posted
Has anyone had alot of weight gain? I have gained like 80lb in the last year.
been to bunch of doctors and cant pinpoint anything to fix it
i suspect exhausted adrenals but didnt do well on low dose cortisol i take iodine for thyroid blood sugar levels test normal
any input or program that has worked for you let me know, i dont see how it is good to continue to gain 5 lb. a month.
Posts: 187 | From FL | Registered: Nov 2007
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I've also gained weight since beginning treatment in May. I don't know why yet, but when I find out, I'll let you know.
Are you taking anything for inflammation?
I'm wondering if that is a factor with the weight gain that is so common when fighting lyme and co's.
I'm starting Glutathione suppositories on Monday - I think it's supposed to help with inflammation as well as boosting the immune system and aiding in detoxification.
Are you on any sort of detox protocol?
Sorry I couldn't be more help. I'm pretty new to this.
-------------------- Take care -kelly --------------- Posts: 330 | From TX | Registered: Mar 2009
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posted
Well there is a lot of things which control the weight, but there is one universal principle - you will never gain weight on caloric deficit (same true if you want gain weigh- you gotta eat to do it ) Combined with exercises its a fool proof guaranteed way to keep the weight where you want it.
You have to be strict about it though (means making and keeping a chart where absolutely every little thing is you eat written down till you know exactly how many calories you eat, and then adjusting it accordingly -also great for balancing the diet) . You dont have to do it forever (I did it for 2 month at which point I pretty much knew all the food I ever consume) , but it is the only way to really know how much and what you eat and become conscious of what is good and what not ( you also start avoiding "low fat" food like plague )
What is good about this method that regardless what your health condition is (thyroid ,adrenals, lyme -whatever) it will work . You will just need make adjustments whenever you notice changes ,like ,say, some medical condition makes you gain weight on 2k calorie diet ,when before you didn't - you just adjust accordingly ( I typically drop carbs and squeeze in a few HIIT sessions)
When my symptoms flared up this february I had to drop intensive exercise regimen I used to do. So in order to not gain massive amounts of fat I cut down my caloric intake in half. I still lost lots of muscle mass ( low test/adrenals didnt help for sure) , but at least my BF stayed around the same
Posts: 856 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2009
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Ocean
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3496
posted
Lacy,
Have you had a complete thyroid panel run? If your thyroid is off then your adrenals are definitely fatigued! The adrenals go down first and then thyroid stuff will start showing up on lab tests.
I had low thyroid function when I got dx with CFS in 1997. I gained weight, not a ton extra, but I was very uncomfortable as I'd been an athlete.
Don't beat yourself up for one thing! I know I didn't eat that many calories back then. I often was sleeping much of the day. I eat a lot more now, probably 2000 calories per day and I am on the slender side, but a normal weight for my height.
Coltman, I completely understand what you are saying and the calorie deficit thing is certainly true if you are a normal healthy person. But...I know for me, I would have probably had to eat 600 calories back in the day in order to lose any weight, my adrenal/thyroid/metabolism were so messed up. You cannot possibly get enough nutrients to build up your body to fight the illness on that number of calories.
I think a more important aspect is to look at everything you put into your body and ask if it is going to help or hurt the body.
It's not your fault...people who had no idea the hell I was going through tried to say things like, "just exercise", ect...when your body is exhausted, the last helpful thing to do is exercise in my opinion.
Make sure you are drinking plenty of pure water to flush toxins out. Your liver probably needs some support right now as it's trying to take care of all the toxins in your body.
Sorry I can't be of more help...just wanted to let you know that as you get better the weight will come off as your metabolism will once again even out.
posted
my thyroid panels as far as blood testing are good supposedly I did trial Armour also and did not feel good on that I tried bioidentical hormones and that backfired as well
I might need something for inflammation, like fish oils? I take so many different things and changing them its hard to keep track I do take coq10, tumeric, reservatol, b vitamins for support
yeah, the reduce calories does not work I have reduced to 1000 calories and I actually gained weight Every time I reduce, I gain. But I get so frustrated I keep trying
I do have alot of insomnia so not sure if that is contributing to it
I am a little worried cause I havent stabalized and keep gaining. Like from 120 to 190 not stopping,
Thanks for the input and encouragement!
