posted
Hi all I'm so puzzled by this fat round the middle - I've been very good! When I went on South Beach diet, I actually gained a pound or two after three solid weeks. Just had cbc done, and liver function, thyroid function. All seem to be normal. Should I be worrying and how can I take this off? I get tons of exercise. Have had babs and lyme. Thank you! love dharma
Posts: 731 | From NH | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Even if your thyroid function tests seem normal, you still could be hypothyroid. Does your doctor test for Free T3? My TSH, T4, Free T4, T3 uptake are usually all normal, but my Free T3 is always very low. Having a hard time getting it regulated...due to Lyme.
Also, being sick keeps us from being as active as we'd like. It does me, anyway. But, I keep at it.
I hope you find out what it is. Much luck.
lifeline
Posts: 983 | From FL | Registered: Dec 2002
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
I eat very well, exercise, etc. but still gained 10 lbs since having started antibiotics, etc. Not sure if that is the cause or not.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
Well, I've gained alot more than ten pounds, hah.
I'm pretty sure that it's because my metabolism is slowed down. It might be thyroid, it probably has something to do with the Lyme.
Carol
Posts: 6956 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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I think it may also have something to do with insulin resistance gradually developing in the body as Lyme and co-infections progress. It's an acquired resistance to the body�s vital glucose-handling hormone, insulin.
The body's gradual failure to respond to insulin causes irregularity in blood sugar levels. Eventually our adipose (read: fat) cells --bombarded with extra calories to store in the form of triglycerides and glucose -- succumb to insulin resistance too. And we gain weight that is very hard to get rid of.
In a final twist, the overloaded fat cells flood the blood with fatty acids that in turn start killing the insulin-secreting pancreatic cells. A nice vicious circle there.
The Omega-3's are good for this as are doing things to avoid spiking and the lows and highs of insulin and avoiding sugar and white flour, etc.
Cheers,
Alison
--------------------
The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. --- Edward R. Murrow Posts: 923 | From California | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
My daughter's weight has yo-yo'd since having lyme. I think it is metabolic. But have you ever had a test for leptin level? This is part of the chronic neurotoxin theory. If this is abnormal, the weight you are gaining could be controlled by detox protocol possibly.
Posts: 422 | From Herndon, Virginia | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
If anyone finds this answer I will send a reward I have gained over 50 lbs. in a year and 3 months. The first gain came with the first abx. doxy. then just kept coming. I have read that because of the hormone leptin in lyme patients is affected. I do have hypo thyroid but the blood tests show I am taking to much meds. now so it's not that this time. I have tried everything too except alot of exercise due to pain. Good luck hang in there maybe someone will come along with the answer for that reward. Take care, mimi
Posts: 343 | From usa | Registered: Dec 2004
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It's an acquired resistance to the body�s vital glucose-handling hormone, insulin.
The body's gradual failure to respond to insulin causes irregularity in blood sugar levels. Eventually our adipose (read: fat) cells --bombarded with extra calories to store in the form of triglycerides and glucose -- succumb to insulin resistance too. And we gain weight that is very hard to get rid of.
In a final twist, the overloaded fat cells flood the blood with fatty acids that in turn start killing the insulin-secreting pancreatic cells. A nice vicious circle there.
The Omega-3's are good for this as are doing things to avoid spiking and the lows and highs of insulin and avoiding sugar and white flour, etc.
Cheers,
Alison
I agree with parts of Allison's statement. Since the same question is being asked on the thyroid forum and every other forum on the net, I don't necessarily agree that it is distictive to lyme.
Before my last tick bite I was 210, 6'0. I was insulin resitant, carb addicted. I was placed on a med back in 4/05 for migraines that had a se (for me) of taking away cravings (all impulsive behavior).
I stopped eating sugary, whites, carbs but not watching quantity or restricting foods. The weight slowly came off with fluctuations. The less food I ate, the less food I wanted. Still the weight came slowly off.
