Q. I have a question about fibromyalgia and weight gain. Since I started taking the drug Pamelor for symptoms of fibromyalgia, weight gain has been a persistent problem. My doctor prescribed it to ease pain and sleep disturbances, but although I exercise regularly and eat sensibly I have gained 25 pounds. Is there a link between my medication for fibromyalgia and weight gain? If so, is there another drug I could take instead?
Pamelor (nortriptyline) very well could be responsible for the higher number you're seeing on your bathroom scale. A member of the tricyclic class of antidepressants, Pamelor is frequently used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms.
While tricyclics are often effective in promoting sleep for people with fibromyalgia, weight gain sometimes results. The cause for this isn't clear, but tricyclics appear to increase appetite, especially for carbohydrates.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to taking Pamelor and the other tricyclics. Serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a newer group of antidepressants that includes drugs such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil), cause little weight gain and may even contribute to weight loss.
I recommend you speak to your doctor who might consider changing your medications.
Don Miller, PharmD, Pharmacist
every night but these do not seem to have much effect as I am in so much pain at night.
I have had this for more than 6 years so why does no one want to help me??
every night but these do not seem to have much effect as I am in so much pain at night.
PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!
Have FMS or any other pain-filled disease is debilitating both emotionally and physically. What I've heard several times here is moderation and knowing your own limits. This is GREAT ADVICE - heed it. No pain, no gain worked before FMS but it doesn't work now.
I use B-12 sublingual for the fibro-fog and it seems to really help. And vitamin C and E for nerve healing and to stop the leg cramps.
I use Flaxseed oils and grains for the osteo since I am allergic to fish, both shell and fresh water fish. I open a can of chicken and make it like tuna to get my fix when I need it. I love lobster and cod and haddock and shrimp and scallops but!
I use Zyflamend for the inflammation and pain. It helps me a lot but eating the wrong foods hurts it.
I use D3 to help me stay healthy and lessen the bronchitis and pneumonia - it helped up until 2 years ago after my first knee replacement.
I was given guifaneix for bronchitis in 2006 and found it helped so much with the pain of FMS, that I’ve been on it ever since and life started to get almost normal again.
And going to a therapy pool - it's about 10 degrees warmer then normal pools at 90 to 93, has done wonders. The stretching exercise and the walking in water are great stress reducers for me.
I was athletic running 3 miles a day depending on weather, later walking when it hurt to much to run. I played sports through my 30ies and walked through my 40ies and into my 50ies. Now I am thankful each time I can make it to the pool and move around, or climb on my tread mill for 10 minutes. Yes, I pay the price as someone else mentioned, and YES it is worth it. I have to plan for 'major events' like weddings or parties or shopping sprees. Take sleep aides that week and plan on doing nothing for 2 days later.
Yes, my children get angry at me and finally after 10 years I don't care what they think. I handed in my retirement papers this month. I can't afford to retire and I can't afford to abuse my body any more by forcing it to withstand the stress of my job and the physical needs to be there every day.
Mostly what has helped me is learning to love myself for who I am, not what others want me to be for them, and my faith. My faith knowing that I am not alone but my God is with me in this. When I cry because it is too much, He is there holding me and rocking me and comforting me. When I scream in anguish and swear and want to beat the hell out of someone, it is to Him cause I know He is big enough to take it and just love me back. He doesn't insult me or put me down or accuse me or make me feel guilty. He just listens and when I stop making my fists and swinging my arms at Him, He just holds me and rocks me and comforts me. I may be alone but I am not alone. This is how I cope each day, being thankful for having the day and being able to get out of bed on my own two legs. Life is good and I am thankful in between the attacks, the pains, the fears, the overwhelming sense of helplessness and hopelessness that wants to consume me. As I ride the wave of doubting His love and I reach the crescent and once again see His love for me, I say thank you.
My heart goes out to everyone suffering from chronic pain. My blessings come your way, even if it's only by way of a beautiful rainbow brightening the sky above you. God's Blessings to all.
I guess the rest of us lack strong will, or we really like the brain fog, pain, and depression. I've had ten years of it.
Every one of us with fibro already feel guilty that we can't overcome this baffling disease. We worry that some how it's our fault, and we lack character for not kicking it. Friends and family may even perpetuate that notion. Suggesting that a strong will can fix it sounds too much like those who say we are lazy, or malingering. I used to have a strong will, and I have a lot of acheivements in my life to show for it. But now I have fibro. Now I have to settle for doing what I can, when I can. It bothers me that right now there is a newby reading these blogs who is feeling even worse because she doesn't have a strong will. Fibro symptoms are not character flaws. Fibro is a disease that is not easily managed, and all the strong will in the world will not make it go away.
I believe those of us with fibro must take a pro active approach to managing our fibro. We are not off the hook for our own treatment. But don't go to the other extreme and make yourself feel worse. Fibro isn't a choice, and no matter what you do about it, sometimes it wins.
I had a dr. one time that i felt comfortable enough to ask this question "why do dr.'s treat people so crappy?" His answer was "cause people let them and they don't want to see people like you that they can't "fix". You hurt their pride. Dr's are like gloves and if one doesn't fit, find another" but you run out of dr.'s before long!