Posts: 187 | From FL | Registered: Nov 2007
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Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
Something that might help is Conjugated Linoletic Acid (CLA).
You need to take about 2 grams of it a day for it to be effective.
This works with any diet to take off weight, as long as you're not being totally stupid.
Something else that CAN work is coconut oil. There's data about that on the net. I ate coconut cream from Tropical Traditions when I was taking Mepron and needed a lot of fat. I actually lost weight over that period of time!! Could get into my skinny jeans for the first time in years!!
They have a sale on right now, if you want to get a lot of that. It tastes like the inside of an Almond Joy candybar--but no sugar, and it's organic!
I get no $ for referring people--I just like it.
Anyway, CLA has research back-up on its effectiveness. If I were going to try something, I'd go with that first.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Cass A
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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For me, Lyme attacked my thyroid unknowingly, and I gained 40 pounds in about 4 months.
Of course when my pants started getting tighter, I amped up my exercise to over an hour each and every day (and yes, I restricted my calorie intake as well).
But I just kept GAINING weight.
It wasn't until I saw a LLMD who was also a thyroid specialist. He put me on low dose Armour Thyroid immediately and within a few months I started losing the weight without even trying.
Within a matter of about six months I had lost most of the weight (30 lbs) I had gained, just eating/exercising the way I normally would.
It's still a struggle now as it has morphed to thyroiditis from the Lyme. I go through periods where I lose weight, or stay the same, or gain weight without changing my eating habits or exercise levels.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by coltman: [QB] Well there is a lot of things which control the weight, but there is one universal principle - you will never gain weight on caloric deficit (same true if you want gain weigh- you gotta eat to do it ) Combined with exercises its a fool proof guaranteed way to keep the weight where you want it.
Posts: 366 | From MA | Registered: Apr 2006
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nenet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13174
posted
I don't have much time to post right now, but I wanted to mention that I am another one that gained an unusual amount of weight when my Lyme symptoms exploded. Some with Lyme lose a dangerous amount, and some go the other way.
At the start of my Lyme becoming much worse, I was given Prednisone for the inflammation and swelling in my spinal cord/base of skull/neck area, and within a month I had gained 30 pounds!
On the caloric intake I was on at that time (which was reduced during that period due to lack of appetite), that would be impossible unless it was partly water weight gain. Before that time I had never gained or lost more than 5 or so pounds from my normal weight, over 15+ years!
Since I was given the Prednisone right after my Lyme symptoms inflamed, it is hard for mee to tell which one was more responsible for the drastic weight gain. I feel certain that much of it is water weight, because I have so much inflammation and edema. I am now 40+ pounds above my normal weight, and it bothers me so much.
I am finally at the poit in my treatment where I feel like walking on a tredmill very slowly for a few minutes won't make me bedbound for a month, so I am very much looking forward to that. Maybe some yoga too. But I can't say whether these things will help me lose weight. Most likely once the inflammation goes down, much of it will come off.
As for Mepron, it has a known side-effect of causing anorexia, and I have read many people saying they lost their appetite or just lost weight while on it.
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
I gained almost as much weight as you in the first year of illness.
This happened while eating a strict 600 calorie a day diet AND exercising. I had been into aerobics for years when I got sick but I increased it up to 4-5 X's a week. My weight gain was not related to the amount of food I was eating. The majority was edema.
I was studied in a research hospital for almost 2 weeks. They controlled my calories and measured my input and output. My weight gain cannot be controlled by calories.
I beleive this is not unusual in Lyme disease patients. Dr. Singleton's book states that 80% of lyme patients are overweight or obese.
Aside from thyroid, toxins are a big issue in weight gain. Toxins cause inflammation which in turn can cause leptin resistance (leptin is the hormone that tells your body to make fat) and inflammation can cause problems with insulin resistance. Other hormones such as MSH become dysregulated as well.
