Question:
Has anyone developed Raynauds or Scleroderma after surgery?

I was just diagnosed with Raynaud's and scleroderma. I noticed the symptoms appox. 1 year after my rny. I had my surgery 7-15-03. My son (28) also has been diagnosed with the same, and also after quick weight loss. His own diet.    — Juanita (Winnie) L. (posted on November 27, 2006)

November 27, 2006
Hi, I don't know if there are any documented connections between these two diseases after weight loss. They are considered auto-immune diseases meaning that they come from within and not something that you caught. It would be interesting to see what a specialist in auto-immune diseases would have to say. Was it something there that the stress of rapid wt loss and/or malabsorption triggered? Interesting to find out.... Keep us updated.
   — Kari_K

November 27, 2006
I have rheumatoid arthritis, and had experienced some Raynaud's symptoms when I was not as heavy as I had gotten in the past few years preop. It seemed that as I gained the cold hands and feet went away but the dryness stayed. Now that I'm down 130 lbs from my highest, I'm finding myself cold all the time and the feet get so cold they hurt. I plan on talking to the Rheumatologist about it at next visit because it's become such an issue. Most autoimmune diseases crop their nasty heads out of hibernation and become diagnosed after a traumatic incident (car accident, high stress, etc.) So, I'm sure with the trauma and stress the body goes through with GBS could very well trigger the body enough to have had one that was dormant show it's face. My thoughts are that the scleraderma was in hiding until your traumatic incident.. the surgery and then the Raynaud's went hand in hand. It's very common with autoimmune diseases.
   — oceanrayne

November 27, 2006
I was dx w/ Raynaud's prior to surgery. Since then, it hasn't gotten any better or worse. So, I don't know if weight can effect it or not. I do know that stuff like the cold, smoking, some meds... can flare it up & making it MUCH worse!!
   — byHizgrc

November 27, 2006
I just found this information interesting. but nothing I read relates Reynaud's and Scleroderma with weight loss. more to genetics. this one in medicine net: http://tinyurl.com/t3yat and and this one in mayo clinic: http://tinyurl.com/sque6 . I also do a web search and learn as much about what my doctor(s) tell me...i find it helpful, some don't. So i hope this hel;ps you. Good Luck.
   — Laura G.

November 30, 2006
I have Raynaud's (primary, no other auto-immunes with it), but was showing about 10 yrs before my WLS. My son is also showing signs, but no formal dx. I was about 35 when it showed and he was a little younger. It is genetic, but my other son doesn't show any signs. Yet. He's 34. Didn't have anything to do with my WLS, as best as anyone can tell.
   — vitalady