I am in SO much pain. Surely this can't just be because I am fat?

[herewegoroundthebastardbush]

This is really a question either for the medical or for my fellow fatties - I'm 5'6, about 14 stone (😬) and 39. I used to be around 10 stone. put on a lot of weight very rapidly about 5 years ago when my mum died, and ever since then have struggled with binge eating and the weight has continued to creep up.

So the past 6 months or so, I'm in horrible physical pain much of the time. It started with my knees, which have never been great since I went through a phase of running to work on concrete in my 20s (idiot). But now it's not just the odd twinge, I'll be literally limping and whimpering and climbing the stairs is murder. I've also developed a horrible permanent pain in my right foot which the internet tells me is plantar fasciitis. And I can't ever seem to get comfortable in bed as whichever way I lie seems to pull the base of my spine out of alignment and it feels strained.

I have a busy life, two small kids and one is at nursery and the other at school, so every day after work I have to do a very brisk march march up the road to nursery and then turn and walk very fast back to school to get the eldest (about 40mins fast walking - or jogging if im late!) all told. I've started to dread it with a mortal fear as I am in SO much pain - some days I'm literally limping and gasping with it, but I can't stop because obvs then no-one would pick up my kids (partner has the car as works in a different city). That's the low point of my day, but just getting out of bed and standing up in the morning is horrendous too, it hurts so much and I literally limp like a comedy pirate for the first 20 mins of the day my foots so bad.

The one time I went to the GP about my knees, she did the head tilt and talked to me about my weight (didn't even examine my knees), and that aches and pains are more frequent as we age so its important to take care of our weight to reduce that. I agree I am too fat and need to lose weight. I am trying. But I see people far fatter and older than me who don't seem to be in total agony as they walk around!? So is this normal and fixable by losing some weight? Or is there something I should be worried about?

Could you change GP? Sorry if that's been asked already. From reading your posts you come across as not really wanting to help yourself. Not even trying painkillers is ridiculous and is the first thing I'd ask you as a HCP.

Similar here.

I'm 5 foot 8 and at my heaviest getting on for 11 stone.

I was underweight until 20 and then at the very bottom of healthy weight until 29. I have definitely had issues since hitting 10 stone in pregnancy in my knees and pelvis plus a nerve in back.

It never went away though, 5 years later I still have issue. If I diet the joint and nerve issues get better (but I can only lose 1 stone max before everything stalls) but my intestinal issues get worse... I can't win.

Thing is I don't look overweight (I'm pear shaped size 8 on top and 14 on bottom but its not super obvious) and my BMI is in normal so people just roll their eyes if I ever say something. I already have other 'more serious' health issues so the GP focuses on them mainly. I was refereed to physio but it does NOT help (in fact made it worse).

My body is clearly not designed for this, I ballooned up fast due to pregnancy and I'm carrying 4+ stone more than I did for most of my life and my skeleton clearly isn't coping.

I had horrible pain with PF for several years, then one day I realised that it had just completely cleared up. Thinking back, the relief came a couple of months after I started a new job, where I didn't have to wear smart clothes - and hence, smart shoes. I had always worn what I considered 'sensible' smart shoes to work, but when I moved to wearing desert boots and trainers every day, that made the difference. I used to use the orthotic inserts for quite a long time after the pain got better, but finally I just ditched those as unnecessary. You can get them cheaply on ebay, btw, there's no need to go to a podiatrist and pay a fortune for the same thing. Anyway, although I was told that PF is with you for life, I DID get better and hope that you will, too.

I'm that height and at that weight (I've been that a couple of times in last 10 years I suffer knee pain, and plantar fasciitis. When I lose the weight (back down to just over 12stone) the pain reduces and the plantar fasciitis has disappeared.

Ask for a referral to a physio.

Plantar can be debilitating but it's very treatable.

When I put on weight I get painful knees. It goes when I lose it. I also had PF - got this from being overweight but walking loads in ballerina flats on hard pavements.

Not read the whole thread but people suggesting it is not weight related are not doing you any favours. Even if there was an underlying issue losing weight would take the strain, because that is what it is, off your knees. Look up how to strengthen the muscles around your knees. Losing 1 pound of weight lessens the strain on your knees by 4 pounds. So even if you lost a stone you would lessen the strain on your knees by 56 pounds.

If you can't get thorugh to the GP I suggest writing to them setting out that you need a referall, and/or making a complaint. This is sometimes necessary when their appt system is unworkable.

One tip for stairs my physio gave me which worked. Is going up good leg first. Coming down bad leg first. So simple but made such a difference.

I have RA, diagnosed early 40's. Two young kids, additional needs. Could barely get out of bed some days I take methotrexate weekly now and whilst I won't be running any marathons I can keep up with the kids now. I also take sertraline for anxiety. I wear fit flop boots and trainers and can actually feel the difference if I revert back to my cheap supermarket daps.
Whilst RA is lifelong honestly there are medications that can change your life and help manage it.x

If you possibly can, change surgeries.

