Rachel412 #1

[Rachel412]

My knees hurt a lot due to osteoarthritis. At this point I've lost 30 pounds. I was on Meloxicam before surgery, but it's an NSAID so I stopped taking it and haven't replaced it with anything else. When I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the fall, my doctor talked to me about getting banded and was saying that every pound I lost was 6 pounds off my knees, so I really was thinking that once the weight started to come off my knees and joints would feel better. But... not so much!

So. Anyone have any BTDT? I'm very happy with my weight loss, I was just hoping to be in less pain by now.

[Phranp]

Rachel412, on May 6, 2011 - 7:46 AM, said:

My knees hurt a lot due to osteoarthritis. At this point I've lost 30 pounds. I was on Meloxicam before surgery, but it's an NSAID so I stopped taking it and haven't replaced it with anything else. When I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the fall, my doctor talked to me about getting banded and was saying that every pound I lost was 6 pounds off my knees, so I really was thinking that once the weight started to come off my knees and joints would feel better. But... not so much!

So. Anyone have any BTDT? I'm very happy with my weight loss, I was just hoping to be in less pain by now.

My doc told me that I have arthritis in my knees as well. I think it was at 50 lbs lost that I felt a noticeable difference when walking. I now walk 2.5 files every morning before work. I had my first physical therapy appointment last Friday. I have arthritis of the spine (spinal stenosis, also fusion surgery on L3, L4, L5 in 2004), as well as other areas. I take Tylenol arthritis, which is not great, but helps a little with the pain. My back is a lot stronger since I started walking regularly. My knees rarely bother me anymore.

Hope yours gets better soon.

~Fran

[TKW]

I had a knee that killed me and a hip the pounded all night everynight. Don't remember when I noticed the hip hurting less, but it rarely bothers me now, only if I have been on my feet ALL day, then it will ache at night but a couple of tylenol will take care of it.

As for my knee, one day I came home from the gym sat down on the couch and went to put my feet up and kind of winced because that is what i was used too and it was like BAM! My knee doesn't hurt at all???? When the heck did that happen. Hasn't bothered me once minute since.

I think I was about 80 pound lost when I noticed a considerable difference, not that that has any bearing on when your pain will let up.

Keep plugging away, you're doing great and hopefully you will start noticing some relief soon.

Good Luck

(to my knowledge, my pain was not arthritis)

[Rachel412]

Thank you all! Glad to see that I'm not crazy in hoping the pain will lessen once I weigh less. I do take glucosamine and chondroitin- they make a big difference for me. One of those things that you think is ridiculous but after a couple of weeks you notice you're not cracking and popping so much

[ElfiePoo]

I have arthritis in my right knee, right hip and in my hands and found that going low carb relieved a lot of the pain. So I wasn't surprised to find this:

"Harvard Medical School researchers have determined that in certain individuals, the body's natural response to carbohydrates can trigger the immune system. The immune system thereafter attacks the joints, which can result in arthritis. Thus, limiting carbohydrate consumption may alleviate arthritis pain."

I've heard from others that just eliminating processed carbs (breads, pasta, etc.), not necessarily going low carb, helped with their arthritis.

.

[54Shirley]

I had extremely bad OA. in both knees. I use to take Osteo Bi-Flex for it, it took about 3 weeks, and it felt like my joints were oiled, they moved ! They were getting really stiff, not to mention they hurt like hell. I went to a Orthopedic Surgeon, and he said my knees were shot, (WHICH I NEW) and I would have to have Bariatric Surgery, and loose 100lbs. before he'd touched me. (INSURANCE IN HIS OPINION, SO I WOULD NOT REGAIN ALL MY WEIGHT. YEAGH RIGHT !)
I said that's it? Yep ! Come back n a year. I said I'll see you when it comes off.

I lost 100lbs., went back to him, and he started to replace my knees, Right one first. They were bone on bone, and literally starting to have holes in the knee. I asked if I had bone cancer, and he said NO your weight wore them out. So for some people if it gets to this stage, I wouldn't be surprised.
I wish you all luck, and good health.
But both mine are replaced, I walk unassisted, and am pain free.

Shirley.

[MarieC]

Hi There,
I am new on this site and considering having surgery next month. I have terrible hip pain from arthritis and I'm only 46. That is one of my big motivators for the surgery. I saw that you have lost 30 pounds and you were just banded last month!! That is amazing!! I'm wondering why some people lose a lot at first and it sounds like others only lose a few pounds. I'm so confused!! How did you decide which doctor to use?

I hope it's okay that I ask these questions. I just feel sort of lost and am reading all I can on this site.

Thanks for any input.
Marie


Thank you all! Glad to see that I'm not crazy in hoping the pain will lessen once I weigh less. I do take glucosamine and chondroitin- they make a big difference for me. One of those things that you think is ridiculous but after a couple of weeks you notice you're not cracking and popping so much
[/quote]

[54Shirley]

MarieC Welcome aboard !

[Rachel412]

MarieC, on May 6, 2011 - 8:04 PM, said:

I saw that you have lost 30 pounds and you were just banded last month!! That is amazing!! I'm wondering why some people lose a lot at first and it sounds like others only lose a few pounds. I'm so confused!! How did you decide which doctor to use?

Hi! It's fine to ask questions. You may get more replies if you start a new thread rather than posting them in the middle of a current thread- just an FYI

30 pounds is including my pre-op diet (which was 6 months and I didn't follow too well). I lost 11 before surgery, then didn't need to do a liquid diet for the 1 or 2 pre-surgery weeks (a lot of people do, to "shrink the liver") so I've lost 19 pounds since my surgery. I think my good loss since surgery is because I am eating much fewer carbs than I was, and my portions are smaller. I'm also not snacking.

Lots of people have to do the liquid diet pre-surgery, so they drop a ton of pounds then. And all doctors are different, and give you different post-op diets to follow, so that affects your post-surgery weight loss too. I've heard so many people here say that the period right after surgery is just for healing so don't worry about losing weight, you might even gain. My doctor never said that- they didn't focus on possible loss in this period either, but I'm now following the diet I'll have to follow from here on out, even once I'm at a good fill. I just have to ignore the hunger I still feel when I feel it. Once I get to a good fill level, I'll feel satisfied after a small amount of food and that satisfaction should last 4-5 hours. Right now I do feel satisfied much sooner than I did pre-band, but I'm hungry again for 2 or 3 hours.

How did I choose a doctor? I went by the recommendation of my primary care doctor, whose sister-in-law went to the same practice and loved the team there. My best advice is to pick a surgeon who makes you comfortable, and remember that once the surgery is over the HARD work begins. You'll be in their office a lot. Aftercare is so so important.