Certain ones certainly aren't, like willow tree bark, as found in the Lakota and other arthritis related products, as willow bark is actually what aspirin is derived from. I know tumeric is often cited as an anti-inflammatory, but I don't know about curcumin specifically. Evidence is weak on this at the moment, but there are a number of studies ongoing. I would think it is likely a waste of money. My pharmacist friend says there is some evidence for glucosamine for arthritis and it is the only natural product he recommends in addition to traditional meds. It's used as a medication in Europe. It may have anti-inflammatory properties, so you would want to ask a pharmacist whether it is safe to use if you've been told to avoid NSAIDs.

Unfortunately not all doctors prescribe it automatically after surgery. This is negligent behaviour that goes against the recommendations of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. I would strongly encourage your friend to get Prevacid or another PPI from her family doctor, or even a walk-in clinic, rather than run the risk of an ulcer as this is the only proactive thing she can do to avoid it!

A PPI should be taken daily for at least 3 months and preferably 6 months post-op to prevent ulcers. Have you gotten back on the prevacid? Your family doc can prescribe this, no need to go to St. Joe's for it. I would try the prevacid for a month and see if it improves. If it does, it might just be acid and you can stay on the prevacid for a while. If it doesn't improve or gets worse, ask for a referral for a scope as it does sound like it could be an ulcer. When you see your doc for the prevacid you could also ask your doc for a H.pylori test and if it is positive, treat it with antibiotics. Antibiotics and PPI are the standard treatment for early ulcers.

I agree with most of what you say here, but wanted to point out one thing that is a major pet peeve of mine. Obese people do not cost the healthcare system more money than healthy weight people over the course of a lifetime, they actually save the system a lot of money. Even though their yearly healthcare costs are higher, because they die on average 8 years younger, and of more sudden illness (heart attack, stroke, etc) they actually cost the healthcare system less than a healthy weight individual who tends to live longer and have much costlier end of life care via cancer treatment. This is part of why it is so incredible that OHIP has put so much money into WLS - there is not likely to be any long-term cost savings, just better health and well-being for the patients. From a strictly economic point of view it doesn't make any sense to support WLS in the long-term!

Hi Debbie,

I'm going to repost a response I made to another poster below here for you. Please consider getting a second opinion rather than consider getting a second surgery!

The proper revision surgery for VSG is a DS. Making a VSG into a RNY is, frankly, ruining a perfectly normal and functioning stomach to create a 'pouch' that is likely to cause reactive hypoglycaemia and give only temporary malabsorption with a boomerang regain effect after 5 years that isn't seen with the DS. Further, it creates a blind stomach out of what is left from the VSG stomach, but without the benefit of the digestive enzymes that a normal stomach would secrete, but with the added risks of having a blind stomach such as ulcers that are very hard to diagnose and treat. It's a terrible idea.

I once mentioned on an American message board I'm active on that they were considering VSG to RNY revisions in Canada for further weight loss and one of the women spoke to her DS surgeon about it and he considered it malpractise. The only reason to revise a VSG to a RNY for better weight loss instead of doing a DS, is that the surgeon does not know how to do the DS. I would never, ever encourage anyone to go from VSG to RNY for better weight loss. I would everyone to push for a proper DS revision with Dr. Hong or make peace with where the VSG has gotten them. Revision to RNY for weight loss alone would simply not be worth it (there may be some very rare cases of extreme GERD or diabetes that might make this an option, but only in desperate situations. Never just for weight loss).

Even better would be if people with very high BMIs were getting the DS in one step with Dr. Hong to begin with, but people need to advocate for themselves to achieve that. I would never agree to a two step surgery unless it was absolutely necessary, and this is very, very rare with a skilled surgeon. If anyone thinks a revision or a potential DS is in your future, I wouldn't go under the knife in Ontario without talking to Dr. Hong first. He is the the best revision surgeon and the ONLY DS surgeon in the province.

Sandy is quite right here. The difference in weight loss between VSG and RNY is only 10%. Given that the VSG has a much, much lower rate of complications like ulcers, nutritional deficiencies, reactive hypoglycaemia and it has identical statistics on diabetes for people 5+ years out and it allows for NSAID medications, I think the 10% increase in weight loss is not a good enough reason to prefer the RNY.

Did it just feel like a really bad headache, or did you have other neurological symptoms, like sensitivity to light and sound, and feel nauseated, like you might vomit? If not, it may not have been a migraine, and just a really bad, painful headache. I am a migraine sufferer and actually use a combination of advil and percocet to manage them, as prescribed my my neurologist. I had a DS in part because of my need to take NSAIDs for my migraines are they are the best treatment for them, but sometimes they aren't enough, which is why my doc prescribed the percocet. Since you are unable to take NSAIDs, I would recommend taking two extra strength tylenol with caffeine or a caffeinated beverage at the first sign of the headache/migraine. Hopefully this will be enough. If you have no relief after 4 hours, take a percocet. Never take percocet and tylenol at the same time though, as you could cause an accidental overdose of acetaminophen which is very toxic. I hope it doesn't happen again! Keeping on schedule with hydration and meals goes a long way for me for prevention.

