I was diagnosed with fibro in Dec. of this past year. In that time, I have gained about 20 to 30 or more lbs. I am having an array of probs.
First, I keep getting thrush in my mouth...like it's been there for months and months. Take meds and it never goes away completely. The stuff is very painful!
Next, why am I gaining noticeable weight from one day to the next. I feel and look like a puffer fish.
Also, I am having recurrent and very painful breast pain. I had a partial hysterectomy about ten years ago.
Off and on I also have vision probs and hearing issues.
I guess I may be freaking out, but it worries me alot! I do take Cymbalta and Lyrica for the pain (doesn't help much). I also take Soma and Trazodone for sleep.
Seems the number one, most noticeable SE of Lyrica is the weight gain, plus most of us are less active, which adds the pounds! I get thrush sometimes too, especially if I haven't taken my probiotics, those help keep away thrust and yeast infections. There is a prescription mouth wash available. http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/chlorhexidine-mouthwash-for-thrush
Please be sure to discuss all of this with your Doctor, including the breast tenderness, here is something I had problems with in the past, and I try to watch my caffeine intake.
First of all I'm really sorry you're going through so much. Both Lyrica and Cymbalta do have weight gain side effects. I gained something like 60 pounds between 2001 and 2003. It took awhile to get it off, but I was on an anti-depressant (Zoloft) that is notorious for weight gain. Might be helpful for you to look up the meds you are taking and see if the other can cause weight gain as well.
As far as the breast pain, I'd ask your doc about this one. It could be anything but safe to let your doc know what's going on with all these symptoms.
I took Soma years ago and I did pretty well on it. I can't take Trazadone because it can cause my bp to drop.
Fibro can sometimes affect hearing and vision, but again, these are things that really need some answers so you can rule out a few things.
I really hope the doctor you have is understanding. You need some answers so you can keep your stress levels lower. Not knowing drives me nuts too!
You've been newly diagnosed, and fibro symptoms can be somewhat overwhelming, but keep sharing and asking those questions. Hope this has helped some. Take care!
I also take lyrica, I'm on 300mg twice a day, also I take cymbalta plus numerous other meds and I have gained at least 42lbs since I was diagnosed 5 yrs ago...
Obviously the nature of our condition makes us much less active, so for these reasons weight gain is bound to happen (sadly) I do have to take some responsibility though, as I know I eat far too much for my limited activity level - but I find it hard, there are now so few things I can do/enjoy, but I do enjoy my food - and I'm good at eating.....
It may sound as though I am making light of this, but to be quite honest I hate the fact my body neither feels good or looks good anymore :-(
Sorry that I don't have any answers, but please know that you are not alone.
I gained about 30 lbs from Lyrica and Nortriptyline, and I look like a puffer fish too. I hate it! But it's that or give up the drugs to help me sleep and fight pain. And as much as you might not think your pain meds aren't working but if you were to miss a dose then you might find yourself in much worse pain. That's what's happened to me on a few occasions.
I have had temporary instances of visual and hearing problems. When I get tired I get blurry vision, something I've never had before. And sometimes I can't hear conversations, especially when something else is on, like a tv. Again, I've never had the problem before. It comes and goes. I guess the reassuring part is that it GOES. So I presume it's the fibro, although I can't figure out how fibro could do it.
I wold suggest that you see your doctor about your breast pain if you haven't already Susan. It sounds rather concerning and I don't think that it's related to fibro, at least not that I know of.
I looked up the thrush issue and found a good discussion site where several causes and solutions are discussed. I don't know if they work or not but I thought you might at least get some answers from it: http://72.30.186.176/search/srpcache?ei=UTF-8&p=what+causes+thr...
I hope that something on here proves helpful to you.