Poll about mental health and WLS

I haven’t done any polls for a while but since I’ve been struggling with depression lately, thought I’d post a poll and see how other people are doing.  If you want to skip any questions for whatever reason, that’s fine.  After a while, I’ll tally up all the results and post them.  Thanks to all who take the time to answer.

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS?

Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they?

Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery?

Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery?

Did your mental health improve after surgery?  And if so, can you briefly say how it improved?

Did your mental health get worse after surgery?  If so, can you briefly say how?

If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery?  Did you have to change them after surgery in some way?

Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems?

How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions?  Have they seemed on the ball?

Here are my answers:

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS?

Yes, for many many years.

Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they?

PTSD.

Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery?

Yes, for many years, many different meds.

Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery?

I wasn’t sure if it would or not.  I thought my self-esteem might improve but didn’t really think the depression or PTSD would.

Did your mental health improve after surgery?  And if so, can you briefly say how it improved?

Well, I think my self-esteem did improve a bit, though maybe not as much as I would have liked.  The depression and PTSD certainly did not get better.

Did your mental health get worse after surgery?  If so, can you briefly say how?

I don’t think it got worse exactly, but got harder to treat because meds did not seem to work as well.

If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery?  Did you have to change them after surgery in some way?

Yes, I did seem to have trouble absorbing them.  I finally switched from extended release effexor to the regular, which seems to work a little better.

Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems?

Not really.

How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions?  Have they seemed on the ball?

Well, when I asked him if I should switch from the extended release meds to the regular because of my RNY, he agreed and acted like he was familiar with that, but he was not on the ball enough to suggest it himself.

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS? Yes, mild (thought it was because of my weight issues)
Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they? No
Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery? No
Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery? Yes
Did your mental health improve after surgery? And if so, can you briefly say how it improved? No
Did your mental health get worse after surgery? If so, can you briefly say how? Yes, now I must say that I am much more critical about myself. I have issues visualizing what I really look like. I view myself around 20 pounds heavier then I really am, so it leads me to feeling blue and sad daily. Also now, I feel that all eyes are on me, even more so than before surgery....kind of paranoid feeling.
If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery? Did you have to change them after surgery in some way? N/A
Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems? No, because i have never mentioned how I felt. I am came close to telling his bariatric coordinator once, but I didn't want her to know just how messed up my thinking really was.
How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions? Have they seemed on the ball? N/A

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS? Yes

Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they? anexiety

Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery? Yes

Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery? Yes, somewhat

Did your mental health improve after surgery?  And if so, can you briefly say how it improved? Yes, it has improved some, but I seem to swing a little more up and down.

Did your mental health get worse after surgery?  If so, can you briefly say how? No

If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery?  Did you have to change them after surgery in some way? I did have a change in meds. Felt my original Rx wasnt working. Just changed to something similar.

Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems? No, but I havent brought anything to his attention.

How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions?  Have they seemed on the ball? I get my meds from my PCP.  Im considering counseling again though.

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS?

Yes, for many years.
  Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they?

Anxiety
  Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery?

Yes
  Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery?

I doubted that there would be much change as I think the depression is genetically based.
  Did your mental health improve after surgery? And if so, can you briefly say how it improved?

It's too soon to know if there is much change as I am less than 3 months out.

  Did your mental health get worse after surgery? If so, can you briefly say how?

It did in the first few weeks, with post surgery depression, anxiety and crying jags, but then it leveled out.
  If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery? Did you have to change them after surgery in some way?

The only med that I question the effectiveness of is concerta, otherwise everything else seems to be working.  We have not changed any meds.
  Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems?

They were very proactive in being certain that I could take my meds before and following surgery.  She took my concerns about depression seriously.
  How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions? Have they seemed on the ball?

He, too, has been very proactive and has taken any concerns that I have seriously.  We thoroughly discussed how my meds may be effected by the surgery.

*Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS?
Yepp... Not diagnosed by a doctor, but it was.

*Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they?
Not that I know of.

*Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery?
Nope

*Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery?
Yes

*Did your mental health improve after surgery?  And if so, can you briefly say how it improved?
No.. but I have come to discover that my issues were not only abouty weight.  I have some other issues that need to be resolved at some point.

*Did your mental health get worse after surgery?  If so, can you briefly say how?
No it didnt get worse, however i have noticed that some new issues took the place of some old ones that went away.  So i feel like I am in a different boat now, which is confusing me.

*If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery?  Did you have to change them after surgery in some way?
N/A

*Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems?
Yes.  My doctor and his staff are unbeliveable when it comes to patients.  I can call any time I want and get an aswer.  also, his staff called me every day for 3 weeks the day I came home from the hospital to make sure I was okay.  Also, I am invited to attend group meetings if i choose.

