Hi all

My name is Lacey , im 23 yrs old and have Fibromyalgia.I was banded 30th aug 2010 and have been struggling with it.But the new year has set in and i am motivated to get back on track.Are the any bandsters out there that are battling through with Fibromyalgia and how do you live with it and the band.

In the last few months my pain has been severe and the thought of exercise is horrible but i know i need to.Is there any advice about fitness programs or treatments anyone have used.

The only exercise that doesnt give me severe pain is hydrotherapy classes but they cost $10 per lesson and i cant afford that 4 times a week or even to get a member ship.

Thankyou any words of wisdom will help :-)

Hello Lacey. I was diagnosed after losing 85 pounds and suddenly having horrid pain. I was banded in 2007 and thank stars and all that I did have it done. I cannot imagine carrying that weight and having the FM. I have SHRUNK in body size which I never thought possible. But I still have 100 to lose and it's coming off soooo slow because I do not excercise. Hydro therapy is the only thing I can tolerate. I do meditation in bed and when I can at a studio. I too cannot afford the cost but there are so many things available for free and online YOUTUBE it's a start. Also your local PBS station will air yoga stretching and other such things for free. Tune in and try those. LUCK.

Hi all

My name is Lacey , im 23 yrs old and have Fibromyalgia.I was banded 30th aug 2010 and have been struggling with it.But the new year has set in and i am motivated to get back on track.Are the any bandsters out there that are battling through with Fibromyalgia and how do you live with it and the band.

In the last few months my pain has been severe and the thought of exercise is horrible but i know i need to.Is there any advice about fitness programs or treatments anyone have used.

The only exercise that doesnt give me severe pain is hydrotherapy classes but they cost $10 per lesson and i cant afford that 4 times a week or even to get a member ship.

Thankyou any words of wisdom will help :-)

Hi all

My name is Lacey , im 23 yrs old and have Fibromyalgia.I was banded 30th aug 2010 and have been struggling with it.But the new year has set in and i am motivated to get back on track.Are the any bandsters out there that are battling through with Fibromyalgia and how do you live with it and the band.

In the last few months my pain has been severe and the thought of exercise is horrible but i know i need to.Is there any advice about fitness programs or treatments anyone have used.

The only exercise that doesnt give me severe pain is hydrotherapy classes but they cost $10 per lesson and i cant afford that 4 times a week or even to get a member ship.

Thankyou any words of wisdom will help :-)

Are you on any meds for fibro? I have it too and I take Lyrica. However, my doc just told me he would like to switch me to another med as lyrica causes you to gain wt. Great! After I got used to this med. I have alot of trouble tolerating meds because of my stomach. I was just just banded jan. 17 of this year. I still have alot of pain too and can't exercise or walk much. People just don't understand this illness at all.

Yes you are right ..... no one understands what it feels like to be in pain each and every day of your life knowing there is no relief in site. I have had Fibromyalgia for the past 12 yrs. and was just banded on the 28th. The Fibro is the main reason I got banded, the extra weight was making the pain so much worse. One thing that has REALLY helped me was cutting out all carbs before I got banded. I just ate Protein, fruit and veggies and "wow" what a difference it made in my pain and especially my energy level. Its not easy though, it took about 4 days and by the third day I had to go to bed for the day bc of the detox pain but once I was past that it was amazing how much better I felt. This actually is a good thing to do along with the band anyway since carbs are not good for any weightloss. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH TAKING CARBS OUT OF MY DIET HAS HELPED.... the only carbs I get now is natural ones through fruit and veggies. I use to take Lyrica as well but ended up putting on more weight which defeated the purpose of taking the meds since more weight meant more pain. I do take an anti depressant though which helps with the anxiety....As far as exercise goes I have tried it all trying to see what works best with the least amnt. of pain.... the stationary bike at my gym works great. After a 10 min. warm up just riding casually I do 30 second intervals where I go really fast then slower for the next minute. This pumps up your heart rate really good and b/c you are sitting down its less stress on your back and legs. Start out slow and work your way up to at least 30 min. total.

As hard as it is I try to keep mentally focused on not letting this disease define who I am, I was very depressed the first few years after being diagnosed but eventually realized that I need to take control or its going to win. Do I have bad days.... you bet yah... but part of the battle with this disease is mentally not allowing it to define who you are as a person. Hope some of this helps you..... we should keep exchanging posts to see what is working for each other.....take care