I noticed in the first few months that if I ate a surgary, carb my weight fluctuated back up by as much as a lb or 2 which let me know I was still insulin resitant, just taking in less calories.
Its several months later and I'm 168. I've been on abx since July. In Nov, 15 lbs fell off without effort. I can eat a carb without the weight fluctuation (of course now I have to deal with the yeast).
This is what I have concluded. It takes time for the body to get over insulin resistance. When we go on diets that are no carb, low carb they work quickly (water weight) in losing the first 10 lbs. Then we try to hang in there for the next several weeks or few months but if you stop before you break the insulin resitance (retrain how the body handles sugar) then we go back to the pre-diet food stage.
I was dx hypothyroid 25 years ago. I received my most recent labs back yesterday and they were on target.
-------------------- When I feel blue . . . . . . its time to take another breath Posts: 296 | From East Coast | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Thanks for all your answers. I'll research them tonight, when I have time. I forgot to say the doc said my cholesteral counts were up and he wanted me on Lipitor, so I asked for a few months to try diet. The fat I have is around my middle, just where you're not supposed to get it! That's why I was worried about it. This also came right after I pulled a muscle or disc and was on first painkillers, now Celebrex, which helps. love dharma
Posts: 731 | From NH | Registered: Jan 2002
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Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
Sorry, but into a search engine, type in "Celebrex weight gain".
Celebrex isn't the only drug that has the "side effect" of weight gain.
Yes..several factors (including insulin resistance) compound this unwanted weight gain!
Just recently on WebMd...
"Common Offenders That Can Cause Weight Gain
While no one knows exactly how many prescription drugs can cause weight gain, experts estimate the list includes more than 50 common medications.
Steroids such as prednisone, older antidepressants such as Elavil and Tofranil, and second-generation antipsychotics like Zyprexa are the biggest -- and most recognized -- promoters of weight gain, Fernstrom says.
Some other common offenders, says Fernstrom, include the antidepressants Paxil and Zoloft, the antiseizure medication Depakote, diabetes drugs like Diabeta and Diabinese, and the high blood pressure drugs Cardura and Inderal.
Heartburn drugs like Nexium and Prevacid may also cause drug-induced weight gain. Fernstrom tells WebMD that the medication-associated weight gain can be modest -- or as much as 30 pounds over several months.
And in some cases, it is unrelated to the action of the drug itself," she adds. "For example, if an antidepressant makes people feel better, their appetite may be restored and they eat more."
Making matters more complicated is that some drugs, like Prevacid and Nexium, can cause weight gain in some people and weight loss in others.
"Not all drugs have the same side effects for all people," she says. "You have to work with your doctor to find the drug that's right for you."
The article goes on to say, walking 45 minutes every day will help to offset the medication-triggering weight gain.
Re: leptin
Leptin (from the Greek leptos, meaning thin) is a protein hormone with important effects in regulating body weight, metabolism and reproductive function. Leptin is expressed predominantly by adipocytes, which fits with the idea that body weight is sensed as the total mass of fat in the body. Smaller amounts of leptin are also secreted by cells in the epithelium of the stomach and in the placenta. Leptin receptors are highly expressed in areas of the hypothalamus known to be important in regulating body weight, as well as in T lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells.
The above is a very interesting, easy to understand, website on leptin. See the insulin link there too.
Posts: 9481 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
dharma, I gained 30 lbs within 3 mths of getting ill from lyme. I was on abx at that time. My weight gain was mostly in my middle and rump area.
That was 6 yrs ago. I went to alternative treatment 2 1/2 yrs ago and stopped abx. In that time I've have very slowly lost all 30 lbs.
I don't know if it was from abx. I don't know if my life style changes started dropping the weight? I have not changed my diet, except adding water. By water I mean I drink a gallon to gallon and 1/2 every day. Filtered water or distilled water.