I have researched and tried alot of things but bio freeze, a rub on gel,walking in a heated pool( go to the deep end with a floatin device and just let your body dangle like a limp noodle then gently move your legs back and forth like walking under the water,, and my bio feedback machine, Dynatron STS and if you can get in a class for sr.'s where they do stretching exercises and I don't care how young just try it if ya can, or old have helped the most.
Don't beat yourself up or rack your brain tryin to pin down one thing that coulda gave this ailment to ya or think you're payin for past wrongs and who's to say what "normal" is? It's different for everybody! When ya tell yourself "I can't do this!" Always follow it up with "But I can do ______." Find something you enjoy doin. The most things i have read tell you to take your mind off of it when you're able volunteer at a retirement center, plenty of people who have nobody who visits them, go rock babies at the hospital just somethin to do with takin care of others. Limit the time you allow yourself to throw a pity party. We are NOT defeated! We are "challenged".
I leave you with this " I set down to whine and complain ,other people see us that way so don't talk about your pains to starngers,as I was hurtin and goin over the "why me, Lord's" I looked up and there was a man who had no feet. It could be worse.
Stay determined!!!!!
In my town the medical care is horrible and the dr.'s see around 200 patients a day and they allow fifteen minutes a visit. It's almost impossible to find one if you're already on meds like I am. You learn what you can do and what you can't and then the price for the things ya really wanna do and weigh out how bad ya wanna do something and get everything around the house caught up before you over do. You are gonna hurt anyway so do things ya wanna, know your limits tho, but be ready for the repercussion.
But once I got to think through the brain fog I was determined to have my life back. So I still ride motorbikes, I teach art,make art for exhibition, walk, do the garden, and generally love my life. I must confess I've always been strong willed and refuse to be dictated to in anyway, because for me, freedom is the most important aspect of life.
I still have times when I sleep for a few days, hurt like heck all over, and sometimes feel pathetic, and also have gained some weight, but I just think to myself that 'I may have it, but it hasn't got me'!!
We have one life - so take charge, get it back, and live it!
Go for it!
Love to all.
I was on gabapentin, and then my Dr. switched me to lyrica, I have gained 15 lbs in a very short period of time :( but a friend suggested i go on a Gluten-Free diet for 30 dys and see how i feel?? she almost guaranteed my pain to be very minimal after changing my diet.....Im willing to try anything.....research Gluten it's pretty interesting....just FYI for you people out there trying to live somewhat of a normal life with FMS
God Bless to you all as you struggle through you pain.
My husband and parents just keep telling me I need to cut down on food and exercise more. I had a knee replacement 2 yrs ago and now, carlidge has grown and it has stiffened till it's hard and painful to move at all, the Dr. wants to do it over. Osteo is in both knees and my back. Most days, it's all I can do to turn over in bed, get up and fix his breakfast. They just don't understand and their remarks don't help.
Lyrica helped the pain, but I put on 40 lbs. in less than a month.
I also have had Hypothyrodism since I was 19 yrs old. and several other health problems and am on 10 meds a day. Why can't people understand that no matter how bad we want to live normal lives, we can't. It's so frustrating and hurts. I cry so many days from the pain and depression and helplessness.
Anyway, I'm just stunned that the whole focus of these comments is on pills and exercise and not more on how FMS itself is as much responsible for weight gain as any of the meds you describe. Thats what makes this all the more frustrating. Its the hormonal imbalance and the severe slowing of the metabolism that makes the biggest issue in my opinion. It all leads to fatigue and lack of sleep, which ultimately leads to weight gain.
My dad passed away 1.5 years ago and I'm an only child and live 5 hours away. I've started to receive comments from her friends asking me basically if I'm going to do anything to help her with the weight gain because they see her basically unable to perform every day functions with any real regularity. Its awful... I cant imagine how she does it, knowing that every day people look at her like a oreo cookie hound. When in reality she eats a great diet -- always has even well before FMS. Anyway, she's having a harder and harder time doing every day tasks and its mainly because beyond the pain, she is so big these days that moving itself is a struggle.
I just wish there was a way to even help the weight SUBSIDE at this point. Not only does the weight she is at not seem healthy in and of itself but at points she seems like she might explode.
know how long the disease can last and they have really cracked down on docs and pain meds. However, I am doing well and take vitamin D and cymbalta plus a lot of other drugs for various conditions.
Good luck and God Bless.
Judy
wow, i'd like to see that research you did. as i can tell you one thing for sure - regardless of what illness a person has, if they take a (narcotic) pain killer for long enough, there is a 100% chance that they WILL become addicted....
that's not to say that they're seeking the drug for pleasure (although some do)...but, as the body becomes used to the drug, it develops a tolerance...meaning, eventually, the person requires *more* of the drug to feel relief from their pain - and, requires a minimum amount in their system at all times to keep from going through physical withdrawals.
nancy
but Lyrica and Savella helped the fibro pain....but the side effects were terrible!!!
So, back to square 1 exercise ha! take
Ionic race minerals...lots of water...
New Emu cream off internet....and just
wait for another (attack).
Pray and rest and resist stress.
lost my job after 35 yrs...let go!
I am with Teri. Is there an online support group for us?
Thanks so much
Leave a Comment