Does Ghrelin reduction affect cravings?
My surgeon said the hunger would go away for about 6 months, but immediately I had hunger like sensations. They have decreased since my surgery(April 22) but I still feel a little hunger. He said other parts of the digestive system produce ghrelin and production will increase over time. The good news is that drinking water usually gets rid of the hunger now as before surgery, it did not. It is hard to believe I made it 10 days post surgery on basically water, broth and jello.
BTW, yes I still have some cravings but not nearly as strong. It would be nice if I could develop a craving for sugar free jello/popsicles.
For me, I'd say that physical hunger symptoms were reduced because of grhelin removal, but my cravings I attribute to 'head hunger'. I associate head hunger with excess carb consumption, boredom, and other negative emotions I feel.
LINDA
Ht: 5'2" | HW 225, BMI 41.2 | CW 115, BMI 21.0
IMHO, cravings tend to come from your head, not your stomach. Hunger is a separate issue.
After surgery, you won't feel hungry. Many people mistake hunger after surgery for acid generation in their new stomachs. A PPI should help that issue.
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Height: 5'-7" HW: 449 SW: 392 GW: 179 CW: 220
That is a complicated question because cravings come from many different sources. Yes, ghrelin reduces appetite and with it some desire for food in particular. However, cravings often come from emotional reasons and those are not really effected. Over time, ghrelin is produced in other parts of our body to compensate for its reduction in production in our fundus. For most people, hunger and cravings return but are never as intense as they were before surgery. Early on, I lost my hunger and most of my cravings, but now, at almost five years out, they are back. They are not as intense but they do happen especially right before my TOM. I will always prefer having a cookie to a cabbage or spinach. I will always look at great French pastries with a little too much interest. On the other hand, the mind numbing, extreme hunger and cravings that I used to experience before surgery are no longer there.
I had vertical sleeve surgery with 2 hernia repairs on 5/2. Previous to surgery on the strict 2 week diet I was miserable, I was craving everything and felt hungry constantly. Now 3 days post op on clear liquids I am NEVER hungry. None of the food commercials get to me, not even smells. This is a miracle for me because I have always been tortured by cravings and hunger. I am still dealing with a lot of pain, that might have something to do with it. But considering I am having to force feed myself, I think the food addiction may be over.