I would like to hear from sleeve patients that have degenerative arthritis and/or fibromyalgia about your results post sleeve. Do you feel better in reference to your joint pain? I know there is no specific [scientific] evidence that WLS results in reduction of fibro symptoms, but sometimes real people might disagree in what is or is not published in a medical journal. Surely the weight loss contributes to much less pain from degenerative arthritis though. Please share your story with me.

I also have DDD from L4-S1. I gained so much weight from steroid injections and lack of exercise from chronic pain. At age 30, I decided to take the risk and had gastric sleeve on 10-23-14. Since surgery I've had terrible achy leg pain on both legs. That keep me up at night. I try resting. Exercising. But no relief except from oxycodone for a couple hours. I too hope the weight loss helps with the pain and slows down the degeneration. Thanks for this post. I feel better that I'm not alone.

@@funcatch I wonder if the pain is your body adjusting to the weight loss? I've heard that sometimes when arthritic patients lose weight, it can actually get a little worse before it gets better.

@"bobbyswife": I hope this is the case. I've asked my PCP, pain dr, and surgeon and no one knows why. My labs are normal. I'm hoping it's my body adjusting to the weight loss and it will resolve soon. I'm restarting my high dose vitamin D since I had to wait 4 wks post surgery. I'm hoping that will help. Thanks for the support.

Edited November 19, 201411 yr by funcatch

I had surgery the end of August and have had fibro for 13 years. I didn't have a flare after surgery which was awesome. I have only had one episode that has knocked me for a loop and that has been in the last 2 weeks. I no longer have knee or foot pain at all. Neck, shoulders and sometimes ribs hurt but rarely do I have to take additional meds. I have lost 60lbs so far and am so happy to have some relief. I still take my 2 rx that I have been on for years and wonder if I will ever be able to stop. I wish you all the best and that you have the same good outcome I did.

I do not have fibro, but over the last year was suffering with sporadic arthritic inflammation.

1 week post surgery I did have a 5 alarm flair up, was bed ridden, could not sleep or even think. When I had my blood work done my inflammation was at 119, the norm should be below 30.

The Sleeve Surgery part was a breeze. And once I went back on meds the inflammation went down ( not gone yet) I was finally diagnosed with RA and also my uric acid is at 11 from the high Protein diet.

I'm now 8 weeks post op. I'm down 42 lbs, able to walk again and exercise mildly. I have been in a stall for 2 weeks????

Just my current weight loss has giving me more energy and renewed hope. Still have 80lbs to go, but no regrets here????

I am so glad I found this post! I also have Fibro and was wondering how others did after VSG. I too, am expecting a full on flare after surgery. To be honest, I couldn't imagine NOT having a flare. Would love to have fellow fibromite buddies to bounce experiences off of.

I am a week away from my date of December 3rd and am sure I'll have tons of questions.

I have fibro and neuropathy..along with several other non muscular illnesses...i had my surgery Sept 23. 2014 have lost 50 lbs to date.. i have reduced my pain meds some but still have my flares.. one thing is the fibro fog..seems worse post sleeve...

Edited November 29, 201411 yr by Momma_D

^{I have knee arthritis. I actually had a total knee replacement on Sept 22 and was sleeved on Oct 14. I'm having complications with the knee, so I am not painfree yet, but hopefully soon (infection and range of motion problems).}

^{My hope is that by dropping my extra weight, my new knee will last longer (I need it to last as long as possible since I'm only 38). My only issue is pain control in these post op times and wtth some of the intensive physical therapy I'm doing. I can't use anything aniti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, Mobic, Celebrex) and anything extended release is also out of the question. So I've been left with taking Tylenol and other narcotics every 4-6 hours. I am finding that they don't last as long as they used to...not sure if it is because they pass through my sleeve that much faster or if I'm having some tolerance built up or both.}

^{If anyone else has some helpful pain relief tips...I'll take them!~ Yep--doing ice heat elevation...}

^{Tomorrow I'm having a manipulation under anesthesia....where they crunch the scar tissue by bending the knee as far as it can...tomorrow night should be interesting!!}

Oh yikes @@Iowa_summergirl I will keep you in my thoughts!

^{I have knee arthritis. I actually had a total knee replacement on Sept 22 and was sleeved on Oct 14. I'm having complications with the knee, so I am not painfree yet, but hopefully soon (infection and range of motion problems).}

^{My hope is that by dropping my extra weight, my new knee will last longer (I need it to last as long as possible since I'm only 38). My only issue is pain control in these post op times and wtth some of the intensive physical therapy I'm doing. I can't use anything aniti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, Mobic, Celebrex) and anything extended release is also out of the question. So I've been left with taking Tylenol and other narcotics every 4-6 hours. I am finding that they don't last as long as they used to...not sure if it is because they pass through my sleeve that much faster or if I'm having some tolerance built up or both.}

^{If anyone else has some helpful pain relief tips...I'll take them!~ Yep--doing ice heat elevation...}

^{Tomorrow I'm having a manipulation under anesthesia....where they crunch the scar tissue by bending the knee as far as it can...tomorrow night should be interesting!!}

Hope you are recovering well! It sounds painful.

I have been in pain with RA flare ups since surgery. I have just gone to bed early most nights to take the pressure off my joints. Ice, heat, Tylenol and sleep are my new best friends!

I have fibro and neuropathy..along with several other non muscular illnesses...i had my surgery Sept 23. 2014 have lost 50 lbs to date.. i have reduced my pain meds some but still have my flares.. one thing is the fibro fog..seems worse post sleeve...

Great job on the weight loss!! I would agree that the fibro fog seems worse after the sleeve. But I still think everything will improve over time.

Hi all.... Wondering if any of you had your gallbladder out after the sleeve? I am having my gallbladder out on Dec. 23. All of the tests came back normal but I have such intense nausea that I am still not really eating anything and I am almost 12 weeks post op at this time. We believe the bile from the gallbladder is refluxing back into my stomach. My surgeon would like to see me eating something at this point. So we are taking it out to see if it will take care of the nausea. Hope so!!

Hi all.... Wondering if any of you had your gallbladder out after the sleeve? I am having my gallbladder out on Dec. 23. All of the tests came back normal but I have such intense nausea that I am still not really eating anything and I am almost 12 weeks post op at this time. We believe the bile from the gallbladder is refluxing back into my stomach. My surgeon would like to see me eating something at this point. So we are taking it out to see if it will take care of the nausea. Hope so!!

luckily i had mine out before surgery

You won't miss it. I had mine out in 1973, back when they still cut you half in two. I was in the hospital for eleven days. Now they do it laparascopically, sometimes as an outpatient. Your body can function without it, and if it is not the cause of this particular problem, at least it won't be its own problem in the future.

Do any of you have issues with your medications wearing off too quickly? I had total knee on 9/11, sleeve on 10/14, had my knee incision cleaned out for infection on 11/10, and had to have a knee joint manipulation on 12/2. So my pain has been pretty much constant and at times unmanageable. I have been on Norco throughout all my surgeries and some Tramadol and Tylenol too. Really missing the non-steroidals for the joints. But now I take my pain med (either narcotic or regular Tylenol) and it seems like two hours later it is like I have nothing in my system. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Trying to be back at work full time (on my feet) and it isn't going well, plus I'm in therapy for an hour 5x weekly.