Chronic insomnia for 20+ years after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Posted by andiesmeltzer @andiesmeltzer, May 30 10:08am

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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@andiesmeltzer,

Welcome to Mayo Connect, I am 13+ year out of RNY. Normally they predict better sleep due to decreased weight. Sounds like your providers only want to treat symptoms. I also have sleep problems, but they are not new since surgery. I do not have sleep apnea, but restless legs interfere with my sleep and take meds for that.

Have you been evaluated by a sleep specialist (somnologist) or had any sleep studies? My last one was able to be done at home.

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Hi, @andiesmeltzer. I wanted to see how things were going with the insomnia you mentioned? Is this still a challenge? Has anything helped?

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Profile picture for Lisa Lucier, Moderator @lisalucier

Hi, @andiesmeltzer. I wanted to see how things were going with the insomnia you mentioned? Is this still a challenge? Has anything helped?

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Ive been dealing with this insomnia ever since I had the surgery which was 25 years ago. Nothing has helped and all doctors want to do is cover it up with medication. They don't want to find the exact reason as to what is causing it. There are forums for the surgery on Facebook that many people I asked the same question to... have this issue. Why doctors are sweeping it under the rug, I don't know! It certainly was not something that I signed up for, my surgeon has retired, and the doctors that replaced him refuse to answer the question. I refuse to take any more medication after the one drug they had me on almost killed me. There are nights I do not sleep at all and other nights when I sleep, only if I take a gabapentin, melatonin, and a benadryl, along with full spectrum CBD oil. All of that just to sleep a few hours! I wish I had answers. I cannot stand living like this because it is so disabling.

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Profile picture for andiesmeltzer @andiesmeltzer

Ive been dealing with this insomnia ever since I had the surgery which was 25 years ago. Nothing has helped and all doctors want to do is cover it up with medication. They don't want to find the exact reason as to what is causing it. There are forums for the surgery on Facebook that many people I asked the same question to... have this issue. Why doctors are sweeping it under the rug, I don't know! It certainly was not something that I signed up for, my surgeon has retired, and the doctors that replaced him refuse to answer the question. I refuse to take any more medication after the one drug they had me on almost killed me. There are nights I do not sleep at all and other nights when I sleep, only if I take a gabapentin, melatonin, and a benadryl, along with full spectrum CBD oil. All of that just to sleep a few hours! I wish I had answers. I cannot stand living like this because it is so disabling.

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Oh I wanted to clarify what I meant as far as refusing to take medication. They wanted to put me on different types of benzodiazepine drugs or new insomnia medication to sleep. That is just basically finally getting over one horrible medication that damn near killed me and starting another one. These doctors are just incompetent. Instead of doing their job and trying to put effort into finding a solution, they are in the pockets of pharmaceutical companies who are basically dictating what they need to do as a doctor

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@andiesmeltzer
When can not sleep, it is hard to function. Have you seen a sleep specialist or had a sleep study?

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