Memory loss

[New Beginnings]

I have my bypass surgery April 14th 2011 and I have lost nearly 6 stone in this whole journey. I feel fantastic and have no regrets but lately I've noticed a couple of things I'm noticing have me worried slightly. One being my hair seems to be thinning out slightly and two I can't seem to remember things like I used too. A friend mentioned I may need a extra B tab supplement etc. Anyone else notice these symptoms ? Thanks for looking

 

[Ali_B]

Think i read somewhere it is B1 shortage. Think it was a google seach.

Hope that helps.

 

[Big an Bouncy]

You might mean b12 injection,thats if your iron is low.Your multivitamin should be enough with a balanced diet.

 

[Rebirth]

Like B and B says, it sound like you need your B12 jab. I know that my memory etc is affected when I'm due a jab which my providers recommend that I have 3 monthly. Are you due one? Mind you, I think that some of my lapses are due to age. The other thing that affects me is lack of fluid.

 

[Roch]

I was told by my doc that low iron def leads to memory loss and also hair thinning but the hair thinning is also bypass related.Def go and c ur doc and ask them to check your iron count and any other things like b12.I lost so much hair around 6 months post op and my hair was so thin and it took some time to grow back thick as it was.There is a very well known Tricologist called philip kingsley and he sells protein capsules which are meant to be so good for hair regrowth and also many other produts and price wise his range is ok and fab products.

http://www.philipkingsley.co.uk



What is hair loss in women?

One of the commonest forms of hair loss in women (and men) is a condition called telogen effluvium, in which there is a diffuse (or widely spread out) shedding of hairs around the scalp and elsewhere on the body.

This is usually a reaction to intense stress on the body's physical or hormonal systems, or as a reaction to medication.

The condition, which can occur at any age, generally begins fairly suddenly and gets better on its own within about six months, although for a few people it can become a chronic problem.

Because telogen effluvium develops a while after its trigger, and causes generalised thinning of hair density rather than a bald patch, women with the condition can easily be diagnosed as overanxious or neurotic.

Fortunately, it often gets better with time. Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon related to the growth cycles of hair.

Hair growth cycles alternate between a growth phase (called anagen, it lasts about three years) and a resting phase (telogen, which lasts about three months). During telogen, the hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by the growth of a new hair in the anagen phase.

At any one time, up to about 15 per cent of hairs are in telogen. But a sudden stress on the body can trigger large numbers of hairs to enter the telogen phase at the same time. Then, about three months later, this large number of hairs will be shed. As the new hairs start to grow out, so the density of hair may thicken again.

Many adults have had an episode of telogen effluvium at some point in their lives, reflecting episodes of illness or stress.

Another common type of hair loss in women is androgenetic alopecia, which is related to hormone levels in the body. There's a large genetic predisposition, which may be inherited from the father or mother.

Androgenetic alopecia affects roughly 50 per cent of men (this is the main cause of the usual pattern of balding seen as men age) and perhaps as many women over the age of 40.

Research shows that up to 13 per cent of women have some degree of this sort of hair loss before the menopause, and afterwards it becomes far more common - one piece of research suggests that over the age of 65 as many as 75 per cent of women are affected.

The cause of hair loss in androgentic alopecia is a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is made from androgens (male hormones that all men and women produce) by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

People with a lot of this enzyme make more DHT, which in excess can cause the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair, until eventually they pack up completely.

 

[New Beginnings]

Thank you everyone for your replies I seized the chance today as i had an appt today at Charring Cross hospital and raised my concerns about my hair and memory etc. I had a blood test last week so the dr(who I'd never seen before) had all the up to date results. He said everything came back as normal except my iron level which was on the low side. So I mentioned about this B12 injection that everyone seems to have and would that be something linked to my issues. He said I wouldn't need the jab and to compensate for the low iron result to double up on my 1 dose of iron tablet to 2 a day. He went on to mention that my body is probably in a state of shock still and that things should improve after 6 months. The thing is it's really worrying me, I'm studying to become a London black taxi driver and I have to recall hundreds of road names in sequences and places of interest and all this on a daily basis. I can't just opt out of studying for 6 months until my body sorts itself out!!! Now especially after reading some of the replies I'd wished I'd been more firmer in requesting the jab. I even went to the chemist to see if i could buy something but i didnt realIy know what i was looking for. I wonder if it's worth me emailing my surgical team and asking again...? I don't want to step on anyones toes. What do u guys think?

 

[liggielass]

hello im 8 weeks post op and as far as im aware the majority of bypassers get b12 injections approx every 3 months the gp probably wouldnt know this as he is not a bariatric specialist so speak to your team xxx

 

[Ali_B]

You can get sublingual B Complex - which includes extra B12. Place a drop under your tongue. This was recommended to me by a group of post bypass patients. You can get this from Holland and Barrett.

 

[capiegirl]

You wont be stepping on anyones toes, I would definitely ask your team about jab again. good luck and keep up the good work x

 

[New Beginnings]

Well the good news is I've been contacted by my team at Charring Cross today and they have taken my concerns about my memory loss seriously. I have to go in and have another detailed blood test as they think it may be down to my low vitamin/mineral results. I also have to go in as a day inpatient and have some kind of super boost of these things via a drip. They have already doubled my Forceval and I can already feel the benefits. The moral from this all is ...even when in doubt get yourself checked over when you a gut feeling about your health. Thank you for all your advice. X

 

[Big an Bouncy]

Great news,my hubby has just been diagnosed with pernicious aneamia and given b12 every other day for two weeks then 3 monthly for life after that.He had bad memory loss,tiredness and so on.Just shows what a difference iron/b12 makes.He is like new overnight!Maz x

 

[Neeta]

Have you asked your GP to check your Zinc levels? You can get chewable Zinc Capsules from Boots and I have started taking some of these with my Multi Vitamin even though I have only started my Milk Diet this week.

Good luck. x

 

[rybens]

Yeah b12 makes a massive difference to me i usually know im due my 3 month jab because i forget when my appointment is lol