Shannon'sVSG
Bipolar Disorder and Weight Loss Surgery
by , 05-15-2018 at 01:03 PM (1958 Views)
I have bipolar disorder. And while many of you may think that means I am quite simply insanity defined, the truth of the matter is this: I have a chemical imbalance that triggers emotional responses - sometimes at inopportune times. While my behavioral patterns attempt to lend themselves to sway me to make irrational decisions in my life, I fight hard everyday to do the right thing and to ensure that I am on track with who I chose to be in this life. In short, I do not let this disorder define me. I am living with it, but I refuse to allow it to consume me.
Having this disorder is not unlike other disorders. It requires me to maintain said chemical levels through the use of medicinal aids in order to function in a manner suitable to everyday life. When I try to wean off of these medications (and I have tried in the past,) the results can often times be detrimental to my health. I mention this not as a means of garnering sympathy, rather because I know that there are others much like myself who live with this disorder and are on similar medications with adverse side effects who have undergone VSG and are fighting an uphill battle.
These medications, as they have been described by many medical practitioners, is the root cause of weight gain in someone with a normal metabolism and who can eat normal sized servings. For weight loss surgery patients it is widely known that these medications compete with weight loss efforts by causing weight gain. The only known remedy for this is to stop taking said medications. But that would appear illogical. After all, if it were that simple, someone like myself wouldn't bother to be on them. But because I require them to function with some level of normalcy, that doesn't seem like a rational option. So I did the next best thing and researched this topic. And what I found was equal parts confusing and hopeful.
On one hand it was confusing because many practitioners (especially in the bariatric world) denounce the effectiveness of bipolar medications in conjunction with weight loss surgery citing much of what was stated above. On the other hand, there have been studies conducted that have found that despite the use of these medicinal aids, for an obese person on said medication, weight loss surgery is the best alternative for fighting obesity.
So which is it? It would seem the medical world is divided regarding this matter. All the while, people much like myself are left wondering where we fit in with regard to bipolar disorder and weight loss surgery. The answer is, we don't fit in. But we need to. We need to become viable people in this world. We need to live, breathe, and exude happiness. We are faced with enough hardship, shouldn't we begin to focus on an alternative?
I refuse to accept that because of my condition I am condemned to life a life of obesity. And I refuse to accept that medication alone is the root cause of weight gain. I gained a few pounds over the course of my absence here not because of my medications, rather because I felt a little discouraged and fell back into my old habits. Nothing more. Nothing less.
My point is this (and then I will gently tuck away my soapbox). If you are living with bipolar disorder and you have undergone or want to undergo weight loss surgery, DO NOT let anything stand in your way. I have been successful thus far and so can you. Just do not allow yourself to slip back into the trappings of old habits because that, in reality, is the true culprit here. Does the medication as a whole promote weigh gain? Absolutely. But you can combat it. It takes a great deal of time and hard work, but you can do it.
I am proof of this.
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