Hunger Question

Yesterday I was awakened by what I thought where hunger pangs. After a while the pangs disappeared, never to return again.  However, it has made me stop and think. Why are we not hungry? Did we have a hunger nerve that was severed during surgery? I'm not complaining, I'm just curious. Does the feeling of hunger return? If so, when?

I've read a bunch of theories regarding hunger. One is because of cut nerves (the vagus nerve come to mind) The other I've heard mention is the hunger hormone grehlin being not at prominent since part of the stomach is bypassed. I never was one that needed to understand the science behind something...i just take it at face value. I'm nearly 8 months out and haven't been hungry. I've seen many say they were hungry again with one days of surgery....that seems odd to me. But then I was also one that was never hungry much before surgery either....i ate just to eat. 

I hear some say hunger doesn't rerun as that deep gnawing all consuming grumbling you got pre-op; other say it never changed. Know the range of what could be and see how hunger remanifests in you, if it does.

My surgeon told me that I would not be hungry because he would sever the vagus nerve.  Every surgeon does not do that, so you could ask your surgeon.  With RNY the part of the stomach that makes the hunger hormone is still there.  With the sleeve that part is removed.

Ooooo, I hope mine was severed!  I never want to feel hunger again.

With a severed vagus nerve you may sneeze or have a runny nose if you eat too much.  If I sneeze I immediately stop eating. 

I never heard of cutting the vagus nerve.  I will ask my doctor if he cut mine. 

Here is a post about it.  WOW!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2273320/posts

Hunger is complicated and not fully understood.  It just is not as simple as stated.

The vagus nerve sends physical hunger signals from the stomach to the brain.  Cutting it is the same as cutting an electric cord.  There is no longer a way for the hunger signals to transmit.

Emotional or head hunger is what is complicated.

I'm 7 years post op and I truly believe since food was a problem to keep in control before your surgery, what you may think are phantom hunger pains may just be a triggered subconscious memory that relayed a "hunger" message straight to your brain. I commend you for acknowledging and not giving in to an unhealthy eating pattern.

Thank you, Daisy.  What you say is possible but to wake me from a sound sleep? I guess anything is possible.