Pseudotumor Cerebri (PTC) is a condition defined by severe headaches, pulsatile tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and blurred vision. The diagnosis is made by measuring the pressure in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF, the protective fluid around the brain) and obtaining a CT scan or MRI. The CSF pressure is always high, and the CT scan is usually normal.

Pseudotumor Cerebri is one of the known complications of severe obesity but is not common. However, PTC can be debilitating. Most experts believe that the increased pressure inside the abdomen of obese people increases pressure on the spinal cord, resulting in back-pressure on your cerebrospinal fluid. This leads to the headaches and other symptoms. Considering this theory, significant weight loss will decrease abdominal pressure and relieve obesity-induced PTC. The problem, of course, is that permanent weight loss through dieting is difficult to achieve for everyone, and people with PTC have even more difficulty due to the inability to exercise because of the headaches and other symptoms.

Relief of the increased intra-abdominal pressure after weight loss from bariatric surgery decreases intracranial pressure and can resolve the symptoms of PTC. In Annals of Surgery, May 1999, Dr. Harvey Sugerman published a scientific study that evaluated bariatric surgery as a treatment of Pseudotumor Cerebri. In the study he looked at 24 morbidly obese female patients with an average BMI1 of 47 who were referred with severe headaches and increased intracranial pressure. Neurological imaging of the brain was normal in all. Twenty-three patients underwent gastric bypass and one underwent gastric band placement. Patients were evaluated at one week as well as 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery. Repeat CSF pressure measurements were done if patients complained of continued headaches one year after surgery.

At one year after surgery, patients had lost an average of 45kg, about 100 pounds. Five of the original 24 patients were lost to follow-up. Of the 19 patients evaluated, surgically induced weight loss was associated with resolution of headaches in all but one patient by four months after surgery. Weight regain occurred in two of the 19 patients studied, with subsequent recurrence of headaches.

Traditional surgical procedures for treating PTC, such as shunting fluid away from the brain, have mediocre results when used for PTC and often require surgical revision. The neurosurgical solution is designed to treat the symptoms but does not address the underlying problem. The results of this study indicate that Pseudotumor Cerebri can be cured through bariatric surgery, and that bariatric surgery should be considered as a treatment option for this debilitating disease.

Can Coffee Help You Lose Weight? Myths about the Coffee Cleanse Diet [U.S. News & World Report]

Dr. Quebbemann was recently featured in an article in U.S. News & World Report.

This article originally appeared on June 8, 2020 and was written by contributing writer, Elaine K. Howley.  Read the full article on U.S. News & World Report by clicking here.

Caffeine does this by stimulating the nervous system and releasing the hormone epinephrine. Also known as adrenaline, epinephrine signals fat cells to break down and release fats into the blood. This makes the fat more available to be used as fuel. This increase in fat metabolism “occurs in all people regardless of race, sex or age,” says Dr. Brian Quebbemann, a bariatric surgery specialist based in Newport Beach, California, and author of “World’s Greatest Weight Loss: The Truth That Diet Gurus Don’t Want You to Know.” However, these effects appear to be lower in people with obesity.

Caffeine can also boost your resting metabolic rate, which means you may end up burning more calories around the clock. Quebbemann says drinking coffee regularly “decreases the amount of weight a person gains over time. The reason for this is likely due to not only decreased calorie intake but an increase in resting metabolism.”

But, he notes that “the details are important.” For example, “If you drink coffee 30 minutes to three hours before eating, you’ll generally consume fewer calories. The decrease in appetite diminishes significantly after four hours.” This trick works for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, “so, the appetite suppression effect is not completely dependent on caffeine.”

Both the metabolic boost and the suppression of hunger that coffee can provide are dose-dependent, and drinking up to about four cups per day may optimize those effects, Quebbemann says.