GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND ADDICTION A NEW LINK
By Lee Degenstein
Addiction experts along with psychologists and other medical professionals are noticing a disturbing new link between Gastric Bypass Surgery and drug or alcohol addiction. While Gastric Bypass Surgery (also known Bariatric Surgery) has been around since the late 1960’s, this trend toward addiction in some patients has gone relatively unnoticed until recently.
Patients who undergo this type of surgical procedure are usually 100 pounds or more overweight. It would be fair to say that in many cases, these patients were addicted to food, and compulsive overeating. The surgery makes it impossible as well as dangerous to eat large amounts of food. The procedure involves shrinking the size of the patient’s stomach.
Addiction experts agree that the craving one has for food is very similar to the cravings one experiences for alcohol or drugs. In fact, some psychologists are calling this an “addiction transfer”. Officials at the Betty Ford Clinic in California report that about 25% of alcoholics who slip or relapse, often switch to a new drug such as cocaine or opiates. Some post-op gastric bypass patients once addicted to food often switch to alcohol, or other drugs.
New research also points to findings that the biochemical causes of over eating are quite similar to those found in patients who suffer alcohol or drug addiction.
What’s making matters worse for some gastric bypass patients is that according to researchers, after Bariatric Surgery the body metabolizes alcohol in a different way thus making it more powerful with stronger affects. While this phenomenon doesn’t affect all bariatric patients, it has been found to be evident in patients who have undergone certain versions of the surgery.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, more than $1.4 billion dollars was spent last year on obesity research. Much of this money has been spent in an effort to come up with a compound that would treat multiple types of impulse control disorders simultaneously. The market for such a drug would be enormous say industry observers.
Some drugs like Zyban, which has been found to be effective in smoking cessation, are being tested on patients with overeating, gambling and alcohol dependency. Zyban, is manufactured by Glaxo-Smithkile
Cross addiction is a problem for many people with addiction issues. It’s been found that many people who abuse alcohol also abuse other drugs like cocaine, amphetamines or opiates.
The incidence of addiction for patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery differs greatly depending on who you ask. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal indicated that according to Phillip Schauer, Director of Bariatric Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, only about five percent of patients who undergo the surgery end up with addiction problems. However at U.S. Bariatric, a weight loss surgery center in Orlando Florida, estimates of addiction in patients are nearly 20 percent.
Melodie Moorhead a leading psychologist, who recently spoke at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, said her research showed that nearly 30 percent of Bariatric Surgery patients experience difficulty with new addiction issues. Researchers say that one possible reason for the disparity in these numbers is that addiction issues can surface several years after the surgery is performed, when surgeons are not tracking these patients so closely. The high caloric content of alcohol is one reason given for its misuse among those who may have previously suffered from overeating disorders.
The science of addiction is evolving each day. People who suffer with addiction issues are not seen as being weak willed or bad people. More evidence points to biochemical issues in an addicted person’s brain. As more is uncovered about the brain’s addiction pathways researchers are beginning to believe that switching addictions (like overeating to alcohol use) has a neurological basis.
Today, many Bariatric Surgery Centers will screen perspective patients as to their alcohol and drug use habits prior to surgery. If evidence of these impulse control or addiction disorders is found, patients may be turned away from the surgery. More information on Gastric Bypass or Bariatric Surgery and addiction, can be found on the internet or on sites such as www.wlscenter.com .
copyright 2006, Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved.
Addiction experts along with psychologists and other medical professionals are noticing a disturbing new link between Gastric Bypass Surgery and drug or alcohol addiction. While Gastric Bypass Surgery (also known Bariatric Surgery) has been around since the late 1960’s, this trend toward addiction in some patients has gone relatively unnoticed until recently.
Patients who undergo this type of surgical procedure are usually 100 pounds or more overweight. It would be fair to say that in many cases, these patients were addicted to food, and compulsive overeating. The surgery makes it impossible as well as dangerous to eat large amounts of food. The procedure involves shrinking the size of the patient’s stomach.
Addiction experts agree that the craving one has for food is very similar to the cravings one experiences for alcohol or drugs. In fact, some psychologists are calling this an “addiction transfer”. Officials at the Betty Ford Clinic in California report that about 25% of alcoholics who slip or relapse, often switch to a new drug such as cocaine or opiates. Some post-op gastric bypass patients once addicted to food often switch to alcohol, or other drugs.
New research also points to findings that the biochemical causes of over eating are quite similar to those found in patients who suffer alcohol or drug addiction.
What’s making matters worse for some gastric bypass patients is that according to researchers, after Bariatric Surgery the body metabolizes alcohol in a different way thus making it more powerful with stronger affects. While this phenomenon doesn’t affect all bariatric patients, it has been found to be evident in patients who have undergone certain versions of the surgery.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, more than $1.4 billion dollars was spent last year on obesity research. Much of this money has been spent in an effort to come up with a compound that would treat multiple types of impulse control disorders simultaneously. The market for such a drug would be enormous say industry observers.
Some drugs like Zyban, which has been found to be effective in smoking cessation, are being tested on patients with overeating, gambling and alcohol dependency. Zyban, is manufactured by Glaxo-Smithkile
Cross addiction is a problem for many people with addiction issues. It’s been found that many people who abuse alcohol also abuse other drugs like cocaine, amphetamines or opiates.
The incidence of addiction for patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery differs greatly depending on who you ask. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal indicated that according to Phillip Schauer, Director of Bariatric Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, only about five percent of patients who undergo the surgery end up with addiction problems. However at U.S. Bariatric, a weight loss surgery center in Orlando Florida, estimates of addiction in patients are nearly 20 percent.
Melodie Moorhead a leading psychologist, who recently spoke at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, said her research showed that nearly 30 percent of Bariatric Surgery patients experience difficulty with new addiction issues. Researchers say that one possible reason for the disparity in these numbers is that addiction issues can surface several years after the surgery is performed, when surgeons are not tracking these patients so closely. The high caloric content of alcohol is one reason given for its misuse among those who may have previously suffered from overeating disorders.
The science of addiction is evolving each day. People who suffer with addiction issues are not seen as being weak willed or bad people. More evidence points to biochemical issues in an addicted person’s brain. As more is uncovered about the brain’s addiction pathways researchers are beginning to believe that switching addictions (like overeating to alcohol use) has a neurological basis.
Today, many Bariatric Surgery Centers will screen perspective patients as to their alcohol and drug use habits prior to surgery. If evidence of these impulse control or addiction disorders is found, patients may be turned away from the surgery. More information on Gastric Bypass or Bariatric Surgery and addiction, can be found on the internet or on sites such as www.wlscenter.com .
copyright 2006, Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved.
posted by Lee Degenstein | 6:36 AM
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