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Is Cutting The Vagus Nerve The Answer To Weight Loss?
Gastric Bypass Surgery News ^ | Monday, May 12, 2008

Posted on 06/16/2009 8:17:46 PM PDT by wintertime

Last year, 200,000 Americans had weight loss surgery and while gastric bypass surgery can significantly reduce weight, the surgery comes with risks.

Now a procedure that was once commonly used to treat ulcers is being tested as a safe alternative to weight loss surgery.

Action News reporter Kimberly Tere has the details.

The vagus nerve controls your feeling of hunger.

Some even say every single thing the vagus nerve does is designed to make you gain weight.

That is why San Francisco Doctor Robert Lustig is testing laparoscopic vagotomy, a surgery in which the vagus nerve is cut.

Cutting the vagus nerve can reduce the amount of fat stored in the body and can increase energy levels.

"Every patient in the study said their hunger was gone, just gone. One comment I got from one patient was this is the first time in her life that she was not a prisoner to food," said Dr. Lustig.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: weight
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To: wintertime

It seems to me that there should be some temporary way of inhibiting the vagus nerve that would be much less dramatic than severing it entirely.

“Besides output to the various organs in the body the vagus nerve conveys sensory information about the state of the body’s organs to the central nervous system. 80-90% of the nerve fibers in the vagus nerve are afferent (sensory) nerves communicating the state of the viscera to the brain.”


41 posted on 06/16/2009 8:39:30 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: TheBattman
Also - I believe from my own experience, that if you ever go OFF the low-carb diet, your body reacts MUCH worse to carbs - stacking on pounds and fat faster than ever- even if you do not “load up” on the carbs as you might have in the past
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yep! This was my exact experience. I was able to keep it up about 4 months, but the **intense** craving for carbs finally overcame my will power.

I used a normal Weight Watchers, count-the-portions diet and lost the 80 lbs doing that.

After Atkins, though, if I eat anything very sweet I get crippling camps in my legs and fingers about 20 minutes later. After all these years that side effect has never gone away. Potassium tablets relieves the symptoms.

As I posted, I have tried everything anyone will suggest. And...people who are normally thin aren't doing special diets or unusual exercise.

42 posted on 06/16/2009 8:39:54 PM PDT by wintertime
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To: wintertime

How much cardio do you do?

Do you drink soda or juice?

How much oatmeal do you eat? Do you eat it 3 times per day w/o sugar?


43 posted on 06/16/2009 8:40:32 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: wintertime

*BUMP* !


44 posted on 06/16/2009 8:40:35 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Ecclesiastes 5:10 - 20)
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To: wintertime

I found this online-—

My mom had her vagus nerve cut in the process of ulcer surgery in 1978. Along with cutting the nerve, they removed her gall bladder and appendix.

While it seemed to have helped the ulcers, it created a whole new set of problems that get worse over the years. The simpliest manifestation is her comment after eating that the food “seems to just sit on my stomach” - something it actually appears to do.

In reading, it appears to have had a negative effect on her entire digestive system and from reading may have an affect on blood pressure and even speech.

Additionally, as there is not reversal, the problems just seem to be getting worse as she ages.

YIKES


45 posted on 06/16/2009 8:42:45 PM PDT by freedommom
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To: BunnySlippers

” You will have food stamps on Obamacare. “

And you’d better hope they taste good, because you’re not going to be able to get any food with them.

Mmmmmmmm...food stamps....Arrrllgh!


46 posted on 06/16/2009 8:42:53 PM PDT by Humble Servant (See y'all in the Gulag.)
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To: gaijin

Oatmeal 3 times per day????? Why? For the fiber? There are other ways to get fiber....


47 posted on 06/16/2009 8:42:58 PM PDT by goodnesswins (For lease)
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To: svcw

The mortality is 1%,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Considering that these patients are most often morbidly obese that’s really very low.