Some of us don't make enough of the antibodies needed to get rid of the toxins that are created by borrelia. This can also happen with other biotoxins such as mycotoxins and spider bite toxins and there are other biotoxins as well.
Check out the book mold warriors. Search lymenet for leptin and/or biotoxins. You may be helped by instigating a better detox program while in treatment. A borrelia binder may be needed.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
I'm with Terry on this one. From what I understand from all the reading I've done, your body is actually trying to help save you by putting on the weight.
I put on 46 lbs. in the first two months of my illness, a supposedly impossible feat, even if I had eaten non-stop from sun up to sun down, which I didn't. I was eating less, since I'd lost my job due to my illness. My LDL cholesterol also soared, to where it was far higher than my total cholesterol had been.
From what I've read, I think both of those things were my body's efforts to keep the potent endotoxins from Borrelia die-off from causing end organ damage. Eventually, I guess I ran out of fat storage space, because plenty of organ damage occurred later on, but those who get properly diagnosed and treated should not end up like me.
If toxins can be stored in fat, they are not wreaking havoc with necessary organs. Lymies who lose weight instead of gaining it generally get a lot sicker a lot faster, IME.
LDL does some good things, despite what drug company salespeople say. One of those is that it removes endotoxins from your blood. Dr. K has pointed out this rise in LDL in his writings.
This is not on topic, but if you are female, research shows the higher your LDL in old age, the better your cognition and the less likely you are to have dementia. You sure as heck won't hear that from the Fraud and Deception Administration aka the FDA.
Another possible cause of weight gain is the anti-depressants they put many of us on right off the bat. The older tricyclic ones like Doxepin and Elavil are especially known for causing huge weight gain.
I got my excess weight off by keeping a diary so I could see what my problem was. When it became obvious that it was totally due to a sweet tooth, I eliminated all sugars and lost all the excess plus 11 lbs. more.
But, slowly I gained it all back because I could not beat my sugar Jones, probably due to candida. I eat almost no sugar now, yet remain obese, with a serious candida problem that I fight with both prescription and natural supplements.
Getting my Armour/Levothyroxine mixture just right did not result in any weight loss for me, though it helped my energy level a lot. It is very important to check it regularly though, since so many Lymies seem to become hypothyroid.
I hope you can figure this out. I know how discouraging it can be to do everything right and still get nowhere.
klutzo
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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I've gained 30 pounds. It is very upsetting.My llmd said my weight gain had nothing to do with what I put in my mouth.(I eat like a bird)
We have "leaky capillaries" that release fluid into the tissues, our hormones are "backwards", our medications contribute to the package, and we are inflamed, inflamed, inflamed and toxic.
I'm getting ready to start Cowdens Vermella to see if that helps. Will report back.
I know its disturbing but believe that it's not permanent.
You're in great company, laceyj. We'll work on this together. Posts: 677 | From Virginia | Registered: Sep 2002
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I thought if I'm the only one, I dont understand.I've gained 80lbs! And the hardest thing is for a long time people were asking me if I'm pregnant. NOW they just look at me really bizarre cause I'm so swollen. That is so hard. To go anywhere---- I have to change about 5 times to cover it and still have to buy bigger sizes. Its like I'd like to concentrate on getting well and here I have this stubborn weight problem taking over everything.
I will have to look into the Armour again. If its with low dose cortisol- is that ok for lyme? I know some say ok and some say not. But all I did is still gain weight on it so it is not the right combination.
Oh- this weight gain also happened right after I had 4 wisdom teeth extracted. I imagine the toxins and lyme just went everywhere all at once. And my teeth and jaw still ache like crazy.
What is the Vermella from Dr. Cowden? I am not familiar with that.
Thanks again!!
Posts: 187 | From FL | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Forgot to say I'm gonna try a new neurotransmitter saliva test to see if that gives any answers to support sleep and this weight problem.
