Vitamin D Deficiency
In
Stomach Bypass Surgery Patients
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the USA and around the world. Obesity is the root cause of many serious medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol disorder, heart disease, cancer, gall stones, polycystic ovaries and degenerative arthritis. In most cases, obesity is the result of overeating.
Many people are unable or unwilling to change their eating habits. Therefore, they seek out alternatives. Stomach bypass surgery is one such alternative. In recent years, stomach bypass surgery has become an increasingly common procedure in the USA. Most people do lose weight with these procedures, but also develop severe vitamin and nutritional deficiencies as well as endocrine abnormalities, which often go unrecognized and untreated.
Vitamin D deficiency and secondary hyperparathyroidism are the endocrine abnormalities frequently seen in patients after stomach bypass surgery. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is the result of chronic vitamin D deficiency. Hyperparathyroidism means an increase in parathyroid hormone which dissolves calcium from your bones. Consequently, these patients start to experience generalized body aches and pains. Physicians often place them on pain killers and sometimes even anti-depression medications, while the root cause of their symptoms, vitamin D deficiency, remains undiagnosed and untreated.
I have seen several such cases. After years of going from physician to physician, undergoing expensive diagnostic testing and getting a variety of labels for their symptoms such as fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, these patients are astonished to discover that it all boils down to vitamin D deficiency. Proper vitamin D supplementation takes care of their symptoms. See Chapter 6, Vitamin D Deficiency and Body Aches, Pains and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, for details on secondary hyperparathyroidism.
If you’re planning to undergo gastric bypass surgery, ask your doctors to check your 25 (OH) vitamin D level and parathyroid hormone level before surgery. You should go on a good dose of vitamin D before surgery and stay on this dose during your hospital stay and recovery period. (See Chapter 26, Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency).
You need to be the advocate of your vitamin D supplementation, especially during your hospital stay. Why? Because while you’re in the hospital, vitamin D is the last thing on any one’s mind. However, you can take care of it by reminding your physician in the hospital. It may actually hasten your recovery.
Afterwards, ask your physician to periodically (about every 3 months) check your 25 (OH) vitamin D level and parathyroid hormone level until you’re on a stable dose of vitamin D and your parathyroid hormone is normal. Even after that, continue to have your 25 (OH) vitamin D level checked every 3 months. You should stay diligent about your vitamin D level, as well as other vitamin and mineral supplementation including vitamin B12 .