Hi, recently Ive gained a lot of weight ( 1 stone in 2 months) and I'm worried. I've been trying to lose weight for over a year now with dieting and exercise. I suffer from sciatica and my back hurts on a regular basis. Sometimes when I do exercise I over do it and end up hurting myself. I don't know what to do any more, please help me.
Tara xxx
Hi Tara,Have you had your thyroid checked as underactive thyroid can cause weight gain.Are you on any medication as some can cause weight gain too? As far as the exercise goes it may be best to get advice from a physiotherapist as to what is safe to do with your back problems.Instead of overdoing it you need to pace it ,little and often
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism several years ago and have been stable for a while now thanks. I sometimes take cocodamol and ibuprofen when my back hurts and when the cocodamol doesnt work I have tramadol. The worst part of it is that I have to eat with the painkillers and when my pain is bad I take 8 a day of each. I feel like my pain is taking over my life and because if it I'm in a viscous cycle of trying to lose weight, overdoing it and then taking painkillers and eating what ever I can find and sleeping for the rest of the day
Hello tara
Everyone knws ho hard it is too lose weight when your constant companion is chronic pain.
Golden rule number one. Pace yourself. Don't do so much that you need to take so ,uch pain relief. If you do a little - stop nefore you start hurting - you will cope ,uch better.
It is hard to adjjust as you may have been used to doing lots of things and then wham your life style changes.
I'm not saying do nowt but pacing is a very important part of the pain ,amage,emmt.
Pat x
Happy new year to you Taralulu,
like Paton said, pace yourself.That is the best way,do half what you are doing when exercising and see if that helps. If you do a little at a time you will build a momentum very slowly and the weight will slowly come off.Sending you positive vibes.Also half your meal and add the other half as fruit and vegetables and drink water instead of fizzy drink, those little adjustments will help.
Hi Taralu228, very sound advice on here, another option would be to ask your practice nurse if there are any light exercise you can do yourself and look more deeply into foods as sometimes just changing foods reduces calorie intake and weight over time i.e bananas have more calories than an apple.
I was steadily losing weight because of pain, then didn't realise that stopping losing happened when I went onto gabapentin. Some time later the dose was doubled and I put on a stone in six weeks, seemingly without much change in calorie content. With gp agreement, I now juggle the Gaba to match the nerve pains and diet weekdays. I've just about got control back but it is a hard battle, especially given the lack of feasible exercise. I can cope with moderate pain levels but not with weight gain as I am already too large! Everything in my world seems to be a compromise, but then, I'm sure that we are all familiar with that lifestyle in CP terms lol
Hi dear, ask doctor just change gabapentin for pregabalin, it is better for pain relief just normal dose 450-475 mg a day, not as gabapentin tons and tons tablets with a lots of side effect with memory problem also. Feel better. XOXO
Thanks everyone. I appreciate what your telling me. I've decided I'm going to try and learn how to swim. It seems like it could be the best exercise for me if I don't drown (I dont have any natural buoyancy) wish me luck 
Dear Tara,
I can totally identify, I had 3 accidents over 9 years. After each one the damage resulted in no exercise for prolonged periods, plus pain meds. I went off eating, I only ate to take the meds, then I often got the munchies, especially on gabapentin.
It may be worth exploring other meds with your GP. I take diclofenac 75mg modified release caps twice a day. I do top up with dihydrocodiene & diazepam as needed.
Because of my injuries, I find it really difficult to exercise, but am about to try Pilates. The others have given good advice re pacing. I clearly need their help with that, as I constantly struggle with pacing. Mostly because life isn't always paced.
I hope you find a way that works for you. Good luck.
Catherine.
Hi Tara, I have just read that you are going to try swimming!!!!!!!DONT, not before you have been advised by a phisio: or hydro: you will do more harm than good. The fact that you need to have food with your medication shouldn't make any difference to your weight gain as you can take it after your normal meals.
The only time you need to eat before you take your meds is in the morning have your breakfast then take your meds. Tara please go to your doctor and tell him or her exactly how you are feeling and ask them to refer you to the pain relief clinic and whatever you do stay positive, Triciaj.x
Hello Tara. First of all it is important to get a proper diagnosis via your doctors so you can know the underlying reasons for your condition which can be many and varied.
I can tell you about a few things that have helped me and I hope they will change things to a more positive direction for you too. I can highly recommend the Bowen Technique to help your back pain and sciatica. You can find a practitioner near you in Yellow Pages. Results are often miraculous and there is a special protocol for sciatica. They will also be able to advise about exercise.
Next comes Emotional Freedom Technique (E.F.T.) or tapping. It is an easy to learn self help technique which is great for all pain and illness and stress release amongst other things. A session or two with a practitioner should set on the road to competent useage. There is also a lot of information about this on the internet too.
To lose weight the Paleo Diet comes well recommended. It excludes many common food allergens, which in themselves, can contribute to pain and disease in the body. People following this diet report never feeling hungry whilst losing considerable amounts of weight and curing various illnesses along the way! I can recommend a book by Loren Cordain Ph.d. entitled The Paleo Answer 7 DAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT FEEL GREAT AND STAY YOUNGER. He explains it all clearly with plenty of scientific evidence for his claims. It is simple to follow too. You can find it on Amazon.
For pain relief have you tried D.M.S.O. (Dimethylsulphoxide)? This a natural substance derived from tree pulp with no nasty side effects, which is more than can be said for the medications you are taking. It is in liquid form and can be rubbed into the painful areas as needed. It is available on Amazon along with books on the subject. It has helped me a lot and I wouldn't be without it.
I hope this empowers you to know that there is a lot you can do to help yourself and waiting around to be rescued by doctors and the health service is probably a futile endeavour. Your sudden weight gain could be a side effect of medication as well as other things, so check it out with your GP.
I wish you all the very best in your quest for wellness Tara.
Best regards
MrsSAG
Like you I have sciatica I attend a pain clinic at my local hospital I was given radio frequency on my sciatica nerve I had two years pain relief the nerve has grown back so I will have it done again its worth asking your GP
I had to go to hospital today because I was on a bus the braked abruptly. A nurse and doctor checked me out and said that its a trapped nerve and inflamed muscles in my back. They gave me some dihydrocodine and sent me on my way. I feel like I can't continue on like this any more and on top of that my dog Harri is dying
Mri results. Help please
Please Please Please can someone help me.
Hip or back Please Help Me
