Lupus & gastric bypass

Hi all

I've had Lupus for the past 15 years along with osteo & rheumatoid arthritis and am looking to have gastric bypass.

I have read through the posts here but would love to hear about others' experiences with the surgery & Lupus.   LapBand was out of the question according to 3 doctors in this area (NJ).  My Rhuematologist and surgeon don't see the Lupus as a problem.  They have been honest that their could be some issues but I would like to hear from people who actually went through it! Would love to hear from you - Thank you!!!

Hello, I had the same concern when I had my surgery.  Things went well for me.  I have not really experienced a lot of problems.  The only thing is that you will no longer be able to take anti-inflammatories.  They will burn a hole in your new tummy.  Now, I have taken some of the forbidden drugs for pain and did not have many problems but it is still a no-no.  I have had one issue since surgery and that is chronic lower back and body aches.  I do not know if my already back pain intensified after surgery but I know I am on high levels of pain meds.  But, you will have to trust in your doctors and put your faith in the Lord and you will make it through.  Don't let fear keep you from being the new you.  Good Luck and enjoy your journey.

Thank you very much!   Pain is a funny thing = you never know how bad it really is until something happens to make it better.

After loosing my weight my severe pain flare ups have slowed down so thats a plus but I am still having trouble with the anemia/ leuokapina(sp?)  Even with Iron treatments so I dont know if I made that worse by having wls.  The Doc says I'll be ok but will probably have to be on the iron for life.

All thought the Nasids ar a no no after wls there are alternatives like Tramadol, mobic etc......IMHO work just as well.

Thank you very much!  I know we all have different things going on but just knowing other people are having similar issues will help me through all this! Good Luck !

Miss Vic, I have lupus also and am waiting for a date at this time.  I see that you've already had your RNY.  At first, I wanted the Lap band, too.  I was told by my PCP that they generally look down on putting the band in someone with lupus, only because if your esophagus is involved, there could be problems (mine is not involved).  He told me I'd have to prove that my esophagus is not involved before they would do the band on me.   Then, one night I was on here and Dr. Curry was answering questions about WLS, so I asked him about lupus and the band.  He said he would not consider putting a band in me either, and then asked me if I'd ever considered the Vertical Sleeve.  I had not, and after some research it's a nother option for me to discuss with my surgeon on Dec. 13th. Good luck with your journey!! Keep in touch!! Veronica

Hi Veronica

Yes, I finally had my surgery and so far things are going well.  I can already see improvements as far as pain from my arthritis so I'm hoping for the same affect on the Lupus.

Ofcourse, I'm still in recovery mode but I do find myself getting tired quickly - I have to build up some stamina!

Good Luck!

Vicki

Veronica, I have had lupus for over 16 years now and when I consulted with my surgeon he suggested the sleeve too, due to the fact that it was not as major as all the re-routing of intestines and such. He also said it was better for a lupus patient for the same reasons.  I had mine on Dec. 5th, 2007 and it was great! My surgeon did give me a bolus of steroids after the surgery to prevent a flare up and it sure did the trick! I feel much better now although this winter weather is rough, cold fronts and such, I am still having pain in my joints but the weight loss is helping with the overall pain I had before surgery. I have had my sleep apnea resolve itself since surgery, and my diabetes is under control too. My asthma is still there but hoping it will resolve as weight gets less. Feel free to ask me any questions....

I hope you don't mind feedback this late after the initial post.  Someone has said that you cannot take NSAIDs ... I am required to take a baby asperin, but they give me Prevacid as well, and that seems to work just fine despite having a mere pouch.  

It's never to late to learn from someone who experienced this surgery!  Thank you! I am doing ok - I take Prilosec but I only think that will last until I am 6 months out.  Other than that, I am no longer taking my anti-inflamatory drug but things are going well.  The weight loss has had a tremendous impact on my joints!  It's amazing the progress made in such a short time! thanks for your feedback!