Help - Headaches And Energy Lows

[lilbrigy 46]

okay so i am one month post op, im still get severe headaches and energy lows and bizar mood swings, and my bowel movements are still out of wack,, HELP this is really starting to annoy me, and its effecting my work, ive lost 10kg since surgury which is awesome,, and im not as hungry any more, but this other stuff is getting me down

[kyrasgrandma 228]

Are you drinking enough Water? Dehydration can cause headaches, Constipation and low energy.

[lilbrigy 46]

im drinking rediculous amounts of Water ,, im going for at least 1 ltr between meals

[Banjo257 920]

Do you have a team(doc, nutritionist, counselor) that you saw pre op?

My advise would be call asap. I have a team, I don't know if everyone does.

Maybe just check with your general practitioner.

Good luck, and hope you are feeling much better soon.

Drink drink drink, Protein, protein, protein, Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins.

[lilbrigy 46]

nah i dont have a team and my surgeon is rather unhelpful, he litterally told me doesnt matter what i eat as long as i onky eat half a cup,, he didnt tell me anything about Protein or Vitamins and Water or anything i had to find it all out myself ,

[Kinley7390 80]

You should definitely talk to your primary care physician then, and see if he or she can recommend a nutritionist with lap band knowledge. I can't imagine trying to navigate this on my own. In the meantime, we can try to help though... How much Protein are you eating each day? Did you stop caffeine? Just trying to get more info to assist you. You are taking Multivitamins daily? How about exercise? Sorry for all the questions...

[lilbrigy 46]

atm im getting about 40g Protein a day, i take a multi Vitamin morning n night,, berroca, i also take magnesium and Vitamin C, i exercise every second day, i mainly eat eggs tuna chicken vegies and Peanut Butter, , oh n sweet potato and pumpkin once or twice a week,

[lilbrigy 46]

ive cut back caffeine but i havnt stopped completly cuz some days i just wouldnt function with out it :/ but i have it black n no sugar, tastes like crap it gives me the boost i need

[Kinley7390 80]

I'd like others to chime in here, b/c I am by no means a lap band expert having just been banded on 9/6 and consider myself a newbie, however, I believe you should be eating more Protein. I've heard recommendations from 60mg on up. No doubt, you'll hear differing opinions, some say women need at least 50mg and men 70mg, but I've heard many patients say they had higher recommendations and do great with that amount. I personally get in 70-90g of Protein a day as recommended to me. Also, your Multivitamin doesn't have the magnesium or vit. C in it already? Again, I can only speak from my experience, but I was told I only need to take two things, chewable Centrum (once in the morning) and Viactiv with Calcium chewables.

Since your headaches obviously aren't from stopping caffeine, I would have thought as "timeformyself" did (above) that perhaps you weren't drinking enough Water, but you say that isn't the issue... Aside from upping your protein intake, I would talk to a professional. Follow up care is critically important for most lap band patients, not only for support, but for information that only a trained professional can provide.

Do you monitor your food intake with myfitnesspal or loseit or any of those apps? Are you getting enough calories? If you aren't keeping a log of your diet, I would start now. It would be helpful to log a few days worth and bring it to a lap band nutritionist for his or her opinion. Good luck!!!

[marketingdude 79]

For what it is worth...I've started having a lot of headaches before surgery. Through investingating...I finally traced it to my fan actually. Since my wife and I have the fan going on in our room when we sleep, I noticed some buildup (which looked like a combination of dust and mold or fungus or something).

I traced this from my wife having the humidifyer going on (to moisten the air) while the fan was going 24-7 and sometimes having the air conditioner on at the same time. Needless to say...I cleaned the fan and the headaches were gone. Not saying this is your issue but thought I would share this as I've never had this happen to me before.

Good luck !

[Kinley7390 80]

For what it is worth...I've started having a lot of headaches before surgery. Through investingating...I finally traced it to my fan actually. Since my wife and I have the fan going on in our room when we sleep, I noticed some buildup (which looked like a combination of dust and mold or fungus or something).

I traced this from my wife having the humidifyer going on (to moisten the air) while the fan was going 24-7 and sometimes having the air conditioner on at the same time. Needless to say...I cleaned the fan and the headaches were gone. Not saying this is your issue but thought I would share this as I've never had this happen to me before.

Good luck !

You gotta love getting to the bottom of it like that! Glad it was an easy fix. Headaches are right up there with backaches... awful!

[lilbrigy 46]

i take Vitamin C cuz i have high anxiety levels and it helps ive been taking it for a long time, and i take magnesium cuz it helpa my back pain, im on myfitnesspal, and i usually get between 600-1000 calories a day,, i will try upping ny Protein but i have no idea how as im already struggling to get my calories as it is :/ i think i mighy go see a nutritionist i clearly need help :/

[Kinley7390 80]

Definitely a good idea to see the nutritionist. Most nutritionists recommend between 1000 and 1500 calories for lap band patients (depending on the patient) with most trying to stay around or just below the 1200 range. 600 calories is definitely not enough to sustain your physical health and that could contribute to your feeling of fatigue, mood swings, etc. I would aim for at least 1000 calories. You mentioned struggling to get your calories as it is (regarding the suggestion to increase your protein). Can you share more info on that? Why is it hard to get your calories in? Are you feeling too full or are you having trouble knowing what to eat? I'm sure we can all help you with that if we understand better what the specific issue is.

Also, in terms of your bowels, have you tried Miralax or anything else to help? It's hard for lap band patients to get enough Fiber in their diet sometimes. There are several over the counter options to help with Constipation. That's one issue you should be able to eliminate. (no pun intended!)

[A New New Dawn 1,695]

I agree with the prior post by Kinsley. It doesn't sound like you are taking in enough calories and that could have a lot to do with it. Most doctors recommend 1000-1200. Sorry to hear your doctor didn't provide you much support in how to live with the band. I would definitely talk to your primary doctor then and also find a support group in your area. Most hospitals by me have them.

Please try to up your calories, 600 is definitely not enough to sustain good health. Less is not more in this instance as you need nutrition and too little calories will get your system going into starvation mode. We are all eager to lose but still need to maintain our health. Also, most doctors recommend 60+ grams of Protein per day. for women. Also, many people end up taking Fiber supplements for the Constipation and other remedies like milk of magnesia. I don't myself but perhaps could benefit from it.

Are you eating anything now that you weren't before being banded?

Hang in there!

[lilbrigy 46]

im not tooo full,, ive only got 1cc in my band but im trying to stick to 1/2 cup meal which is what my doc told me, atm im having 5 1/2 cup mesls three hours appart, i dont get how we eat so little yet are suppose to take in so many cslories,