I was really starting to get bummed out when my period FINALLY showed up on Monday... almost exactly 2 months to the date after WLS.  Now I'm wondering why I was so eager for it - UGH CRAMPS!

Here's my question: When I read people say that their symptoms "went away" after weight loss, what do you mean exactly?  LIke, I see people say skin tags are no longer there.  Do they stop growing in?  Or do the ones that that are there shrink?  I'm just wondering if they will go away on their own or if they still have to be cut off?

Also, on the dark skin patches, will they eventually fade?  Does it take years?

Well for me, the stress of weight loss put my hormones in a frenzy.  I have changed pills twice so far and had what is not a cycle that lasted for 5 weeks, but finally its getting back in order!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both the skin patches (known as Acanthosis Nigricans) faded away by the time I was a year out from surgery as my insulin levels decreased to normal levels & the skin tags just stopped growing...some of the small ones I think faded...frankly I don't remember.

I had some skin tags that I recently had cut off. My dermotoligist said there is really no way to tell if they will come back or if they will not. I have had some that have disappeared. I can tell you though if you have them cut off it really is not that bad.

I am five months out and my period came back a month after surgery and has been on time every month ever since! This was after almost 10 years of having a period that would last a month, go away for a day, come back for two weeks, go away for a week, etc. Losing weight definitely regulates the periods by correcting insulin levels and was the only thing my PCP told me would correct it. I had cysts pretty bad - had a 10 cm cyst removed from my left ovary December 2008.

I never had any skin tags, but I did have dark skin patches between my breasts and on the sides of my neck - and they are completely gone!!

My surgeon took me off the metformin the day after my surgery and my period is now regulated since then for the last 6 months and had not been since I was 22.  The only dark skin I had was around my neck and that is gone. The skin tags are another story and most probably have to be removed by a dermatologist.

Karyn

I have notice some skin tags have faded already (I'm 4 months post) and there are no new ones.  My periods have been like clockwork the last 4 months --- and they haven't been that way in 30 years.   Periods are still heavier than I'd like, but the pain seems less and periods seem shorter.    I just wish the facial hair would go away too ..but after some laser treatments, its much better so things are good.

(I was taken off metformin the day after surgery -- and my diabetes has reversed itself, my cholesterol is back to normal and no more insulin shots in my gut everyday!  I can live with some facial hair -- this changed my life.)