Correlation Between Gastric Bypass And Newonset Seizure

I moved this to the weightloss forum hoping you'd possibly get some replys. Hopefully someoen in that forum knows a bit about and/or has experienced gastric bypass.

As a physician who has been part of many gastric bypass procedures I have not heard of this happening. Other than a head injury and "idiopathic" causes (unknown), severe electrolyte imbalances such as sodium could cause a seizure. It is possible if one loses vast quatities of fluids/electrolytes from severe malapsorption a seizure could be possible. This could be confirmed by a few simple lab studies.

You can go to the website http://centerforgastricbypass.com to read the basics on gastric bypass and some risks and benefits. Hope this helps.

I could kiss my friend right now for finding postings on gastro bypass surgery and it]s relation to seizures. For two months now...I've been worried about my husband because out of the blue he started having seizures. I've searched gastro bypass on webmd and seizures on webmd but, never found anything useful to my husband's situation.

Words can't express the frustration my husband and I have had in the past two months. I never thought to put gastro bypass surgery and seizures together-one simple change, and I uncovered my husband is NOT alone.

Not sure??? where to start but, my husband had the surgery to get healthy, and we now spend more time in the emergency room these day than ever before. It all started in February...when my husband felt like he was having a heart attack or stroke so; we went to the ER. The doctors chalked it up to low magnesium and sever dehydration. After this visit, my husband was fine until our vacation in April. It was our last day of vacation, my husband felt like he was going to pass out, and sat down for a couple of minutes. I went to get help, and when I came back he was lying on the groud having a seizure-a good 5 minutes unconscious, foaming at the mouth, arms extended, and body twitching. When we arrived at the ER- my husband gained consciousness and was disoriented for about four hours-not remembering the night prior, birth date, or where he was-Very scary.

I know this posting is long but, I really want to share to gain more info-Need an answers on what to DO.

To make a long story longer...
Doctors told us his electolytes and hemoglobins were off, and severly dehydrated again. Spending majority of my time with my husband on vacation... I knew he was being good about hydrating...I saw how much water he was drinking and he's very good about eating and taking his vitamins. I told the doctors something is keeping him from getting the nutrients he needs. The Florida doctors explained how hot the Florida sun is which would explain his dehydration-I love when doctors talk down to you. The Neurologist kept him until Thursday. I have to say.... I realize many sypmtoms cause many other things but, I believe listening to your patients requires a special kind of doctor. I kept telling the doctors my husband had gastro bypass surgery a year ago and I believed the seizure are related. Well...you know how this ended-seizures are unexplainable sometimes but, it's definitely not related to gastro bypass surgery.

My husband is on Keppra now, and was fine for the first thirty days. Guess what- Last Sunday he had another seizure, and I decided to take him to University of Penn which is quite a distance from Delaware but, I knew his neurologist appointment was scheduled for the following week and I really wanted answers.

The Doctors uped his Keppra and sent us home because he was seeing his neurologist the following week.

Well, four days later...my husband and I were at the neighbors house. We got up to go home, and my husband went unconscious. Same type of seizure that he had in Florida...I wasn't going to take him to the ER because I was just sent home but, than I saw the blood. I was worried he was spitting up blood. This time I didn't go to University of Penn...I went to the closest hospital-BIGGEST mistake. My husband was told because he had drinks-that drinks were the cause of his seizure. I explained he had two other seizures with no alochol, and one of his seizures happened while he was sleeping. Doctors didn't really want to dig dipper and we were sent home. Now...I know he shouldn't have drinks but, he really didn't have much to drink. Prior to getting up he was drinking water for an hour.

Between all of this medical mess...my husband has been really good about eating healthy foods every three hours. He's changed his vitamins to Isotonix-liquid vitamins to get in his system quicker and he drinks tons of water and propel. Guess what?? the past two times my husband's levels were great. How does this make sense?? Seizures are still happening.

Monday and Tuesday of this week he is having more tests but, I would appreciate any advice in this matter.



Now, I don't want to sound like I'm beating up the doctors but, it's frustrating being on the other side as the patient. I feel like I need the show medical unsolved mysteries.

In my experience, only one doctor listened to us during our visits at the University of Penn. In fact, this doctor saw my husband in the ER on Tuesday of last week and started asking him more questions. Also, stopped us from sharing what other doctors were saying and wanted to know what happens prior to seizure.

I hope you have since found help for your husband. I have had 2 seizures since Feb after RNY last Sept.

I had gastric bypass surgery when I was approx. 30 years old and had never had a seizure. Within a year of having the surgery I was diagnosed with adult onset epilepsy and now at 35 am still searching for the correct combination of medications to control the seizures. I generally have grand mal seizures. I have spent many hours in the hospital and emergency rooms with broken ribs, cracked vertebra and other misc. injuries sustained not from falls during seizures but fro the sheer force of them. I am also experiencing severe vitamin deficiencies which are causing my teeth to break and basically rot out of my head. Prior to surgery, I had great teeth, I didn't have a cavity until 21 years of age. My energy levels are pitiful. I have to get testosterone shots every 2 weeks b/c my levels are on the lowest levels for males in the 50-99 age range. I am falling apart and looking at possibly a reversal, but I hear it's really dangerous. I have lost the weight and kept it off.

