Fibro: wls for pain management

Hi, I am new to OH. I am here because I went to my doctor because I can no longer cope with my pain. I have had FMS since I was a teen, and am 32 now. I have never taken meds for pain management and wanted to give them a try. Instead of looking at medicinal options my doc pounced on the "you are too fat" band wagon and told me to start considering wls. I mentioned that my pain and fatigue levels leave me unable to exercise (I am essentially disabled) I can barely do anything anymore. So the doc says wls will increase my energy and reduce my pain. Since my BMI is 43, I think he has a point to some extent, but, how much? I am guessing my knees would hurt less if I weight less, and it would take less energy to move around a body that is 100 pounds slimmer, but, wls for fibro? It just seems off to me. I am not finding any solid evidence that weight loss improves fibro. It'll help my other co-morbids, but I am having serious doubts that this is my most pressing concern. To make matters worse, my insurance will not cover treatment in the pain clinic, but will cover RNY, and potentially the follow up plastics. Additionally, a part of wls success depends on exercising. If I could exercise through my fibro, I would do it now. Why should I think that my ability would improve post-op? Has anyone else's? Any insight is welcome, I feel like I am losing my mind. -Areli

Personally weight loss has done nothing to help my fibro pain. Fibro is in the muscles so I don't think wls will do much for it. That being said wls will improve joint pain and give you more energy. I recently started going to a fitness center and just walk on the tread mill or ride the bike and it hurts like heck but I'm getting more energy. I think most of us end up needing medication to relieve the pain. Have you tried Lyrica? It worked great for pain but made me gain weight so I stopped it (gradually, don't just quit cold turkey) I take a small dose of oxycodone for a degenerative back so that takes care of most of my fibro pain too, but there are lots of other pain meds for fibro. You may want to see a rheumatologist because they deal with fibro specifically where a PCP doesn't. So to sum it up wls won't help the pain but it will improve the rest of your life! Good luck.

Thank you for your feedback! That about sums up what I had assumed, but it's nice to have a bit of confirmation. I am hoping that with WLS I will have more energy and that exercise will be come more of an option for me. Increased energy, even a little would really be nice.

My gastric byass has not helped my fibro at all. The only type of excerise I can do is water aerobic's. I have my own pool and 2 big pools at our community center, I would try to join the YMCA or your local gym with a pool. I have severe osteoarthitis of both knees and my orhtpedic doctor said he will not replace them till I loose another 100 pounds. I would try the least severve of wls maybe the lap band. I reccomend seeing a wls surgeon. This is just my opinion.

I  too am 32 and have fibro.  I am working on getting the gastric bypass and I always wondered if my Fibro pains would lessen.  I know tons of thin people with fibro so I know it wont go away.

I actually wasn't diagnosed with Fibro until after my WLS. I was told that the surgery has made it worse in a lot of his patients. The only thing he could think of was because we weren't feeding the muscles the same as before. I wish I had a better answer for this.

Hey Silkie I had Dr. Dally too, isn't he just the best?!

Dr. Dally is great!

I am approved for gastric bypass and hope to have it in August.  I am worried about making my fibro worse though.  I do think it will help other things though like my back pain and I'll feel better.  I haven't found much info on this subject and no one really knows what to expect in regards to my fibro.

Staying active is something that helps Fibro the most. As long as you take advantage of that ability to have more energy and be more active you will be fine.  I was still exhausted all of the time and couldn't get the energy back to keep me going. I also did not lose the weight I was supposed to. With me, they blamed everything I felt on all the weight I carried around with me and that was not the cause. It is now getting diagnosed and finding ways for me to get some energy. Excercise is truely the key in everything. Remember that is a huge part of everything.