Common Problems post Bariatric Surgery: And How Exercise Can Help!
Many patients post-bariatric surgery experience some complications, even if they are rather small. We all know going into this journey that it comes with risks, some more common than others, but sometimes we aren’t always prepared for the impacts those risks can have on our lives.
This surgery is already life-changing, scary, and tough to navigate, add in complications, and our heads are spinning! But taking a moment to breath, and taking each step, each moment as it comes can help keep you from getting overwhelmed.
Below are some of the more common complications/issues post-bariatric surgery. The severity may fluctuate, and some people may experience zero complications at all. But I’m going to walk through each one, and how exercise can be either beneficial or harmful for that complication. (These are in no particular order).
Dehydration
Hair loss
Dumping syndrome
Gallbladder stones/inflammation/removal
Hormonal changes
Sleep changes
Heart issues
Nerve pain
Exhaustion
Loose skin
Depression
First, Dehydration. Dehydration is a BIG concern after bariatric surgery. Our bodies need at LEAST 64oz of water daily, more if you are exercising a lot or drinking caffeine. Any decaffeinated beverage counts towards your hydration, including protein shakes! Can exercise help or hurt? If you are dehydrated, don’t exercise. It will only make you sweat, thus dehydrating you more. You can lose electrolytes, and your body can begin to shut down. If you are exercising, make sure you are drinking something with electrolytes to replace those you’ve lost. Something like Gatorade Zero or Powerade Zero is a great option to help you rehydrate! You CAN get dehydrated while drinking plenty of water if you aren’t replacing electrolytes! It’s a dangerous slope, so make sure you are constantly sipping on your water!
Hair loss. Hair loss for a lot of patients can be scary! Worrying about going bald, on top of worrying about food and hydration and movement can be daunting. But rest assured, it is temporary and caused by hormones and dropping weight quickly. Your body will even out and begin the regrowth process. Exercise can only help when it comes to hair loss! Exercise boosts hormones in your body that aid in growth, but make sure you are always hitting your protein goals! Protein, vitamins, and hydration are key for helping your build muscles and regrow hair.
Dumping Syndrome. Dumping syndrome is most common in patients who have had RNY but can also happen in those who have had VSG surgery. It can honestly be anything: eating too fast, not chewing enough, eating something with too many carbs/sugar, eating a food/protein your body doesn’t tolerate. It is your body’s way of rejecting what you ate/drank, and it does so in a highly unpleasant way. Some of the common symptoms are sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, heart racing/palpitating, exhaustion, brain fog, and feeling generally awful. These can vary in intensity, and last anywhere from a few minutes to hours. Exercise won’t help in this situation. If you were planning an after-dinner walk but your body started dumping, make sure you rest and lay down. Your body needs time to recover, and exercise can raise your stress hormones, which is the last thing your body needs. Focus on relaxing and self-care and hydrating during and after a dumping episode.
Gallbladder stones/inflammation/removal. This is more common than you might think! A surprising number of patients after weight loss surgery end up with gallbladder complications of some kind or another. Exercise can help your body prepare for, and recover from removal surgery, but be careful! When your gallbladder is inflamed, so is your whole body. Working out too hard can make the pain worse! Take it slow, and listen to your body if it tells you to stop.
Hormonal changes are common after bariatric surgery! They can cause mood swings, disrupt menses, disrupt sleeping patterns, mess with your body temperature, and stall the scale (among some things). But they can wreak havoc on our bodies and our minds. We store estrogen in our fat cells, and as we drop weight, our body is flooded with estrogen! If you find yourself crying for no reason, it’s likely the estrogen. Exercise does so many positive things for our bodies, including helping us regulate hormones better. Regular exercise may make the hormonal transitions post-surgery a bit easier to bear.
Sleep changes come and go throughout our lifetimes but after bariatric surgery, they tend to be rough. Many people report sleeping more, while others complain of crazy insomnia that keeps them up! Exercise has been shown to help regulate sleep patterns, and help us sleep more deeply and restfully! So make sure you are moving your body if you are struggling to sleep at night!
Heart Issues (including POTS). Heart issues are surprisingly common after weight loss surgery, whether that’s because you develop POTS, or whether your doctor now takes your complaints more seriously, or whether you just happen to be one of the unlucky few. It is more common than we talk about. Exercise has been known to improve heart conditions (with full directions and approval from your cardiologist). Low-intensity exercise such as walking or swimming has been shown to improve symptoms and help strengthen your heart muscles. As long as you have clearance from your doctor, exercise should absolutely be a part of your routine.
Nerve pain is not a commonly spoken about complication of losing mass amounts of weight! Your body shifts and changes as the weight shifts and changes which puts different pressure on your muscles/joints/tendons/ and nerves, and can cause aches and pains in places you’ve never experienced before. Especially in the lower back, feet, and shoulders. Our body is going through a major adjustment, and exercising can help smooth the path, easing aches and pains as we go. Focusing on balance/core/flexibility as your body shifts and changes is going to be key for helping your body adjust.
Exhaustion. We’ve all experienced this, especially if we’ve had bariatric surgery. Exhaustion after surgery is a whole different realm than before, and the treatment is often the same. Exercise. Working out, even a simple walk when you are tired can perk you up, help circulate your blood, and give you some much-needed endorphins. But I will caution, if you haven’t eaten in a while or that exhaustion is BONE DEEP, then please, don’t exercise. Eat some food, hydrate, and listen to your body. Our bodies tell us to rest for a reason, listen to it!
Loose Skin is the single most feared complication of massive weight loss. Loose skin depends on a variety of factors: age, amount of time your skin was stretched, and genetics. There is not much you can do to avoid loose skin, and loose skin looks different for everyone. Weight lifting and filling out the loose skin as much as possible with muscle is possible, but again, there’s only so much the muscle will fill as it is denser and takes up less space than the skin/fat. Don’t fear the loose skin. It is a symbol and a sign of your hard work and dedication!
Depression. This one is a doozy. Depression can be caused by many different things from a chemical imbalance in your brain, hormones, trauma, or situational factors. Speaking with your doctor or psychiatrist after surgery to create a treatment plan is crucial (If you are feeling suicidal, please reach out. I am happy to direct you to services or just be a listening ear). After surgery, we can often find ourselves sad or mourning because the food was our escape, and now it isn’t. It’s tough, and you aren’t alone in the struggle. For the everyday sads, then exercise can be helpful. Working out increases endorphins, and endorphins make you happy. And as Elle Woods said, “Happy people don’t kill their husbands, they just don’t” (Legally Blonde). So make sure you are moving your body regularly and you may notice a boost in your mood.
So go on out there and move your body people! And know that these complications aren’t as scary as they seem, and there are thousands of people out there going through it alongside you. Just reach out and know you aren’t alone!
Happy Moving!
