Now, this is a rather old study. It was published in 2005. There’s a reason I haven’t written anything about it yet: it’s not very informative. Unfortunately, it gets misinterpreted a lot, so I feel it’s time to go through it and set the record straight.
Psych Meds - I've Got 'Em!
First off, this study has nothing to do with the absorption of psychiatric medications after gastric bypass. Let me repeat: the study authors did not examine absorption. At all. So, don’t get your hopes up like I did the first time I read it.
We’ll go through this step-by-step, and then I’ll give you my take on the study, and, believe me, I do have an opinion on this one!
Continue reading ‘Dissolution of Common Psychiatric Medications after RNY’
I’m pretty sure it says something for a product when you continue drinking it as you sit down to type up the review. Yeah, I’m still sipping the grape Protein H2O as I type this. It’s yummy.
For a while, there was a product available that was remarkably similar to this, in theory. Protein and fiber, along with hydration. But Protein H2O does what this other product was unable to do: it tastes good. So good, in fact, that I just keep drinking it.
What does it mean to be a weight loss surgery success? As I get further out from my gastric bypass, this is a question that I’ve been thinking about more and more. I’m sitting here this morning at 182 pounds, which is the upper limit of my comfortable range–usually between 177 and 182 pounds. My BMI is 24.7, which is in the normal range. (Yes, it is nice to be tall.) I’ve lost over one hundred pounds. But, most of the time? When I look in the mirror? I still don’t see myself as a success.
As promised, I’ve read the study I mentioned yesterday, and I’m ready to report back. I am still very excited that this study was conducted, although it does have its limitations.
Continue reading ‘Sertraline Levels in Gastric Bypass Patients’
Finally, someone with funding has run the study that I’ve been waiting for. Honestly, you would not believe how excited I was when I saw this study pop up on my computer screen. It hasn’t been published yet, but it is available online through Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.
Preliminary comparison of sertraline levels in postbariatric surgery patients versus matched nonsurgical cohort
Roerig JL, Steffen K, Zimmerman C, Mitchell JE, et al.
Abstract:
Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is the most frequent bariatric procedure performed in the United States, with thousands performed. Because of the changes to the gastrointestinal tract, the potential exists for clinically significant alterations in the absorption/bioavailability of ingested medications. The purpose of the present pilot trial was to determine to what extent RYGB alters the area under the plasma concentration/time curve (AUC0-10.5) of the antidepressant, sertraline at a community research center.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first reported study exploring antidepressant pharmacokinetics after bariatric surgery. In our present trial, the AUC0-10.5 and maximal plasma concentration were significantly smaller in the subjects who had undergone RYGB than in the matched subjects who had not. Additional investigation of the effects of bariatric surgery (RYGB, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding) on the antidepressant pharmacokinetic parameters is warranted.
I’ll have a full post in the next couple of days, but I wanted to share.
This morning I found myself browsing through back issues of Nutrition when I stumbled upon an interesting study, published in 2008: “Comparison of ferrous sulfate and ferrous glycinate for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in gastrectomized patients.” Which brings me to one of my favorite topics. Journey Vitamins.
Photo Credit: Journey Vitamins
You’ll remember that Journey uses a special form of iron known as Ferrochel, which is ferrous bisglycinate, an iron glycinate chelate. On its website, Journey makes the following claim:
Clinical studies with Albion’s Ferrochel® have shown Ferrochel® improves hemoglobin and ferritin indices at lower dosages than ferrous sulfate or ferrous ascorbate; lower dosages mean fewer side effects and no interactions with other nutrients.
Well, many members of the community, such as Andrea at WLS Vitagarten, have requested copies of these clinical studies to no avail. The research we do have does not support the use of ferrous bisglycinate, especially not in weight loss surgery patients. This study is no exception.
Continue reading ‘Ferrous Glycinate Chelate and Gastrectomized Patients’
Last week, I attended a local support group meeting for the first time in a few months. Unfortunately, it was an exercise in futility that once again proves that expert advice can be anything but. This surgery is for life. As patients, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves. We have a vested interest in our health that our doctors simply do not share.
Photo Credit: Flickr User SuperFantastic
Continue reading ‘Sleeve Patients Can Stop Vitamins at Two Years Post-Op?!?’
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RNY) is the most common bariatric procedure performed in the United States. If you’re considering weight loss surgery, it is undoubtedly one of the options your surgeon will offer. It is crucial that you understand this procedure, its mechanism for weight loss, and the possible complications it offers. Below, I provide a brief overview that serves as a good place to start your research.
Diagram of the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions, diet schemes galore, and recommitments to health that fizzle out by the end of January. But maybe you’ve decided that this year will be different for you. Is this the year that you’ll consider bariatric surgery? After all, if you are morbidly obese, conventional weight loss approaches, such as diet, exercise, and pharmaceuticals, have a failure rate between 95 and 97%. If you’re thinking about bariatric surgery, let’s talk.
Photo Credit: Darrren Hester (Flickr)
With the New Year just around the corner, I though it would be helpful to have a few informative posts. New Years Day brings a bevy of resolutions, the most common of which is always “to lose weight.” If you’re considering weight loss surgery, I’m glad you’ve found The Bypassed Life. In the coming days, I’ll be posting articles about the four main surgical weight loss options, but today’s subject is protein.
“Protein first” is a rule that is drilled into bariatric patients. But what is protein? And why is it so important for our bodies?
