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Posted 8/6/2012 9:33 AM (GMT -5)
Does being overweight have any bearing on my FMS Pain??

~Kathy
Posted 8/6/2012 9:35 AM (GMT -5)
I have heard it makes it worse, but I haven't lost enough weight to know myself. Some have said losing helped.
Posted 8/6/2012 9:48 AM (GMT -5)
I'm working at the weight problem too, everyday.

Here's a good article:

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=12301
Posted 8/6/2012 9:52 AM (GMT -5)
@Almost Medfree, thank you for the Article! ~Kathy
Posted 8/6/2012 10:27 AM (GMT -5)
I think it's safe to say that not being at a healthy weight for one's height is going to affect literally every part of our bodies. Our liver, kidneys, and heart. As well as cause adult onset of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Along with how it affects all our joints, tendons and muscles with extra pressure. For every pound, that is 3-5 pounds of pressure on one's lower extremeties. If someone is not able to exercise daily because of their weight then that can make us even more sore with Fibro. As well as not being able to do core exercises which helps keep our backs/spine healthy.

Same with smoking...this can cause so many other health issues which in turn would make our Fibro that much worse.

I just watched 60 minutes last night and the story about sugar was quite eye opening. I am including the link below if you want to watch. You can also just read it if you go to their main page and look for the segment.

I think most of us all struggle to keep ourselves as healthy as possible and as I wrote on another thread, as long as we are trying to move in the right direction, every bit counts.

I was blessed in that I had very active jobs with doing school photography for students all day and then volunteered for the Fire Dept. at night (11pm to morning). So I never stepped foot into a gym per say as I got a workout all the time. As well as I have eaten pretty healthy most of my life.

Things got more tough after hitting my mid 30's and having to change careers based on my spine issues and surgeries. Now I have to really watch what I eat every day and my exercise is 45 minutes walking with the doggy. I switched to eating all Organic 2 years ago and that has been a HUGE help in keeping my weight in a good place as well as give me so much more energy and then the bonus of better digestion. I am not a vegan/vegetarian....I just do everything in moderation.

I am also thankful I never smoked so I give great kudos to those who have and have quit. My mom is one who smoked for close to 25 years and then put on her first patch on a trip to Maine in 1993 the two of us took and she never looked back!

There are many things that we can do ourselves that help take control of our Fibro. I think there are some great stories on here how working with your Dr. to eat healthy, exercise, use supplements, and other natural modalities, can affect our lives in the positive with Fibro.

Here is the link to the 60 minutes segment :

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7417238n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox

 

Posted 8/6/2012 10:30 AM (GMT -5)
Kathy, I have lost 85 pounds since developing fibro and it did help me some.  I still have chronic pain but I certainly get around easier.  You really need to keep moving with fibro.  I saw your other post where you said it hurts too much to move.  That's because  you aren't moving!  Try to walk a little every day and every day try to go a little further.  When I started walking, I only could go four houses down and had to turn around and come back.  But I didn't give up.  I went out the next day and was able to go a little further.  I kept this up and now I generally start out my day with a one mile walk before breakfast.  Nooooo, I don't feel like going for a walk then but once I'm out there and looking at the beauty around me the time flies.  When I get back home I have less pain and more energy, too.  Give it a shot.  It really does help you.

 

I lost my weight counting carbohydrates.  It's really simple...especially now that food has labels.  It's not a diet.  It's a way of life.  I can eat anything but I focus more on fresh fruits, veggies, and lean meat.  Doing this plus the exercise will help you lose the weight.  The temptations?  You won't have as many because you will be losing weight and you won't want to mess it up!  tongue    Give it a try.  It does work and it's not a diet either.  You can go to restaurants and, if you make good food choices, you will do just fine.  I usually ask for a container when they bring my food.  Then I divide it in half and take half home with me to enjoy the next day.  Just simple things like that really help. 

 

I wish you a lot of luck.  All of the above will help you feel better and have a much better quality of life with fibro.

 

Sherrine

Posted 8/6/2012 10:50 AM (GMT -5)
Yep...just wanted to add that it has taken me a long time to get to the 45 minute walk and it's a pretty slow walk LOL I am thankful that I have a doggy as I always look at it as I don't want to let him down and how healthy it is for him too:) I listen to a book on my phone so this makes it fun for me.

So on those evenings that I feel tired or have had a bad pain day....I still just put on my tennis shoes and head out the door and as Sherrine mentioned, I feel so much better afterwards. It's definitely true for me that the less I move the more I hurt.

The key is getting the ok from the DR. and usually with Fibro....the pain we feel is not from some "injury" so exercise is not going to make anything worse. We may feel a bit more pain....but it's not like a broken bone where walking on it would be harmful...If that makes any sense.