I agree the pain is very bad.. and nobody unterstands unless they have it.... I have had it since I was 22 was diegnost with lupis and FM.. I am 32 now and will be banded in March.. I only take 800mg of Ibprofin for the pain and thats only when I can't take the headaches any longer.. those are the worse.. I can almost tolerate the body pain... but am wipped by the end of the day... and nobody understands... just think I am lazy... I can't do much of working out due to my heart rate drops and scares people..lol... I actually find it funny... see trainners think they know everything...lol... not!!!.... The worst and I mean the worst part is the depression... everyone sees me as the happy go lucky she is soooo stronge she can take on the world... but inside they dont see the woman standing in the middle of a room full of people screaming..... the person that can't understand why this is happening and nobody can understand... I work on this alone.. I write peoms and tell my stories... yet.. stilll nobody knows the real me inside ... My daughter does tho... she is 15 and my rock... and thats not fair... she is my guardian... and thats not fair... she should just be my daughter!!!... Dance.. listen to your favorite music and even if you just sway back and forth.. you are still moving... meditate while doing this.. pray and let your mind and body do what it can... just let go and realize you are doing the best thing that you can do for you and thats ok... do things in the shower.. wall pushups...drop the soap a few times..lol.. ther are your squats... dont let your mind realize that your everyday chores are also body movement...lol... or didnt you know that already... Your strong... you get out of bed and you go to work.... give yourself the credit you deserve if nobody else will!!!

Jenna and Blair I want to thank you both for your posts. Excellent info. I just recently cut back from Lyrica 1 tab in am and 1 in pm to now just taking 1 tab in pm. It seems to help me get to sleep - or so my mind believes that. I do notice though that if I have any stress in my life, the fibromyalgia really acts up. I have a hot tub outside on the porch deck but with this kind of weather I don't have the bravery to use it. I only use it in summer. I can't tolerate cold any more. I really need to work on walking and exercising though coz I know it is a big part of losing this wt. I am really slacking in this dept. I blame the weather of course. It is starting to cause me to get very depressed. I was on an anti depressent but I took myself off of it coz I am just soooo sick and tired of taking pills. I couldn't wait to be able to get off of the diabetic ones and the meloxicam for pain I was taken off of because it can erode the band. I also was told not to take advil, motrin, etc. because they contain aspirin as well which can erode the band. So be very careful if you take anything for pain. Check with bariartric doc first. I would love to keep in touch with both of you to compare notes and info as we embark on our lapband journeys. Thank you both so kindly for responding. Take care and have a good day.

Hi all

My name is Lacey , im 23 yrs old and have Fibromyalgia.I was banded 30th aug 2010 and have been struggling with it.But the new year has set in and i am motivated to get back on track.Are the any bandsters out there that are battling through with Fibromyalgia and how do you live with it and the band.

In the last few months my pain has been severe and the thought of exercise is horrible but i know i need to.Is there any advice about fitness programs or treatments anyone have used.

The only exercise that doesnt give me severe pain is hydrotherapy classes but they cost $10 per lesson and i cant afford that 4 times a week or even to get a member ship.

Thankyou any words of wisdom will help :-)

HI Lacey! Was just checking in on you to see how you were doing with your band and FB. I also have it and it seems to be getting worse. I dont know if its because of me exercising and taking walks or what? But the pain is just aweful. It runs down the back of my right leg to my heal. It is very discouraging. I thought as I lost wt. this would get better not worse?

Yes you are right ..... no one understands what it feels like to be in pain each and every day of your life knowing there is no relief in site. I have had Fibromyalgia for the past 12 yrs. and was just banded on the 28th. The Fibro is the main reason I got banded, the extra weight was making the pain so much worse. One thing that has REALLY helped me was cutting out all carbs before I got banded. I just ate Protein, fruit and veggies and "wow" what a difference it made in my pain and especially my energy level. Its not easy though, it took about 4 days and by the third day I had to go to bed for the day bc of the detox pain but once I was past that it was amazing how much better I felt. This actually is a good thing to do along with the band anyway since carbs are not good for any weightloss. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH TAKING CARBS OUT OF MY DIET HAS HELPED.... the only carbs I get now is natural ones through fruit and veggies. I use to take Lyrica as well but ended up putting on more weight which defeated the purpose of taking the meds since more weight meant more pain. I do take an anti depressant though which helps with the anxiety....As far as exercise goes I have tried it all trying to see what works best with the least amnt. of pain.... the stationary bike at my gym works great. After a 10 min. warm up just riding casually I do 30 second intervals where I go really fast then slower for the next minute. This pumps up your heart rate really good and b/c you are sitting down its less stress on your back and legs. Start out slow and work your way up to at least 30 min. total.

As hard as it is I try to keep mentally focused on not letting this disease define who I am, I was very depressed the first few years after being diagnosed but eventually realized that I need to take control or its going to win. Do I have bad days.... you bet yah... but part of the battle with this disease is mentally not allowing it to define who you are as a person. Hope some of this helps you..... we should keep exchanging posts to see what is working for each other.....take care

Hi Blair! I was just checking in on you to see how you were doing with your lapband and your FB. I have been having severe FB pain since starting to exercise and walking. I am discouraged as I thought it would get better as I lost wt. not worse. YOu mentioned cutting out carbs. What specific foods did you cut out? I still take Lyrica. I know it makes you gain wt. but I tried to quit it but the pain was just too bad. Any advice?

