Near death experience.

OMG Josie, I am so grateful you made it through this!!  I had to hit ER a couple weeks ago and was soooo lucky my nurse was an RNY patient 2 years out and she was most careful in making sure my meds were okay to take. Wow, what a story!!

I wear a medic allert bracelet just for that reason. The first thing on it is NO NSAIDS...Just in case I come in from a car crash and can't speak for myself...

Time out, Kings X, and Tickalock. What's the deal with anti-inflamatories? Cause I'm 4.5 months post op and my knee just recently started tightening up on me again and I decided I'd take some left over anti-inflamatories that were prescribed to me the last time my knee acted up. The medicine is called 'Mobic' and today was the third day I've taken it. Am I putting myself at some sort of risk? What is going on physiologically that makes them dangerous?

Um, call your RNY surgeon at your earliest convenience. Mobic is the tradename for a NSAID known as meloxicam.  It's been for sale in the US since the year 2000, though it's been around in Europe and Asia for much longer. Meloxicam predated the development and deployment of the so-called "COX-2 selective" NSAIDs such as Celebrex and Vioxx.  However, it's been found that meloxicam is also relatively selective for the COX-2 enzyme, though not as much as Celebrex and other -coxib drugs (Celebrex is the only -coxib drug left on the US market.)  COX-2 selectivity *tends to predict* (but doesn't guarantee) that a NSAID might cause less stomach upset/irritation than traditional NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen.  On the other hand, COX-2 selectivity may bring its own cardiovascular risks unrelated to RNY and NSAID use (that's why Vioxx was taken off the worldwide market).   The whose issue of COX-2 and NSAID risks is still a swamp, and can't be summarized here easily. Traditional NSAIDs inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 equally; inhibiting COX-1 tends to reduce the stomach's production of protective mucus.  Without as much protective mucus, you can develop erosions and ulcers in the old stomach, in the pouch, in the duodenum (immediately downstream from your old stomach), and around the two anastomoses.  RNYers are even more susceptible to GI risks than normal people because of our rearranged anatomy. I'd raise this issue with both the surgeon who performed your RNY AND with the doctor who prescribed you the Mobic in the first place.  I wouldn't assume that Mobic was any safer than taking the OTC NSAIDs Motrin IB or Aleve as far as the risk of ulcers or GI bleeding is concerned.  This is not to say that you need to get excessively worried about having damaged yourself, but I would get some informed advice from the professionals who are treating you. Good luck! /Steve

Thanks for the info. I went to webmd after I posted above and educated myself about these types of drugs. The Mobic I've been taking was prescribed pre-op to relieve the swelling from my knee. I only took it about a week and it worked wonders. I had about 7-8 tablets left over. I'll not be taking anymore without getting the green light from my barriatric surgeon. Thanks again.

NSAIDS increase our risk of having gastric ulcers.