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I take the gapapentin for pain control for tardive dyskenesia (no cure). It has weight gaining properties that complicate my situation. I have verbal approval from the insurance company and my appointment with the surgeon next week. Is there anyone out there who as dealt with this.

I've suffered with anxiety and depression for years now and I've tried a lot of different meds and I still don't have a lot of relief from them. Yesterday my family doc said she thinks I have a very mild form of bipolar disorder. She got me a psych appointment but it's not until August. In the meantime the only other med she feels comfortable trying lists weight gain, increased appetite and slower metabolism as side effects. It will most likely make me gain, stall or have a much harder time losing the rest of my weight. But if it works I could be feeling better in as little as one week. Do I try it and risk the weight gain or wait until I see the psych doc? There are meds available that won't cause weight gain but my family doc isn't comfortable prescribing them without the psych doc seeing me first. I want to feel better but I think gaining weight back might make me feel worse:(

Give it more time. It took almost a week for me to get back to my surgery weight. Gained 8 pounds of fluids with it. I would recommend not stepping on the scale until 2 weeks. Hang in there, it will get so much better and the weight will come off, it has no choice.

I've battled since I was a kid with my weight. It seems like my entire life has been a diet roller coaster and I just want to be healthy and live a long life for myself and my family. I have finally decided to move forward with having the gastric sleeve surgery-not a light decision to be made to say the least. I've thought about it for about a 1 and a half now and made myself wait and try to diet and exercise just ONE more time about 5 months ago before reaching the decision to have the surgery. There have been a few times in my life where I was driven or made to be physically fit and those times were successful for me. I look back on them and realize that I didn't let food rule me and I was quite active as well. I want that ME back so badly that I feel like I need to do something extreme and permanent to make it happen. What I didn't realize when I was a young kid, teenager and after having my first child is that I wasn't obese or even fat like I'd been led to believe, even though I saw myself as overweight. As a kid I was really just a normal kid with a mother who constantly badgered about weight which in turn gave me a huge complex that at 34 years of age I'm still experiencing. Only now, the overweightness is a fact. As a teenager I was active-never a skinny minny , but I enjoyed sports and was thrilled when I became a cheerleader for my junior year just by wanting to do it and trying hard. After highschool my diet wasn't the best, but I managed to join the military right before entering into a weight bracket that wouldn't be accepted. I did it to motivate and better myself. When I say a weight bracket that wouldn't be accepted for my height and build I mean I was literally one pound away from the "un-accepted" category, so still not extreme at this point in my life either....150 was my weight. But....mentally felt like I was 30 pounds overweight. Now that I look back on this moment in my life I realize I needed to pick back up on exercise and I'd have been just fine. Well, bootcamp did that for me without an issue:) I was lean, sexy and super fit for the first time in my life and I loved my body. I got married soon after bootcamp-and got pregnant during the honeymoon! Yay....on came the weight. I gained 91 pounds with my first son. Lost down to 185 after I had him and felt like the biggest cow ever-stretch marks included. Again, I look back and think-what the heck was your problem girlfriend? You looked great and just needed to exercise and eat right to be fit and lose about 30 pounds. At this point in my life my mother was back in the picture and had harped my entire pregnancy on my weight gain (several times a week during my pregnancy I hear her thoughts on my progress) and thereafter too. Not good for moral-and it didn't help that we lived with my parents for the last trimester and a few weeks after the birth of my son as I transitioned out of the military. I kept the weight (dieting a few times and losing about 15 or 20 pds) for about 3 1/2 years before deciding to have my second child. The first delivery was hard because of the weight gain and inactiviity and I knew that I wanted to do better for myself and my body and went on a very healthy weight watchers diet and exercise regime to lose the weight before getting pregant again. I was successful! Lost the weight, got pregnant, gained a decent 50 pounds and considering I exercised until the last month I was quite proud of my success. After having him it took me about a year to get "fine" again. And wouldn't you know it-I can't think of one single word of encouragement from my mom during my "fine" times....just sayin. It wasn't until he was 3 years old that I started gaining weight back again. I let a few pounds come on during the holidays around 8 or so and still thought I looked great.....then a few more....then a few more....before I knew it I was at 187 and looking in the mirror still thinking it's ok you can get it together....then a few more....a few more.... a few more....I just lost the will to keep on the diet lifestyle and 4 years later I'm at 242.2. I'm starting to feel it take a toll on my health too. T ype 2 diabetes, high cholesterol a double chin that I hate and just generally longing for so much more than this. Of course my mother's been at me strong for the last two years-she took a break when I got the nerve to tell her to be be quite about it already a few years ago. I've tried 3 or 4 times in the past year, (starting to lose count) to diet and exercise and will lose 15 or 20 pounds and then I quit the changes gradually and get back where I started. I want permanent changes and I can't think of what else to do other than the gastric sleeve. I'm at the end of my rope so to speak and have firmly decided to go through with this.

