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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Fibromyalgia Post A Gastric Bypass Surgery

I am a 58 year female who has battled obesity for most of my life. My weight went up to over 400 pounds but never exceeded 415. I had gastric bypass in 2001 and lost between 160 & 170 pounds but I gained back all but about 50 pounds. In 2008 I was the first of 3 patients in the USA to be chosen for an FDA study on Deep Brain Stimulation for the treatment for obesity. I am happy to say that it has been very successful for me. From my heaviest weight, I am down nearly 190 pounds. My weight is still in the 220 s but I figure about 20 to 30 pounds of that to be loose skin, mostly on my lower abdomen. The reason I am giving this background info is that now for the first time ever I can feel the bone at the bottom of my sternum, I guess it s my breastbone. It feels really big and kind of bumped up. It seems a little tender to the touch but not too bad. I have fibromyalgia so I was wondering if this could be costocondritis or am I just lucky to be able to be feeling bones under my skin for the first time in 40 years. I lost weight in the early 80 s and got down to about 165 pounds and didn t notice it then but I did notice that when I took a shower some water would stay in the dips where the skin sunk down on my collar bones. Now that s a bone problem I want to see happen again. LOL. Thanks for your time and response to what I am sure is a trivial question.
Mon, 5 Mar 2018
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General Surgeon,  's  Response
Hello,

Great to know about your progress on losing obesity, firstly, by gastric bypass, and then by Deep Brain Stimulation. Good that you responded well to this.

The palpable but thickened part of breast bone is most probably xiphisternum and that can be inflamed as you have rightly said. Hence, it is important to have a proper diagnosis by consulting your Doctor for clinical evaluation, examination and X-rays.

You can certainly take anti-inflammatory medications for this problem. Fibromyalgia means you have stress and/or anxiety and thus can cause many symptoms including the one you have mentioned. Control of anxiety and stress is an important part of the management.

Maintaining the lost weight and do more for losing further is needed for better results. The cosmetic surgery can enhance the many loose skin folds and such thing although body too takes care of many such folds over time.

Local or oral steroid injection can help if plain anti-inflammatory medications and control of stress and anxiety do not help you fully.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. T Chandrakant
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Suggest Treatment For Fibromyalgia Post A Gastric Bypass Surgery

Hello, Great to know about your progress on losing obesity, firstly, by gastric bypass, and then by Deep Brain Stimulation. Good that you responded well to this. The palpable but thickened part of breast bone is most probably xiphisternum and that can be inflamed as you have rightly said. Hence, it is important to have a proper diagnosis by consulting your Doctor for clinical evaluation, examination and X-rays. You can certainly take anti-inflammatory medications for this problem. Fibromyalgia means you have stress and/or anxiety and thus can cause many symptoms including the one you have mentioned. Control of anxiety and stress is an important part of the management. Maintaining the lost weight and do more for losing further is needed for better results. The cosmetic surgery can enhance the many loose skin folds and such thing although body too takes care of many such folds over time. Local or oral steroid injection can help if plain anti-inflammatory medications and control of stress and anxiety do not help you fully. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. T Chandrakant