Hi,
I had a successful gastric bypass iin 2003 and lost 120 pounds..  I was successful in keeping it off until about 2 years ago - I developed HYPER (not Hypo) thyroidism, which usually causes wieght loss and started gaining weight, among other typical hypothyroid symptoms.  I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and had radiation to destroy the thyroid and now take synthroid.  I have been mostly hypothyroid and have occasionally hit normal, but have not been able to stop gaining.  I still cannot eat a full meal.  Half sandwich or 4 c hicken nuggets is about normal for me.

Has anyone had problems with gaining weight not due to overeating?  I just don't know what else to do.

Anyone have this situation or have any knowledge?  I would really appreciate your help.
Gail

Hi,

I have two friends with that issue.  However, now they are not in the same position as us being wls patients, however, they are very active.  They manage to be able to defuse the weight gain.  Maybe stepping up your activity level and maintaining a healthy eating program will help? 

Sorry for this.  I know it is one more stronghold to add to the mix.

A little more info.  I'm really looking for someone who had/has this issue after WLS. 

Also, I did have breast cancer the year after WLS.  I had reconstructive surgery (whi*****luded a tummy tuck!) and also did chemo.  I always wonder what chemo may have done to my body.

I also, as a result of WLS, have hypoglycemia.

Thanks for and and all input!

Gail

When I saw your post, I thought to myself-- gee did I write that?  So, YES, very similar story to me-- had my RNY back in 2000, lost 120 pounds--developed a thyroid goiter (Hyper) over the past few years, had thyroid cancer, thyroid removed last year- did not have to have chemo or radiation, taking Synthroid--up and down with my levels, BUT, I have gained about 80 pounds back--I would love to kick up the exercise but have also developed neuropathy in my feet and unable t o walk very far--feet burning and painful.  SO-- I am checking into the new ROSE procedure--without a thyroid I have no metabolism and Synthroid doesn't make a difference as far as I'm concerned, other than feeling tired alot.  I feel for you, I really do--just trying to find out which Indiana doc performs this and how can I get insurance to pay for it.  Have you checked into the ROSE procedure--its incisionless and made just for us regainers.

Carol

I will check into the ROSE procedure.  But yes, we ae much alike.  I am tired all the time and my joints and muscles hurt - especially my legs.

I fired my endo and am seeing a new one.  I will let you know if I have any luck and learn anything new.

I had a sleep study since I'm tired all the time and she wanted to be sure my sleeping wasn't an issue.  I won't get results for 2 weeks.

Thanks,
Gail

I saw my endo last week-- I was told he was a top doc for endo, that even my hemotologist respects him (and that means alot to me).  When I told him how I feel he was insisting that my thyroid numbers were fine and that he didn't know why I would have aches and pains though out my body-- I am just not buying that! I  would like to let him go, but, I was told that there are no others good enough. But I am eager to find out if my surgeon for the bypass will be doing the ROSE procedure.  Stay in touch!

Carol

I had Graves Disease 7 years ago after I had my son and before I had WLS.  I had my surgery September 2007 and have lost 102 lbs.  But since then I have not been able to lose anymore weight.  I feel like a failure.  Since early on in my post op phase I have struggled to lose.  I think it's my lack of having a thyroid which is making it so difficult for me to lose.  And I also do not eat no where near the amount of food I used to. 

