Explain Ghrelin to me...

Hello! I had planned to have RNY but my surgeon suggested that the Sleeve was a better option for me... so I am starting the learning process over.

I am curious about Ghrelin. I understand that most of the cells that make it are removed during the sleeve.  Then at some point, it grows back?

Fill me in, if you would... I have a lot to learn, and quickly, as they intend to have a date for me in October!

Thanks,
Amanda :)

Ghrelin is produced in the fundus....which should be mostly removed.  It is also produced in smaller amounts in the pancreas and in your brain.

It is the hunger hormone that causes you to feel hunger.  It should not grow back.

Keep in mind....not everyone who has the sleeve loses their hunger....but I would say most do.

It also does not go away right away....it takes a bit for all the hormone to leave your system.

Ghrelin levels seem to actually increase in some Lap Band and RNY patients.

If you google it you'll get TONS more information.

As stated it's the hormone that is produced in our bodies that "cause" our ravenous hunger.  Some people have MORE then others, which could in part be why not EVERYONE will LOSE their hunger.  It gets greatly diministed, but doesn't go away totally for many. 

MINE went away totally and at almost 4 years out I still don't get physically hungry the way I USED to get hungry.  For instance today I tried to make a protein coffee but I ended up making it to hot so the protein curdled...anyway 6 hours later on my way home, I just started feeling BLAH, then my head was starting to hurt.  At first I was like oh I'm getting a "heat" headache THEN I was like oh no it's an I'm hungry headache.  Not once did I feel like I was starving etc etc.

Ms Shell

Go to this website: ncbi.nlm.NIH.gov. Its legit; funded by US Department Health/NIH. I use it all the time for academic purposes. Enter ghrelin in the search bar. You will obtain more info on the hormone than you care for. I'd recommend going to the books section on the results page. happy studying!

To clarify: it is erroneous to say that ghrelin goes away post surgery never to return. Removal of the fundus severely down regulates expression of the hormone, but does not eliminate it. Ghrelin is expressed in other areas of the body.

Ghrelin is most abundantly expressed in specialized cells in the oxyntic glands of the gastric epithelium, originally termed X/A-like cells [11]. Approximately 60%-70% of circulating ghrelin is secreted by the stomach, and most of the remainder originates in the small intestine [11]. Nevertheless low-level ghrelin expression also occurs in several tissues outside the gut, including hypothalamus (arcuate nucleus and paraventricular nucleus), pituitary, lung, adrenal cortex, kidney, bone, testis, placenta, and pancreatic islet cells

Thanks much, everyone, for your replies, and getting me started with some info. I appreciate it so much! I did google, but it was overwhelming, and I wanted to hear from real people first. I will also check out that website!
I have to admit that I am completely overwhelmed by the fact that I am switching to the sleeve. I just don't know as much about it. 

I am working hard though, to make up for lost time!

Thanks again,
Amanda :)