never NSAIDS again?

Was talking to hubby because I have started using this cream to help my aching knees and elbows, and I told him I won't be able to use it after surgery.  He was thinking it would be for just a certain amount of time.  But we can never use nsaid products after, right?

not orally. I'm not entirely sure if you can use the rub on creams. check with the surgeon, for sure.


the reason is because those drugs are so hard on your stomach, and you have so much less stomach, that there's more likely to be damage. They could still use nsaids in an emergency situaion, when the benefits outweigh the risk.

I thought it had more to do with the risk of ulcers in the remnant stomach which are very hard to detect and treat? Ulcers happen in the pouch all the time and they can be detected and treated pretty easily, though it of course is not fun.

Can we not use a cream?  I thought it was only nsaids that we swallow?

Some of the bariatric surgeons have said that an NSAID cream is ok if there is no other appropriate treatment, though I imagine you would be advised to avoid them if you have or have had ulcers. The NSAIDs absorbed through the skin will still travel to the pouch and remnant stomach via the blood stream. The concentration is just way lower than NSAIDs taken orally.

On the cream it says to avoid if you have a problem with ulcers.

But there is such a thing as a skin ulcer so that may be what that was referring to.

I am allowed Nsaids with my surgery but my pharmacist told me that the creams work very similar to anything taken orally.  I had been on Voltaren for a wrecked knee but after 3 days I was bent over in pain in my abdomen and had to stop taking them.  I was going to buy the Voltaren cream to rub on it and he told me that the cream still enters the blood stream and could easily bother my stomach in the same way as the pills did.  I'd definitely discuss the use of the creams with your surgeon and/or pharmacist to get their opinion on the subject.

Thank you Tracy, that is the cream I am using.  I haven't had the surgery yet.  But was thinking far ahead.
So what can you do for your knees then?

I take other Nsaids and now use Pennsaid drops.  I can still take them as I have a band not RNY.