Sigh....

She Smiles · December 3, 2006

I just wanted to have a bit of a sook, I've had a particularly rough couple of days.

One of the major reasons (after weight loss and my health) I had the lap band surgery was an attempt to no longer feel the debilitating back pain that I experience every day when I wake up. Usually it hits around 4am and then I spent the next few hours trying to get comfortable before I have to get up and go to work. Nothing can releive the pain, I sleep with 5 pillows, practically sitting up. I'd love to fall asleep in my fiance's arms, but its just not an option.

The past 2 days when I have woken up the pain has been WORSE than ever. I have woken up in tears. And even now, sitting here 1 1/2 hours after waking up, it is STILL hurting. Its incredibly painful. Sigh.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to sleep through a whole night and not be in pain when I wake up. I have lost 10 kilos (22 pounds) from when I started this journey and its made no difference

Has anyone had this kind of pain and had it go away with a certain amount of loss? I can't even fathom the fact that I might be stuck with this even when I am slimmer :phanvan

Woodys · December 3, 2006

Congrats on your weight loss. Have you investigated the problem with your back pain or have you assumed that it was caused by your weight?

Carol

She Smiles · December 3, 2006

Thanks Carol.

When I went to my GP to get the referral to go see the lap band surgeon, he said that I should try to start exercising (which I did/have) and if I went ahead with the surgery to see that made any difference. He was pretty sure that the location of the pain (lower back) was due to my weight and that I am just not really a shape that can be horizontal - I have too much weight on my front weighing down if I am laying down on my back and my back bends like a banana if I lay on my front (which I can't do now because I am still too sore from the surgery still anyway) because my gut is TOO big.

My fiance keeps telling me that I just need to give it time, that in another 10 kilos, it will probably go away, but I am way too impatient. I know he's probably right though....

jahair · December 3, 2006

I just wanted to have a bit of a sook, I've had a particularly rough couple of days.
One of the major reasons (after weight loss and my health) I had the lap band surgery was an attempt to no longer feel the debilitating back pain that I experience every day when I wake up. Usually it hits around 4am and then I spent the next few hours trying to get comfortable before I have to get up and go to work. Nothing can releive the pain, I sleep with 5 pillows, practically sitting up. I'd love to fall asleep in my fiance's arms, but its just not an option.

The past 2 days when I have woken up the pain has been WORSE than ever. I have woken up in tears. And even now, sitting here 1 1/2 hours after waking up, it is STILL hurting. Its incredibly painful. Sigh.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to sleep through a whole night and not be in pain when I wake up. I have lost 10 kilos (22 pounds) from when I started this journey and its made no difference

Has anyone had this kind of pain and had it go away with a certain amount of loss? I can't even fathom the fact that I might be stuck with this even when I am slimmer :phanvan

I can really relate - one of the reasons I decided to do WLS was the amount of back pain I woke up with each morning. I can say that there has been an improvement since the sx. I haven't lost a great deal of weight, so I'm reluctant to give all the credit to the weight loss.

What I think is a bigger factor is the fact that I've returned to my back stretches before getting out of bed. This link shows a lot of back exercises, 15 in total. The ones I can do in bed before getting out of it in the morning are 2, 3, 7, 8, 12 and 13 -- The main thing to remember, regardless of what these pictures show is TO KEEP YOUR HEAD FLAT ON THE BED. NO PILLOW, NO HALF UPRIGHT. FLAT!!

Take your time with these (which I'm sure you have because you are waking up so danged early! :uwelcome: )

Best wishes, dear!

Jo Ann

Click here: Back pain exercises for the spine on video free provided by Back.com

Does your doctor know how much pain you are in? Are you taking Tylenol, etc?

mypov · December 3, 2006

Wow, very sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Are you sure you don't have a slipped or bulging disk or something? Have you had an x-ray to check? I don't have nearly that pain but I do get uncomfortable if I don't have a pillow under my neck and under my knees when I sleep. This seems to keep my spine better aligned. Keep us posted on how you are doing!

jahair · December 3, 2006

Wow, thanks so much Jo Ann. I will start doing them tomorrow!
I am in Australia and we don't have liquid tylenol here, but I have been taking an equivalent medicine called "pain stop" because I am still on liquids. It barely takes the edge off. My GP knows about the pain and included details of it in my referral to the Surgeon, so they both know.

I didn't realize that you were newly post op. Be VERY gentle about anything that looks like compressing the abdomen. STOP if there is any pain. If so, then concentrate on straightening out your spine with a good stretch, heel drags and hamstring stretches for a few more days. Add other things in gradually.

Jo Ann

She Smiles · December 3, 2006

Thanks Jo Ann!

Jachut · December 4, 2006

I've had improvements yes - but I never had a really bad back problem. I do have a touch of piriformis syndrome - my sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle, not under it, and if I get tight in that lower back, I get sciatic pain.

However, after my pregnancies I couldnt even walk for exercise, once I cooled down I'd be in agony. It took years to improve, I put on a lot of weight in that time. Nowadays it hardly bothers me, I run up to 10km at a time and I stretch really well - stretching is the key for me, I cannot let myself get tight.

At the the height of my weight problem I was sleeping really poorly - it was like being heavily pregnant - I tend to sleep on my side, and the weight on my front of belly and boobs would pull me over so I'd twist and I'd wake up with horrible lower back pain, as well as an aching through the hips and shoulder girdle from the weight. I cant remember the last time I felt that now, I sleep like a baby.

And I had a terrible inflammatory ankle problem that almost had me unable to walk at times and its all but gone.

She Smiles · December 4, 2006

Jack, I truly appreciate your respect (every one at this forum rocks!). To be honest though, I am happy to discuss possible reasons in the open forum. I've got nothing to hide Heck maybe some one else might get some help from these posts about my dodgy back problems too.

What might I be able to tell you that might help?

Teresita · December 4, 2006

You know the back is very delicate. Have you already seen a back specialist? If you have not you really should. Good Luck

http://www.back.com/findadoctor.html Here is a link for back doctors (chiropractors) and there is a lot of information on back pain sypmtoms and diagnosis.