If this is impossible, complain to the practice manager.

I do agree that being overweight is not always, or even usually, the cause of health problems and that GPs often don't look beyond it. But weight gain is a known contributor to joint issues and to disorders like plantar fasciitis. Yes, weight loss will take time particularly if it is to be sustained, but 39 is no age to be struggling with pain and mobility issues like this and it is the one thing that the OP can do for herself - without the need for further professional intervention or paying £££ for supplements, painkillers and knee supports - that might help.

There's also a lot of peer-based support out there for binge-eating. Have a look at online recovery groups OP. One of the positives about the rise of zoom et al is that it's much easier to access specialist support now wherever you are, and maybe less intimidating than face-to-face meetings at first.

Wishing you all the best OP.

It’s the weight. I was in fine health until my weight increased.

It sounds like rheumatoid arthritis. It can be inherited. I was 27 yrs and very overweight when diagnosed. There is treatment, it won't go away but can be slowed down. It's a painful progressive illness if left untreated. Please go back to your GP and tell them that your mum had it too. They need to do blood tests which can detect inflammation markers. In the meantime try ibuprofen for pain relief as it is a antiinflammatory and may help with the knees.

I saw a private podiatrist at foot solutions and got custom insoles which have cured my plantar so long as I wear them. Was well worth it.

You've had some great advice, but I haven't read all of it, so apologies if I'm r repeating anything.

As well as insoles and stretching, what helped me with plantar fasciitis was ibuprofen gel rubbed into the soles of my feet and heels - it's an ok inflammatory condition and ibuprofen is anti inflammatory.

Knee pain can be caused by many things. One of these is tight muscles in the legs - I know you said money is tight, but something like this is inexpensive and you can use it on your own legs (and back, shoulders etc) as much as you like. It really does work - I use one and recommended it to my son who was having pain after walking for more than a mile, and it made a huge difference to him too.

Muscle Roller Stickhttps://amzn.eu/d/j9L2upp

Hi OP. When I was seriously overweight I couldn't walk or even stand because the pain was agony. Walking hurt my knees, hips and back and now I've lost a considerable amount of weight I don't have those pains at all, so that's one thing.

Plantar is excruciating on top of what you already have. Mine took about six months to go but was helped by special insoles I got from Amazon and a little roller thing you put under your feet and roll your soles over.

It could of course be something else entirely and your GP should at least have investigated. It's probably worth pushing for a proper examination as well.

Save up for osteopath. Seriously, at least he/she will pay attention to you so you have a more clear idea of how to proceed.

OP of course it could be down to your weight and certainly losing weight will help - I'm sure you know this.

Start now - throw away the chocolate, Haribo and Cheddars, or take to a food bank. Don't have it in the house, don't buy it.
Your children don't need that shit either - no-one does.

Cut right down on carbs and increase lean protein.

Foods are either an Ally or an Enemy in your fight to be pain free.

when my knees were very bad, before I started ra treatment, I used to walk down stairs backwards! If you google you can find out why this help the pain.

As someone who is MUCH fatter than you..

PF is down to bad shoes. Wear better shoes.

The knee is obviously damaged. You need to go into the Dr, and if they bring up your weight say two things

1. IF i wasn't overweight, how would you treat this?

Then tell them to treat you the same as they would an 'average' weight person.

2. IF they still refuse, tell them to write on your notes EXACTLY why they are refusing you treatment (ie, they're blaming your weight)

Overweight people deserve the same medical care as everyone else. The only acceptable level of pain is NONE.

But I see people far fatter and older than me who don't seem to be in total agony as they walk around!?

It's like anything op, take smoking, some people never get complications from smoking despite smoking heavily for years but then some people end up terribly sick from even passive smoking.

It means your chances of complications are increased. Not everyone will get every symptom associated with their primary issue so it is possible your pains are from weight, that's just the point where it affects your body(unless there is something else wrong) if it were arthritis or something like that you'd know soon enough if you start to lose weight and its still there.
Getting to a healthier weight for our height is never a bad thing and will surely help with something.

Can I ask what connective tissue disease you have? I have bad foot pain and other autoimmune conditions.

PF is down to bad shoes. Wear better shoes.

This is good advice. Bad shoes can do so much damage to some people.

Re: Ibuprofen. Had a general GP check up last week and was advised to give up Ibuprofen and/or Diclofenac gels due to effect on kidneys. Use it but stay within the guidelines don't slap on as much as you want.

gladiator sandals were the cause of mine xD

I had such bad PF after a summer in those, omg. I live in birkenstocks and good boots/trainers now, and occasionally wear insoles for PF, i have pretty much cured my PF and use them more as prevention!