Over the counter medications help!

[Nikki Monroe 71]

I'm reading over a sleeve manual provided by my doctors office and I noticed there was a list of unsafe OTC meds that it says I can not longer take. Is this a permanent thing or a temporary thing? My concern is really the anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen and aleve and Naproxen. Anyone have any info on this? I'll attach pictures as well. 

[pattimomof3nj 21]

HHMM. I still take Advil... Tylenol does not work for me. But I must say that I only take Advil once in a while. most of the pain meds I take for my Migraines are prescription.

[JamieLogical 8,710]

You aren't supposed to take NSAIDs post sleeve or RNY because they can cause stomach bleeds and ulcers. You will need to talk to your surgeon and PCP about alternatives if you need to take anti-inflammatories regularly.

I think they are probably okay to take rarely for a headache or a strained muscle or whatever, but if you need to be on them daily for a chronic condition, you will definitely need a safe alternative.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Your doc's instructions should be clarified with YOUR doc.

However, here's how my doc explained it. (And please know that docs' instructions vary considerably, person to person!)

Definitely no more NSAIDs (Aleve, Ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.) for X weeks prior to surgery. They want to minimize the chance of too much bleeding during surgery.

And post-op, no more NSAIDs on a daily basis. If you need an NSAID rarely, that's fine. But no more Aleve, ibuprofen, etc. the way I used to use it -- daily for decades. The reason is because NSAIDs are rough on our stomachs, which we have a lot less of, so we all want to protect our smaller tummies for the rest of our lives. BTW, even NSAIDs given intravenously are rough on our stomachs (Google is your friend).

Here's the good news: If you lose all your weight and maintain it you will surely not need those kinds of OTC meds on a daily basis anymore. Several months prior to surgery I took 2 Aleve daily and had done so for decades. Yes, my knees hurt for a few weeks. But as I lost weight gradually pre-op and then much faster post-op, my knees stopped hurting at all.

I went on a long hike last Sunday, and Monday morning when I got up my knees did twinge. But within 24 hours I was fine again.

And at age 69, I'm no longer planning on having knee replacement surgery.

[NikkiDoc 312]

My doctor's plan is no NSAIDs ever. I can take Tylenol. However he did approve the low dose of Celebrex as the Cox-2 inhibitor is easier on the GI system. There was one time I took one Advil PM since I really needed to get some sleep and that was all I had. I figured 1 pill 1 time was not going to hurt. I was not on the Celebrex at the time. You are not supposed to stack NSAIDs with Celebrex anyway.

[Nikki Monroe 71]

HHMM. I still take Advil... Tylenol does not work for me. But I must say that I only take Advil once in a while. most of the pain meds I take for my Migraines are prescription.

thats what I was thinking about too. I have migraines as well.

[Nikki Monroe 71]

Your doc's instructions should be clarified with YOUR doc.

However, here's how my doc explained it. (And please know that docs' instructions vary considerably, person to person!)

Definitely no more NSAIDs (Aleve, Ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.) for X weeks prior to surgery. They want to minimize the chance of too much bleeding during surgery.

And post-op, no more NSAIDs on a daily basis. If you need an NSAID rarely, that's fine. But no more Aleve, ibuprofen, etc. the way I used to use it -- daily for decades. The reason is because NSAIDs are rough on our stomachs, which we have a lot less of, so we all want to protect our smaller tummies for the rest of our lives. BTW, even NSAIDs given intravenously are rough on our stomachs (Google is your friend).

Here's the good news: If you lose all your weight and maintain it you will surely not need those kinds of OTC meds on a daily basis anymore. Several months prior to surgery I took 2 Aleve daily and had done so for decades. Yes, my knees hurt for a few weeks. But as I lost weight gradually pre-op and then much faster post-op, my knees stopped hurting at all.

I went on a long hike last Sunday, and Monday morning when I got up my knees did twinge. But within 24 hours I was fine again.

And at age 69, I'm no longer planning on having knee replacement surgery.

I had ACL surgery a couple of years ago and sometime my knee swells on me and I take naproxen to help with that but it's not everyday or even every other day. Of course I'm going to talk to my doctor about it but just looking for opinions on the subject matter. I'm hoping for less knee pain as well once this weight comes off! Can't wait!

Edited August 4, 2015 by Nikki Monroe