Hi this is my second round with lyme since July. In July I was actually concerned I was losing too much weigt, now I am barely eating for about a month now( no appetite) and somehow it seems I am GAINING weight! It's very disturbing. Is this common with lyme? thanks, Natalie
Posted by minimonkey (Member # 8693) on :
Yes, incredibly common. I've had huge weight swings up and down over the years, with no apparent change in eating habits, etc.
My LLNP says almost everyone with Lyme gains a lot of weight at some point -- she attributes it to inflammation, and says it often goes away on its own when you start getting better. I've put on almost 40 lbs in the past year!!! My thyroid checked out ok with a very thorough screening, which surprised me, actually.
Good thing I'm not obsessive about body-image, or I'd be losing my mind! As is, it still does a bit of a number on the self esteem.
Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :
amen
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
somewhere i read that 80% gain weight and 20% lose with lyme infection
Posted by Biting Back (Member # 6018) on :
I am normally a very thin person, 5' 6" and around 120-125 lbs. When I was at my worst I ballooned up to 200 lbs.
The weight gain had absolutely nothing to do with food intake. At that time I was unable to swallow anything solid due to spasms of the vocal cords and cranial nerve palsy.
The weight started to dissolve immediately after initiating antibiotics and I've maintained 122-124 lbs. over the past year. Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
I just read in Dr B's 2005 guidelines that 80% of chronic lyme patients suffer weight gain. It is on page 6. I cant highlight and drag here from the text---sorry!
Posted by lymeout (Member # 8045) on :
Though there may be a number of reasons for weight gain, e.g. metabolic, one could be toxicity. A good detox protocol can help.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Welcome Natalie to the board.
Yes, I've gained weight also especially 25 lbs. when they put me on 1 type of depression pill.
Here are some newbie links if no one has given you anything up to now ok...
Welcome to this 24/7 LYME support group board!
Here's TREEPATROL's and Tincup's combination newbie links.
Print off the links then check them off as you read as you could spend several months reading all of this.
print & read Dr. Barrascono's 2005 info first; you will come back to this often.
Extensive info in Treepatrol's newbie links about the meaning of WESTERN BLOT IGM/IGG test results from Igenex! Be sure to read or print this info IF Igenex tested you ok!
Also, see Cheryl's extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful! Read the area on CO-INFECTIONS! You could have from 1-12 other illnesses that tick is carrying...lyme, malaria, etc.
If you are showing symptoms of co-infections, I would like to suggest being tested for co-infections when you have LYME western blots done. It isn't cheap!! But if you are positive, you can treat the co-infections first, and then work on LYME symptoms.
EYE SENSITIVIES & NOIR, no infrared sunglasses info., 2-28-06 updated
YES, I have what you have! Are you on doxy too? That made my extreme eyes 200% MORE sensitive than they we were earlier. I learned a lot about eye sensitivity/lighting on www.marshallprotocol.com board. Look for AUSSIE BARB'S EAST FINDER and then eyes/sunglasses, etc. Wealth of info there.
You will need 2% amber and 10% amber ... Style no. 901 and 910. 1-800-521-9746 TOLL- FREE
mention you have lyme and marshall protocol, they will give you 20% off! Also they have been kind enough to replace the SCRATCHED LENSES & BROKEN BOWS! How's that for service?
I don't drive often at night, but I can wear NOIR's 901 lenses at night while driving; it creates soft candle lights coming at me...tolerable. NOT to wear in town with all the action of people crossing where they shouldn't be, etc.
from LOU to Betty on LONG web links and Thank You Lou!: "If you hit the return key in the middle of a link, I don't think it will be clickable anymore. An alternative that maybe Betty should be telling people about is the tiny url website. I have it on my tool bar at the top of the page and use it for those incredablylongwebsiteaddresses.
All you have to do is ask tiny url to produce a short version, which it will do with a unique address, which you then use instead in your post. Works just the same when clicked! Here is the website, spread the word!
3-1-06, fyi, I tried dragging tinyurl to my toolbar without success, so that's why I currently have LONG addresses vs. short tiny ones! I'll keep trying.
cant win at this game. I keep loosing and llosing and cant afford to loose another pound. I look and feel like the walking dead.
Keep eating more and more almonds after every meal hoping to maintain but to no avail.
Posted by Cinder Binder (Member # 8225) on :
Sofy:
I'm with you. I've lost 10 lbs. since this started for me in August, 2005. I'm afraid that I will go below 100 lbs. YIKES!
My friend asked me the other day if I was losing weight. I said yes and that I wasn't trying to. He asked me if I wanted to get a steak dinner.
Okay, so was that a great pick-up line, or what?
Cinder
Posted by Moose (Member # 8545) on :
It's funny that you should bring this issue up, and I did read about it in Dr. J.B.'s 33 page article.
For years I was able to maintain my average weight which would go up and down approx 10 pounds through the seasons. In the winter I would gain and toward the summer I would lose it, which worked out well enough for me.
Until about 3-4 years ago, I started to noticed that I seemed to be gaining weight even when I became sick much more frequently and was hardly eating much.
I was shocked and couldn't figure it out, but the doctor assumed it was because I was hitting my 40's. Hmmmph! I had a hard time believing him, 'cuz even with constant activities through the summer, I couldn't even lose a pound, but kept on gaining too quickly beyond my average zone.
Now I know better, that it's due to lyme which has somehow slowed down my normal metabolism or something.
Posted by sweet pea (Member # 6495) on :
Natalie,
Have you had your thyroid checked? You could be hypothyroid. It is possible that having Lyme disease caused this. Just a guess with you, but I wanted to suggest it.
P
Posted by nat (Member # 8883) on :
Hi-I think my doc is going to check my thyroid tomorrow with my bloodwork. It's just so weird, the 1st bout with lyme I lost so much weight and now I am gaining and barely eating.. not that I should complain at all since I am starting too feel a little better, but it would be nice to fit into more than one pair of jeans!
Posted by Jillybean (Member # 8071) on :
I completely ditto Moose's post. Gained 30 lbs for no reason, no change in eating habits, etc. The first doc pit me on Doxy, and I lost 13 lbs in 2 months.
Now I'm on IV rocephin & 1500 mg of Flagyl daily, and I have to eat before I take each one, and before I take my probiotic( I have a very sensitive stomach).So I'm eating more than usual.
So I've put more weight back on, and to top it off I quit smoking cold turkey 15 days and and gained all 13 lbs back! Can't keep food out of my face til I through this. Smoked for 35 years!
I figure I can lose the weight, can't get new lungs.....
Good Luck, Jill
Posted by hopeful123 (Member # 3244) on :
Jill,
You quit smoking? That's wonderful!!!!
I, too, gained weight when I stopped, but it is worth it not to be chained to those evil sticks!
![[spinning smile]](graemlins/spinsmile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[bonk]](graemlins/bonk.gif)
Can't keep food out of my face til I through this. Smoked for 35 years!![[bow]](graemlins/bow.gif)