Help!! Is It Weight Or Bad Working Conditions?

bandster_1007 · October 9, 2007

I have posted a little on this forum and have found support and comfort in the responses. I'll give a little background on myself before i ask the questions: I am 25, I weigh 225 and I am 5'2", my ideal weight is 108. I have diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, and classic Migraines accompanied by stress migraines due to muscle tension. Whewww, that's a lot!!! All of these "conditions" have been diagnosed within the last 2 years and I have been overweight for approximately 5 years.

I miss work almost once a week for the migraines, and sometimes i just feel horrible. plain horrible. :sick

my employers are very supportive of me having the lap band (although i have used more than my share of vacation and sick time already) because they think it will improve my health overall and lead to better productivity. (i work in a fast paced very stressful mortgage company, processing and document mortgage loans :ranger:)

Is it feasible for me to excpect these results , or am i just dreaming :notagree?

Has anyone had a significant improvement in the "overall" health after losing weight? How long did it take to notice a difference.

I know that i need this surgery and i'm not changing (i'm scheduled for the 18th), but the building i work in leaks and i know it has mold. each time it rains about 10 feet of the carpet gets wet (thru the walls and floor not the ceiling). they "dry" it with little fans and the drying process usually takes a week. not to mention that the building is INFESTED :help: with roaches and rats and they do overload with pesticide every 2 weeks.

i know most people have tendencies to make excuses. i'm trying not to do that, and i'm sure the way i feel is impacted by my health. it's just that all of my "ailments" have occured while working here....along with a 40 lb gain.

let me know what you think!!!!

Daisalana · October 9, 2007

My biggest concern and reason for the lap band, was crippling back pain due to being overweight. I had done cortisone injections for years, but they were not working anymore.. and I couldn't walk for long periods of time. For me, I just needed to lose about 40lbs to get the majority of the pain off.. and that was 2-3 months post-op. (I have since slowed down!!)

But overall, my quality of health & life were improved after those 40lbs because the back pain was not crippling, so I was less lazy.. willing to walk to do things, not insisting on front row parking, etc.

bandster_1007 · October 9, 2007

I have a lot of pain in my neck similar to that. They just keep my on pain killers. The injections are fast approaching, but hopefully this will stop it.

mbanja · October 9, 2007

I have Migraines and tension migraines. I use imitrex and flexeril (spelling?) When I feel that tension in my neck I pop a flexeril and I can usually catch it before it blows into a Migraine. Have you tried flexeril? It is a muscle relaxer. Pain killers, while they work sometimes, have a tendancy to give you rebound headaches. Has you doctor specifically focused on your migraines? Are you on or have you taken imitrex or any of the other triptan based migraine products? I have had migraines since I was a little girl and have gone thru various treatments and so called preventitive measures and have found that the only thing that works for me is the combination of the flexeril and imitrex. I had tried the imitrex 50mg and 100mg years ago and found that only the initrex injections worked. Then a couple of years ago my Doc told me they reformulated the 100mg tablets and I should try them because they compared to the shot. Well, come to find out they worked. I can't answer your question on if they get less frequent after you loose weight, but I have them less frequently now. I have been banded since august and have not yet lost much weight. I am now a stay at home mom, but I did work in conditions almost identical to yours, and yes the working conditions factor in as well. Where there is leaking Water there is mold and that mold can trigger a migraine. Hope you get relief soon!!

Ang1982 · October 9, 2007

Well I'm not doctor or health professional of any kind but regardless of if losing the weight helps or not, those are not very good working conditions to be in and I wouldn't be surprised if that was what was causing the majority of your problems with Migraines. That many pesticides and mold is not good for the body.

Thats just my .02cents

bandster_1007 · October 9, 2007

I have not tried the imitrex, but i have tried flexeril and zanaflex and soma. They all make me too droggy and after taking them for a month or so, i found little relief. Probably because i was unable to take them 3 times a day like they recommended. i also took topamax for about 8 months with no improvement.

i have had Migraines since i was around 12. i was anorexic but i had also had a head injury that led to bells palsy and my headaches started after that. however, they were better while i was away at college. then about one and a half months after i started working here, i lost part of my vision, my arms went numb, my balance was off....blah blah. after lots of tests they determined that it is just a progessive stage of my migraines. i have fallen before due to my inability to see and walk. no nauseau, but my hands and feet fall asleep a lot.

i don't like taking pain pills twice a day, but it seems to be the cheapest route to go.

kagoscuba · October 9, 2007

I'm almost two weeks banded, and I've already noticed the following:

1. I feel "lighter" on my feet

2. There is a significant change to the way I look

3. My clothes fit better

4. I have not needed to take my hypertension medication

5. I have more energy

6. My snoring has improved (actually, my wife noticed that one...personally, I don't snore :eek: )

7. Exercise is much easier. I was on the elliptical and doing crunches last night, only 11 dady s post-op. I thought that would not be possible, but the doctor gave the ok, and I felt good while exercising.

