Arthritis Pain (Severe)

I am almost 3 years out and have lost 143 pounds. My WLS surgeon is approximately 100 miles away from my home town. I have a fantastic Primary Care physician but he does not know much about WLS patients specific needs. I have severe arthritis in my knees and my PCP prescribed Ketoprofen twice a day. It helped BUT after 2 year I developed the beginning of an ulcer so I stopped taking it now the pain is worse than ever. Does anyone know of a pain medication that works for WLS patients that will not damage the pouch? Some pain meds work for 15 to 20 minutes then it is like I haven't taken anything. I guess it has to do with the absorption or lack of. If something works for you please let me know what you take. Any suggestions that I can take to my PCP would be appreciated, Thank you, Sandy

Sandy Have you tried Percogesic ? I take it in place of tylenol etc as I have a tummy that cant tolerate any anti-flammatories .. Shirl

I am two years out. At 330 lbs, my knees were so badly compromised, bowed, painful, stiff, and noisy with arthritis. I had injections, PT, injections, and more PT and the doctors wanted to do knee replacement surgeries. Now, having lost 169 lbs, my knees are much better, but the pain is still there on cold, rainy days and if I want to walk a long way, or fish a stream, or climb stairs, it still hurts! My PCP and I worked together on finding medications that I could take and tolerate. After WLS and with steadily losing weight and the new pouch, we decided to try Vicodin. This is a medication that I tolerate and it does bring me relief without making my pouch hurt. The Vicodin helps me with the quality of my life. I don't take it every day, but when the knees creak, or the hemmorids hurt, then I take it. The anit-inflammatory effect is not like taking a motrin based med however. I recently discovered ActiveOn for arthritis and this works well, very well suprisingly. It does not smell like Bengay. I usually rub it on the knees after my shower and then throughout the day if needed. Best of luck to you. Monica

I think from what you describe that you should see an othropedic surgeon.No matter how much pain meds you take.You have to take care of this before it gets any worse and it sounds like it is getting worst.Good luck ........bob

I take Mobic, which my WLS surgeon put me on as it was supposedly easier on the stomach. My PCP says that there are no good NSAIDS, but when I asked him about alternatives, he didn't say a word. With an ulcer, I doubt that Mobic would be a good choice, either. I've had lots of PT focusing on my back, knees and feet, which helped to strengthen muscles surrounding the joints. My knees are actually the best they've been in years. My feet, however, are currently my primary bad site and my podiatrist and I are getting to be big buddies. This year I've had several cortisone shots into the bad joints of the feet, which last me around a year. I had my orthotics remade and put extra padding on top of the orthotic in my shoes. I have some Vicodin from the ortho doctor for my shoulder, which helps with a flare-up. But there are days when nothing helps and I'd swear that all the padding is gone from the bottom of my feet and I'm walking on glass. The newest twist is that the big toe on my bad foot goes numb, although this has reduced since the remake of the orthotics. I'd agree with the suggestion of a consult with an ortho person. Good luck finding a solution that works for you. Sue O.

Have you tried looking into holistic therapy like chelation foot bath? I have 2 units in my office and I have my most of my arthritic patients try it (as long as they do not have a pacemaker or pregnant or nursing). The results are phenomenal and 4 of them have purchased their own units!!!!. hope this helps and if you have any questions about this therapy I will do my best to answer. Liz

Hi there, I have severe chronic Low Back Pain following my lap RNY 4-1-04 and loss of over 200 lbs. NSAIDs don't touch my pain, so I'm a opiate taker - which I don't recommend unless you've got no choice. Because I hate the fact I'm on those meds - I'm working on alternative therapies. 1. Meditation - "Autogenics" is really good, "analgesic gloves" meditation is really helpful as well. 2. Acupuncture - My insurance gives full coverage (a rare awesome part of otherwise crappy coverage). I tried first with my neurologist - HORRID experience. I then went with someone a friend recommended - an actual practioner of traditional medicine - and omg - it can make a huge difference in my quality of life. 3. Heated Pool Exercise - getting my sore body moving makes a big difference for me in my pain experience. I do a routine my physical therapist worked out for me, and even though I am exhausted when I'm done, I'm not in as much pain, and enjoy the endorphins for the rest of the day. Sending prayers and well wishes, ~Lara

I know this sounds crazy, but has anybody tried fish oil? The Omega3 is supposed to help your body produce its own anti-inflamatories. I'm going to give it a try for both myself and my horse. Has anybody had any experience with it?