Ghrelin and memory / learning?

[Lissa 2,631]

ourborous said: "So, my reading of this parallels with yours: the ghrelin-related neuron mediation seems to be specifically in the hypothalamic areas regulating feeding. It's like my pituitary adenoma; it's sensitive to dopamine, but only locally so -- I cannot infer systemic dopamine effects just based upon the one neoplasm.

In short: if I'm reading this study correctly, it doesn't indicate generalized memory loss from ghrelin loss. Relax, folks."

I read the first paragraph and was like "Okay, how many people understood that?" Then I saw that you translated it into English for the rest of us. Thank you!!

[Aussiegirl 580]

Just to pipe in on this, I have found since surgery I am more alert, able to recall things and general

consciousness is so much better. Apparently my B12 levels are low but will get shots for that and that will only help my memory.

100 pounds ago I was alot less aware of everything.

[Lisalu 89]

For the record, my thinking has been clear, maybe even clearer than before the surgery. I haven't had any concentration issues (or no more than usual, I'm kinda ADD, lol).

[sallynew 18]

i notice i forget what i want to stay or to think

also i become slow in taking actions

now in hot weather i feel cold especially my hands and nose

my nails get blue colour

[Rootman 1,101]

i notice i forget what i want to stay or to think

also i become slow in taking actions

now in hot weather i feel cold especially my hands and nose

my nails get blue colour

Yeah, that sounds like me post-op. I can't tell from your message wether you how far post op you are. I got cold and my lips actually turned blue too. This too seems to get a bit better with time.

[ouroborous 519]

i notice i forget what i want to stay or to think

also i become slow in taking actions

now in hot weather i feel cold especially my hands and nose

my nails get blue colour

IANAD (I am not a doctor), but... this sounds like possible anemia to me. Have you had your blood Iron levels checked recently?

Anemia is a serious concern -- but correctable. It's definitely important to stay on top of it.

[AliveAgain 283]

I read that on Wikipedia prior to surgery as well, and it worried me. But in talking to a few doctors, found out what Ivy posted - that the body has other sources and the links to memory are weak. I've had a number of nutritionists tell me that just lowering your carb intake can bring on the same "mental fog" and the body adjusts with time. Yeah, the first few weeks I was a little less sharp. But now (at two months out), I feel just as I did before if not better. My thinking seems clearer, and I can have conversations just fine. I would blame mental fogginess on other things like Vitamin deficiencies, actual chemical imbalances, other muscular conditions before blaming VSG.

[thesmilos 144]

This is all very interesting...Since surgery, I've experienced lots of problems with spelling. When I'm typing an email or writing for my website, I will misspell a word and know that it is incorrect, but for a split second, I am unable to identify the error and I have no idea how to fix it. It's like being stuck in a fog...spelling purgatory! It's not as bad in week four, but it's still there. Hopefully, it will go away soon.

[BizTraveller 101]

Just a balancing comment.

In the month+ since I hae been sleeved I have spent about 6 hours on camera for various network TV programs and documentaries. It can really test your wits. I have people who watch the footage and are brutally frank if I am foggy or inarticulate. I got a solid thumbs up.

The loss of weight, discontinuation of a bunch of drugs, relief from sleep apnea, and restoral of normal testosterone levels, all add up to a big boost in alertness and mental function for me. No one whoreads this thread should think for a minute that they are trading away mental function for appearance. For me the opposite has been true. It is really important not to reduce science to sound bites. That never works well.

Sent from my iPad using VST

[makemyownluck 785]

Homer Simpson's problem was that he had a crayon lodged up his nose from when he was a kid (I think it was magenta). We should all get x-rays and make sure the surgeons don't leave tools in or something that messes with our brains!

And make sure that your doctor doesn't put his thumb over the xray when he looks at it and covers up said crayon, while you're at it.

Can I just say that finding Simpsons fans on this site has MADE MY FRIGGIN DAY??

[Rootman 1,101]

Can I just say that finding Simpsons fans on this site has MADE MY FRIGGIN DAY??

DOH!

[VitaleEM 44]

Ok, this scares me! I already have all these problems! I can't imagine them getting worse! Just read the part where it does get better! Whew!

[VitaleEM 44]

Sounds about right -- post surgery until about 8-12 months out' date=' it's VERY common to have a "foggy brain." It has more to do with surgery and general anesthesia than anything else; there are numerous studies documenting it. It would be the same if you had your appendix removed or a Tummy Tuck -- it ain't ghrelin.

No worries even if you WERE disagreeing. I was just trying to make sure nobody saw this thread and panicked. From what I can read of the science, there's simply no cause for concern right now. Yes, if you ask a big enough group of people about a broad enough set of poorly-defined symptoms (and, let's face it, who HASN'T felt "fuzzy brained" sometimes?), you'll get some people saying "yes, by golly, I've had that happen!" The problem is that I've seen on forums like this where that can lead to people getting all worked up over nothing.

There are REAL issues with the sleeve, including things like scar-line problems, C. difficile infection, and so on. But as far as I can tell, losing your memory isn't one of those issues -- if it's gonna happen, it's not gonna be the sleeve's fault! [/quote']

My father died of c-dif! Horrible death!

So this is scary.

[AliveAgain 283]

Just a balancing comment.

In the month+ since I hae been sleeved I have spent about 6 hours on camera for various network TV programs and documentaries. It can really test your wits. I have people who watch the footage and are brutally frank if I am foggy or inarticulate. I got a solid thumbs up.

The loss of weight, discontinuation of a bunch of drugs, relief from sleep apnea, and restoral of normal testosterone levels, all add up to a big boost in alertness and mental function for me. No one whoreads this thread should think for a minute that they are trading away mental function for appearance. For me the opposite has been true. It is really important not to reduce science to sound bites. That never works well.

Sent from my iPad using VST

Agreed. I was a little foggy for the first few months after surgery, but now I'm sharper than ever. Plus, foggy memory can be related to many things like B12 deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, plus a litany of other ailments. Now that I take Vitamins and supplements regularly, and give refined carbs a reduced role in my diet, I sleep better, think better, and overall feel better.

[Kaj 88]

My father died of c-dif! Horrible death!

So this is scary.

*Life* is scary. We can't go through our lives fearing "what-if". By doing so, we miss the "what-is" of this moment. "What is" , at least for is that I have battled weight my whole life, I'm fat. I'm tired of dieting and failing repeatedly and the damage that event does to my self worth and enjoyment of the moment I'm in. I have done my research, attempted to mitigate the risks I have some control over and am moving forward toward this surgery with a positive attitude and a belief that this "tool", just like the nicotine Patches I used to quit smoking 8 years ago, is simply going to allow me to live a healthier, longer life. Continuing at this weight is guaranteed to, if not shorten my life, definitely make it less enjoyable.

Years ago when I took Differential Diagnosis during my graduate studies I realized that with just a little bit of knowledge I could go through the DSM-IV and meet the diagnostic criteria for a large number of the disorders. It is easy to talk ourselves into symptoms through fear.

As I've said - I've done my research, I trust my surgeon to have more than half a brain as well as a strong aversion to malpractice cases and the rest I'll leave up to my creator.