prone to the antibiotics) and lately, small Fiber neuropathy (worst feet tingling and burning ever). I’ve now started going to CBT and support groups that are super informative and fun. Last time they had a practical activity for us at the end where we pretended to be at a restaurant, were given real menus and we discussed why some choices are good and why some are not so good — keywords to lookout for, etc. I’m considering pushing my surgery date as far out as possible to be better prepared through these new resources. I realize the problem is not my sleeve. The problem is my head — my food abuse issues, my food addiction issues, my head hunger, my emotional eating... The list of “synonyms” goes on! But in essence, all of us are here because we have these issues plus obesity/genetically related comorbidities or else, we would have not resorted to surgically modifying our anatomy. We need to fix our relationship with food if our surgeries are ever going to help us, and that’s why I’m trying to work on that more than anything this time especially because I didn’t have any pre or post care before. I’d love to get rid of my GERD and the other problems but I’d really hate to fail at losing weight, again. Not out of vanity but just to prove to myself that I can triumph over years of using food to feed disease instead of health. Summary and awesome thing to keep in mind: “You get out of it what you put into it.” Thank you @Macy6! I love that... Great motto! Take this opportunity to change your relationship with food. You are in the “honeymoon phase” where your body is not ready to accept food (it’s all head hunger), so use this time wisely to identify your emotions and cravings, knowing you can’t act on them now with your healing stomach. Later, this will really help you... when you can map your behaviors to their origin in thought (triggers) and stop the unwanted behavior right in its tracks! You’re in control! Your taste buds may also change so what you’ve liked before, you may no longer want to eat, so this is also a great opportunity to try new healthy things and learn to like those instead of our old ways that hurt us in the end. I really wish this was helpful. I’m being as transparent as possible to give you vision into what the sleeve is and what it’s not, because I went into this initially thinking the sleeve will stop me from overeating and I’ll always have an accountability buddy, but you can drink and eat your way around any WLS out there and gain weight, not to discount the RNY for the additional malabsorption component... You can do this!! You can use your sleeve to change and become a new person INSIDE (head/habits) out (health/body). I wish you complete healing and all the best for your future.

My situation is a bit unusual/unique. My surgeon in Mexico completely blotched my surgery in 30 minutes. My sleeve looks like an hourglass. I developed GERD, a hiatal hernia, and possible stomach ulcers (currently waiting on endoscopy to confirm). I have also become severely anemic — ferritin currently at 4.5, developed a thyroid problem, an autoimmunity disorder, and small Fiber neuropathy (the constant feeling of pins and needles in my feet — very painful). I will say however, that even though my surgery was not done correctly, I still made great contributions to my weight regain. When I became anemic (I found out after passing out at the wheel/got in an accident), (1) I developed a grazing eating style. I also (2) never had the time or the maturity to do the mental work required before surgery (decided and had the operation done in 2 weeks) — I mean we all wake up after surgery still obese. The surgery doesn’t fix anything long term unless we commit to using the honeymoon period it provides (window of opportunity when your tastebuds are in a way reset and food becomes a chore) to adopt healthy lifelong habits. Also psychologically (3) I made the decision that if I can’t eat as much as I want, at least I’ll eat what I want. (4) I’m also very bad when it comes to taking Vitamins and since my bloodwork is all messed up (as my doctor put it, I’m “nutritionally crippled”), (4) I have a biological tendency to go for carbs for immediate energy and (5) I barely exercise (just walk to the bus to go to work — averaging only 4,000 steps 5 days a week). Whichever surgery you choose, if you commit to change with the great help of your new powerful tool, I’m sure you will succeed. But, do you have any comorbidities? If you have GERD/acid reflux, I would definitely go with the RNY. What does your surgeon recommend? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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

What are your favorite meals? My dietitian is woefully underinformed about meat replacements, which I find surprising. I'm a vegetarian because I've found through elimination that it helps my autoimmune disorder, and also because I feel good about it! Just looking for some quick, high protein low carb, ideas. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

This isn't the exact same thing, but I have an autoimmune disease and was put on steroids approximately 10 days after my last appointment for my medically supervised diet, and I have gained weight - like 5lbs - since I was last in. Because I'm ravenous because that's what steroids do. I think it's up to you about lifting weights, but I know my friends who have had the surgery have said that they should have conditioned their core and back a little more to be able to support just how weak you are after abdominal surgery! Maybe do just bodyweight exercise?

The decision is entirely yours but here's my story, and I hope it helps with your decision making process: I was sleeved almost 7 years ago. Since then, I have developed severe GERD — never had any issues with acid reflux before surgery... I have become severely anemic (ferritin currently at 4.5), constantly needing iron infusions, developed malabsorption (my doctor says I am "nutritionally crippled"), a thyroid and an autoimmune disorder, a high inflammation/SED rate, and most recently, have been diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy. My sleeve is not to blame for any/all of these things, nor can I pin my complete weight regain on it. Bottomline: I honestly would not consider the sleeve if there is already an existing acid reflux problem. Both surgeries require discipline when it comes to supplementation — the RNY clearly requiring more as not only the stomach but a portion of the intestines is bypassed. Good luck on your journey!

I tried it for a fairly short period only as it made one of my autoimmune symptoms worse as I progressed through the higher doses. For the three weeks I used it, I was fairly fortunate that i didn't feel any of the nausea or stomach upset issues that are some of the side effects. I didn't like injecting myself but I would have likely continued using it for a little while (if it wasn't for the autoimmune issue) as I was given a free month's (or was it three month's) supply by a doctor. It is expensive, so be prepared to spend some $$. In one of the subforums here (the ESG one) and on a couple of fb pages I belong, some people have had good success with saxanda.

This may help. Top left is a search button. Type in any subject. I typed in autoimmune. It listed 963 posts on this topic. Link below. https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=autoimmune