Do you have degenerative arthritis or fibromyalgia?

[bobbyswife 862]

I would like to hear from sleeve patients that have degenerative arthritis and/or fibromyalgia about your results post sleeve. Do you feel better in reference to your joint pain? I know there is no specific [scientific] evidence that WLS results in reduction of fibro symptoms, but sometimes real people might disagree in what is or is not published in a medical journal. Surely the weight loss contributes to much less pain from degenerative arthritis though. Please share your story with me.

[3Pugaliers 30]

Yes i do have fibromyalgia. i have been looking for someone else that has fibro to go thru this with. I am a little over 5 weeks out and have lost 39 pounds. And although I believe it will all get better, I am having a really hard time post op. I am beyond exhausted and have not managed to work a full week yet since the surgery. I am having pain in my right side and have been having tests run...of course everything comes back "normal" (as it always does with fibro patients). I don't think I have lost enough and recovered enough to start feeling the benefits of having more energy and less pain. But that is certainly my hope and one of the biggest reasons I had the surgery. It has been tough for me so far but I am really hoping that it pays off in the long run.

[bluesclues 49]

I have fibro and still taking my meds for it..it's gotten better. I can work out more and the pain has gotten less

[bobbyswife 862]

@@3Pugaliers I fully expect to go into a 3-alarm flare up after surgery, because every invasive procedure brings one on, as you know. I am crossing all fingers and toes hoping that in the long run I will feel better though. Some days it's hard to determine what my pain source is from. The degenerative arthritis I have is so bad in my back, feet, and neck, but the fibro affects my arms so badly that most days I can barely lift a coffee cup with my left arm.

[3Pugaliers 30]

A 3 alarm flare up is a pretty accurate description! But I know it will pass. So I hang in there. Actually I felt great in the hospital and a week or so post op (great pain meds). Good luck with your surgery. I don't regret my decision for one minute.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

At ten months, my chronic inflammation is much less. Where I couldn't exercise more than five minutes, now I can do thirty minutes of strength training followed by ten minutes of cardio and a few minutes of balance training because of post-stroke issues with balance and perception.

My knees were noticeably better with losing the first thirty pounds. With Degenerative Disc Disease,I have 17 ruptured discs in my spine with three repaired. I need a full lumbar fusion, but my spine doctor wants to put it off until I get to goal. He said that I would heal much easier without the extra 100 pounds I had a year ago. So far I have lost 65 of it.

Although I do not have fibromialgia, my oldest daughter (age 38) has had it her entire adult life, and even had some issues in that respect in high school. So, I understand your agony. I take Lyrica for neuropathies. She said she tried it for the fibromialgia, but it did not help. She gets through the day with Aleve, and gets through the night with a sleep aid.

[snowy'smom 8]

Hello

I also suffer from fibromyalgia and arthritis, the pain has been on and off but nothing too terrible, thank God I have not had one of those horrible flare ups when even mi hair and finger hurt. Still a lot of soreness and stiffness but I am able to do 2 hours of exercise at least 5 days a week, and for that I am greatly thankful. I'm losing rather slow and that is very frustrating. For the days when the pain is in I take Tylenol (500) or Tramadol, depending on how bad it is. And I take over the counter sleep aid. Overall I feel that I can move a little bit more each day. And I can wait to lose more to see how much more I can do.

[bobbyswife 862]

Thank you all for your replies. Sometimes I get discouraged that post op I might have trouble losing since I can't exercise other than walking on good days.

[ChronicJam 40]

Hello all! I'm so glad I came across this post. I also have Fibro, Degenerative Disk Disease, and Osteoarthritis, along with gastroparesis, Sjogren's Syndrome, relapsing polychondritis, and small Fiber neuropathy.

I'm eager to see *any* improvement. I know WLS is not a cure for any of my illnesses, but it can only help, right?

I'm still waiting for my surgery date - hopi

[ChronicJam 40]

Hoping for the next few weeks. I'm very nervous about a flare up, too.

How soon after surgery did you start *any* type of exercise, like walking, Water aerobics, etc?

[snowy'smom 8]

I started walking (very little) at the hospital. And little by little I added distance and speed. I still walk fairly slow in the treadmill (3 mph) is my max stretch and I can do only a few minutes at that speed.

I hope this helps ????

[3Pugaliers 30]

Hoping for the next few weeks. I'm very nervous about a flare up, too.

How soon after surgery did you start *any* type of exercise, like walking, Water aerobics, etc?

I have not really started any exercise yet. I am 6 weeks post-op today. I do feel a little better each day. But i really thought i would have more improvement in how I feel by now. The weight loss is going well (40 lbs so far) but the feeling better is taking a little longer than i thought it would. But I do improve a little bit each day.

[JerseyGirlShirl 17]

Hi, everyone! I also have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, and also live with a number of herniated discs and bone spurs in my back and neck. I'm having my surgery on Friday (11/14), and I'm also expecting a Five-Alarm Flare afterward. My surgeon is okay with me using my pain relievers once I get home (Percocet, Flexeril, and Voltaren Gel) as needed.

I've spoken to my surgeons and others in the Bariatric Center, and they have many patients who also have fibromyalgia. According to them, the majority have had some relief as they lost the excess weight. I don't expect a full remission of pain, but I'm hoping it gets significantly less than it is now.

Exercise is made difficult with my chronic pain, and even more so with my asthma. Right now the only exercise I get is walking the dog (short distances only). I'm hoping to be able to do more as I lose the weight, though.

I totally understand what you all are going through! You're not alone; best of luck to you, @@bobbyswife!

[bobbyswife 862]

I think we should all definitely stay in touch. For those of us that haven't had surgery it will be good to hear from those of you that have and see how you're progressing. My surgery is Dec. 18th

[snowy'smom 8]

Count me in!