Gee I feel like I've come home!
I am over 5 years out from my surgery and did very well. the first 8 months I lost 125 pounds. went from wearing a size 26/28 to a 8 & 10 ahhh those were the days!
after 3 years I gained the 15 pounds my surgeom said was normal to gain. I didn' tlike it and battled with it constantly.
before surgery i had minor problem with Low Blood sugar nothing major. i think because i ate all the time!
last year i went through a crazy stage and decided the only way to lose that dam 15 pounds was laxatives. and did that daily for over a month. Ok don't yell i've already beat myself up along with family members. I'm certainlyh old enough to know better!
because of that i messed up my pancreas and ended up with full blown low blood sugar hypogoximia. (spellling again sorry) to the point where i was having to eat every 20 minutes. i had terrible pains all over my muscles. uncontrolable shakeing in my legs hands and my face muscles would twitch. headaches like you would not believe. confusion dizziness and motion sickness like feelings. extreme tiredness no engery. i really thought i was on my way out. my surgeon wasn't any help! his dietician was just useless.
i finally went to a homepathic doctor who has been wonderful. now after almost a year i'm doing good. i can go 2 to 3 hours before i have to eat. i'm not having any of those awful symptoms thank you god! as long as i behave myself.
i do have those 15 pounds plus another 10 which i'm lucky its only another 10! especailly with all the food i had to eat!
my diet is now under control and i'm holdign my weight eating healthy and excersizing.but i can not lose!
my homepothic doctor did my blood levels and found i have a thryoid problem and will be going to see an endoronologist.
i can not blame the surgery on the LBS or the thryoid because there is history in my family of thyroid problems. My mother (weight problem) and my daughter (not any weight problems at all for her size 2 body!) are both on medication for it. I hadn't had a problem until the past year.
it is very depressing because i worked so hard to have the surgery and loss th weight and i did so well. now i worry that i'll gain all that i lost back.

 Hi All,

Thank you, Gail, for starting this post so a thread has developed.

I, too, have an issue with weight gain after experiencing thyroid cancer Mar , 2008 and two bouts of radiation abletion in Aug and Sept 2008.

As background on WLS - Had WLS (D/S in 2001) and 120 lbs to great wt of 165lbs. Did not have body contouring or Lipo done. Have always dealt with wt flux of 5-10 lbs either direction since. Exercise 5 days/wk (2 hrs inclusive of cardio and wt liftiing and stretching combos). Diet has been mostly protein with carbs low as I cannot tolerate high carb intake. Complications of WLS insued some 4 months after surgery with hormone imbalance (corrected), anemia (now chronic), hyperparathyroidism (began two yrs post-op;still unable to correct and am still trying to treat with good endo advice and meds) , osteopenia after 3 yrs due to hyperparathyroidism, GI problems with frequent diarrhea (12-16 x/day since surgery),peripheral  neuropathy of feet and possible abdominal neuropathy x 3 yrs.

As background to thyroid issues: began to notice slowing of thyroid function 1/2007-lab results were "sub-clinical" so still in normative ranges but low. Wt began to redistribute to fat areas that had always held more wt (upper thighs and belly where loose skin was post WLS). Wt did not fluctuate very much but it became noticeably more difficult to lose lbs with same exercise routines and diet that had maintained levels. I began to feel tired most of the time, as well. Because I was 55, symptoms were chalked off to post menopausal. I stepped up my exercising to 6 days a week and immediately got stress fractures in both feet  Dec, 2007. Stopped exercise routine and switched to no-impact exercises of swimming and recumbent biking. Fat began to accumulate in same areas of body as listed and my proportions began to change-wt showed on scale to be up to 178 lbs. Did scans to see if parathyroid glands had adenoma (common) that made them malfunction but discovered they were ok and a nodule was found on thyroid that was cancerous in feb,2008. After surgery for thyroid removal, it took awhile to regulate synthroid and eventually had to add cytomel as my energy was almost flatlined. The cytomel helped my tiredness a bit. 

Because of thyroid cancer, my thyroid was removed and I began on synthroid at higher than normal dose (standard protocol for cancer treatment after surgery and rad. abletion)making the experience one akin to mild hyperthyroidism.  Fatigue is an aftermath of cancer and radiation therapy as well as not having a good thyroid function. My weight is now hovering around 175lbs and varies about 10 lbs. Fat is accumulating around belly and upper thighs and arms in a more profound way, despite exercise- now back on wt lifting and cardio program with yoga added in 4 days a week.

Immediately after thyroid surgery for about three months, my hyperparathyroidism was corrected, but now it is appearing again with and rising to same lab values as it was before-Oy! The Endocrine MD and I are working fast and furiously to try to get this under control....

The long and short is that I am still gaining wt slowly but accumulating fat in places much more rapidly...My DS is still working so do not think it is in need of revision at present. The MDs are stumped, in part, because there is not good clinical understanding of the effects of WLS long term with hormones and as we age or with having to undergo devastating medical conditions like cancer.  The data just isn't there. There are no good clinical trials in any of these areas that I know of-if anyone reading this does know of info, please post as this would be great to know and pass on to my docs and care team. 