48 posted on 06/16/2009 8:43:45 PM PDT by wintertime
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To: wintertime

P90X is a great system...very healthy and gets you in awesome shape.


49 posted on 06/16/2009 8:44:46 PM PDT by chasio649
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To: NewJerseyJoe

That should read:

People who are normally thin are NOT thinking about or especially doing high intensity training. They simply living normal lives.


50 posted on 06/16/2009 8:45:11 PM PDT by wintertime
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To: Kieri

when i was going through teaching school, i got a lesson plan that “guessimated” one’s digestive system length by using measurements of body parts.

really interesting when we hung up all the different yarn “lengths of intestines” all over the room.


51 posted on 06/16/2009 8:45:15 PM PDT by machogirl (not one of Rush's top-ten gal names)
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To: wintertime

If you’re putting together a ping list, please add me to it. Thanks.


52 posted on 06/16/2009 8:46:17 PM PDT by ItsForTheChildren
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To: goodnesswins

Oatmeal keeps you feeling full for a really long time, that’s why.


53 posted on 06/16/2009 8:46:33 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: wintertime

You are correct, it is low. I have seen one study that said 2% but even that is low.


54 posted on 06/16/2009 8:47:25 PM PDT by svcw
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To: gaijin

Not ME.....when I eat it for breakfast.....and go for my 4 mile power walk....I have to take nuts or something with me....I NEED PROTEIN!


55 posted on 06/16/2009 8:48:24 PM PDT by goodnesswins (For lease)
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To: gaijin

People who are normally thin are not thinking about oatmeal, juice, soda, or exercise.


56 posted on 06/16/2009 8:48:53 PM PDT by wintertime
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To: Larry Lucido; neverdem

We knew that before ya got cut.......BTTT !


57 posted on 06/16/2009 8:48:54 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: Wpin

I was very overweight and went to a Weight Clinic in San Francisco. For about $100 a month, I worked with the doctor using a book that he and his partner developed. He also prescribed Phentermine for me and we have met once a month since New Year’s.

The result? It’s June 16th. I have lost 65lbs. down from 235lbs. to 169lbs. On a 5’5” frame, that has noticable impact. I went from a 46” waist to a 31” waist. I lift and swim several times a week...and I get a LOT of comments about the change. I can honestly say this is the only time in my life where I haven’t been a slave to Ben and Jerry. I agree with the commentor who said skinny people aren’t more disciplined. I would love to have that nerve cut as I am beginning the process of weaning myself off the prescription.

I tried everything from Xenadrine to Hydroxycut. None of it worked. If you want to change your physique you have to alter the brain signaling. That is the only thing that has ever worked on a sustained basis for me. If you are in the Bay Area and are interested in the clinic, hit me up with a personal post and I will give you the details. The decision to do this in an affordable program under a doctor’s care took me way too many years. The result has been very worthwhile.

Fat people are the victims of faulty wiring or brain chemistry or genetics or whatever but they are not inherently lazy or somehow less disciplined than thin people. I have lived 24/7 with thin people. They don’t do anything special to get that way but some of them sure would want you to believe they do or that you don’t. Don’t believe it.


58 posted on 06/16/2009 8:49:31 PM PDT by johnnycap
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To: wintertime
I have noticed that every morning as I am awakening, I am dreaming about, and semi-thinking about food, and it just gets worse as the day moves onward.

Have you considered over-eaters anonymous?

No, it is not just for fat people.

59 posted on 06/16/2009 8:49:47 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (I miss the competent fiscal policy and flag waving patriotism of the Carter Administration)
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To: wintertime

Ten years ago I fell and hit my chest on a pointed rock. One doc said I damaged my vagus nerve. Won’t bore you with all the details but I still have a few problems from that fall.
I read up on the vagus nerve and found it affects many things in your body - Especially blood pressure according to one doc.
Be careful and read, read, read everything you can find on the subject - then make a decision with your doctor.


60 posted on 06/16/2009 8:51:02 PM PDT by IceAge
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