Chronic insomnia for 20+ years after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
I'm trying to find someone who can explain to me why I have had chronic insomnia since my surgery in June of 2000. When I had the surgery, not a lot was known about side effects either short or long term. My surgeon retired and I have not been able to find any information pertaining to this online. All the doctors want to do is cover up with medication, which ended up almost killing me after they put me on an antipsychotic called Seroquel. Can someone please help? I joined several Facebook groups that are bariatric related. I was alarmed at the number of people who answered my question about having chronic insomnia post-op, regardless of what procedure they had done. Most of them said their doctors simply prescribed medication for them to sleep and did not attempt to find the source of the problem. Thank you in advance.
Edited to add that I can exercise all day long until I am ready to drop and I still cannot sleep. I know medications do not absorb the same, but this is getting to the point where I can hardly function and with all of the issues I had while being on the Seroquel, I have lost confidence in most of the doctors that I have seen. They ridiculed me and said that most of my issues had been psychiatric in nature and that all of the symptoms I was experiencing was in my head. Needless to say after seeing multiple doctors, we found out that it was the Seroquel the entire time causing such horrific neurological problems. I've been off of it now for a year and a half and I am now approaching 25 years post-op with no end in sight to this insomnia. My lab work has been normal on a regular basis except for clues when I was on Seroquel the doctors ignored that showed I had increased CO2 levels in my bloodstream as a result of the drug. That has since normalized. I did find an article somewhere that I cannot find that explains that lab work for gastric bypass patients that is deemed normal, is not truly normal. Unfortunately I've not been able to relocate that medical article. My family doctor does not seem to be interested in helping me find the source of this issue, but has only discussed different sleeping medication options. I need help and I'm tired of going to the doctor and getting no answers. I have more important things in my life that I want to do then spend time going back and forth to a doctor that does not give a damn about me before ...during ...or after the appointment.
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Mine is literally the exact opposite. 15 years out of a VSG and when the stretch reflex kicks in, I practically become narcoleptic. My surgeon said that in 20 years, I am his 3rd patient like this and he doesn't know why. He said bypass has fixed it in the other two.
Well, I have a PhD in nutrition and teach physiology to future doctors, and I may have a lead after a GI series just yesterday. When I gulped the barium, as soon as my stomach stretched I broke into a dripping sweat. It had activated my apparently already very sensitive vagus nerve. I dug through some research which confirms repeatedly that the vagus nerve and the stretch reflex has an effect on sleepiness. I just started looking, but am going to take more information to him in my appointment in two weeks. I hope he gives the work I am doing to someone interested in researching this further. Or can tell me what research to look at to get me started on figuring this out for myself. I am not a surgeon, but I am a physiologist and researcher, so if he isn't interested, I will find someone who wants to find out more.
It is a huge gap in understanding of the function of the enteric nervous system. My problem was ignored for over a decade now because it is so unusual and no one knows what to do. I finally found someone with the background and curiosity to pursue it. It is so frustrating to just treat symptoms (especially when it is unsuccessful).
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