Depression After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

[youknowit 11]

sadly i had to go back on a antidepression pill. it was getting a bit much. i think i have narrow it down to made cause i'm not eating all the time anymore i have to deal with every feeling i have nothing to mask it anymore:confused: just my guessing. i feel more vulnerable as well all the attention is overwhelming and it seems as if all of the sudden pressure is more on you or something. it a lot of crazy thoughts

I had to go back on Wellbutrin, and I am certainly going to have to increase the dose. I think you're probably on to something with dealing with emotions without food... And the whole vulnerability thing, I get it completely. Hang in there, my friend!

[mp8btpc 33]

I am already on some medication for depression, I unexpectantly lost a grandfather and grandmother a month apart last year and I really hadn't lost anyone close to my in my life (lucky me) but I was having difficulty along with my stressful job handling it...anywho, I gained about 10 pounds in one month after my grandfather died and since I have gained about 5 more. When I had a check up with my doctor last week and I mentioned having this surgery done in Mexico and I asked him if he would handle follow up care (he was more then happy to) he stated he thought I should tell my counselor about it because he was worried that if I use food for comfort what is going to happen when someone takes away the proverbial "blankie" from me. I told him I would do that this week. I am glad I am already in counseling and I can use that during this process.

Good thread! Glad to have the heads up.

[LAN2k 18]

I am already on some medication for depression, I unexpectantly lost a grandfather and grandmother a month apart last year and I really hadn't lost anyone close to my in my life (lucky me) but I was having difficulty along with my stressful job handling it...anywho, I gained about 10 pounds in one month after my grandfather died and since I have gained about 5 more. When I had a check up with my doctor last week and I mentioned having this surgery done in Mexico and I asked him if he would handle follow up care (he was more then happy to) he stated he thought I should tell my counselor about it because he was worried that if I use food for comfort what is going to happen when someone takes away the proverbial "blankie" from me. I told him I would do that this week. I am glad I am already in counseling and I can use that during this process.

Good thread! Glad to have the heads up.

I am so sorry for the loss of your grandparents. Thank you for sharing some of your life with us. Your doctor seems to have good insight in realizing that post surgery you will no longer be able to use food to sooth and comfort. That reality hit me hard and at 9 months out, I am still grappling with alternative ways to effectively deal with the circumstances of my life and my emotions. Compared to early after surgery I'm improved...but I'm still using anti anxiety medication (sparingly) as a crutch when the anxiety is so bad that it hinders my already diminished capacity to eat. Alas I found a way to lose weight, but was blind to the reality that weight lost in and of itself was not the key to my fulfilment.

[ouroborous 519]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm pondering asking the doc to put me back on a low dose of Wellbutrin. I don't want to; it feels like admitting failure. My depression is mild, and mostly manifests as exhaustion.

I had a little anxiety before the surgery; I know this isn't entirely due to the surgery, or I'd just ride it out. It's just gone up quite a bit since the surgery.

I'm going to tweak my diet a bit first. I'm taking a chewable Omega 3 supplement (don't know what the ideal dosage is, I'm taking one 250 mg chewable per day). I also consume as much raw flax seed (high in O3FA's) as I can.

I just really got started on solid foods, and my girlfriend and I have been grilling steaks and eating tiny steaks and salads, so I'm starting to get more complex carbs in my diet. I'm also a big fan of not ultra-low carb diets, but it's challenging to find carbs that I can eat that don't completely torpedo my weight loss.

Tomorrow is my weigh-day. The blue, somewhat depressed side of my mind says I've probably gained weight; it will be interesting to see how that compares to reality.

[Jane_J 117]

Hi orobourous, it may be the after effects of the anaesthetic, it takes ages to clear. I did not feel mentally OK for a month after. I was on Prozac for years before the op but I don't take it now at all. Hang on in there buddy.

Jane x

[youknowit 11]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm pondering asking the doc to put me back on a low dose of Wellbutrin. I don't want to; it feels like admitting failure.

Hang in there! We're in this with you... and you're NOT a failure for seeking out help for a problem... that's what we're doing here by researching, talking, and ultimately solving a major problem by getting the sleeve.

My personal feeling (from research and experience) is that sometimes we let something that indeed started off small, turn into something more severe, because we didn't get the little help we needed, hoping it would go away. How many of us did this with weightloss and our weight got away from us? I know that happened to me... and it's happened (and is happening now) with my depression.

Whatever you decide, I hope you feel better, and well, very soon! :smile::w00t:

[youknowit 11]

And although I've posted this article before, I thought it might be helpful to those who haven't seen it:

Depression after Bariatric Surgery: Triggers, Identification, Treatment, and Prevention | Bariatric Times

[Jane_J 117]

Sorry Orou shoudl have read through to the end of the thread. I don't think you should view going back on the medication as a failure. In the same way you wouldn't view a diabetic as a failure for taking insulin. I firmly believe that some of us are cursed with naturally low seratonin levels, and we should view it medically. Are you on a standard low cholesterol diet because I have read that we actually need cholesterol for healthy brain function. Try a couple of eggs a day for a while?

All the best to you.

Jane x

[deletedsally 8]

I don't think it's ever a failure to take care of yourself. I would guess that most of us would prefer not to take medications, and when we need to, sometimes it feels as though our bodies have betrayed us. If Wellbutrin helps, then moving past the reluctance to take medication and doing what you need to do to feel better, is SUCCESS!

For those who might want to try the Omega 3s, the dose that would help with depression is generally much higher than you might expect. The optimal dose for each person is a little different. For me, 6000 mg. eliminated depression, anxiety, and greatly reduced the pain of fibromyalgia. In some medical studies, the starting dose was 1 gram.

