Question:
Does anyone take glucosamine and condroitin after RNY?

I am having some serious pain in my left hip, and daily it's getting worse. I took glucosamine with condroitin this AM and hope I didn't make a bad mistake. I feel achy all over but worse in my back and hips than anywhere else.    — vrshoemaker (posted on November 20, 2008)

November 20, 2008
I take it with no trouble occassionally for stiff joint flare ups! It is natural and it does lubricate the joints...I work with my hands and walk, climb stairs, bend etc...all day...so some days/weeks and months even, I wake up with very stiff joints. I also have dengenerative disc disease in my neck and that flares up occasionally...glucosamine and condrotin with msm are sometimes the only relief I can find to take the edge off since we are not SUPPOSED to take NSAIDS after RNY. You should go in for labs very soon and get all your vit levels checked! Vit A,D, E, Zinc, Iron and feritin, All the B's and folate, Selenium, Magnesium, Calcium, etc...Get them all checked! Plus your CBC's, Thyroid Panel, PTH Intact, LP (cholesterol) CMP, HGB A1C (Sugar)...These should all be done yearly if not bi-anually! You should request and keep copies in a binder too and compare each test to see if you are slowly dropping...Docs often will only tell you if you are in a normal range...They don't often go back to the last tests and compare to see if you need to start supplementing! You really don't want to be in the low normal ranges with RNY! Once we get low...we begin to plummet so fast and that is when the bad symtoms begin and before you know it, you are malnurished which can be so very dangerous and with irreversible damage! You do NOT want to break a hip or start breaking teeth to realise you might be Vit Dand or calcium deficient...Just go get a test! YOU need to do this...You all do!
   — .Anita R.

November 20, 2008
I have had terrible hip pains also, Someone explained to me that when we got fat our hips shifted almost as if during a pregnancy. As the weight comes off they come back into place. This does cause discomfort in the joints. The explaination made sense to me.
   — phyllismmay

November 20, 2008
Congratulations on your weight loss surgery October 9, 2008! That means that you are roughly 6 weeks post-op? What does your surgeon say? I would certainly ask him about the serious pain you are experiencing in your back and hips, especially your left hip. But, on the subject of glucosamine, you can't take a singular dosage and expect immediate results. It would be wise for you to check with your pharmacist about his/her recommendations on what brand, how much and what combination you should be taking, and if it is necessary in your situation. I am 71 1/2. My RNY was 12-30-04. That is what I did when I first started to experience issues with my joints following menopause. I found it took me, as my memory serves me, around 30 to 45 days of daily taking glucosamine only (NO condroitin) before I realized stability in my joints. I previously was having serious pain issues as well as experiencing my hip bones attempting to dislodge themselves from their sockets. Even with my RNY, I continue to take glucosamine regularly. As my pharmacist said, "Start with the glucosamine, ease into taking it, and reach your comfort level. If necessary, if you still are not getting any relief, add condroitin. Otherwise, spare yourself the expense." The one time I was hospitalized (last year) while I was hospitalized, the hospital staff refused to give me my glucosamine. Sure enough, within 5 days, my bones started once again to want to slip out of their joints, and the pain returned. When I returned home, I was back on my daily dosage of 2000 mg glucosamine. Yet, with all that said, about 6 weeks ago I did shift to taking Glucosamine HCI 1500 mg with MSM 1500 mg, and my body remains stabilized. The label says this combination helps build cartilage. Because you are in your baby stages following your surgery, it may be necessary for you to grind up the glucosamine and add it to your soft food you are eating. Most important, do check with your doctor, and do also follow up with your local pharmacist. And, as Anita R. says, look forward to getting new labs on everything. One thing we do not know about you is what type of surgery you had. According to your profile, you've been considering this surgery since January 2006. But, without knowing the type of surgery you have had hampers any of us to support you with suggestions based upon our experiences. Why? What works for RNY may not work for those who have had lap band surgery, etc. My prayers are with you. You've provided yourself a wonderful tool. You've taken a giant step towards creating for yourself a much better and richer life! Christine Gibson, MS, MA, OH Coach and WLS Support Group Leader
   — Christine Gibson

November 20, 2008
I would get to the doctor and have some labs done but specifically vitamins, minerals and trace minerals in the blood. Keep good records and compare. Do use the glucomsamine with chrondroitin and perhaps some MSM. I would ask the doctor and/or pharmacist for a recommedation. But definitely don't let the pain persist; its a sign something is wrong and you need to find out what and correct it. vinnigirl ps i know sometimes slimshot works for me; I only do it once in a while.
   — vinnigirl

November 20, 2008
I had my RNY in July. I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and my Rheumatologist wanted me to take Glucosamine/Chondroiton supplements. I checked with my Surgeon and he said it was fine. When I was about 4-6 weeks out I had some worse than usual apin and I too was told it is becasue of the shift in the way we carry our weight. It was ok after a couple of weeks. I have now lost 83 Lbs and my pain has decreased significantly in my lower back. My Arthritis is really flaring up now that is getting damp and cold here in Mississippi so I have been given Sulfasalazine to take in addition to my Enbrel injections. I know my pain would be way worse had I not had this surgery and lost some weight, so hang in there! Life is only gonna get better!! In the last few weeks I have been to Alaska and hiked up mountains and glaciers, and I am going to Disnayworld next week. This is a whole new me!! My family is still trying to get used to it!! Congratulations and good luck!!
   — im3d2