OK My hubby has RRMS not me and he is about 150 lbs and is trying to keep weight on not off. So to your direct question of effect on MS I don't have an answer.

However, here is the thing with the Bariatric Surgery they take out a good chuck of your stomach and digestive capabilities for good. Your body parts are there for a reason and by permanently altering them you reduce the nutrients you can absorb to keep your body healthy. I know people who work in health care ie RNs, NPs and they all say within 5 years or so of this operation these patients start to develop diseases and other health problems ie arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.

Have you looked into the lap band procedure. This is REVERSIBLE and does not seem to have the negative long term consequences.

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/life_after_bariatric_surgery/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20404828
This research shows slightly better results (for obesity) WITHIN 4 yr with bariatric vs lapband. However, no info on 5-10 yr results were looked at in the study.

http://www.gastroenterologyupdate.com.au/latest-news/bone-warning-for-non-banding-surgery
Bone warning for those getting bariatric surgery, not lap band, in the long term.

I figured I would share that information so you could weight your options. Good luck no matter what you decide. I would like to hear what someone has to say about MS and long-term effects (5+ yr) from bariatric surgery.

I also cannot respond to your direct question. My husband was considering having bariatric surgery, he went to the class etc but didn't follow through. In the class he had to lose a certain amount of weight before you could start surgery. This year since January he has lost almost 70 pounds by juicing. This is certainly not for everyone but it worked for him. We looked a the video Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. If you do a search on the Internet it will come up. I checked it out of the library and it has worked for him. If you want more information or details on what we are doing send me a message. I'm the one with MS not my husband and I must say that I feel more energized juicing and lost about 5 pounds in 4 days.

Again, it is not for everyone and with any weight loss process it is great to check with your doctor first. My husband skipped that step but when he went back that doctor was pretty impressed and took him off of some of his medication. Good luck to you.

I can only respond as to having gallbladder surgery, and for me, it did not bring on any new symptoms or a MS relapse. After surgery though, I pretty much rested the whole week and a half after, not doing laundry, cooking, or cleaning because I was afraid the stress would cause a relapse. Lucky for me, it didn't. Good luck to your hubby! I hope all goes well for him!

I have had the Gastric sleeve and did fine as far as MS symptoms.
I was on a partial diurectic for a kidney disorder and so had problems with dehydration when no one knew that I should've been off that drug for first month. It was also critical that I had to stay on it.

I also asked others if they had any issues on the OH forum. That is obesity help. It is a great forum, divided by the kind of surgery you have. But I would really re-consider anyone having the BAND as that has the most complications, per several doctors who get ER calls regarding post surgery issues.

AND most importantly is to see a surgeon who does excellent pre and post surgery follow up. It is a REAL commitment and not a walk in the park.

Let me know if you need any further help. I would be glad to help. But the OH forum is wonderful!

Good luck

Jan

I had gastric bypass in 2004 and I feel it saved my life. This was before I was dxd with ms though. I will tell you what I didn't know and no one told me
You will need a b12 sublingual or shot at least once a.month, and you will have to keep an eye on your iron and vit d levels. I had the roux n y done and I dropped over 120 lbs. I'm also one of the lucky people that dump when they get sugar. It's a good deterrent when you are faced with eat it and get sick or don't. Doctors will also try to blame everything on the surgery just like they try to do with ms.
Please make sure your Neuro is on board with it because some doctors will refuse to treat you. I lost my primary care doc because of it. Which isn't a bad thing cause I like my new primary care.
You also will have to take your meds crushed or in liquid form for a year so make sure your meds can be crushed, chewed or dissolved or taken in shot form. Work with a nutritionist for at least 6 months and don't be surprised if the surgery triggers a flair. It's also important to stay well hydrated and it will be a challenge given the fact your stomach will initially be the size of a medicine cup.
You won't have an actual apposite for a ling time but you will deal with head hunger, so I'd also suggest a support group. There's a good online community at www.obesityhelp.com
if your family is on board that will help too.
It's a long road and the surgery is a tool to help you make better food choices. It's not a quick fix cure all that will magically make the reasons for your weight gain go away. It means a lifestyle change.
Also, don't be surprised if your nails get brittle and your hair falls out. That's normal and it will grow back.
Please don't hesitate to pm me if you have questions....

Its a bit of a story about my operations.

Way back in the 6th grade I fell HARD and apparently fractured my right knee. Nobody believed me back when EVERY adult just said I was being lazy and NOT WORKING AS ALL OTHER kids do!! Sure Mom kept putting Peroxide, Neosporin and bandages on it, but still thought I was acting like I had something REALLY wrong other than a scraped knee!!

Not much happened until I actually LOOKED like I couldn't walk far without complaining that my leg was too painful to hold me in the morning and I was sent over to the REAL Dr. / surgeon who took X-rays and saw I had a broken bone that HEALED WRONG BECAUSE OF STANDING AND WALKING ON IT for soo long!! Then at 16 years old I had an Arthroscopic knee operation to help fix the way past injury!
It did help some, but 2 years later I cracked out the pins when I leaned down TOO far when I was TRYING TO HELP/ DO MY JOB. So again in HS I had another operation from the surgeon; this time he drilled out a piece of my femur-bone and plugged it into the spot that never healed right when I was little in my thighbone. That stayed!! And now I TOTTALLY know that it will snow, rain hard or something bad in the weather in 3 days from now!!

My neuro says that how my MRIs looked at 18 when they were trying to figure out why I said I saw double and wasnt drunk. He said that I must have had MS since I was young! Like 8 or 10 but there was no reason for anyone to check for it when MS was NOT in the family! The reason that it took me forevea to wake up after the operations MIGHTve been and prolly was because of the MS that has me. But the operation needed to be done besides MS being there or not.
I hope you are alright during recovery!!

Thanks you all for your wonderful comments. I have done a LOT of research and soul searching about this. I am so grateful to have my DS family to chat with about this sort of issue. I'm relieved in a way about the lifestyle change and a bit scared too. I know I will feel a lot better to not be trying to manage all the extra weight not to mention all the other health benefits.