For those that suffer from depression..did your depression get better, worse or same post DS

I'm so sorry about your dog and mom and that you suffered from depression for so long prior to the DS but I am very happy to hear that your depression improved post DS. I know lexapro can often cause weight gain. Did you experience any weight gain with it?

I am three months out and had a horrible INCREASE in depression immediately following surgery.  I was hospitalized for a week due to it (3 weeks post op).  My psychiatrist didn't change my meds from extended release to immediate release before my surgery.  Because of that, I ended up not absorbing my medication like I did prior to surgery(when my depression was completely controlled by my meds and I was doing great).  Staying on the extended release meds and mal-absorbing post op was like I suddenly stopped taking my meds, which resulted in worse depression that I ever experienced, even before treatment.  My dose was increased and switched to immediate release, I recovered and am doing great.

 

Having said all of that I don't think I was prepared emotionally for the surgery.  I remember my doc telling me that the depression wasn't unexpected.  You brain is in your head, but your mind is everywhere.  Remember that this is a huge change.  Also, the hormone surges when losing fat rapidly throw you for a loop.

 

At this point, I am thrilled that I had the surgery and would go through all of the remorse, depression, and pain again.  It takes a while, but it gets better!

 

I am so very sorry that you went through all that. You poor thing. I'm glad that you got your meds all figured out and can now look back and appreciate the surgery. I have heard about the hormone dumping and how hard it can be on everyone. I wish there was a way of preventing that.

I have occasional episodic depression so I was anticipating it coming on after surgery. I dipped in to it for 1 day and then that was all ( thank heavens!). For me getting back to work - normalcy - must have done the trick. Just this week my husband was later off of work and it made me sad but didn't throw me into a depression. We are not out of the water yet ( only a month out) but I think overall it had improved my mental health and increased my ability to cope with shiz!!!

Agreed, Lupita, I am sooooooo much better when I'm working.

*layed off work not later... Lol

Sorry to hear your husband lost his job but glad that you are handling it well. It's nice to hear that your handling things better and that your mental health improved. I would imagine that  having a tool that helps us get this damn weight off would be a relief in itself instead of waking up everyday feeling hopeless about it.

All things considered, I am so much happier  for the past 2 years with my new life due to the D.S. weight loss and easy time with maintaining my weight loss at normal BMI. For the 5 years prior to my D.S. I had the most depression of my life from taking care of my 2 parents with dementia and Alzheimers in my home alone, and after 4 years till their end of life, being diagnosed with uterine cancer. Begin antidepressants- settled on Wellbutrin and a diagnosis of adult ADHD with Adderall. The total hysterectomy left me with surgical menopause.  Talk about depression layered with depression on top of depression. My weight rose dramatically. 4 months later I had the D.S. Best cure for my depression because with the major weight loss my knee and hip arthritis pains totally disappeared. now I have a very active life, socially and physically more active.  I love to garden and enjoy all kinds of sports, and exercising. There are ups and downs emotionally, but over all I am so much better off having had the D.S. The hormone dumping was controlled by the Wellbutrin, Monthly psych checks during the first year of the D.S. helped monitor the meds, adjusting the strength of the meds when the D.S. interfered with absorption. I don't need to see the psych more than 4 times a year now for scripts. I wouldn't let depression keep me from having the D.S. It definitely gave me my life back.  I am enjoying my new figure, and increased energy. Best decision I ever made- choosing the D.S.

Wow, you have been through a lot! I'm so glad that the DS helped to lessen your joint pain and live a more active and happy life.

Having had a history of depression, did you worry about consistency with taking vitamins and getting in protein? How have you been doing with that. I struggle with depression and can sometimes be inconsistent with things in my life when I'm blue. This is something I worry about with the surgery.

Inconsistency is the only consistent thing about me.  Depression or not

But I’ve read the DS forums about people who did great, then hit a patch of ‘life crap’ 2 years later (or whenever), and let the vitamins and protein levels slip.  Then the deficiencie**** feeling weak and having major health issues (and if you combine that with not having health insurance – OMG!!), and they start to spiral down.   Trying to pull the yoke back to get the nose of your plane back up is really, really hard.

So I keep checking into a couple of forums for inspiration, education, and reinforcement that the vitamins and protein intake (whether you eat cleanly or not does not matter as much as these two items) are not negotiable and I knew I signed up for that when I did this surgery.  Fear of the hitting bottom keeps me on track.

And setting up the vitamins in advance (two months at a time) and having protein powders and eating/using lots of eggs makes it easier.  Cause if I have to work at something every day, it’s just not going to happen on a regular basis.