Osteoarthritis in the knee

I'm so glad I looked for this topic...I'm also 38 with osteoarthritis, bone on bone both knees, with the right worse than the other.  Just saw my Orthopedic surgeon and same response and many of you have recieved, I'm too young for TKR...I get that, so exercise, ice, rest and possible cortisone shots are in the future...the weight loss has helped some, well it's helped a great deal for my left knee, but the right just wants to be different...lol

My question is:  What drink/pill does anyone recommend to take for joint support..I want to try and prolong this surgery with everything first.  I do have trouble swollowing those horse pills of Glucosimine/Chondriten...so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Do ask about the replacement synovial fluid shots---they're sold under three different brand-names, one of which is Synvisc. (That's not the one I had, but I can't remember the other names. Mine was a series of five shots, a week apart.)

I don't take any sort of drink or pill for joint support, but I DID research the glucosimine chondrotin question, and learned that the pills are VERY poorly absorbed by anyone. (I'm guessing they'd be even less well absorbed by a WLS patient.) The way to go is with the liquid form, but you pretty much have to order it on line.

I will say that my brother gave his dog with the bad hip the g/c pills and the dog showed remarkable improvement! (*grin*)

I looked into the SynVisc (sp?) shots a few years back.  But my orthopedic surgeon at the time told me that they only work in the mild/moderate stages of the disease, and then only 50% of the time.  It's something you should discuss with your doctor.

The synovial fluid (synvisc) shots in the knees don't help everyone - at least they didn't help me and I had thousands of dollars copay I had to cough up even after insurance.  I was really disappointed - this has been about 6 years ago and I'm still suffering with severe knee pain but hoping to have knee replacements when I get close enough to my goal weight.

I am jealous of the WLS patients who have no knee problems and are walking, jogging, etc. for exercise.  I want to do those things so badly but cannot.  If it weren't for Arthritis strength Tylenol I guess I would be an invalid.  I've been using grocery scooters for years now to shop - and I use a rollator walker when I can't find a scooter to shop.  I can't stand up or walk enough to enjoy going to the mall anymore and that's sad.  But since losing 100 lbs I am walking longer than I was before my RNY!

I'm glad you're doing better! 

I have OA in all my joints. I have lost 142 pounds since 1/1/2008. My right knee is killing me right now (weather?). I think losing weight has relieved a lot of pressure off the joints but OA does not go away. At least I am ready for joint replacements now!

My ortho doctor said I can have my knee replacements now that I lost over 100Ibs. I'm going to have my left knee replacement soon. I agree losing weight took pressure off the joints but the OA is still there.

I am a veteran of OA of the knee!  I am no longer young, but I had pain and degeneration bad enough to qualify me for total knee replacement when I was young and took meds and had lubricating injections then.  Finally, I had my right knee replaced two years ago.  I weighed 315 lbs. at the time.  My left knee is bone on bone and the plan was to have it replaced after I recovered from the right one.  However, I had wls in October and have already lost 74 lbs.  Guess what!  My left knee is at least 75% better!  I have decided to delay the replacement to see how I do after the weight loss.

By the way, consider DS surgery.  You can still take arthritis meds with it and you can't with the RNY.

Lookingup,
that's what I wanted to hear. My Rheumy said that once I have surgery and lose weight, my knees will feel much better.
I pray I have the same results, because right now I am in so much pain and can only take extra strenght tylenol and I use a cane.

Thanks for the info

I have had total knee replacement done in 10/07 it has never been right, I can hardly walk and it swells and hurts more than it did before the surgery. I have my bypass surgery on 02/25/09 and I hope it helps me to be able to walk again.

The first time a doctor recommended that I have a total knee replacement was when I was in my mid-30s.  I had my VBG done a couple of years later.  I didn't lose weight.  What little I did lose came back soon after.  And, yet, I still have a tiny stomach which actually works against me in my efforts to lose weight.  But that's another story.

For the last four years (I'm now 50), I've lived with 9/10 (and sometimes 10/10) pain in both knees.  I've gone from a cane to a walker to a wheelchair, while my husband completed a college degree.  Last year, I went to an orthopedic surgeon in Dayton, who told me that most surgeons would refuse to operate on me at my weight (295), but the fact that I have had WLS would sway him and some others in favor of doing the surgery anyway.  It shows that I've made an honest effort to lose the weight.

He was very frank with me about some things that were an eye-opener, though.  He said that he's operated on a number of obese people, and many of them end up disappointed for a few reasons.  One, he said I could expect probably only a 50% relief from pain and a 50% return of function.  The same stressors that caused the damage to the old knee will still be there, and will act on the new knee in the same way.  The new knee won't last as long as it would in a person of "normal" weight.  But, the way I see it, 50% return is better than where I am now.  It's a risk I'm willing to take.

Now that my husband has finished his training, as soon as he gets settled in a job and can put me on his insurance, I'm going to have my knees done.