Hello. I have actulaay had the band first ( which I loved) but had an amergency removal due to injury. Then I had the sleevectomy but was not seeing results and had developed bile reflux due to my gallbladders inability to not over produce it. I was at the point where it was refluxing into my mouth and effecting my health. I now have the full Byepass which I like. I started my Journey at 4' 11" and 188 - 190 pounds and am now down to 124. I was at my goal of 115, before I got injured and lost my band. And I was as happy and healthy as I've been in my life. I gained a little back in between surgeries and was back up to 145. So I'm glad to be loosing again.

I however am a chronic pain sufferer due to many injuries, surgeries, and degenerative joint and disc issues, and that's just to name a few. I'm in pain management for my long term pain medication management, however I've noticed that after years on the same dose I suddenly developed issues with them not really working. I know far to well the new stigmatization put on people in my position. Coming from a large medical background I can understand the concerns of today and the trying to control the abuse of these medications. However what I can't get passed is the in ability for this country to not put people in a big box with a big label that says ADICT!!! It's just wrong. Nothing is black and white, there are many grey areas, especially in medicine. And these providers have forgotten that. There is a huge decline in the part of the job where you cared for the patient as an individual and not made them a file, paper, x-ray or number on a chart. And an even bigger neglect in the part where you MUST be Empathetic towards them. Now being on the patient side more often I not only see it but I experience it and feel ashamed of the way a job I once loved so much for its ability to help, has let even me down. Your guilty as soon as you mention the words or substances related to Opioids. Not all of us are abusing them. And many of us actually need them to have a quality of life.!!! I definitely didn't ask to get injured to this degree and loose my chance at the true medical career because of it, so needless to say I get very upset when I am treated this way. Ok enough of my rambling on.

My questions are regarding the malabsorption of these medications. I'm very big on reading about a medicine before I will take it and very passionate about the Barriatric process for good reason. However I'm still a bit confused re: this issue as I'm displaying the symptoms of someone who has this issue but not taken seriously. And my Pain Management Dr doesn't seam interested in what I feel either. Maybe because he/ she is jaded from the people who are abusers they can no longer or choose to no longer acknowledge me individually. There are issues with my GBP that prevent proper absorption of these meds, the studies say NOT to take long acting because of this as I have also tried and haven't worked. Yet they still insist I try yet another new one on the market. I don't want to be a guinny pig. Nor do I want to put myself through more physical and mental trauma when trying them goes south. I've tried to address the malabsorption issue and get told that I can take the new ER bye drinking the contents of the capsul??? Ok. But if I bond properly absorbe the ER, the pill form, then how do they think this will be any different. Honestly I'm at a loss and so tired of feeling like I have to defend my reasons for needing the meds. It's exhausting, embarrassing, and degrading. I also suffer from PTSD, compound trauma, ADHD, and have severe panic attacks. I however get looked at like an addict when the lac of treatment clearly aggravates the disorders. And the providers don't bother to consider my reaction for that, but instead I'm showing I stand addict behavior. Which BTW is extremely simmilar.

So how do I go about making my point and proving my legitimate issues properly? I know, at least from my research that I've done says STAY AWAY FROM LONG ACTING BECAUSE YOU WONT ABSORBE IT AND IT WONT WORK!! How do I make my point without looking like I'm attempting what that awful big labeled box for. I'm not here to blow smoke and make excuses. I'm legitimately concerned for the lac of treatment, and lac of care. But also the attac on my personal character. And that if others in my position.

Can anyone give me more information RE: this Opioid Malabsorption issue? I'd like as much facts as I can and be well informed.

4 minutes ago, Joann454 said:

So what are the ones who are honest and truly need pain medicine supposed to do?

To be honest, my heart breaks for them. Their Dr's, have to fight for them by submitting every bit of medical documentation they have. Believe it or not, those Dr's speak for the member and have been table to get PA's approved/ overturn denials. Sadly, those who abuse it, ruin it for those who need it.

do opioids like percocet or vicodin slow weight loss?

To be honest, my heart breaks for them. Their Dr's, have to fight for them by submitting every bit of medical documentation they have. Believe it or not, those Dr's speak for the member and have been table to get PA's approved/ overturn denials. Sadly, those who abuse it, ruin it for those who need it.

What a mess and how sad for those in need.

3 minutes ago, JohnnyCakes said:

do opioids like percocet or vicodin slow weight loss?

Long term use, you'll gain among other things.

Edited August 6, 20178 yr by heycrystal2052

3 minutes ago, Joann454 said:

What a mess and how sad for those in need.

I've cried w/ a patient who wasn't able to get her Fentanyl Patches, she was fighting cancer. Luckily, they overturned our denial.

I'm bone on bone in both knees and very active after 99 pounds lost. I was using multiple Vicodin 7.5/325 per day pre surgery. I take one every once in a while now after a hard night fencing to help control pain and have no problem with the standard 5/325 or 7.5/325 handling pain. I'm now almost 1 full year post VSG. I've had no absorption issues. I also take meloixicam (mobic) daily for the arthritis in my knees - its a Cox-2 inhibitor and can be tolerated where an NSAID cannot.

