Thanks for the reply. That's what I am wanting is less strength, more dosing!! My doctor retired a year after my 2002 RNY surgery so I haven't had any doctor follow-up. I just found a new gastrointerologist who said she would be willing to help me with what she could. But, she said that they don't know a lot about the surgery after-effects and they are still learning. Here in San Diego they did a lot of surgeries and there are lots of us who no longer have access to their surgeons.

Replies like yours I can print out and bring to her. She is willing to try and research these issues.

Hi everyone with pain!!

I got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 1991, my WLS surgery in 1992. I have noticed on other boards with RNY patients they are always in a fight with their pain doctors about their meds wearing off soon!

I have spinal stenosis, severe nerve impingement, and osteo arthritis in addition to the Fibro. My doctors ignore my Fibro but they do pay attention to my nerve problem and acknowledge that pain.

Currently I am prescribed Fentanyl patches and Lortab for breakthrough. She only wants me to take 2 pills per day for breakthrough, she increased the strength of the pills but took me down from 90 to 60. My doctor increased the strength of my Fent. patch but the 50 mcg were too big and I broke out in rashes and they kept falling off. I am back on one 25 mcg and one 12 mcg Fent. patch every 3 days and regular Vicodin three times a day. My fight with my doctor is that I need pain pill three times a day because they wear off so quick. She had given me Norco (double strength Vicodin) but only gave me two per day---I refilled them too soon and she refused to give me any breakthrough meds for a month. Now I am back to regular Vicodin and lay around a lot because without enough pain meds I just can't be super active like I want to.

Does anybody have access to any articles about mal-absorption of medications post RNY bypass surgery?

I want weaker pills but more dosing if I need it. She doesn't understand this and thinks by giving me stronger pills I can just does once or twice per day!

Thanks for any help/suggestions. And, I've tried LOTS of different pain regiments and this one is the best. I WISH we could take NSAIDS because they help a lot!!

For the last 6 yrs, I have tried just about everything. My PCP sent me to 3different rheumys and now I go to a pain clinic. The lyrica put me into congestive heart failure (Major swelling  and fluid around my heart). Im not sure how many people know about the bad side effects from both of these meds. The cymbalta kept me vomiting for 4 days straight.  Narcotics work best and then some days nothing works. 

 Some use heat for pain but I find that ice really helps with my back pain. I was on percocet but they changed me to roxycodone. It is stronger and works better. Its a long road with no end. What works for some dont work for others. My prayers are with you.  Suzette

I know you're gonna be happy to see your son, and in my favorite state too:-) 

I'll tell ya.....I know my life is truly blessed, even when I've had little sleep, even when I hurt like the dickens.....all I have to do is drag my butt to work and know I'm blessed.  See I work in a long term care facility, we are the largest in the southwest, second largest in the country.  369-beds....and we have 65 residents who are under the age of 64.  Our youngest is 23.  They have various issues ranging from diseases which can't be treated at home to victims of motor vehicle accidents so they are with us for therapy or long term care due to becoming quads or paraplegics.  We have a particular girl who is only 43 yrs old.  She's mildly retarded, has cerebral palsy....her mother tried to drown her at birth, locked her in a closet at times to hide her from the world......and then one day according to her sister her mother drove her here to Albuquerque (where the sister lives) dumped her off on our front door and we've never seen her since. I just love this person, although she has her behaviors and such.....she sees her life as her cup is half full, never half empty.  Even with the life she's had?  She sees the good......she can't stand and her only  mode of transportation is an electric wheelchair.....she's gotta be lifted to the toilet and has little fine motor skills.....she can feed herself and that's about it.  But she loves country western music and has several autographs from various stars and I pay for her cable service so she can watch her videos...and she keeps busy with crafts....she comes down to my office just to give me something she's made or see how I'm doing:-)  I used to be the nursing manager on her unit years ago:-)  Anyways, the point is that we can either choose to be sad and fall victim to our situation in life or we can choose to see the good in it.  I'm so blessed, I have two wonderful sons who think the world of me....I have a good job in which I can continue to work and support myself....and I have a peaceful life but I had to work hard to eliminate the toxic people in my life....which is hard when you've always been a "yes" person.....people take advantage of people like me.  Quality not quantity....that's the key to stress free living and managing our fibromyalgia.  And allowing ourselves to see the good instead of focusing on the sad/bad parts of life. 

God bless us all today as we strive to see the good in our lives:-)

If your doctor doesn't believe in fibromyalgia then you  need a new doctor that doesn't have his head up his rump.......but that's just my humble opinion. I am a nurse.  I went to our medical director (I'm a nursing home nurse) for years and years.  Right up until 1999 when I had a small heart attack at work.  Years prior I had complained of overall achy sometimes sharp nerve pain, lack of restful sleep, IBS symptoms, constant fatigue, etc.....and he'd prescribe me various meds for fluid retention (he never figured out I had a severe wheat intolerance causing the severe fluid retention) pain meds, etc.  But I didn't like the jokes I got the day I passed out at work and two co-workers dragged me into a wheelchair and took me over to the clinic.  They did an EKG which made his nurse get eyes big as saucers and they advised me to drive myself to the nearest ER.  Which I did not really knowing what I was dealing with.  It was just a mile up the street.  Well not only did they diagnose me with a Inferior Infarction (small heart attack, no muscle damage thank god) but I had high blood pressure and they advised me to find another doctor!  Which I did...and who diagnosed me with fatty liver disease, an infected gall bladder, fibromyalgia, congestive heart failure due to the wheat intolerance, and a few other issues.  He is still my current doctor who encouraged me to have th gall bladder removed, a liver biopsy to comfirm the sky high liver profile tests ( I was in stage 2 of liver disease) and the RNY.....but most importantly he diagnosed the fibromyalgia and although I'm a medical challege to him...he listens to me...he works with me....and when I fall short on putting things together in my head as to what is going on inside of me....he helps me understand better and allows ME to call the shots on my treatment.  I truly believe that it's vital to find a good doctor who not only tries to dictate to you what your treatment should be but one that allows you the opportunity to learn and participate in your treatment.  But that means that a person has to get educated about their own bodies and the conditions and see how things apply to them.  I find that most folks do not even know their own bodies and how things tie together.  They just walk into a doctor's office and expect them to wave a wand, make it all better.  Fibromyalgia just doesn't work that way as we all have similar yet individual symptoms to deal with.

I rambled on a bit I know...lol  but I hope that it helps in some way:-)