Health Problems after Weight Loss

Esmeralda · January 23, 2008

I was banded back in January 2005 since I have lost about 80 pounds but my journey was interrupted that same year with a pregnancy. I had my baby in April 2006 and it took about a year before I was able to get back on the band wagon and continue with what I started which was to get to my goal of reaching 150 pounds, well 3 years later and so many interruptions on the way I am finally only 12 pounds away from my goal, one thing I forgot to mention is during my pregnancy I stopped taking Vitamins because they would get me sick and since I can’t tolerate the taste in my mouth so I don’t take any, well my question is to all the long term bandsters is have any of you encountered any health problems now that you are close or at you goal weight???

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I just last week went to the doctor and asked for a blood test to make sure that I was okay and healthy since there are time that I can’t really eat, I am not tight because I rarely PB but certain things I wont eat just because I am afraid that it will get stuck and I also have days that I really forget to eat so I will have maybe 1 or 2 small meals a day. I find out that I am slightly anemic and that I have a hyperactive thyroid which before I was always a healthy fat person. How many people out there have problems now which they didn’t have before losing weight??? Was it worth it?? To me I feel it is I just need to start taking better care of myself before my anemia gets worse but has anyone gotten in worse health because of the band???

Jachut · January 23, 2008

I had a full check up at 12 months and was slightly deficient in Iron too, that was the only problem. Of course I've done nothing about it at all, I feel OK. I probably should get bloodwork done again now though, at 2 years and a bit.

restrict2008 · January 23, 2008

there is liquid Iron you can take- I have mine on the counter- I am too afraid to taste it! But it is available! lots of women get anemic, esp if you were just tested after a menses. Believe me you are better off a Healthwise now that you are close to goal! and congrats by the way!

shortgal · January 23, 2008

Iron pills can constipate you, so you might want to look for some foods with Iron in it. Women (even those not banded) that still get a regular period can have low iron and especially during pregnancy.

Check online for iron rich foods and try adding them to your diet.

gkeyt · January 24, 2008

There is an incidence of memory and cognitive problems among people who have bariatric surgery, related to thiamine deficiency. It's called Wernicke's Encephalopathy, it's not common but more common among people who have had WLS than the rest of the population. Alcoholics are the main group that gets it. There are other problems that can happen because of various Vitamin deficiencies as well. It's less likely for us than for RNY people, for example, or DS or the other surgeries that cause malabsorption, because we absorb all the nutrients from our food, but it does happen, which is why we need to take Vitamins. For us it's an "insurance policy" in case we aren't getting what we need from our diets.

I don't mean to scare you! Just a little information. These kinds of complications are totally preventable, especially for band patients, so I'd get a workup of your nutrition status and restart your Vitamins and whatever form of Iron you need.

Esmeralda · January 24, 2008

Thank you for all you information makes me feel better because I was on my period the day that I had my blood drawn and yesterday I saw the doctor and he said my anemia was very minor and that supplements and Vitamins should do the job also about my thyroid I will get re-tested in a month and go from there. I do feel alot better now that I lost weight thats why I was kind of shocked when my tests came back with these results.