Expert: John Pilcher, MD - 8/26/2011

Question
I am 7 yrs post-op. Lost from 287 lbs to 137 lbs, now slowly climbing up to 172 lbs. I wish to stay at 145-150 lbs. I want to know if there is an appetite suppressant that is safe for post bariatric patients like me, that you would recommend, to assist with sensible eating and exercise, to help me go back to that weight as quickly as possible.

Answer
Loreen,
Your question about weight regain is a very important one, and you are definitely not alone with this problem.  You are asking good questions about how to handle it - we believe the key thing is to realize that obesity is a disease that is brought under control by surgery but not cured by surgery.  Since it is only under control, it is understandable that it may get out of control at some point later on.  In most cases, more surgery is not the best way to bring the obesity disease back under control, and the thing to do is work with a type of doctor called a 'bariatrician.'  This type of doctor usually comes from an internal medicine background, with a practice now focused on all non-surgical types of weight control.  There are only a few of these in Texas, but the numbers are growing - you can Google 'bariatrician' to find the one closest to you.

Best wishes!
Dr JP