Fibromyalgia Community

Hi, and welcome to the WebMD! As to your height and weight, I also have weighed in at almost that, and am only 5'3". I am 62.

I am very sedentary, do not work, but I do try and walk when the weather is right. Some walking would be the way to start.

I have taken many meds that say wt gain, and it usually says or loss. I tone that out, I pay attention to what I consider the extremely bad side effects.

It's like the power of suggestion, to me. Also, several on the board have lost weight, only to find that they still hurt, even in different places. I recently got to my goal on Weight watchers, and trust me, I am not in a better place with my pain levels.

Instead of looking at it as I have 40 lbs to lose, look at it in 5 lb increments. Exercise does not have to be done all at once in a day either. It can be done in 10 minute sessions if that is all you can handle. Try 3 x's a day for 30 instead of one 30 minutes. It would be a start.

Best of luck to you with your endeavors.

Hey! Welcome.....I don't believe I've seen you here before. I understand completely about the weight problem and how discouraging it can be. I'm 5'6" and have gotten down from 206 to about 166 with weight watchers. It took me about 8 mos., though. I still want to lose some more, but I'm kinda stuck right now. However, losing that 40 lbs. hasn't helped my pain level either.

I agree with Anon about the exercise suggestion. I know first-hand it really helps a lot with the weight issue, because it gets your metabolism rate going faster. But for people in pain, we have to start off slowly and gradually build up over time.

I was reading in my new fibro book about starting with 15 min., then work up to 30 within a month. That would be adding 5 min. each week. That sounds like a pretty doable task. If 15 min. are too much to start with, then try 10.

Drinking lots of water is also another helpful thing to try, along with eating lots of fruits and vegetables. I know, it's easier said than done, and right now I need to follow my own advice! I happen to love sweets too much!

Anyway, I hope some of this advice is helpful. Again, I know how frustrating it is. I've even refused to try lyrica because of the weight gain issue.

Good luck......let us know how you're doing.....Elizabeth

We are in the same boat! I too smoke a pack a day, we got the
W.I.I. thing , full of good intentions. The yoga game was good
for me until I fell in a heap on the floor! when I had recovered we
started the step up, down, and the jogging on the spot.
That machine is quite expensive and now it stands in the corner
gathering dust....

Lyrica leaves me hungry for carbs. and I about to start Cymbalta
this week. Did you have any problems with side effects with this
med? Also if you have not asked your Doctor to do a thyroid test
it might be good to get that result. A low count can help to pile on the weight.....

Sorry my writing is all over the place, Lyrica affects my brain
in some negative way's.

Good luck!!!!

Me too! (about the Lyrica). I have been on the board for a little while, just not very active.

Lyrica makes you feel drunk all day. Well it did me and I will not take something that makes me feel that way. I don't like feeling loopy all day.

Hey Celine. We also bought a Wii for my daughter for Christmas, and I am planning to borrow the Wii Fit Balance Board from my parents so I can try the yoga.
When I 1st began taking Cymbalta a year ago, the only side affects I experienced (at first) were the night sweats, and the "hot flashes" They aren't full blown hot flashes though, they only seem to affect my ears, and very rarely, a spot on my forehead. After I had been on the Cymbalta for some time, I took a trip, and didn't pack enough to last me my whole trip, and so I began to have some pretty nasty withdrawals. Constant Headache that would not be affected by even my migraine meds, there was some vomiting, and constant naseua.
When my dose was recently upped from 60mg to 120mg a day, I did see some of the original side effects return, but they were mild, and I'm confident that, like the others they will disappear with time.
I have to say that Cymbalta HAS helped me for the reasons that it was prescribed. Before going on the Cymbalta I was on Prozac. The Cymbalta has helped bring down my daily levels of pain from what they were on the Prozac. But I have gained more weight on the Cymbalta than I did on the Prozac.

Good Luck!!