This is where a muscle relaxer has been so helpful during those higher pain days.
Posted 8/6/2012 10:58 AM (GMT -5)
@Snowbunny Thanks so very much for the 60 mins Link!
@Sherrine Thank you so much for the encouragement and great ideas. I have suffered with this disease now for 33 yrs. I suffer with Severe Depression and a lot of my many meds helped me to become so obese. Not making excuses but I take most of the blame myself! I have not eaten well. I don't eat much, but hardley eat heathy. So I just now made a choice to eat well. I made myself a protein and fresh fruit shake for breakfast! God bless all of you!!!
Posted 8/6/2012 11:07 AM (GMT -5)
PS: i am also struggling with a bad knee, I had a Meniscus fixed last Dec that has gone bad again and Ins will not pay for an injection that is brand new. Dr seems to think it just Arthur! But I think that something serious is wrong and I feel that I need an MRI..... But he seems not yet so we will try water PT for four weeks three times a week and then re-evaluate it.
Posted 8/6/2012 11:13 AM (GMT -5)
That's wonderful!  I do know the chronic pain and the depression have you heading for comfort food.  I did that for many years.  I wish I had taken out stock in the Lays Potato Chip company.  shakehead    I'm still a snacker so for lunch I sometimes have raw veggies dipped in sour cream French onion dips.  They are low in carbs, calories, and are yummy.  The veggies give me the crunch that I crave, too. 

 

If you need more ideas, just ask.  You can email me, also.  I know medications can cause weight gain but I bet you can get a lot of the weight off, get your metabolism humming, and start feeling better!

 

As far as your knee goes, I certainly would get a second opinion.  YOU are the one suffering...not your doctor.  There is help out there.  Remember, you hire a doctor to help you.  You actually are the "boss".  After all, it's your body.

 

 

 

Sherrine

Posted 8/6/2012 11:16 AM (GMT -5)
Cajun....will he prescribe a Medrol dose pack for you? Not sure if you have used this before but it's a steroid treatment where you start with 5 or 6 pills a day then it tapers down over the next week. It is very helpful for inflammation.

So I would call and ask if he would prescribe this instead of the injection. The aqua therapy should be safe for it as well as icing it with elevation.
Posted 8/6/2012 11:24 AM (GMT -5)
i do not share this too often and another reason for my weight gain. I was widowed once when my Daughter was 11 mos old, then again when she was 11 yr old. I just could not believe that God allowed that to happen twice in our lives. But I still BELIEVED and he has since sent us another Angel to complete us once again!! And an Angel He is!!! So understanding of my FMS as well as my Daughter who is now a Nurse.
Posted 8/6/2012 11:26 AM (GMT -5)
Snow, I cannot take antiinflamatories. :(
Posted 8/6/2012 11:56 AM (GMT -5)
OOps! This thread accidently got restarted at (NO SUBJECT) on the threads. Sorry!
Posted 8/6/2012 12:18 PM (GMT -5)
Usually anti-inflammatories are NSAIDs like Advil...(Ibuprophen)...

As NSAID stands for Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs.

Can you not handle steroids? That is what the Medrol dose pack is and what I thought you would get in the injection.

Steroids also act to help inflammation but they are obviously different thant anything in the NSAID category.

Posted 8/7/2012 9:57 AM (GMT -5)
Cajun, I also have gained a great deal of weight over the years in part, I believe, to medications. I began exercising and watching my diet about 21/2 years ago. I have only been able to lose about 25 lbs, which is not very much considering that probably need to lose about 70 more to get ot an idealw weight. I have been "stuck" for about a year, and it doesn't seem to make any difference how much I exercise (sometimes up to 2 hours per day). I believe that this is probably due to my Lyrica, which I cannot seem to do without. However, even if you are not losing weight, the exercise will make you feel so much better. It not only makes your muscles feel "looser," but you will be so much more toned and stronger. I feel so much stronger than I did 3 years ago, and have a lot more energy. If I miss exercising for just a few days, I really notice a difference in my pain levels and my mood.

You mentioned having water PT for your knee. This is great for the Fibro, also. A doctor prescribed this for me 3 years ago. My husband practically had to force me to go, I hated the idea of donning a swimming suit at my age (then 50) and going into a swimming pool so bad. Then, once I got there, I didn't want to get out of the water. The therapeutic pools are heated to about 90-93 degrees, and the water feels so good. I try to attend water exercise classes at least 2-3 times per week. I'd prefer to go more often, but when I get in the water, I tend to linger. Things start getting very neglected at home, so I have to ration myself. Our hospital offers classes for varying degrees of fitness. One class is tailored to people with arthrits. It is shorter, lasting only about 40-45 minutes, and uses no equipment. It focuses on balance and range of motion. The instructors are tolerant, and encourage people to do only what they are comfortable with doing. This is a good place to start. Exercising is easier in the water, and a person does not usually ache the following day like they would from exercising on land. Within a few months of attending, I was able to complete most of the exercises in the most strenuous class with minimal difficulty (and I am hardly physically fit). If you are not comfortable with taking part in a class, just walking in the water is a good place to start.
Posted 8/7/2012 12:12 PM (GMT -5)
My rheumy and primary care doctor both seem to think that weight can cause more pain for fibros. I can see where the logic comes from; weight is a part of overall health so perhaps it does. I have not ever had a problem with weight (high metabolism) A little weight loss may help improve your overall health. :-)
Posted 8/7/2012 12:37 PM (GMT -5)
Why thank you to all of you! I appreciate all of the ideas and facts. I will try to do a little bit of exercise in a sitting position and plenty in water. Have a painfree day all and gentle hugs!!!
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