My only two negative so far have been:

1. Most Protein drinks SUCK.

2. My golf swing has changed dramatically, since I can't tuck my elbow into my "spare tire" anymore. I'm going to have to learn how to play...again. Small price to pay though.

All in all, I feel 100% healthier than I did two weeks ago, and I believe you will too.

mbanja · October 10, 2007

Bandster 1007, You should ask your doctor about Imitrex it is like the leading treatment for migraines!!! It really works. Also I found that your body gets used to flexeril and its effectiveness becomes iffy. I only take it when I get the tension in my neck and shoulder. I wonder if your doctor is knowledgable in Migraines and their treatment? Also topamax, which is an antiseizure medication causes the numbness and tingling in your arms, legs, hands, and feet. It can also make your short term memory to go on the fritz, and cause your balance to be off. I only know this because it was given to me as a preventative for the frequency of my migraines. I got so sick on that medication it cause all kinds of side effects, memory loss, tingling in my hands and feet, slurred speech, vision changes, severe low blood pressure, fainting, fatigue, my balance was off and I would run into walls, hell I even forgot words such as pillow, car, and stove. That medicine is not something to be played with. In doctors' original thinking the part of our brain that causes migraines is the same part that effects people having seizures, so they started using topamax and other anti-seizure meds to correct our chemical imbalance. I think they are still trying to study this to see if it works, in my opinion it doesn't. I hope you were weaned off of topamax correctly because it can actually cause long term complications if you were not, including seizures if you do not already have them. You can't just quit that drug cold turkey. It is probably still in your system and that is causing the numbness in your limbs. You really should try imitrex, ask your doctor. If he/she is not willing to perscribe it ask to see a neurologist. I don't hold them in high opinion but it sounds like you would get better treatment from them. I went thru about 6 neurologists before I found one that I liked. Plus, imitrex is alot safer taking in the long run than pain pills. If you are taking pain pills twice a day I would question if you are not experiencing rebound headaches from all the medication. That is something you should put to your doctor as well. Rebound headaches are when you take too much meds to treat the Migraine so you continue to have them. If you have a migraine and you treat it, and you get another one a couple hours to a day or two later, I would say you are having rebounds. What I can't understand, is why your doctor is not taking a more aggressive approach to your headaches if you get them so frequently? and why have you not been tried out on any of the triptan based medication? They are especially designed for migraines. There are many such as maxault, imitrex, axert, relpax, frova, amerge, and zomig. These you take at the sign of a migraine. They are more effective if you know your warning sign. Mine is the pain in my neck, which I treat with a flexeril, and if it moves to a pain in my jaw I take my imitrex. This is just my experience with my migraines and all the treatment I have recieved over the years, I am not trying to say that this is what you should do. But I think that you should be talking to your doctor about better meds or getting a referal to a neurologist. In this day and age you no longer have to suffer from migraines, so why is your doctor letting you? I would be curious as to what pain pills you are taking? I know codine based pain pills give me migraines.

bandster_1007 · October 10, 2007

i take hydrocodone and darvacet for my Migraines. i have tried axert but it lost it's effectiveness early on. i was having the numbness and tingling in my extremeties before i began topamax, which was one of the reasons why i quit. i couldn't justify taking a medicine that had a side effect that i was trying to prevent. i did quit the topamax cold turkey, but it more of like i forgot to take it every other day and then every few days and then i just quit. so i pretty much weaned without doing it intentionally. i have a bad habit of quiting things cold turkey.

i have been seeing a neurologist for 2 years. my family doctor put me on cymbalta and trazodone recently to help with the fibro pain and it has helped some with the migraines. i do not sleep at night very well, so i am sure that triggers a lot of my problems. we also switched my birth control because i usually have a migraines for a full 2 weeks surrounding my "time of the month". this is usually when i feel the worse.

when i was younger i had to take a medicine that reduced the swelling in my brain. they discovered whenever i was about 18 that this was not a good medicine and had some significant impact on the brain and "slows it down". i'm guessing it has something to do with the synaptic gaps, although i am not positive. i cannot remember the name of the medicine.

i have thought about going to a different neurologist. i think i will wait until after i get all the surgery stuff sorted out, since that is next week.

i have also been to an allergist and they determined that i am allergic to nothing. my doctor did tell me however, that environmental factors could still be causing my problems.

i hope it is my weight because this is a small office and they pay me pretty decent (not great), but i also have a lot of potential for upward mobility.

after i lose the weight if i am still having this problem, i have pretty much decided that i will need to find another job, unless we get a new building.

i am not the only one in the building who has problems with migraines. i am the only one that has classic migraines with aura. they cannot relate to me when i tell them about my eyes and my limbs and that stuff. however, my two underwriters both have significant migraines and are on daily treatment. 3 out of 13 is kind of higher number for people have "true" migraines. some of the newer employees have developed some of the problems also, although they report not having them before being here. also, everyone in the office sneezes every day. it is actually funny. when i am at home on the weekend, i never sneeze (unless i have a cold). as soon as i walk in the office on monday, i will sneeze 10 times before noon. i have to keep a box of tissue handy. that is the case with everyone here.