Hello Lacey. I was diagnosed after losing 85 pounds and suddenly having horrid pain. I was banded in 2007 and thank stars and all that I did have it done. I cannot imagine carrying that weight and having the FM. I have SHRUNK in body size which I never thought possible. But I still have 100 to lose and it's coming off soooo slow because I do not excercise. Hydro therapy is the only thing I can tolerate. I do meditation in bed and when I can at a studio. I too cannot afford the cost but there are so many things available for free and online YOUTUBE it's a start. Also your local PBS station will air yoga stretching and other such things for free. Tune in and try those. LUCK.

Hello Lap dancer! I was just checking in to see how you were doing with your lapband and your FB. I have been having alot of pain lately with mine since exercising and walking. I take Lyrica and I know it puts on wt. but I tried to get off it but the pain was too bad. I am having pain from the back of my right leg down to my heel. I am getting discouraged as I thought by losing wt it would improve not get worse. Any suggestions?

I agree the pain is very bad.. and nobody unterstands unless they have it.... I have had it since I was 22 was diegnost with lupis and FM.. I am 32 now and will be banded in March.. I only take 800mg of Ibprofin for the pain and thats only when I can't take the headaches any longer.. those are the worse.. I can almost tolerate the body pain... but am wipped by the end of the day... and nobody understands... just think I am lazy... I can't do much of working out due to my heart rate drops and scares people..lol... I actually find it funny... see trainners think they know everything...lol... not!!!.... The worst and I mean the worst part is the depression... everyone sees me as the happy go lucky she is soooo stronge she can take on the world... but inside they dont see the woman standing in the middle of a room full of people screaming..... the person that can't understand why this is happening and nobody can understand... I work on this alone.. I write peoms and tell my stories... yet.. stilll nobody knows the real me inside ... My daughter does tho... she is 15 and my rock... and thats not fair... she is my guardian... and thats not fair... she should just be my daughter!!!... Dance.. listen to your favorite music and even if you just sway back and forth.. you are still moving... meditate while doing this.. pray and let your mind and body do what it can... just let go and realize you are doing the best thing that you can do for you and thats ok... do things in the shower.. wall pushups...drop the soap a few times..lol.. ther are your squats... dont let your mind realize that your everyday chores are also body movement...lol... or didnt you know that already... Your strong... you get out of bed and you go to work.... give yourself the credit you deserve if nobody else will!!!

HI Jenna! Was just checking in on you to see how you were doing with your lapband and FB. I have been having alot of FB pain since starting to exercise and walking. I take the Lyrica which I know puts on wt. but I tried to get off it but the pain was too bad. I AM getting discouraged as I thought by losing wt. it would get better not worse. Any suggestions? ^{_{MY pain runs down the back of my right leg to my ankle.}}

Hello Lap dancer! I was just checking in to see how you were doing with your lapband and your FB. I have been having alot of pain lately with mine since exercising and walking. I take Lyrica and I know it puts on wt. but I tried to get off it but the pain was too bad. I am having pain from the back of my right leg down to my heel. I am getting discouraged as I thought by losing wt it would improve not get worse. Any suggestions?

I put on weight with Lyrica. I switched to Cymbalta 60 mgs. x 1 daily. I would try switching meds. I had no side effects as in pain returning. I do have break through pain anyway so I add Aleve liquid gel caps to my routine for no pain. I also take Skelaxin for muscular pain and twitches that I get. You may or may not get any of those as FM is different in all.

I also get the sciatica pain down the one leg. Today as a matter of fact. I got a T.E.N.S. unit from the physical therapist a few years back. It just happens to help with that pain down the leg. Wearing it right this moment as I type this.

You know that part of your day should be about getting the pain in order. Maybe on that day it might not go away but one can hope that it will atleast get somewhat under control. Use as many options as you can to do so meaning aromatherapy, meditation, music, medication, stretching, warmth, whatever..try them all.

My goal is to keep my body in check. There are days when all I can tolerate are soft things. It's very strange. I try to avoid anything that will set my stomach off in a not so good way. Taking meds is hard on the stomach so try to eat Breakfast first and then do the meds in the middle of breakfast..like SANDWICH them with food. It's easier on you that way.

My heart is with all FM sufferers. I understand your pain because I know it daily.

Hi everyone ,

Thanls for all the advice , its bn a while since i have been on the site and this is the first time reading all ur comments,

I did try lyrica and it started to put the weight back on. But overall in the last few months i have bn feeling much better as anyone i have my bad days but since the weight has bn coming off ive bn able to move more.I am in Australia and they have medicare here which pays for medical treatments so my doctor has sent me to a Physiotherapist and he is really helping me move alot more.I have also bn put on an antidepressant and i feel alot happier.I have dramatically changed my diet now and NO CARBS as was recommended and it has really helped.

I am on my way to a healthier happier me and i am so gratefully.I think i have become a much stronger person and have realise just because i have this illness it shouldnt stop me from living life .

THANK YOU ALL