Also, when WLS was improved and became more standard of practice, no medical data was also available tracking what is significant post surgery and long-term that I was aware of. The medical
profession had no data out on how WLS affected the endo system as it underwent natural changes such as aging and also illness factors such as cancer and its various treatments-radiation, chemo, and surgery. I also wonder about if  the sub-clinical lab values many of us have shown on lab tests over the years are of more significance than the norm that has been based on healthy  population lab values that really are not relevant with the WLS population. This makes me think that all the subclinical values needed full medical attention early on rather than ignored as "normal" (it generally isn't until lab values go below normal range that MDs get concerned).

Alas, not enough is known of symptoms post WLS, so the body, in its exquisite mandate to always be in life, gains wt unbridled in spite of exercise and diet.. Gail, I think you are highlighting a very important area for all of us to be aware of.Thank you again for your post. I, too, await some suggestions on this area if others are dealing with it... Wt gain may well not be because the surgery "failed" rather because not enough is known medically to help nuance the treatments to keep wt gain from happening against the many physical challenges life eventually brings to us all.

Best,
Karen
p.s....for accurate thyroid information, try the www.thyca.com website-it is what most of us in medical profession use as a reference for pt information- it has the most current and sound info on all aspects of thyroid issues.



  

Thank God I looked at this pagetonight. I'm 5 yrs post op from gb - initially lost 130 lbs and I've bounced back about 80. I'll admit that there's been a lot of slacking on my part but I've also had major trouble with tyroid and depression. It took 12 docs to diagnose the thyroid problem - and a month off work due to shaking, dizzy spells, and sweats.

I'm still having trouble although I've been on synthroiyd (sp?) since Nov. I'm 38 and I'm not sure what's going on....at one point I had a doc tell me it could be menopause, anxiety (oh, here's some Zanex, or diabetes). Fired that gp asap. I'm worried about the menopause issue though because so many of the symptoms are similar.

I have the first appt with an endo this month. Do I sound crazy thinking that the gastric bypass has totally thrown my hormones out of wack this far out? Or can thyroid cause this much trouble?

Any advice would be great....

Deb

Hello I'm so happy to hear I'm not alone however I know the struggle.  I'm disgusted I lost 120 pounds and kept it off for 3 1/2 years.  I had the RNY in March 2003 lost 120 kept it off until 2008 when I gained  80 back. I have hypothyroidism and I went into a severe depression and I admit I drank away my depression but I do believe the alcohol is why I gained so much weight too. My thyroid was 5.1 plus I'm pre menopausal so my body is going through alot of changes. I was down to 281 and had a week of overeating went up to 292 and got really depressed I've come down to 288 but I have to fly on Tuesday and I'm going to have to ask for an extension for the seatbelt and I'm so embarrassed because I didn't have to do that the last time I traveled a year ago. 

Is there such a thing as having the surgery again because I will. I haven't been back in this forum in years. Maybe if I stayed connected with all of you I wouldn't have gained the weight. Love to all and God Bless You!!!

Kelly

Hello:
I really think that there is something to this.  I had my surgery 8/2004 and I lost 122 pounds.  I kept it off for 3 1/2 years and now I've gained almost all of it back.  I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypothyroidism) and I am on a high dose of synthroid.  I exercise daily and it's a good week when my weight stays the same, but, for the most part, I am consistently gaining.

I can still only take in smaller amounts of food, but the hard part is watching what I am taking in now that my system can tolerate more of the bad stuff as time passes.

I believe that you can have a revision to your surgery, but I am not sure what the criteria is for that.  I just continue to do my part with eating right and exercising, and I pray that the rest will turn out ok.

I have also gained about 90 lbs since my surgery but can't afford to have corrective procedure. I am trying to lose it naturally but have noticed that i will not lose until i decrease my caloric intake drastically. I am using a few website to monitor my progress but looking for someone who has managed to lose some weight with diet and exercise after regaining. has anybody come across anyone who has posted something like that?
I am also open to having a buddy if anyone is interested :)