They won't even consider revising you until they see that you have 'failed' your VSG. That would mean a BMI of 35 or higher at 2 years, or more, out of surgery with no loss even when following the program. I would ask them to cancel your referral. If you need it again in a year and a half you can be re-referred. Right now you are just taking up a spot for someone who needs their first surgery.

I'm 10 months post-op DS (VSG stomach) and still take prevacid twice a day. I don't expect to stop taking it anytime soon, perhaps never.

If it's a work day and I'm on the run I usually just have a protein shake. During weight loss I had a scoop and a half of Whey Gourmet made with water, and now that I'm at goal I add a banana to it and blend it up with a bit of ice. When I have a chance to sit for breakfast, I love eggs done almost anyway; soft boiled, poached, scrambled with cheese, or fried in olive oil. I also love breakfast meat, especially turkey sausage, turkey bacon and thick sliced fried bologna, but I've been known to eat regular bacon and pork sausages as well.

I had a remarkably normal holiday season. I don't really remember it ever being like this before. Typically, I would spend the holidays anticipating all the delicious and wonderful food I would get to enjoy at this time of year. Then I would eat and indulge for two weeks straight and typically gain a couple of pounds (or three, or four, or five...). The food would be the highlight of my holiday season.

This year was different.

Was there still good food around? Yes. Was there still a desire to have it? Yes. So what was different?

ME!

I knew that if I stuffed my face with holiday sweets, that I would feel sick and I wouldn't get my protein in. Something about this simply made over-eating the sweets unappealing. I would normally be the person who has to obsessively taste one of everything, but this year I was more than happy to choose one or two things, try a couple of bites and pass the rest on to my husband or throw it away. And I was completely satisfied! I didn't feel deprived at all!

On Christmas Eve, I prepared a beautiful Black Forest cake for my family's party. In the past I could have eaten three generous slices and still felt like I wanted more. This year, before going near the sweets, I filled up on protein options like bacon-wrapped scallops, meatballs, and ham, and when it was time for cake, I cut a small slice and greatly enjoyed half of it. HALF of it!!! And I didn't mind. I actually didn't give the cake another thought after I set down my plate.

On another evening, I went out for a beautiful meal with my three sisters. We enjoyed wine, shared appetizers and an amazing main course. No one said anything about my taking a modest share of the appetizers, or the fact that I ate all my scallops, but left behind most of the potatoes... because this is how many normal, average sized people eat everyday. They do not obsessively clean their plates. They enjoy their meals to satiety, and then leave the rest. No one would think it is odd for this little 127lb woman to leave some potatoes behind, and I didn't feel self-conscious about it either. I AM NORMAL!

This is a revelation. It is wonderful. It is freeing, and so, so normal feeling. I don't obsess, but I can still enjoy! I can have anything I want, but in moderation - and I'm capable of it! Incredible!

I will forever be grateful for my DS and what it has done for me over this past nearly 10 months. It's hard to believe so much has changed in so little time, but it is all for the better. I have lost 108lbs and have a healthy BMI. My blood sugars are normal. In three weeks I will stop all medication for migraines and IBS after titrating down over the past several months. I hope everyone here can experience what I have this past year in the coming year. The only resolution I'm making for 2013 is to keep doing what I'm doing now... protein first, low carb, moderation is possible, and never miss a dose of supplements!

Happy 2013 Everyone!

Upon waking: Prevacid 30mg

Breakfast: Protein shake 30-40g (because I consider my shake a daily supplement like the vitamins and minerals)

After morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack EACH: 1 BA High ADEK multivitamin and 4 tabs Celebrate Calcium Plus (650mg calcium plus magnesium, zinc, copper, vitamin K, vitamin D)

Before dinner: Prevacid 30mg

Bed-time: 600mg polysaccharide iron (4 capsules, Cypress brand, same as FeraMAX), B100 Complex, 125,000IU vitamin A (5 capsules, dry formulation from Biotech), Jamieson 4 Strain Probiotic (2 capsules), 50,000IU vitamin D3 (1 capsule, dry formulation from Biotech, x3 per week not daily)

Monthly B12 injection of 2cc

30 capsules/tablets per day over 6 doses (though the two prevacid doses are just a quick dissolving tab before a meal and I hardly even think of them as a 'dose') and it is now so routine I do it without thinking. I carry a mixed bottle of multivits and calcium in my purse, I never miss a dose, and I have no deficiencies!