Nerve damage

I was just wondering if anyone has heard anything about people getting nerve damage from having gastric bypass surgery. I was just sitting here listening to my local news and heard them say some patients have gotten nerve damage experiencing tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes and weakness that becomes so bad they have been confined to a wheelchair. I was just wondering if anyone has specific information on what type of nerve damage they are talking about or any other information about this. Annette

Please read the article below by clicking on the link. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=165857

Thanks Shay, I noticed your post only after I had sent mine. Interesting news to me. My doctor never made me aware of these kinds of side effects. I guess this just kinda reminds me that I need to keep taking those vitamins. I have already been to the doctor because I have no energy and they found my B-12 level was really low. It may have helped if my surgeon would have done follow up care but I had to go to my family doctor and she has no clue what types of labs I need to have done. So for the past 2 1/2 years I have only had lab work done once. I am still taking my flinstone vitamin everyday and now a B-12 vitamin also I just hope this is enough. Annette

Hi Annette, I take 3 Flintsone's Complete a day along with 1 sublingual B-12 that has added folic acid and 2 Viactive...despite the calcium controversy citrate vs. carbonate this is what I'm taking now. As for labs, mine were run at 1 month post-op, 3 months, 6 months and I'm due again at 9 months and 1 year. Then yearly after that, unless indicated that I have some before that. My standard blood work has consisted of: CBC Comprehensive metabolic panel Lipid Panel Iron studies ( Fe, TIBC, Ferritin ) Folate B-12 Magnesium TSH ( thyroid ) Pre-albumin ( protein level ) HbA1c - ( long term blood sugar control number....diabetes ) Maybe you can give this list to your doctor to use as a starting point. Of course every doctor is different and this is based on the program I'm using up here in northern del. I feel we get excellant care with our docs and maybe you could benefit as well by using our guidelines to help you along. Get those protein levels checked! If I can be of any assistance at all, please don't hesitate to give a yell. Linda Oh ps, not sure exactly where in Delaware you are but we have some very good support groups in the area and Ginger Barkley has one in Smyrna. Maybe you could check on out, lot's of good info at those.

Linda, Thanks for the info I will pass it on to my doctor. I know Ginger personally and would love to attend some of her meetings. I really need to start going back to support group meetings I went for the 1st year but then stopped. I feel great now that I have lost this weight but just wish I had the energy to keep up with my body. One more question if I may. Does anyone else get charlie horses regularly. I have them in my legs every night. Mostly in my right lower leg in the front. Wow this hurts !!! Annette

Hi again Annette, I don't get charlie horses but hubby does, usually when your potassium level is out of whack. Elissa made a terrific post awhile back about the health benefits of eating bananas. Loaded with potassium and when eaten on a regular basis they can help alot. Better have the doc check those levels too since it's so important to heart function. Here's hoping you are charlie horseless and more energetic soon. Glad you're here on the board! Linda

I have support group meetings the 2nd Thursday of the month... email or call me for details... [email protected] (302) 653-5971

Hey Annette... Good to hear from you. Our docs upstate have us taking 2 Caltrate (Calcium), 1 Multi-Vitamin, Iron & B12. Some others take more depending on their bloodwork. You certainly need to get to a doctor to get those labs checked out. Hope all is well with you... Ginger

Hi Annette, That is too bad that your surgeon doesn't do the follow ups. Just an FYI, my doc's have prescribed that we take a sublingual B12, 3 chewable children complete vitamins and 1500 mg of calcium (chewables) a day. Hope this helps and you have more energy soon. T

Annette, Hope this helps. I am prone to tingling in the upper thighs & leg cramps especially while trying to sleep. Seems like I made a trade off. No more sleep apnea, but now the other. A banana a day. Little did you know...After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at the Banana in the same way again!! Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan. Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine", eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%" Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! So, you see, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away". ((HUGS)) Elissa