I haven't done the no-carbs or low carbs that many do on this board to help. I could not, would not do without my favorite food like pasta etc. Sound like Sam I Am. lol
My first real weight lose came when I did a seven day fast and did 5 colonic that week. That caused my intestines, colon to release a built up of toxins that was gross. 10 lbs of s#@^.
So I don't think it was so much the abx, as it is a built up of toxins that the body stores when it has lyme. Gigi talks about the toxic built up in our bodies and many alternative ways to get rid of neurotoxins etc.
I believe detox, detox and more detox is essential.
Today and it's been at least 9 months since the last of that 30 lbs disappeared, I can eat whatever I want, including a bowl of ice cream in the evening and have no weight gain. I know that I'm putting some stuff in me that's not healthy. Quanity is key. I eat more veggies today though.
But I will not do without my water supply. My body gets aggitated if it doesn't get water. It let's me know, I NEED WATER!
Take care, Pam
I was hypothyroid many many years prior to getting ill with lyme, so I've always been one that could easily gain weight.
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Oh boy. Hate to give up the Celebrex but it does seem to fit. Don't much like pain. And I walk close to 7 hrs a day - I work in a hospital and probably walk about 6 miles a day coming and going all over . And was careful with food intake re sugar and junk. Anyone know a good detox to take? Oh, you guys are GREAT! Thank you all! love dharma
Posts: 731 | From NH | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I gained 50 punds in one year just from the Lyme - this was before I was on abx.
I defintiely don't think insulin resistance is only endemic to people with Lyme. But I think it can be a real problem for Lymies as opposed to other people.
Another thing that has been helping me is doing natural herbal hormone replacement/helping (especially since insulin is a hormone and we have lots of other hormones that get out of whack, i.e. thyroid, etc.). It's also helped my other lyme symptoms.
Also doing the seven steps of the plan on radiantrecovery.com has almost stopped my cravings and I am only on step one lol.
Chhers,
Alison
--------------------
The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. --- Edward R. Murrow Posts: 923 | From California | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Marnie - if I understood the website the less I eat and more I exercise, the more weight stays on or increases? It certainly fits with my careful eating for months ( most of the time) and now increased exercise.
Posts: 731 | From NH | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
When I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, my weight was already out of my control. I now eat 5 small meals a day, watching carbs; and my weight is still out of my control. I gain and lose 35 lbs over and over.
My LLMD did a test of my Seratonin level and it was very low. He said it's an indicator of the illness. You have to treat the illness, not the Seratonin level.
But - as long as your Seratonin is low, you will lose control over a great many things, including weight.
Posts: 108 | From Florida | Registered: Sep 2005
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
Hi. I gained 46 lbs. in my first two months of illness and it all moved to my stomach, leading to my being dx'd with Metabolic Syndrome. Insulin resistance is increased in Lyme, and many of us have very low DHEA levels relative to our cortisol levels, which can cause this big waist too. Have you tried taking low dose DHEA of 5-10 mgs. daily? It has really helped me to keep the problem from getting worse. (Be sure to get a baseline blood test and a follow up every few months if you do this). In one of Dr. Klinghardt's papers on Lyme, he says Lyme causes a moderate elevation of total cholesterol and a dramatic elevation of LDL cholesterol. That has happened to me. My total went from 180 to 240 and my LDL went from 120 to 180! It seems LDL has a positive function...it binds to toxins and keeps them from being reabsorbed...so the body is wise to raise it when Borrelia is being killed off. I would let it do it's job and resist the statins, which are horrible drugs, IMO. Tryptophan at bed time (500-2,000 mgs. depending upon body weight and what sort of drugs you take) can help raise your serotonin while you are fighting the Lyme. If you try it, be sure to wear sunglasses when out in the sun for long periods. Klutzo
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Thyroid tests are as about as accurate as Lyme testing. I contacted a thyroid specialist that is from Stanford, and he is published several pieces on his studies, and he says the testing misses a large junk of actual abnormal thyroids. You need a doc who knows this and can still treat you if deemed necessary. My tests came back normal all the time and he put me on thyroid medication. My resting AM temp was 96.1, hair falling out like crazy, and extremely fatigued. After medication the fatigue was much better, hair stopped falling out, and I actually had a normal temp. I have no weight problem, but the doc says not everyone with a low thyroid is overweight.