Exactly! I don't want to take a medication that is going to cause me to be severely obese, when I am already trying to combat that problem from the other meds. There is also drunk/ feeling loopy part to consider. I am a full time student, and I know many of us still work, so....how are we supposed to be productive or function when were dizzy, or feel like we're all drugged up?

hi and welcome

it took me 10 yrs . 1 1/2 of that in a wheelchair and 2 yrs pretty much bed riddin by pain before i finaly got dx'ed and over that time i have gained over 150 lbs

my dr dont even try and weigh me anymore after he had to catch me when i fell backwards tryin to step up on the scale. it was only the month before he told me he was putting my name on the list for gastic by-pass surgery which there is a waithing list (not sure how long)

im still contimplateing this surgery as i already eat 80 mg of morphine /day as well as 900mg cabipentine and still feel the pain not sure i want to deal with anymore . . .

even tho this is all true i felt motivated to tell everyone this for two reasons 1 just to let you know its something to take care of before it takes surgery to fix weight gain 2 so all the ladies who are a little thicker than they would like might just feel that where they are aint so bad and maybe just smile even for a second. .

john

I'm right there with ya!!!

I smoke about a pack a day, take Ibuprophen, zoloft, b-12, trazadone at night for sleep.

I'm waiting for January 21st to see my Dr. and to see if they will finally DX me with FM and get me on the right meds.

I've gained over 30 pounds since October. I'm now 5'6" and 210 lbs. I'm the heaviest I've ever been and that doesn't help the depression factor of this horrible dx.

We're all in this together!!! Keep your chin up and keep smiling!!! We'll get though it all!!!

I second much of what everyone has already said. I'd take a look at your meds and decide if the weight gain is worth the effects. I gained 30 pounds from meds and since I wasn't getting a whole lot of improvement, I went off of them. But even after I was off the pills, I did not lose weight.

Exercise is key. I got to a point where I decided to exercise knowing full well the pain it would cause me. I decided also to use pain meds (Vicodin) to help with this pain. After at least 2 years of regular exercise, I still end up in quite a bit of pain a couple hours after. However, the exercise does help a lot with energy and it does help the pain in my neck and shoulders.

One way to really boost your metabolism and make the exercise time count is to do intervals. You can work up to these by doing 30 seconds (or less) of higher intesity exercise, then a couple minutes of regular intensity. Even health gurus say you only need 20-30 minutes of intervals to make a difference, so even 5 or 10 minutes would be good. I only use low impact machines at a gym, though. But you can do intervals with any cardio exercise, including walking and swimming.

You also might want to look into Wellbutrin (buproprion). It is an anti-depressant that is also prescribed to help people quit smoking. I think it's used under a different name for that and the dosage might be different but it also helps a lot of people lose weight. I take it for depression and have found it helps me with that and it also helps me have increased energy and focus. It also did help me lose some of the weight I had gained from other meds.

I know it's hard to exercise and there are some days I skip it. But even though it does increase my pain, I feel like it helps in so many other ways, including emotionally.

I hope you can find a solution that works for you personally!

John,

Usually do not give negative opinions but here goes..... My sister had gastric bypass many years ago. At the time she was not on a lot of meds just something for RA.

About 10 years later she was in car accident and DX with fibro and later on Lupus. She was in a lot of pain and then a lot of pain meds and Lyrica. She died, her system just shut down and she was only 50.

My Dr. helped me to understand she needed the meds just to get through the day. I will always wonder if the Gastric Bypass caused the meds to be processed different. Now mind you she had it done when it was fairly new and there were not as many experienced people around then.

Yes she was someone who needed as she fought her weight all her life. Even as teenagers if dieted together ate the same she would lose 1/2 lb to my 2 lb's.

I just hope you make sure if you need to change the meds amount after surgery???? Just my thoughts and fears.

Laura

hi laura

thank you for the info. . i have not made a decission as of yet but the med thing is just one of many questions my dw & i have come up with for the dr. . i know i would rather have (spelled wrong im sure.lol) lypo suction but they concider that cosmetic surgery so my govt health insurance wont pay for it

iv never been what you would call small 5'9" and was around 220 and shoulders a defencive lineman would be proud of . . .

john

CelineOC,

There is a 1st edition release of exercise that you don't have to use the fit board for the Wii. Go onto Best Buy's website. You can find it there. I use it without the fit board but when I am feeling good I use the board.

I don't smoke as much as everyone else but I do smoke too but I work..

B

I take gabapentin, tramadol, a special compounded cream for my hands, Lidoderm patches and Tylenol for my FM. I take 30mg of dextroamphetamine spanules, which is an extended release medication used for ADD, but I split it up into taking it 3 times a day before 3pm. Since I am still increasing my dose on gabapentin, it works a bit on my fog and CFS and keeps the weigh gain a bit at bay.