Dcepello
Member
Yes, just recently, six months in, they said they can't tell if it is mal-absorbtion or due to GI bleeding or a malignancy. I had to have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, I felt like a pig on a spit. The did not find any of the above so it is down to mal-absorbtion of iron. I am taking an iron supplement, 65mg daily, probably for life.
I don't eat a lot of greens or red meat and get most of my protein from fish or cheese and whey supplements. Add to that the 3000 mg of calcium that bariatric patients are required to take; calcium interferes with the uptake of iron. It is no wonder I was anemic. The good news is the iron supplement is working and the washed out feelings I had at the end of the day are past.
Good luck to your friend, she should be okay.
I don't eat a lot of greens or red meat and get most of my protein from fish or cheese and whey supplements. Add to that the 3000 mg of calcium that bariatric patients are required to take; calcium interferes with the uptake of iron. It is no wonder I was anemic. The good news is the iron supplement is working and the washed out feelings I had at the end of the day are past.
Good luck to your friend, she should be okay.
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Bubbleybabs
New Member
I am nearly 9 years out and having severe animia problems. All of a sudden my health has hit the wall! B12 and iron deficiencies. Even though I have been taking supplements. Also my body has seem to have stopped processing proteins.
Anyone else having this problem?
Anyone else having this problem?
GrannyLynn
New Member
GrannyLynn
New Member
Sorry auto-correct struck again. My hematocrit 17 and hemoglobin 5
KatLHP
New Member
I've also had problem with anemia. I am almost 10 years post‐OP. The oral iron supplements did not work so I have iron infusions. My B12 gets so low I give myself an intramuscular shot weekly & take prescription vitamin D. I did have have GI testing to make sure I wasn't bleeding. But my doctor explained when you have the bypass the remove about 5ft of intestine and that is where you absorb iron. My hematocrit was at 7. I could breathe and it took almost a year for them to put me on the infusions. I hope you feel better soon.
dianeseattle
Member
Removing part of the intestines used to be standard in weight loss surgery. But then it was discovered that it's a very bad thing to do. My understanding is that nobody removes any part of the intestines in any of the procedures that happened today, unless you have Crohn's disease or something like that.
Anemia is usually a symptom of some other disease. It is not a common outcome in gastric bypass surgery. If you are anemic, it's because there's something seriously wrong in your body. It could be transmitting the symptoms from any of your organs.
I'm glad that you who suffer anemia are seeking advanced treatment for it. But it's unfair to pin it on a surgical procedure that does not cause it.
Can you point me to a medical link on the internet somewhere that supports your doctor's statement that 5 feet of your intestine was removed? I have never heard of that and my doctor did not do that.
And what's up with taking 5,000 mg of calcium per day? I take the highest dose recommended for women, which is 1500 mg a day. I take it in three 500 mg doses because the body cannot absorb more than 500 mg at a time. Why would it be important to take such a huge quantity following bariatric surgery?
I don't mean to contradict or argue, but these symptoms that a few of you are describing, and the treatments that you are undertaking, are completely foreign to gastric bypass surgery. However, they are extremely serious and you should not stop seeking an answer until the correct diagnosis has been rendered.
I had a roommate with gastroparesis and it was absolutely horrible. She spent more time in the bathroom vomiting than she spent eating, or anything else in her life. I hope that the surgery will correct this problem for you.
This online support group exists for the purpose of educating others and giving support, pre- and post-operatively. We are not qualified to offer medical advice or even opinions. I am trying to say something here and not to sound like a jerk when I say it. It is not a place where are people can just sign up and immediately post some nightmarish horror story that is unrelated to bariatric surgery. Related horror story? Absolutely. We need to be aware of all possible outcomes, as this is a very serious, life-changing, digestive-process-altering, surgery.
Anemia is usually a symptom of some other disease. It is not a common outcome in gastric bypass surgery. If you are anemic, it's because there's something seriously wrong in your body. It could be transmitting the symptoms from any of your organs.
I'm glad that you who suffer anemia are seeking advanced treatment for it. But it's unfair to pin it on a surgical procedure that does not cause it.
Can you point me to a medical link on the internet somewhere that supports your doctor's statement that 5 feet of your intestine was removed? I have never heard of that and my doctor did not do that.
And what's up with taking 5,000 mg of calcium per day? I take the highest dose recommended for women, which is 1500 mg a day. I take it in three 500 mg doses because the body cannot absorb more than 500 mg at a time. Why would it be important to take such a huge quantity following bariatric surgery?
I don't mean to contradict or argue, but these symptoms that a few of you are describing, and the treatments that you are undertaking, are completely foreign to gastric bypass surgery. However, they are extremely serious and you should not stop seeking an answer until the correct diagnosis has been rendered.
I had a roommate with gastroparesis and it was absolutely horrible. She spent more time in the bathroom vomiting than she spent eating, or anything else in her life. I hope that the surgery will correct this problem for you.
This online support group exists for the purpose of educating others and giving support, pre- and post-operatively. We are not qualified to offer medical advice or even opinions. I am trying to say something here and not to sound like a jerk when I say it. It is not a place where are people can just sign up and immediately post some nightmarish horror story that is unrelated to bariatric surgery. Related horror story? Absolutely. We need to be aware of all possible outcomes, as this is a very serious, life-changing, digestive-process-altering, surgery.