Copper Deficiency cause by Gastric Bypass?

AlohaJen
on 7/11/13 2:19 am
RNY on 09/05/12

Question for some of our Vets... Have you ever heard of us being more at risk for a Copper deficiency because of the Gastric bypass?  Is that something that is usually monitored in our yearly bloodwork etc ?  My sister is an ER Nurse in SC and she met a man this past weekend that was 20 yrs post bypass and had developed many neurological issues and now walks with a cane.  He was giving his medical hx and it was found that a lot of his current problems were related to the copper deficiency. He is on supplements now and his neurologist hopes that he will be able to fully recover from it.....  Just wondering if any of you had ever heard of this?  Thanks.....

            

HW 304   SW 258  CW 199  GW  160?

Kim S.
on 7/11/13 2:42 am - Helena, AL

I suppose it is highly probable that we could be deficient in ANY mineral or vitamin due to malabsorption.  However, some things, like copper, most of us never had tested before RNY.....and I can tell you mine has not been checked afterward (my next labs I will have it done though).

There have been recent articles that many Americans are vitamin D deficient and don't know it, and doctors seem reluctant to order blood work to check vitamin levels (I'm sure that is an insurance issue).

This would be a good time for our resident vitamin guru, Poet Kelly, to provide her list of "must check" labs!!!  Kelly????!!!!

             
     
poet_kelly
on 7/11/13 2:48 am - OH

Copper and zinc are both on my "must check" list.  Selenium is on my "optional" list UNLESS you take a vitamin with no selenium (like a gummy vitamin, Flintstones, of Centrum chewable).

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

poet_kelly
on 7/11/13 2:47 am - OH

We are at increased risk for pretty much all vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to RNY.  Copper deficiency is not real common, but can happen.  People that take gummy vitamins would be at much greater risk for it, since most of those don't have any copper.  People that take Optisource or Bariatric Fusion vitamins may be at increased risk if they only take four a day, as recommended on the label, since that only gives them half the amount recommended by the ASMBS.  But any of us could develop a deficiency.

Some surgeons check copper levels routinely with our labs and some don't.  If yours doesn't, you can ask him or her to order the test for you.  I ask for it and get mine checked at least once a year.

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version

on 7/11/13 7:31 am - OH

I had my copper checked for the first time this year, along with some of the other things my surgeon didn't normally test for (like selenium)  Fortunately, both the copper and my selenium (and the other non-standard things) were fine.

 

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

newbeginning2012
on 7/11/13 11:50 am

We need the copper to produce the iron in our blood.  We have found several of our patients who have been requiring iron infusions had very low copper levels.  Once the copper levels increased, their need for the iron infusions decreased. 

 

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