another problem with medications is the price. my neurologist knows this. i do not have the best prescription coverage. all of the drugs that we have talked about are $50 - $75 a month. I already spend $100 a month in prescriptions. We are a middle class family with a child in private school. Every little bit helps....not to mention i am a self pay patient for my sugery :rolleyes: .

i greatly appreciate your input, and i will ask my doctor about imitrex. my sister takes that and she has had wonderfull effects.

my migraines are very similar to yours. i have the ones that start in my neck, and then in my jaw, and then it encompasses the whole right side of my head (behind my eye, my ear, etc.). sometimes i have migraines with no pain. those are just weird. the room has gotten so dark to me before that i could not make out the people in the room and this usually followed by blind spots in my eyes and numbness. that is scary to have when you drive.

any other advice you have, i appreciate. and if you happen to know any good neuro in arkansas....

(i have done chiropractor too, with little improvement..although when they do accupuncture my Migraine goes away, but that is $50 a pop )

GayleTX · October 10, 2007

To begin with....mortgage processing alone is enough to give anyone Migraines and ulcers and make them go nuts regardless of their personal health.....:angry But if you are good at it you are a valuable commodity to your boss. However.........because of your working conditions....

I would say that you need a the lapband AND a new job!! Those conditions are dangerous. I have a relative who is in a class action lawsuit right now because of working in a molding, asbetos facility...and most of the long-time employees have myriad lung and allergy ailments. She is in her 40's and is almost disabled because of it. She's just trying to hang on and work til the lawsuit is settled.

Otherwise.....the weight loss completed overhauled my body - inside as much as outside. I'm much older than you, but I had health problems since I was about your age when I started gaining weight. I was a professional, loved my work, was good at it but had to retire early because of just not being able to get around.

At the time of wls, I had been hypertensive for 30 years, diabetic for 20 years, had had a heart attack and 4 heart stents within the previous 4 years, took meds for all of that plus gout, depression, cholesterol, triglycerides, arthrtis, etc etc. etc. I was using a walker part of the time and shopping for a wheelchair (size extra-wide, of course).

By the time I lost 50 lbs, I was off my diabetic meds, another 25 and I was off my b.p. meds...the other meds went away gradually and now (after -160 lbs) I'm off everything!! I feel wonderful, I can walk, I can do my work.....I now have a life.

I hope things work out well for you, sweetie. You are young and you already have several tough battles to fight.....you need all the weapons you can get to win the war. Best wishes to you.

bandster_1007 · October 10, 2007

At the time of wls, I had been hypertensive for 30 years, diabetic for 20 years, had had a heart attack and 4 heart stents within the previous 4 years, took meds for all of that plus gout, depression, cholesterol, triglycerides, arthrtis, etc etc. etc. I was using a walker part of the time and shopping for a wheelchair (size extra-wide, of course).

By the time I lost 50 lbs, I was off my diabetic meds, another 25 and I was off my b.p. meds...the other meds went away gradually and now (after -160 lbs) I'm off everything!! I feel wonderful, I can walk, I can do my work.....I now have a life. "

.............................................................................................

Wow that is the most inspirational story that i have heard yet. it brought tears to my eyes. :thinkwhat a story. you need to be one of the lap band spokespeople. i think maybe it touched base with me hard because if i had not decided to have this surgery, i could be that same way in a few years. i have a 6 year old, and i want so bad to be there for him.

i realize that my environment is unsafe. it is just hard to actually accept the fact that it could really be doing this to my body. not to mention that a mortgage company would subject it's employees to this type of situation.

i have many battles to work thru...and you guys on this forum and giving me amo and confidence to proceed through them.

and you are right on about loan processing causing Migraines and ulcer's...amazingly i love the stress.

mbanja · October 10, 2007

Bandster, It breaks my heart that you are having so much difficulty feeling "good!" I hope that the wls will help you! I cannot recommend any neuros in Ak as I live in GA. Sorry! I do know that it was a struggle for me to find one that helped me, though! As I said above, I went thru 6 and FINALLY found one I liked. I do know that imitrex is a big help! I tried maxault and axert but none of the others. They didnt work for me as well as Imitrex. Imitrex comes in several forms, 50mg pill,100mg pill, nasal spray, and injection. I find that the 100mg pill and the injection work best for me. I have not tried the nasal spray though. For you it would probably be best to get the 100mg pack since it comes in a pack of 9. The injection only comes in a two pack. I dont know about the nasal spray, depending on how many treatments are per bottle, that maybe more cost effective as well. Ask your doctor for samples. They get them all the time, and their purpose is to be given to you. Also, write the makers of Imitrex, they have drug assistance programs! Please don't suffer anymore than you have to! Your work environment has a lot to do with it too. You should contact OSHA and inform them of your working conditions! If the building is not up to code, OSHA will make sure it made to be or force the company to provide better working conditions!!