I'm bone on bone in both knees and very active after 99 pounds lost. I was using multiple Vicodin 7.5/325 per day pre surgery. I take one every once in a while now after a hard night fencing to help control pain and have no problem with the standard 5/325 or 7.5/325 handling pain. I'm now almost 1 full year post VSG. I've had no absorption issues. I also take meloixicam (mobic) daily for the arthritis in my knees - its a Cox-2 inhibitor and can be tolerated where an NSAID cannot.

That's interesting because meloxicam is on my "do not take" list. I am so screwed because I'm also on xarelto (blood thinner) and the only pain medicine I can take is Tylenol or Tylenol combined with a narcotic. Aleve was my "go to" before.

I'm 6 years out from treatment after a high grade, Stage IIIC, hormone positive BC. I had 3 recon surgeries after the treatments and the first surgery, a double mast/1st recon. I have excruciating neuropathy about 9inches wide almost 360 degrees around my chest and neuropathy in both feet from hand-foot syndrome during chemo. The neuro drugs don't touch the pain. I also have some bone changes in my spine and hip that add to that pain load--so sleeping for longer than 2 hours in any other position is impossible--and I have to sleep in a reclining chair.

I do have a script for Norco and muscle relaxants and I guard them like a demon. I ration when I take one of them because I know it costs my PCP plenty to prescribe them--so I try to keep it to 1 script per year. I have to be at an 11 (cuz you know...my amps go up to 11--thanks Spinal Tap) before I take one because: 1.) I know they are rarer than hen's teeth and there might come a day when I will need them worse than today. 2.) They make me gain 5 pounds of fluid overnight.

I resist going the pain manager route because I don't want to be on drugs like Celebrex or Lyrica that also have weight gain as a side effect. Mostly I don't want to be on daily pain pills, nor do I want to surrender autonomy (the right to take a pain pill ONLY when I need one) for a pain script. I also don't want the stigma attached to being a patient seen by a PMC.

I see both sides of the argument and am sympathetic to both the prescriber and the patient. I also understand how easy it could be to become an addict (and that by nature of the addiction, addicts will lie and might sell their grandmother for a fix). It sucks that a few bad apples spoil the pie and make everyone's position so difficult.

Sorry you're experiencing such difficulties. Pain and quality of life--man--it's a fargin' marathon. I look ahead at a life expectancy for me and sometimes get super sad, because no way do I want to live endure 25-30 more years in this pain-filled world. I'm shooting the dice and optimistic that losing weight down to a normal BMI might help my pain/recurrence experience.

Edited August 7, 20178 yr by FluffyChix

Sorry to interupt. Will morphine cause weight gain? I am prescribed the oral liquid to have at home.

I already expect weight gain due to epidural steriod injections, but do not know what to expect from morphine.

Op sorry for the issues your having.

I didn't gain any weight during the few weeks I had to take opioids. I don't know about long term effects though.

2 hours ago, dreamingsmall said:

Sorry to interupt. Will morphine cause weight gain? I am prescribed the oral liquid to have at home.

morphine will probably hinder your weight loss efforts LESS than Vicodin/Percocet, because there is no acetametaphin in it.

from a study on the LiverTox website:

"There have been no convincing cases of idiosyncratic acute, clinically apparent liver injury attributed to morphine. Morphine and other opiates have little hepatic metabolism and they are generally excreted unchanged in the urine, perhaps accounting for their relative lack of hepatotoxicity."

the weight gain (or slowing of weight loss) from Vicodin/Percocet comes because the liver has to process all that acetametophin. if your liver is doing that, it can't process your food and your body fat. it slows the whole works down. your liver needs to be at optimal performance for optimal weight loss.

The weight gain is said to be for the long-term users. Unless it's a "end of life/cancer " issue and w/ seeing the impact opioids is now having, I'd rather not see it used long term.

11 minutes ago, JohnnyCakes said:

morphine will probably hinder your weight loss efforts LESS than Vicodin/Percocet, because there is no acetametaphin in it.

from a study on the LiverTox website:

"There have been no convincing cases of idiosyncratic acute, clinically apparent liver injury attributed to morphine. Morphine and other opiates have little hepatic metabolism and they are generally excreted unchanged in the urine, perhaps accounting for their relative lack of hepatotoxicity."

the weight gain (or slowing of weight loss) from Vicodin/Percocet comes because the liver has to process all that acetametophin. if your liver is doing that, it can't process your food and your body fat. it slows the whole works down. your liver needs to be at optimal performance for optimal weight loss.

Thank you for explaining I have other forms of of pain managment that involve going into surgery for day case procedures, but post sleeve, I have had one procedure done and was in a few days needing fluids as i was so sick after!

Thanks for explaining its good to understand abit more about it!

There have been a lot of studies that show opioids suck for chronic pain management. I was on pain meds for 9 years after a double fusion + ankylosing spondylitis and quit them all in December. My sister got put on patches, went to heroin and died within a year. Personally, exercise has greatly helped me pain, so has just learning to cope with always being in a little pain. I'm definitely NOT saying exercise is a cure for everyone. I'm still in pain every day.

My post either deleted or posted before I was finished.

Depending on where you live, I'd try marijuana before continuing on opioids. As I mentioned (or tried to) studies don't support long-term use for chronic pain and you gain tolerance. With marijuana you can get pain treating CBD without the mind altering THC.