Hi all, Recently had a slew is off issues happen in the span of a couple of months. This past year has been an emotionally difficult one when a loved one was diagnosed with an illness and it spiraled into resolve when they passed just recently. The stress of this came a week before my wedding and bam, my depression hit. I started to notice I was starving myself for hours and then munching on chocolate and popcorn. We had to entertain guests and mourn privately in the middle of this chaos, lo and behold I weighed myself last night (first time in a month) and cried to see I was 8 lbs heavier. I am so discouraged and so disappointed in myself. I find the motivation to continue being healthy is harder than ever and I still feel sadness from all the recent stresses and how it's weighed me down. I am mourning quite hard and feel almost self-destructive because of the loss. My husband (as we're a recently married couple) expressed his sadness to my weight gain and though he has been supportive of my stress and understands the reasoning, couldn't help but say he was disappointed in me too. I want to feel confident but I am notorious for being a depression eater (I starve and graze on crap typically) and I am terrified my stress will cause my hormones and body to just keep responding by gaining weight. I need some support feeling ever so discouraged that I won't finish my journey and lose the last 30 lbs I need to get to my end goal.

Hi there. I'm new to this forum and your post was the first one I read. I'm 5 yrs post op from a lap band to sleeve revision. I was doing fine with my weight loss, but this year I've started gaining weight back rather quickly. I'm having surgery on Wednesday for an unrelated problem, but truly want to get back on track. I've lost approximately 85 pounds total, but I've gained 35 of that back this year. I know what I should be doing, but find myself grazing on unhealthy foods and not exercising. It's depressing to look at pics when I was at my lowest weight after surgery and then look at current pics where I can clearly see the weight gain. I wish you much luck in getting back on track. Maybe we can encourage each other?

Hi. My partner is having the gastric sleeve op in 5 weeks time because he is type 2 diabetic and needs to get off the medication. He is only slightly over weight. He used to be into his sport in a big way but has lost a lot of fitness due to the effects of the weight gain and medication side effects. So, my question is, what support did you feel you needed from your partner or family/friends after the op? Was it more about having someone to talk to openly about how you were feeling? Did you have mood swings? How did you feel in the first few days after the op with limited eating ability? How did you keep occupied in those first 2 weeks after the operation? Any tips and ideas greatly appreciated.

So I had the sleeve done 3/14 and so far I have no issues. My stomach tolerates everything I introduce. I can intake liquids with ease and i have restriction with food. The day I arrived my weight was 311. Day of surgery I asked to weigh again I was 306. After surgery I weighed myself (I know I wasn’t supposed to I was 295). Today I’m 299.8 and I’m scared to be back over 300 lbs but why am I gaining weight? I’m not even eating enough food to be gaining anything. Is this normal? I’m so afraid of messing this up or failing but seeing the scale go up is sending my anxiety through the roof.

I agree with tracking ... To a point. For me I tracked every day at the beginning. And if it keeps working for you great. My goal with tracking is to keep myself honest and be confident in my choices. So if you track and you see that you are where you wanna be and where your NUT wants you ... I would give it some time to get results. The body's reaction to surgery and weight loss is so crazy. And you can drive yourself crazy analyzing every factor. If you really do experience consistent weight gain then maybe it's time to do detective work. But stalls and fluctuations definitely seem part of the process! Good luck! FYI I had a five week stall which finally broke on its own. I was assured by my NUT that I was on target so I just kept plugging away and finally got results.

Hi Everybody, I saw this article cited on google health news. The research showed that about 1 in 6 people were able to lose 10% of their body weight and keep it off for a year. The study included those who may have lost unintentionally and also those who may have had temporary weight gain (e.g., Freshman 15). The greatest % of loss was among 75-84 year olds, which isn't surprising as the elderly often lose weight unintentionally. Once agin, I'm sure I made the right decision. 10% of my body weight would have been a measly 21 lbs when I needed to lose 75. If you want to see the abstract, here's a link: Access : Long-term weight loss maintenance in the United States : International Journal of Obesity

I am almost 5 weeks post op. I lost A LOT right after surgery. I really didn't eat the first week, and barely the second week. After week three, I am not losing, sometimes gaining. This is freaking me out. I know it can be sodium, the fact that I am soooooo not regular, but, shouldn't I be losing?! I find it impossible to drink protein shake, water, and get all the protein in. All I had was a few ounces of chicken for dinner last night and couldn't drink a drop after. I am definitely dehydrated. I am coming up with ways to force me to drink, like alarms on my phone, but I would need to set an alarm every few minutes! Most days, I get one protein shake in, 20 onces of water, & one actual meal that is small. Ugh.

