does surgery spark fibro?

[margaretpaloma]

I notice here many people have fibro with other illnesses. I had one hip replaced in feb. 2017 and the second in feb 2019. The awful grinding pain in my hips has, indeed, gone. But I have been left with shoulder pain, leg pain, back pain and exhaustion both mental and physical. Huge disappointment I really had hoped the surgery would return me to relative fitness. (relative as I am 69) Before Xmas I managed to get an appointment with a private rheumatologist, as a favour through my endocrin (that's another story). But she is so busy her calender is full, she says to email her but then doesn't reply.

She did however do tests, take a history and has diagnosed fibro, which reading what people say here makes absolute sense to me. She put me on ant-depressants, which I stopped after two weeks when the constipation became intolerable. While taking them I could barely motivate myself to get out of bed. She also prescribed a three week course of steroids, (wk1 30mg, wk2 15, wk3 7.5) which helped at the time (I think) but not long term. On top of that I take ibuprofen for the pain.

I emailed her two weeks ago when I stopped the ant-depressants, no reply, I am due to email her now but I'm not hopeful. I am going to try to see someone through the health service (I'm in Spain) but I avoid the doctors surgery like the plague in winter as I seem to get colds/flu if I even look at someone who is sniffling and the surgery is full of them! And I have been told there aren't many so it will take a long time.

I sort of feel as if I'm on my own. Due to see my lovely surgeon in March and I'll try to talk to him about it, maybe he could get me to see someone quicker.

So, I have a question. Surgery and recovery is traumatic, and I read Trauma can spark fibro. Does anyone else think it may be the cause of theirs? And if so does it diminish with time or get worse?

[Badbessie]

From my limited understanding fibromyalgia as been linked to many traumatic incidents. From car accidents to childbirth. There are also links to chronic diseases such as the various forms of arthritis. In my case the rheumatologist thought it was due to both osteoarthritis and trauma during military service. However as of yet nothing as been proven.

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

hi Margaretpaloma, and a warm welcome to our community. here you will find information, support, friendship and laughter too. Please familiarise yourself with our guidelines which you were sent in your welcome email when you joined, and you can find more general information on fibromyalgia at our main site fmauk.org

Regarding surgery being the trigger for trauma - yes, any form of mental, physical or emotional stress/trauma can act as the trigger. Some people find that they are extra sensitive to medication, and it can also be trial and error finding what works for you. For some people - medication simply does not help, therefore you need to find other non-medication methods of helping yourself.

there's no answer to whether it will get better or worse over time ... we are all individual, and each person and how they deal with the condition varies. For me personally, I'm worse now than I have been in the past .... but there have also been times when I have been much better than I am now.

[Hidden]

Yes hun you are right trauma set my fibro off 19 years ago as I sat with my father who died aged 69 from a catalogue of errors made in an operating theatre.. I,ve homed in on the bit about taking steroids,, I have had Kenalog injected muscular in the past and I had repeated evry 4-6 months,,this was much better than oral steroids- OMG they wiped me out, yet kenalog had me back to some fitness, pain free and sleeping better. I note you take ibuprofen, I do too but its more for bone pains than fibro,, some people are given anti eplileptic drugs for their pain, some adapt to it some dont..I have always thought trying us on amitripltyline first to help with sleep and if taken at the right time should help many BUT I woke up with an enormous head ache like Ive never had before so they were not for me..conventional pain relief then onto to newer ideas of pregab or gabapent again its all trial and error before you reach a happy medium.

[Midori]

Well, some folk say it does and others say not.

I cannot be sure, as I had 3 big incidents in my life close together just before I was diagnosed, so it could be any one of them, or a combination of all three.

I think the main consensus says yes, though.

Cheers, Midori

[ShelWhitt]

i totally agree. I have had a catalogue of trauma going back over 50 years, and I am convinced each one has contributed to the state I am in now, as none of them have ever been 'dealt' with. I don't think I even went to the doctor's at all, with any of them, just got on with it. Partly I think (looking back) that no one around me considered any of the trauma's a big deal or even considered I might need any help. It seems unbelievable, but even now I don't think my family even think I am ill, because I look OK, and any reference to illness gets quickly kicked into touch. Even 10 years ago fibromyalgia wasn't even on the radar, let alone the reasons for it. So things don't look good.Take care.