[LAN2k 18]

I don't think it's ever a failure to take care of yourself. I would guess that most of us would prefer not to take medications, and when we need to, sometimes it feels as though our bodies have betrayed us. If Wellbutrin helps, then moving past the reluctance to take medication and doing what you need to do to feel better, is SUCCESS!

For those who might want to try the Omega 3s, the dose that would help with depression is generally much higher than you might expect. The optimal dose for each person is a little different. For me, 6000 mg. eliminated depression, anxiety, and greatly reduced the pain of fibromyalgia. In some medical studies, the starting dose was 1 gram.

Katt, did you consult with any type of alternative/holistic/integrative professional in determining the dosage of Omega 3 to take or was it through trial? I so want to find my way to mental AND physical health through quality nutrition, nutritional supplementation, and physical activity. Although pharmaceutical medication is helpful, I personally prefer not to be dependant upon it long term.

[ryansgirl 1]

i do not think it a failure to go back on med ouro i mean really think about it there are a lot of narrow minded people who would consider wls a easy way it but we know it not. we are not "failures" for using wls to help us and i think god everyday for modern meds they are here to helps us along this road we are traveling so do not every feel that way look how far you have come! XOXOXO:001_wub:

xoxo,

nikki

[deletedsally 8]

Hi Lis,

We don't have any holistic practitioners that I know of in the backwoods of Lake City Florida :001_smile:, so most of my information is gained from reading and researching on my own. A good source of information about the importance of Omega 3s is a book called, "The Omega Zone" by Barry Sears. I didn't think the first couple chapters were particularly impressive as he shared his ideas about evolution as relates to our need for certain fatty acids, but the latter part of the book is very informative and supported by a lot of research.

Dr. Sears shared some of his personal work with our Olympic teams that mentioned various amounts of supplementation, and explained why the optimum level for each person is different. I also searched the internet for research and looked at the amounts used in medical studies. Then I began experimenting on myself, and found that I feel better if I am taking 3000-6000 mg a day. Because I use a molecularly distilled fish oil, I'm not worried about contaminents/impurities.

Interestingly enough, when I had my bloodwork done prior to surgery, I had a complete physical done by a doctor that I hadn't seen before in the practice where I usually see a female PA. Anyway, as I sat there feeling like 2-ton Tubby at 283 pounds, he started to go over my blood work, and you could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised at what he saw--normal cholesterol, normal lipids, normal ldl/hdl, normal, normal, normal...He squinted at me and said, "Well...you are in great shape for the shape you are in..." Honestly, I would attribute that to using fish oil. The only thing he could find to tell me that I needed to do was to supplement with Vitamin D because my levels were low.

[LAN2k 18]

Hi Lis,

...A good source of information about the importance of Omega 3s is a book called, "The Omega Zone" by Barry Sears. I didn't think the first couple chapters were particularly impressive as he shared his ideas about evolution as relates to our need for certain fatty acids, but the latter part of the book is very informative and supported by a lot of research.

Dr. Sears shared some of his personal work with our Olympic teams that mentioned various amounts of supplementation, and explained why the optimum level for each person is different. I also searched the internet for research and looked at the amounts used in medical studies. Then I began experimenting on myself, and found that I feel better if I am taking 3000-6000 mg a day. Because I use a molecularly distilled fish oil, I'm not worried about contaminents/impurities...

Thanks Katt good info. -Can you tell me the brand name of the Fish Oil you take and how many per day (do you take them all at once)? Thanks again.

[deletedsally 8]

Hi Lis,

I like Nordic Naturals. I think it's a good quality product and it's readily available at most health food stores and GNC. You can explore their website and look at the different products they offer.

www.nordicnaturals.com

As you can see, they have several types available, but I was using "Ultimate Omega" which is a more concentrated form of EPA/DHA than some of their other products. I used 3-6 capsules daily prior to surgery, but I have been waiting until my next post op appointment to start taking it again. Until my sleeve was well healed, I didn't want to put anything in my stomach other than bare bones nutrition. (If I had developed any complications, I wanted it to be easier to identify anything that was problematic.)

I have purchased the same product in a liquid form that I plan to use when I get the OK from my doctor, just because the capsules are a little large to swallow.

The amount I was taking varied because I sometimes get busy and forget to take supplements. If I missed Vitamins, I never noticed--but if I missed these, I could really tell the difference after a couple days, so then I would take extra. I usually took 3 a day (all at one time), but I increased it to 3 in the morning and 3 at night if I had missed taking them for a couple days.

If you go to the NN website and follow the links to Doctors/Medical then Support material, you will find a list of medical research studies using their products to treat a variety of conditions (including depression and anxiety). The amounts used in the clinical trials are included in this list and may be helpful to you.

Let me know if it helps!

Kathy

Edited June 16, 2010 by katt

[BJean 16]

The Vitamin D deficiency is not to be taken lightly. I take a Calcium + Vit D with two of my meals everyday. It helps with digestion among other things - by that I mean absorbing nutients. Also, I have been taking 75 mg of Wellbutrin post surgery instead of the 300 mg. Wellbutrin XL prior to surgery. And I'm doing great!

I also take the chewable Centrum Vitamins and a B-12 sublingual a day. I am feeling better and am happier than I have been in many, many years. And my weight loss is progressing slowly but surely every day. People are beginning to say that they hardly recognize me if they haven't seen me since before surgery.

I also found that I needed L-Lysine supplements because I got a big fever blister near my nose after spending too much time in the sun. I was surprised to learn that L-Lysine also helps metabolize Protein properly. It's not a very well known supplement but when I need it, for a fever blister or herpes breakout on my face, it is the ONLY thing that helps.

Good luck. Don't be depressed. Take your meds. We're bound to be low on energy as fast as we're losing weight. Try the sublingual Vitamin B-12.