Spinal Stenosis and WLS

Hi All, I'm new here.  I just got my sleeve surgery scheduled for March 11.  I have RA which is under control with the use of Enbrel and a host of other health ailments, many of which I hope will be helped with WLS.  I have had very bad pain from OA in my spine and facets along with extensive spinal stenosis for about 2 years now which makes walking any distance of more than a block extremely painful. I also have nerve damage and muscle weakness in my thighs due to the spinal stenosis, so I'm sure I will need back surgery at some point, too.  I was back and forth over which to do first, but most of my doctors said that the WLS should significantly help the back pain and may even eliminate the need for back surgery.  I'm just wondering if anyone here also has spinal stenosis or back OA and whether they found relief from WLS.  How much and did it affect your ability to walk well?  We went the epidural shot route which didn't help at all.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Judy

Hi Judy,

Since I am a bandster hoping for revision, I may not be who you wanted to respond but if anything I have to say can help you, it's all good.

How did your surgery go?  I have severe osteoarthritis, fibro, narrowing of the cervical spine, protruding disks, a fractured vertebrae and lumbar spinal stenosis, bi-lateral carpel tunnel, a destroyed rotator cuff AND had lost weight with the band but have regained it all due to malfunction of the band.

That said, I can identify with your pain in walking and every other daily routine we tend to take for granted.  When I had lost 79 pounds, I felt soooo much better and could do so much more!  But, that was before 3 nasty falls and worsening of my spine issues.  Even at that, I still had a lot of pain but for a while was off all pain meds besides Tylenol.

I have had the shots, cauterization of nerve endings in my back and neck, (rhisolysis), 3 years on Percocet and now on Tramadol that just barely takes the edge off the pain.

I have no medical knowledge and you should always seek professional help with issues.  That said, I would try weight loss first and by your surgery date, you have.  Give it a while and see what happens before taking the back surgery route.  You could be pleasantly surprised!

Please keep up with me on your surgery and progress.  I am interested in knowing since we share so much in pain.  And truly hope your success with the sleeve is wonderful for you!!

Karen

I am 3 yrs post op, down 210 lbs, and just had surgery for disk problems and stenosis. It sucks but I can tell you, Ive lost 25 lbs since being diagnosed and it does provide a little bit of relief. 

I am a year post-op, lost 110 lbs so far and have severe stenosis, disk problems, OA of the facets, etc.  The weight loss has really helped with pain (and I highly recommend Cymbalta for the back pain, which is NOT an NSAID and therefore you can take it after WLS.)  However, I still have the weakness in my right thigh which caused me to take a bad fall 2 years ago and which put me in a wheelchair so as not to fall again.  I am going to a specialist at Johns Hopkins in a few weeks to look at surgery.  I was hoping there would be a laproscopic solution after the weight loss, but apparently there is just too much going on with my back.  Before I got the WLS I talked to a tango dancer who was all of 5 feet tall and 100 lbs.  She had severe stenosis and I knew that the weight loss, while it would relieve some pain and make it easier to get around, would not get rid of the OA and stenosis issues. 

And does your WLS doc keep saying "exercise, exercise, exercise" like mine does?  Even though he sees I used a wheelchair?  I tell him I'd LOVE to exercise and be able to work out and dance again like I used to, but until the weakness in my right leg is fixed (if it can be fixed) then there are certain levels of exercise I just will not be able to do.

One WC user to another-- I stop the doctor in his tracks with the exercise speech, by handing him a log of all the exercise I do..swimming, PT, some arm bycycle, when i can, my stretches...he knows, and has proof that I am doing all I can.  I hate that speech. I am changing doctors now and I am getting it all over again, even though I am at--actually below--my goal weight. Once a fat girl, always a fat girl.........stigma sucks

Hi, I have spinal stenosis and I had surgery in 2011.  I lost over 60 pounds after surgery and yes it helped a great deal but I have since gained all of the weight back and some more so now I am looking for a permanent solution so the pain is less like before.  I am having vertical sleeve surgery on 9/24/14 and I am nervous but at the same time my ability to walk and have quality life is motivation for me.  Good luck.