The medical issue is major depression and anxiety. I've tried going of the meds over the past 10 years but it always ended in a mental breakdown so I'm not trying that again. Even with the meds I'm so so.. But I have a wife and 4 kids and got to keep on jugging onwards. Yes the weight came on in the first two years and I've been steady at 270 for the post 8 years. Doctor says my blood work shows fatty liver which would be good if I were a duck and very high cholesterol. I really want to do the sleeve if it will help me get on the right path but it's so expensive in the states..... Regarding taking took the shrink about the weight gain.... My exclusive is that they just look at the DSM and quote "you shouldn't have weight gain" they are pompous.

I'm 10 months post-op and 11 weeks pregnant. You will just have to be monitored more closely. At least that's what they told me. More doctor's visits, more sonograms, and make sure to get plenty of Proteins. Don't freak out about weight gain and maintain a healthy diet. I have heard some people who could not get enough nutrients during pregnancy had to receive them intravenously, but I guess that would be a worst case scenario type situation. My bariatric doctor said not to worry though. Hope this helps. Good luck!

You're experiencing the normal feelings and thoughts about surgery. Just know we all have had some level of aprehension which is normal. Just do everything your doctor says, asks questions and just go with the flow. The band is the best thing you could ever do for yourself. Just figure, if you don't do anything you'll stay on this roller coaster of weight gain/loss which is far worst on you physcially than than the anesthia. I hope this helps.

OMG, I have Crohn's as well. 80% of my 150 weight gain has been from 11 years of being on and off prednisone, and I'm in my 6 th week sleeve post op and wow, I feel normal. A bm once or maybe every other day vs at a min 7 , my terminal ileum pain has been non existent, no bloating, normalcy. I had no idea thus would be a positive for my Crohn's but so happy it is.

It is possible to gain 5 pounds in 3 day Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

1 cup Kale cut up raw with 1-2 tbspoons of Panera asian seasme dressing, sugared ginger sliced VERY thin, and 10 or so pumpkin seeds or dried cran berries. Bell pepper red, yellow or orange are filling and low calorie as are apples and you name cucumbers. Strawberries are low calorie as is cantaloupe. There is also Magic Pop large round wheat and rice tortilla looking crunchy wafer that satisfies the need to crunch. This is just my experience from an empty band to prevent weight gain- - my sleeve is thursday- these are space fillers that are low calorie though. Good luck !!

What are you eating? Do you track your foods? Medication can be a tough one. I'm on a med for my anxiety that is known for weight gain. I do plan to get off it after my surgery (scheduled for 4/4)...but my health anxiety was getting the best of me so I had to get back on it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

thankyou for all your well wishes people, ohh and due date is 6 July!! It seems that all the books i have read say that most sickness starts to clear up around 12 weeks soooo now at 13 weeks, i only get the odd sick feeling so i can conclude that the sickness was just one of those pregnancy deals that happens with or without WLS. YAYYYYY I have been having trouble exercising.... (and have stopped same as last pregnancy tho... another 12 week symptom, being tired) as i feel theres just not enough energy to go around but have still dropped 10kg since actually falling pregnant so happy days are still here. Hi Marci My baby is 14 months old I and thank god i had this surgury beforehand. there is NO WAY UNDER THE SUN i could keep up with my baby, and feeling all the general associated pregnancy hick ups at the weight i was before!! there is no way i could be keeping up with baby. I am hoping that by the end of this pregnancy i am still way more mobile than i was with the first, as i was able to sit and lounge around and relax at will. this time i dont have that luxury. i have dropped 100 odd pounds since my highest weight and think i am better equiped to not only keep up with my daughter but also avoid some of the joint pain i suffered last time around!! (fingers crossed and time will tell) I think the hardest thing for me so far is going to such extreme to lose weight and just getting my head around getting smaller, enjoying losing weight and considering the concept of maybe buying some smaller clothes to now having to wait/ put on hold that dream. my boobies are already getting bigger and filling out and my 'new' belly shape is also changing. At first i was totally devistated that i was going to be getting fat again, but now i just think hey...what the hell, im gonna lose weight, therefore not get anymore stretch marks. ha!!! lose weight gain baby at same time. ***laughs*** sounds greatttttt in theory... hey deedee I hope everything sorts itself out for you!!! wow! any plans in near future now that you are almost at your goal?? I also wonder about this baby and its size at birth.... it was an unanswered question that was going around my head. my girl was born 9Lbs 14oz so it will be interesting to find out on the day if my habbits have had any impact on birth weight. dont they say that babies get heavier with each pregnancy?? (that maybe for mythbusters) ohhh well the experiment beakers are out and time will tell!! lol cheers till soon Ange