To kjbacci, your story sounds just like my son who is 34 years old. He never had seuzures until last june and he and his family have gone thru Hell ever since. He has been to 3 different hospitals, sent numerous specialist and still we have not answers. He was falalen and broke his back twice. He went 2 weeks from his last seizure til yesterday and had 6. Rescue carried him to hospital cause he fell again and they gave him meds and sent him home. WE are at our wits end too. If you have found out anything that will help us, please let us know. He had a gastric bypass for health reasons also six years ago. WE ARE DESPARATE!!!And it seems no one can get to the bottom of it. I do not have the room to tell you all they have told us that it was . Each dr tells a different story. Write me if you will.

I am a 37 yr old female who underwent Gastric Bypass surgery Aug. 11th 2005, losing a whooping 210lbs I was amazed, amazed at how terrible that I felt, how sick I was all the time wishing I was that fat girl again who could do what ever she wanted, was just fat....the summer of 2008, while mowing our lawn, I thought that my blood sugar had dropped from needing to eat...wrong answer...I became completely lethargic..not able to speak,move, feeling as if I was trapped inside my own body..was taken to the ER with multiple test ran. Still to this day not knowing what happened one doctor said it was a Mini stroke,others from MS to Menangitis...to this day we still don't know...but what we do know is that I have had seizures ever since that day and had never had one my entire life..it has been 2 yrs of a living hell for my family.. I haven't ever been told by a doctor that it could be related to the surgery, but I do know to other ladies who had the same surgery as me and now they have seizures...I just would like some answers...the meds don't work,the docs don't know why...or are they just covering up for each other...they all know I had the surgery..but never any connections until friends of mine starting asking me if I thought it had anything to do with it, so here I am myself trying to regain my life...to get some answers...??Are there any????

It was very helpful reading these posts. I have had 2 seizures since February after RNY last September. Never had a seizure in my life. Over 50. I do not want to be on anti-seizure meds, I have enough side-effects to last a lifetime already.

I had gastric bypasss surgery in 2001 at age 59. Needless to say I have problems. Vit. problems, hair loss, my teeth hypoglycemina. Now I can add seizure to the list. I lost all my weight and have kept it off. I'm thankful for that. Now I need help. I had one seizure at work, ended up in the hospital for 5 days and now they want to put me on medication called keppra. I do not want to take the medication. Also they have taken my driver's lisence away from me for 6 months, I have to find a answer for thi, I support myself and I need to get back and forth to work. If a dr. reads this please help me.

wow, iam so glad i came across this site i had my gastric bypass 10 yrs ago ,3 yrs afterwards i had a grandmal seizure,apx 3yrs i had another grandmal seizure,march 2009 i had another grandmal while at work iam a preschool teacher,2 weeks ago i had a grandmal seizure while out shopping with my 3 grand daughters 7,4 and 2 yr old. i never had a seizure until after i had my gastric bypass iam 52 yr old. after 3rd seizure i had EEG and MRI both came back neg. my vitiam screening came back good.HELP someone,,, i start getting nervous when i have to go in public.

Hi...I had my surgery June 15 2009..9 months after my surgery I started having seizure like episodes as the doctors called them..Its now going on 2 years without an answer...been to the ER more time than u can count..MRI's CAT scans blood work all come back negative...I have been to the best hospitals in Boston and they say its psychological..hmmph I think not...I have them in my sleep when I am awake out with family...I don't go many place for fear of having one ...I leave places early because I am going to have one and don't want people calling 911..when I know what to do..Hope someone starts a study

Hi...I had my surgery June 15 2009..9 months after my surgery I started having seizure like episodes as the doctors called them..Its now going on 2 years without an answer...been to the ER more time than u can count..MRI's CAT scans blood work all come back negative...I have been to the best hospitals in Boston and they say its psychological..hmmph I think not...I have them in my sleep when I am awake out with family...I don't go many place for fear of having one ...I leave places early because I am going to have one and don't want people calling 911..when I know what to do..Hope someone starts a study

I had Roux-n-y in 2001, and have also developed Grand Mal seizures. This has been awful - needless to say.

Just yesterday, a nurse suggested that I try taking magnesium twice daily. I have no idea idea if it will help, but I have since found other websites identifying magnesium deficiency as a possible cause of seizures. I will try starting today, and reply in a month or so with an update. Best wished to all.

Hello my prayers are with all of you, Have magnesium worked so far

i do not know if this is a siezure but i can be sitting, sleeping, eatting, i startt to feelign funny then i get like a cold feeling the i start to shake almost a tremor it get uncontrolable, has anyone else had this I had revision rny 14 months ago