*==>* some answers about still getting hungry! *<;==*

Hi folks -- i asked people over in the Maintenance forum for ideas or experiences with hunger returning after surgery.  as i've said, i, personally, am not one of those "i have to set a timer to remember to eat" people, though i am satisfied with very little and stay full.  it's just that when i'm hungry, i'm hungry!  ;-)

HERE ARE THE RESPONSES I GOT (I"LL KEEP POSTING THEM)

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Contrary to popular rumor :} the part of the stomach removed is not the *only* place where ghrelin is made.  I guess I figure we all produced it at different rates, some folks were not insanely hungry all the time.  I was, so I guess I just figure, having most of my production place removed only made it so I get regular amounts, instead of the crazy amounts.

I never lost my hunger either.  Eating on a schedule so that I do not get too hungry, and making choices that keep me full for longest are my saving graces.

I had hunger ONE WEEK post-op - real hunger, that's what it was. I just felt full after very very little. 1 sip of broth, I think.
I never lost my hunger either, though it was definitely reduced (and still is, 4 years later) and I'm certainly satisfied with less...

 

I've never lost my hunger either.  Most of the time I only stay full for 1 to 2 hours unfortunately.

 

well i pretty much lost all hunger for a number of months after surgery and then it slowly returned but at much lower and much more appropriate levels. these days i do get hungry more often - doctor says the stomachs of vsg patients do empty out faster, but it is a managable hunger that doesn't make me want to stuff and stuff and it certainly takes much less to satisfy. I feel like I have more what normal hunger should be like but milder.

 

Ditto, I get hungry.  my no hunger phase only lasted a month or so.  Like others have said, at least it seems to be a normal hunger level.  I think I must have had an over production of grehlin before surgery because I would get so hungry that I could eat anything as long as it didn't eat me first (Homer Simpson here).

 

I think my lack of hunger lasted for a month.  I sometime wonder if it's because I have a 40f, not because it's bigger but because perhaps maybe less of the ghrelin production center was removed than people with smaller Sleeves.   I get jealous when people say that they have to remind themselves to eat.  Just not my story.  That said, 4 oz of meat and some veggies and I'm pretty full and good to go for a few hours.  It's always tough to differentiate between stomach and head hunger when not much time has passed between meals.  I do get hungry sooner if my last meal wasn't protein packed.

 

It is normal for hunger to return after a few months, but at a lower level (hopefully). Ghrelin is produced in other areas of the body, not just the stomach, so I don't think bougie size has anything to do with it. Even people with smaller bougies experience hunger and I wonder, if the smaller size contributes to faster gastric emptying. I'll have to ask this, when I see the bariatric internist in a couple of weeks.

 Sometimes I get hungry, if I go more than 4 hours without eating, which is why the dietitian said not to go longer than that amount of time. If it wasn't for the amount of exercise that I do, I don't think that I would eat as much. I have to fuel my workouts, both before and after. I think some of the "hunger" that I experience, is more "head hunger."

 

My hunger went away completely for the first 8 months or so, then it returned but in a much easier to deal with mode.  Now at two years out, I started to take iron and my hunger disappeared again.  I do not know if this is the cause, but there does seem to be a strong connection.

Ann,

Thank you SO much for doing this and posting the responses! I'm 5 weeks post-op, and about a week ago my hunger returned, even though I'm on omeprazole (PPI), so I don't think it's acid reflux.  Exactly 2 hours after I eat a protein-packed meal, the hunger pangs return -- you could set your watch by it.

My surgeon told me today to just continue taking Tums when the pangs occur and to come back and see him in 2 weeks.

Interesting comment about the possible link to iron .... hmmmm.

Thanks again.

Kelly

well, that's certainly not the most helpful reply i've ever heard.  i'm not sure why it comes back and why so fast.  and i've never known about whether the acid thing is it or not.  have you tried doubling up on the ppi?  i take mine in the morning and at night and that's what seems to work for me.  can you nibble on something in 2 hrs when you're hungry?  at 5 weeks i don't think you have to worry so much about calories.  my NUT actually told me to eat every 3 hrs.

anyway, i'm not the doc or the NUT, but these are just some things i've tried!  hope something kicks in!

I think I will try doubling up on the PPI (as it's now sold OTC) and ordering a chewable iron pill and see if either/both approaches work.

I hesitate to eat every 2 hours ... seems dangerously close to "grazing" territory to me (plus, my days are long, and I don't relish the thought of 9 mini-meals a day).  Will see my NUT next week and see what she says ...

Thanks so much for your advice!

Kelly

Thank you so much for sharing this! I am 4 days out and I am HUNGRY. Am starting a PPI in hopes that this helps. But I just really have been craving tuna. lol It'll be a long 4 weeks until my NUT allows me to have that. Thank you for sharing!

i got hungry 4 days out as well... i was starving... i had a bite of cheese it was so good... lol I just did that like once or twice a day till day 7 then I started eating mushies... lol a week before my recommended time... but I was fine had no problems... good lucK!!!