Pain

[missyinacage]

You are 100% correct about most doctors' inability to look beyond the weight for cause. It is so much more difficult to get taken seriously when you are heavy, because every answer is "lose the weight".

 

[DQDenyse]

I a so sorry to hear it. I am 5 weeks post op. I have suffered with fibromyalgia and arthritis for over 15 years. Not being able to take anti inflammatories any longer is brutal. I cover myself with pain relief creams and rotate ice and heat packs between offending body parts constantly. I hope you find some relief.

 

[3momchaos]

I a so sorry to hear it. I am 5 weeks post op. I have suffered with fibromyalgia and arthritis for over 15 years. Not being able to take anti inflammatories any longer is brutal. I cover myself with pain relief creams and rotate ice and heat packs between offending body parts constantly. I hope you find some relief.

Thank you! The medication I started has begun to help a little. I’m being careful not to push myself like I usually do.

 

[KarenWV]

I a so sorry to hear it. I am 5 weeks post op. I have suffered with fibromyalgia and arthritis for over 15 years. Not being able to take anti inflammatories any longer is brutal. I cover myself with pain relief creams and rotate ice and heat packs between offending body parts constantly. I hope you find some relief.

Could you talk to your bariatric team and/or pcp to find alternate treatments that don't involve anti inflammatory meds? I hope something will bring you some relief. Good luck.

 

[3momchaos]

I’m taking cymbalta, and I checked with my bariatric team before starting it even though my PCP told me it’s safe. I always check with my bariatric team before taking any new meds, even over the counter. Better safe than sorry.

 

[eladams2015]

I have fibromyalgia and did long before any of my surgeries. Not only can any sort of trauma set it off, if you have it already, it can set off flares. So that being an issue is definitely possible. Usually, losing weight is helpful - I know my symptoms are much more manageable since losing the weight. Apart from that, if you think about all the changes to your body as you lose weight - shifting center of gravity because your body holds itself differently etc - it totally makes sense that you would have some pain as it gets used to the changes. Even if you are changing for the better, it is still going to pull on muscles and joints. I have had my back go out before as my hip joints adjusted and had some sciatica issues here and there. They improve over time, and using a chiropractor, massage and just working on strengthening the muscles in those areas has helped tremendously.

 

[JudyNY]

I am glad the Cymbalta is helping (as I read in another thread). I find my fibromyalgia comes and goes and is very much aggravated by stress, whether emotional or physical stress to the body. I also find that it helps if I find a balance with movement. Overdo, and I pay for it. Don't do enough and in pain? Gentle movement helps. For a long time fibromyalgia symptoms were dismissed as psychosomatic, so at least there is improvement there. But I know what you mean 3mom, that they are quick to blame the scale.

 

[MsShayMoore]

I don’t want anyone presurgical to get discouraged by what I’ve got to say here because this is a personal experience.
I’ve been pretty much weight stable for 2 months, lost almost 130lbs from my first appointment at my surgical center, almost 110 since surgery 10/26/2020. These are amazing numbers, it wasn’t easy, and I’m proud of that. But, I am in more pain now than I was preop. I started seeing a chiropractor a few months ago to see if that would help. It has not, and the temperatures in St.Louis fluctuating so much isn’t helping.
My hips, knees, back, even my elbows right now are hurting. Tylenol only does so much. I was sleeping really well for the first 8 months post op, but now I wake up with pain frequently. I can’t sleep on my stomach because any pressure on my knees is excruciating. I can’t sleep on my left side because my hip starts screaming.
Im not sure if I should talk to my surgeons office or general practitioner about all this. My thyroid levels are finally in a good place, so I know it’s not that. Im getting my protein and water, so I know it’s not that either. It’s really starting to bring me down. I definitely didn’t anticipate my pain levels getting worse after surgery. Maybe my joints were more foregone than I knew, but at 39 years old, I’m not getting any joint replacements because I’ll end up needing revision surgery in another 20 or so years. It’s just really frustrating.
View attachment 4889

Oh no I really hate your going through this. Maybe your doctor can prescribe you something other than Tylenol