From what I understand, weight gain will happen. Its important though to see what the cause is and correct it.

Since you are tracking everything you should be able to pinpoint when the weight gain began and what you were eating/doing when it happened. Sometimes things change once we transition from losing to maintenance and also when other life events happen I personally would use the information that I had been compiling to reverse engineer the problem. Hope you can find a solution soon 💙

Hi Everyone...I'm new to this site, as well as this journey. Tipping the scale has always been a huge fear factor for me...and yet I've managed to do it several times. The smallest I've been ever in adult years was 120lbs, and I was only 21. I managed to ride the roller coaster of weight gain in small increments and eventually skimmed the edge of the 140lb mark until I was about 26...and pregnant. By the time I gave birth to my son, I was a whopping 227lbs. The weight didn't melt away in my post pregnany workouts. It took a lot of work, appetite suppresant pills, water aerobics and a bunch of whinning. But my body finally gave in, and allowed me to maintain a more curvaceous physique where I hovered over the realm of 160-165lbs. It took time to accept that I would probably never get to 120lbs again, but at least I was comfortable. Fastforward 10 years later, and I am sick to my stomach every time I step on the scale at the doctor's office, or in my bathroom at home. I never imagined that I would weigh 200lbs or more. As of today, I weigh 236lbs, and my body is screaming at me. My once small frame is proportionately lopsided as my stomach bulges out of anything I wear. I refuse to wear pants, unless I absolutely have to wear them...and that is usually when all of my dresses are unavailable waiting to be dry cleaned or washed on the gentle cycle. This summer I found myself buying dresses as often as I could, because I was comfortable. Pants restrict me, and searching for a shirt or blouse to hide the muffin top and wide hips is not a convenience. I remember the first time the scale bypassed the 190 mark and landed on 201. I was devasted. I kicked into high gear and tried every type of diet you can think of...including Weight Watchers. I joined several weightloss clinics and received B12 shots and more appetite suppressant pills. The journey was hard and depressing. I ordered every workout DVD you can think off, including the latest and greatest Shawn T's T25. Check out the rest of my story! http://www.bariatricpal.com/user/240301-fatdiva14/

This is so true...I have hovered around the same weight (gaining/losing) overall, I am still down, but the weight loss is so slow. I have some bad habits creeping in, but I am able to counteract them with lots of exercise so the net effect is still positive. I think part of me believes that if I maintain for a bit while exercising that it will help with the whole skin issue...I'm probably just rationalizing my bad eating behavior though! Believe me, I know I have lots of work to do on better control of my eating. I did just want to share, however, that about 2 weeks ago, I was a little bummed that VERY few people had commented on my weight loss (I have afterall lost a good chunk since my I started my pre-op diet!). All of the sudden, this week, I have had 5 people say something to me about my weightloss!!! It's about time . I do need to point out also that no one knows about my surgery, either, so it's not like anyone was "waiting" for it...haha, just me. I go for 3rd fill on Monday....soooo excited for that one. I was too tight on my 2nd fill and had to have some removed. I've got a good feeling that even just putting in the amount they removed will get me to a good place. I'm hosting a dinner party on Saturday night after my fill...I'm a little worried about being able to eat everything that is prepared (it's a mystery chef thing), which I know I could do now, but I will get through it...I'm NOT putting my fill off for anything

In weight loss if we stumble we tend to then throw ourselves down the stairs. Don’t. Resist the urge to focus on the weight gain, instead focus on the loss and know you can again. Go back to basics, maybe revisit your nutritionist or get one if you don’t have one. Take it slow and don’t be discouraged. You can do this. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, instead start slowly and move to where you want to be.

You definitely have the right attitude. I'm glad that you are doing something before the weight gain gets out of hand, which is what I wish that I would have done! Congrats on that! You've got this!