Also, please note that fat cells excrete inflammatory chemicals. It is a vicious cycle if you suffer from a lot of inflammation with Lyme and you have weight to lose. I went on anti-inflammatory supplements and diet, though the diet does not limit food amounts. You just eat healthier food. I lost 10 pounds without trying when I had green tea (anti-inflammatory) every day and incorporated naturally anti-inflammatory foods. Dr. Perricone's books talk about all this. Hope it helps someone. Lisa
Posts: 134 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
Lots of factors contribute to weight gain, but...when that gain is simply around the middle...think: malnourished.
Yes, malnourished. Some nutrient(s) are missing.
Look at the pictures of kids who are starving in Africa. Heavy around the "digestive organs", but skinny arms and legs.
Protective.
HIV pts. also get the "tire" around the middle, no matter what they do.
I think the body is getting ready for a big fight. I think this is also why cholesterol levels go up. Preparing for battle. Saving/storing glycogen and acids.
The increase in weight is protective sometimes... Think about being pregnant. Now...the weight we moms all gained didn't entirely go to the developing baby. We were going to need a lot of nutrients to deliver that child and to feed that child (breastfeed).
In old times, a "heavier" looking woman was considered healthier, even beautiful. Look at the Roman statues of women. They didn't wear a size 4!
Hey...guess what...my son just showed me a new ad from the Sunday paper for Wheaties...It now includes multivitamins and...get this...CoQ10! (We make CoQ10 when we...exercise...IF we have the nutrients to MAKE it.) CoQ10 keeps us healthy. It carries hydrogen INTO the cells. B6 and Mg are needed to make this enzyme.
Think: more hydrogen = what...more alkaline or more acidic? Now...carry that hydrogen INTO the cells.
We take the nutrients out of our foods when we process them, and then try to add them back in...ugh.
Posts: 9481 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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I have had weight gain significantly after my baby was born. I did not know I had LD at the time. I haven't started my treatment yet, however, my dr. put me on compounded (natural) thyroid medication, Liothyronine. I also had adrenal problem and when I can afford it I take testosterone and progestrogen.
I did not have my thyroid medication for almost a week and the pounds came pouring on and I was so shakey and weak. I definately have more energy too.
Any one have any luck w/ a thyroid supplement?
Tara
-------------------- Mitakuye Oysain (we are all related) Posts: 34 | From OH | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
All very interesting replies. I'm not much overweight - but would like to lose 10 lbs. It's mostly my waist thickening that bothers me. So I think I'll give the DHEA a shot and see what happens. Thanks again! love dharma
Posts: 731 | From NH | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Hi all Just an update - I ran out of calcium/magnesium/zinc supplements a few months ago and had forgotten to buy any more. I just started taking it again and the tummy is melting away. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year with love dharma
Posts: 731 | From NH | Registered: Jan 2002
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
Wow! the weight in the middle fits me.
I was malabsorbing because of gluten, when I stopped eating wheat all the weight I lost was off my tummy.
As my minerals are better absorbed the dark circles under my eyes have faded too.
Posts: 1572 | From Pa | Registered: Jun 2001
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I have gained over 50 lbs. in a year and 3 months. The first gain came with the first abx. doxy. then just kept coming. I have read that because of the hormone leptin in lyme patients is affected. ![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
I do have hypo thyroid but the blood tests show I am taking to much meds. now so it's not that this time. I have tried everything too except alot of exercise due to pain. Good luck ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
hang in there maybe someone will come along with the answer for that reward.
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