*How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions?  Have they seemed on the ball?
N/A


I know I could not answer all the questions, however let me just say a few things.  I do not think that anyone can predict how WLS will affect people mentally.  I am sure there are a set number of post "conditions" if you want to call them that.. but how can a surgeon predict that I am going to have issuse with buying smaller clothes?  Or how can a surgeon predict that loosing weight hasnt made me happy like I thought it would?  How can a surgeon or even a psychologist predict if I will be happy with my post surgery body "image" ?  Can a surgeon or psych predict that I will still have food relationship "issues" ?  No one can predict those things... and I dont think there is medicine to fix them.  Even if there were, I dont hink I would take it, because I am funny about taking medicine.  I dont like my body to be dependant on anything.

So, in the end I have been just waking up every day and taking it as it comes... because as long as I have other personal issues besides my weight, its just going to be what it is.

I don't think anyone can predict how someone will respond to surgery.  I'm interested in seeing what's typical, but not everyone will have a "typical" response, of course.

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS?

Yes since my early teen years.

Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they?

Bi-polar Type II

Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery?

Yes I've been on meds for the better part of 15 years.

Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery?

I didn't go into this expecting it to improve.  I've lived with this for so long that improvement isn't something I expect 

Did your mental health improve after surgery?  And if so, can you briefly say how it improved?

If anything it has gotten worse.  My moods have been cycling really bad the past few weeks.  I think a lot of it has to do with those pesky hormones that are released as we lose weight and me probably needing my medications adjusted.  My anxiety has gotten terrible in the past week or two.  

Did your mental health get worse after surgery?  If so, can you briefly say how?

See above.  I don't think I"m absorbing all of my medications which plays a huge role in it getting worse.  I also think I'm more critical of myself now and expect more of myself. 

If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery?  Did you have to change them after surgery in some way?

At first my medications seemed to be working fine.  I switched to regular release medications prior to surgery because I knew extended release wasn't an option.  I think now that I'm losing weight and my hormones are fluctuating it is time for a medication adjustment.  I go see my psych next week about it.

Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems?

No, he hasn't discussed them with me at all.

How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions?  Have they seemed on the ball?

When my psych and my PCP found out I was having surgery they went ahead and switched me to regular release medications in anticipation of extended release medications being rendered ineffective.  They haven't followed up with me since surgery, but that is partly my fault in trying to handle everything on my own.  I was warned pre-op that we may have to adjust the dosage quite a bit to get to a point where I'm comfortable.

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS? yes

Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they? PTSD (as a result of a violent sexual assault)

Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery?  took anti-depressants off and on for about 8 years, but not immediately before surgery

Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery? yes

Did your mental health improve after surgery?  And if so, can you briefly say how it improved? it got worse immediately post-op, then generally improved (the weight-related depression decreased), but the PTSD is only improved slightly over where it was 4 years ago.

Did your mental health get worse after surgery?  If so, can you briefly say how? post-op depression (so depression increase first 3-4 months)

If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery?  Did you have to change them after surgery in some way? n/a for psych meds; other meds (blood thinner and thyroid) seem to still absorb fine

Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems? surgeon does not address mental health issues or meds

How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions?  Have they seemed on the ball? PCP handles anti-depressants (just recently went back on them)

Lora

Did you suffer from depression before you had WLS? yes
Did you suffer from any other mental disorders, and if so, if you’re comfortable answering, what were they? Yes, Bipolar 1, PTSD, anxiety, major depression
Were you on psychotropic medication before surgery? yes
Did you expect your mental health to improve after surgery? I thought it would improve some, I knew realistically that it wouldn't go away completely but did hold out hope that it would improve.
Did your mental health improve after surgery? And if so, can you briefly say how it improved?Yes it has, I'm not as hopeless as I once was, I'm more social and not as afraid to leave my house because of immobility and pain and fear. Did your mental health get worse after surgery? If so, can you briefly say how? Not really worse, just different. I would say I traded one set of insecurities for another. I now deal with body dismorphic issues and it affects my depression and because I'm not able to use food as my security blanket I'm having trouble learning other ways to cope with life. If you were on meds before surgery, did you seem to have trouble absorbing them after surgery? There were a few that affected me differently after surgery.

 Did you have to change them after surgery in some way? yes, the affects weren't something I could deal with so the medications were either stopped or changed.
Has your surgeon seemed on the ball when it comes to keeping an eye on your mental health and addressing any problems? Yes, before he would even do my surgery he wanted to make sure I was stable and capable of handling post op life. He made sure I didn't go longer than 24 hours without my medications after surgery and has since been very proactive in making sure I'm ok. How about your psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your meds and treats your mental health conditions? Have they seemed on the ball? There have been a few misunderstandings with my psych because of a language barrier but he seems to be on the same page and on the ball with my therapist and myself.