Did you select your WLS based on your fibromyalgia?

Hi Pie, I posted to this in a new thread..  Amy

Thanks, Amy, for getting this board up and running! I was diagnosed with fibro about 2 years ago and it has been challenging, especially with respect to my job.  Some days were so hard to get out of bed after not being able to sleep and from the pain.  My doc prescribed nortryptiline and sleep is better, as well as less pain.  I definitely think fibro has something to do with the weather!  And, probably the weight.  I am hoping it gets better as I loose weight.  I'm having the RNY/lap on 7/10 and can't wait.  If you have the reference for the info on the relationship between weight and fibro, I'd appreciate it as well.  Again, thanks for starting this MB.  Take care, Jean

I had an open RNY on 11-14-06 and am down 121 pounds.  I chose RNY because I wanted to loose weight faster and I was a little put off by the port in lapband and it turns out if I would of chosen Lapband I would of had to wait until January when my surgeon had done  50 surgeries for my insurance to cover it. I think the first 6 months I had virtually no pain from my fibro except right before my period and my one leg still bothers me.  Now the last 2 days I had one of the worst flair-ups I have ever had.  I can't take Ultram because I am taking Flexeral and Amitriptilyn.  So my doctor gave me some Tylenol 3 which doesn't do to much for my pain either.  I took some vicadin I had left over and that didn't touch the pain either.  I am a little better today.  I do take an Aqua Jogging class and if I get my 3 workouts a week that seem to help my pain.   Overall I feel so much better that I believe this was one of the best things I've ever done.  Thanks so much for getting this forum going. Deb

I am getting the band.  I have some worries related to the fibro, but I know mostly my fibro pain has increased as my weight has gone up.  I worry a lot about malabsorption related to the fibro, esp. in terms of what it might mean for pain meds and such, so this was part of the reason I am not doing RNY.  I am sorry you are still having pain.  :(  I hope you are able to find a fix. When I was researching, I found hardly nothing related to fibro+WLS, so happy to have stumbled across this forum.  I found one site that said WLS was not recomended for people with fibro, but it seemed like a random unsupported comment. Melanie

Hi Melanie, There really hasn't been much study done on how the WLS actually affects the fibro. I have only seen one study done that has dealt with the subject. I think I posted a link to it in a previous post.  The study suggests that the symptoms improve with the loss of weight. Well, losing weight never hurts anyone. Don't take that out of context though.. It hurts cause everything hurts fibro people. What I mean is it isn't a bad thing to lose the weight. I have never heard anyone say.. well you need to keep on this extra two hundred pounds. You will do so much better carrying around the weight of a baby elephant! Ya get my point? Good luck on getting the band and I hope you have much success with it! Amy