Feel like I am falling to bits :(

[Flannelpjs]

I have had health issues most of my adult life mainly chronic migraines and IBS. I'm now 43 and it feels like things are getting worse and that soon I will not be able to make things better. I always hoped that one day I'd recover my health but over the past 10 years I've gained a lot of weight and am now 250lbs.

Right now my teeth hurt. My joints hurt, I have fibroids causing heavy bleeding, hormone imbalances, chronic anemia due to heavy bleeding which is difficult to treat as the tablets aggravate my migraines and IBS. When my levels do get to normal they drop right off again as soon as I stop the tablet's.

I do try to walk everyday 10,000 steps but I can find strenuous exercise tough due to chronic pain. I don't drink or smoke and never have. Most of my diet is healthy in content all from scratch, loads of fresh veg, lentils and beans but I know I often eat too much and when I'm feeling awful a bit of chocolate or a biscuit does give me an energy boost.

I feel like if I don't get a hold of myself it will be too late. If I felt a little better and not in so much pain all the time I'd be in a better place to get fit but I find it really hard being in such constant pain!

Not to drip feed I am under the care of a neurologist for migraines and waiting for further medical treatment.

OP you have a lot going on and I'm really sorry as life sounds tough for you right now.

When was the last time you had your blood work done?

You really need to do more exercise as that helps with chronic pain. I know that sounds counterintuitive but you need to push through.

Do you have any allergies?

If you are unfit, I would start with an exercise like Qigong. It's gentle, it's holistic, it provides daily movement which you may find beneficial. Start with ten minutes a day and build up to half an hour. Take it easy, there's no rush.

I wouldn't cut down on anything right now. I would work on adding beneficial actions to your daily life until they become habits.

It sounds like you are comfort eating with sweet things.

@username501, thanks for replying, I posted in the wrong forum by mistake. I am waiting on the GP calling me back this afternoon and hopefully I will get some bloods done as its been a while.

I am trying to walk daily at least 10,00 steps but I know I need to do more and while I don't feel I am comfort eating for emotional reasons as such I eat to give me the energy to push through the day which is same difference really.

I will try a thread on a correct forum about losing weight and getting fitter with chronic pain as perhaps others have been there.

Thanks again

@Flannelpjs I have chronic pain from MS, IBS, migraines, low iron..... My body can't tolerate iron tablets. I get iron infusions or iron injections.

The diet you're eating while healthy is one that includes foods that are often problematic for IBS. You might find the FODMAP diet useful. It's not a weight loss diet, but designed specifically for IBS and had very good results in clinical trials.

As for exercise, my advice would be to start small and increase gradually. When I was housebound due to ill health for a couple of years I started small, just walk to the mailbox and back each day. Then once that didn't leave me exhausted and shaking I did that walk twice and so on. Too much too fast is just as bad if not worse than too little. Start with an amount that is a little more than you can comfortably do and work up slowly. Exercise is only helpful if it's the right type in the right amount. Pushing too much too soon usually does more harm than good. It's tough.

@TinyVictories thanks I will look at the fodmap diet, I think I have before and its a bit tricky as I'm vegetarian but will check again.

Thanks for the advice on exercise. I just want to be able to do things but as you say doing too much just makes more problems. I need to just do something everyday no matter how bad I feel.

Look up fodmap and get the app on your phone , then avoid the red food s totally. It really helped me.

I am vegetarian too but honestly your health sounds at a point where if fodmap helped but required eating meat, if it were me I’d be considering it. You can’t give up normal healthy life for vegetarianism.

Can I ask do you take probiotics? I suffered many many years with severe ibs , gerd I even ended up having an operation cause of the chronic heartburn . I find my energy , mood and overall well-being much better since I took probiotics. I also take turmeric supplements as they are a very good natural anti inflammatory, the migraines could very well due to your ibs I had them also . I really feel if you could sort your gut issues it will have a knock on effect on everything. Our gut is our powerhouse . If you feel full ,bloated or sluggish after meals digestive enzymes are amazing too . Udos super 8 are amazing ,quest digestive enzymes and turmeric with added black pepper from Holland and Barrett ( helps with absorption). No wonder you comfort eat exhaustion is very normal with ibs . I would be strongly against taking prescription meds for any of the above as it just masks the problem (I had ibs for 25 years ) now it's under control and I can eat almost whatever I like I've lost weight too as everything is digesting and moving normally. Hope something out of this helps you as you don't have to live like that 😘😘😘

Have a look at buying the Figure 8 programme. It's dance based and low impact. It has a very good support group on Facebook. Women far older than you, and with all sorts of issues do it, with amazing results in terms of weight loss and commitment to exercise. I am a lot older than you are and hated exercise. F8 got me going and I've branched out into other forms of regular exercise. I'll never stop. The positive impact on sleep, fitness, strength is mind blowing.

Also - no more aches and pains. I don't wake with a sore back anymore.

@lesleyw1953 I will look at the fodmap app, thank you!

@cordeliavorkosigan I really don't think I could, I've been vegetarian for ethical reasons for over 30 years but there must be a way to make it work without eating meat or fish.

