POST-OP SEIZURE DISORDER??

Okay -- I have now effectively freaked myself out.  An OH member who goes by the name "Melting Mama" apparently began having seizures after her RNY.  She has since come across a number of post-op individuals with the same issue (no prior history).  Seizure disorder was never included among the possible complications of RNY, and I wonder whether anyone here has knowledge of this.  Because it is a relatively new procedure, there have not been any studies of the long-term effects.

Anyway, I have included the link to where this issue is addressed, and I'd be interested in your feedback.

http://www.meltingmama.net/wls/seize_you_seize_me/

I think its not mentions because it's not common (still should be mentioned if it's related) and is it directly related to the surgery. I mean can they prove without a shadow of a doubt the surgery did it? I know she has them but don't know the details of her case or the others. Just like my gall bladder, it's not 100% that dropping the weight like I did is what caused it since there is a history on both sides of my family. It could have been the surgery or it could have been the history, or a combination of both. RNY isn't that new either. Remember back in the day the stomach stapling? It's more or less the same thing, just improved. It's like any medicle technology, it gets improved over time.

If you lose weight rapidly (no matter HOW you do it), you're extremely likely to develop gallstones, including symptomatic gallbladder disease which requires its removal.

I would be extremely hesitant to describe MM's symptoms as being as likely as gallbladder disease post-RNY.

/Steve

That's not what I meant Steve.  I just used that as an example of not being able to say 100% that it's from surgery. A stricture is 100% WLS related. My gall bladder and maybe MM's seazures are not 100%. I didn't say it to trivialize it.

Hi Joanne,

I read MM all the time she is a real hoot and has some great reviews on stuff every now and then.
I too was concerned about the seizures but I couldn't find much on the internet about it and my surgeon hasn't heard of it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, don't freak out ok, well maybe a little bit,
I think it's just one of those things

Oh I also forgot to add, which I meant to add
That MM had some issue with her vitamins ealy on, she had like really screwed up levels and I wonder if it wasn't that issue that caused the other issue, she mentions the viamin thing in her review oin bariatric advantage chewables

yeah, i've been following mm's story for quite some time now. it's interesting to me because i myself have had 3 seizures in my lifetime and they were all medication induced (and were all pre-op.) and here lately i've been having things happen to me (several times a day) that are like "micro seizures" or something. (similar to stroke symptoms.) i just posted something on the main board about celiac disease and i'm curious if she'll respond to it because it lists a lot of the symptoms that post-ops have and seizures is also one of the symptoms. i'm trying to find out if this may possibly be what's happening to me and a host of other individuals. (i go see my pcp in a few hours and i'm going to ask to be tested for this because it's just too coincidental.)

but don't worry. seizures aren't a commong side effect. i'm thinking that only the "lucky ones" get it, lol!

Oh great, I have been soooo lucky as a post-op.  

My understanding (as of a few months ago) was that her sporadic seizures were thought to be due to sudden, severe drops in blood sugar.  At the time, she was waiting to get approval for wearing a continuous blood sugar meter.  Since then, I believe she's received this, but I haven't followed up with what they've found.

Remember "electric shock therapy"?  Well, back in the 50's there was a concurrent therapy called "insulin shock", which induced convulsions, and led to improvement in depressive symptoms (but such therapy was life-threatening.)

There does seem to be a very rare complication of RNY called "nesidioblastosis", in which the insulin-secreting islets cells of the pancreas multiply, and turn cases of reactive hypoglycemia potentially life-threatening.  Here's a New England Journal of Medicine article on the subject.  Googling "nesidioblastosis" should tell you everything you didn't want to hear!

Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia with Nesidioblastosis after Gastric-Bypass Surgery

/Steve

you're so cool Steve :)

HUGS!