I’m interested to hear, from those of you who have RA, (a) did you have to stop taking the medication before, during and/or after the surgery, and on whose advice - rheumatologist or surgeon; and (:thumbup: has the RA improved or worsened since surgery?

I am on methotrexate and prednisone (steroids), plus sleeping tablets to help me sleep through the pain at night, and find if I don’t take my medication at about the same time every day, within a couple of hours I am in considerable pain - so I am not looking forward to a few days (?) without the medication, if that is what it takes.

I realise these are questions I should really be asking my rheumatologist and the WLS surgeon, but I now live in France and, although my understanding of French is reasonable, putting these questions is a bit beyond me!

I see the surgeon on Thursday morning, and knowing what the French health system is like, I’ll probably be banded within a matter of days, or a couple of weeks - they don’t hang about here!

I have RA, but I am pre-op so I can't answer all your questions. I take 2.5mg of prednisone and have remicade infusions. I was on Daypro (an NSAID) but I went off of it because my doctor asked e to try. I can tell you that I have received a mixed response from RA patients that have had the surgery... so say it helped so say it hasn't. A few told me they had bad flair ups right after the surgery.

Some doctors have an issue doing the lap band for someone that has been on long term steroids... but mine didn't have a problem.

Good luck

1000Words, thanks for your reply - I guess I'll have to try my elementary French out on Thursday when I see the surgeon, obviously each surgeon is slightly different in their approach.

Liza

I have RA and take prednisone, methotrexate, enbril and alleve. I'm just starting to look into the lapband procedure. It scares the crap out of me. Not having it also scares the crap out of me. I'm not sure how old your post is. Did you have your surgery? And how did it affect your RA? Did you have to go off your meds before hand? What about afterwards? Any insight would be so appreciated!

I had my surgery on September 9. Last year at this time I was on 10 mg of prednisone, 1200mg Daypro, and my remicade infusions. After I started the low-carb pre-op diet and losing about 20 lbs I was able to go off the daypro and downed my prednisone to 3 mgs. I honestly think the low-carb diet helped the arthritis. NSAIDS (like daypro and Alleve), are not on the top of my doctor's list of things to take. He said if I had to take them again that I could either crush them or make sure I take it while eating, but he preferred that I didn't take it. I am not sure about methotrexate since it has been years since I have been on it, but I think I remember reading that it slows healing and may increase chances for ulcers. I am not sure about Enbrel.

My joints were fine after surgery. I didn't have any flair ups. I go to the gym regularly and I feel great. My arthritis is not stopping me from doing anything, which has not always been the case. I still do my remicade and I am continuing to taper off my prednisone.

Good luck. If you have any more questions please ask away.

Hi CherieLynne ~ no surgery yet, booked for 24th of this month ~ whoopee!! I see my rheumatologist next Thursday so will ask him (or rather will try - he's French and my command of French is not marvelous!) I'm hoping he will be able to put me straight on at least reducing meds . At the moment I have what I thought was a gout flare-up, but having changed the meds from colchicine (which didn't work) to Indometacine (Chrono-Indocid ~ a NSAID) which IS working, so maybe it is another RA flare. Hopefully all will be revealed Thursday.

1000Words ~ your results are so encouraging, congrats on a wonderful weight loss, interesting about the methotrexate slowing healing - will check that out as well.

Liza in wild, windy, wet western France...