@Iloveme30 Thank you, I am interested in the probiotics, I don't take them but have thought it would be a good idea especially as I've heard they can help with weight loss. I have some turmeric but not sure I can take it with my pain meds (naproxen).

@smellycats Thank you I will look into that!

I think you need to consider that peri-menopause is exacerbating your health conditions, and I also highly suggest you see a nutritionist as soon as possible, privately if need be, who can make an eating plan for you with the proper portions, calories and types of food. You should make losing weight a priority, because obesity makes absolutely everything worse.

I really would start probiotics they are overall excellent

If you are under 5'6 then your BMI is over 40. That in itself will be making so many of your symptoms worse (which I'm sure you know).

Once BMI is over 40 it is incredibly hard to lose and SUSTAIN weight loss back down to a healthy level. That is why the NHS will accept you on to the Tier 3 Bariatric support pathway.

Over a 6m to 12m period they will assign you a dietitian, you will have to have a psychological assessment regarding your attitude to food and a physician to monitor your other health problems.

They will also discuss Bariatric options . (Sleeve or Bypass) and give you the choice based on your current health. Bariatric surgery is still the ONLY long term sustainable weight loss solution for those of BMI over 35.

I could if written your post 2 years ago. I felt 20 years older than my 51 years. Arthritis, Sleep Apnoea (that I didn't know I had) , high bp, incontinence , migraines. 2 years later I am off all drugs, can walk for hours, have gone from size 22 to 14 and have a new lease of life.. I couldn't recommend it highly enough .

Ask your GP for a referral.

I am 5 foot 5 and my BMI is 41 according to the NHS calculator.

Bariatric surgery seems drastic and scary, is it seriously the only way? I was over BMI 35 when I was in my early 20's but lost it to a more normal weight for about 10 years when I was younger but it eventually came back.

I'm in scotland and not sure if we have the teir 3 bariatric support you mention. I am seeing a doctor soon so will ask but in the past when I have asked about help with my weight they shut me down.

@disorganisedsecretsquirrel Just checked the referal guidance for weight loss surgery in scotland and I don't meet the criteria. Yu have to be type 2 diabetic or have sleep apena or high cholesterol.

I think even the 6 month support period would be good!

Op, you might find the book the fast 5:2 diet by dr Michael Moseley helpful - the scientific results are startling when you look at how much even small amounts of fasting periods help reduce inflammation in your body, put your cells into repair model and of course also helps you reduce weight.

There is a lovely and supportive Facebook group called something like 5:2 U.K. - maybe it could be worth researching as something that could help you?

Our friend was under investigation for Rheutmatoid Arthritis, blood pressure issues, lots of different things and it's honestly really changed his life. GPs and doctors really rate it too. it sounds like you're in a tough place right now.

I really struggle with fasting as I get migraines if I skip breakfast and I if I skip dinner I tend to wake up with a migraine in the middle of the night. Having said that I am pretty desperate,

Flannelpjs
I'm in England and the criteria here is BMI 35+ and Sleep Apnoea, /Diabetes/High BP .. and BMI 40 with no comorbidity.

It is really really common to have sleep apnoea at 40+ BMI without knowing it. My GP sent me for a test.. and sure enough I was snoring at night because my weight gain had increased the fat around my neck/airways.

Tier 3 is well worth it. You don't HAVE to have surgery but all in my cohort did. (22 of us) . Contrary to the daily mail type scare mongering, WLS has a mortality rate of 1% whereas heart bypass surgery (sadly common in the morbidly obese ) is twice that..

I would encourage you to do your research. With reputable websites like Imperial College centre for Obesity research.. and watch Prof Rachel Batterhams insightful documentary about the 'fat shaming' that makes people feel bad for even considering surgery.

My surgery didn't only save my physical health but also my mental health. I was in hospital 2 nights. Up and walking 2 hours after surgery and had lost 7 stone in 7 months.. and am maintaining now for nearly 2 years. The best part of all is the full 2 year follow up afterwards.

Looks like they are changing their criteria.. you certainly qualify on this list of inclusions as long as you have no substance abuse issues and no extreme Personality disorders.

In this referral guide it explains that (like England) you can't be referred directly for surgery but also have to do the 12 week tier 3 prior to being considered.

apps.nhslothian.scot/refhelp/guidelines/Pages/WeightManagementServiceAdult.aspx

Appreciate it may be different to your exact area but worth discussing with GP.

Re being vegetarian, there are still vegetarian proteins on fodmap. Tofu, tempeh, small amounts of canned lentils and canned chickpeas (the processes they go through reduce fodmaps) eggs, several types of nuts, mung beans, vegetarian mince (mycoprotein), cheese, lactose free yoghurt, Alfalfa sprouts, certain types of mushrooms. It would require more effort to maintain a healthy vegetarian fodmap diet, but it's not impossible. I still can't have things like canned lentils and chickpeas bug a lot of people with IBS can. If you have constipation type IBS you might find you need to have something like Movicol along with doing fodmap diet to treat your IBS successfully. There's a good app from Monash University where fodmap diet was developed.