Its actually covered by some insurances. called www.neurorelief.com 888-342-7272 I think its a new test to show what adrenals are doing. Apparently if you dont have certain neurotransmitters , you cant make cortisol, seritonins, etc..
All sounds good, but cant fix the problem still! Will let you know.
Posts: 187 | From FL | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
I also gained weight over the years I had undiagnosed Lyme -- about 40 pounds.
And then when I began treatment I gained 20 pounds in two months -- not doing anything different, although my activity was much lower because of feeling so sick with herxing.
Burrascano says "Activation of the inflammatory cascade has been implicated in blockade of cellular hormone receptors. One example of this is insulin resistance; clinical hypothyroidism can result from receptor blockade and thus hypothyroidism can exist despite normal serum hormone levels. This may partly account for the dyslipidemia and weight gain that is noted in 80% of chronic Lyme patients." Pg. 6 in Managing Lyme Disease
In other words, the weight gain is due to the inflammation and hormone tests can look normal. Lyme and treatment can mess up your hormones.
This is some comfort to me. I am just trying to hang in there and hope that the weight will come off when this is resolved. It did for a brief period when I went off all antibiotics.
-------------------- Judy G. Posts: 122 | From Minnesota | Registered: Dec 2008
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Coltman, that's the same crap my daughter's "specialists" told her AS SHE GAINED 90 POUNDS IN FOUR MONTHS!!!!! No one can eat and gain that much weight, especially if you are 15 and had been a runner!!!
Nope, it's this stupid disease. My daughter looked like an inflamed puff.
She would beg her LLMD for something to help her lose. He would tell her every time that all his patients come in overweight, and they all lose it with treatment.
After two years of treatment, she has lost ALL the weight. She did nothing to gain it, nothing to lose it.
So, put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!!
Sorry...that just ticked me off.
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
I think its this stupid disease too. I can't get my
size 4 on since starting treatment. I know I have
thyroid malabsorbtion. I know my calories are not
that much increased, if anything they are
decreased. But exercise is not right now. I think
whats going on right now is the lymph are too
overburdened. I hope in more time on treatment
this will resolve. As I have never been fat.
Even when I was pregnant I wore all my clothes up
to 6mths. And a doc will tell you Oh it is just
cos' your getting old.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
I have researched that leptin stuff and biotoxins, got no idea what to do about it! I just dont want to go up another 50 lbs. In the meantime, I'm still seeing doctors but by the time we trial and error stuff , its too late.
Is there a different biotoxin dissolver besides cholestyramine?
Posts: 187 | From FL | Registered: Nov 2007
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I take Welchol instead of cholestyramine. Dr. S recommends it as an alternative when patients can't tolerate cholestyramine.
Also, Vermella Slim is a nutramedix product for weight control. I'm going to try it but it's based on appetite suppression which is not our issue so I don't have high hopes.
sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
Coltman is wrong!
On the symptoms list for Lyme Disease, one of the symptoms is unexplained weight gain/loss. It can go either way. I am one that lost weight even though I eat. I am down to 105. If I eat constantly I am able to maintain this weight.
The weight thing is related to LD!
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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ping
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6974
posted
Hi laceyj,
Sounds like it could be toxins that are problematic for you and you might be allergic to one or more of your supplements. Wheat / gluten / corn allergies will do this as well.
You might want to try some simple binders like apple pectin and lycine so the toxins will be captured and eliminated through the feces. Keep in mind, you'll have to eat a decent amount of fiber if you do take binders and stay hydrated.
I didn't gain the amount of weight that you did and calorie restriction still worked for me, but my thyroid has been dysfunctional for years and I've had a hard time staying stable, even with exercise.
Just one more theory for you to contemplate. Best of luck to you.
ping "We are more than containers for Lyme"
-------------------- ping "We are more than containers for Lyme" Posts: 1302 | From Back in TX again | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
how do you figure out if the gluten, dairy, or corn is a problem I eliminate them occasionlly but it is very hard
Is Welchol a prescription? Let me know on the Vermilla!
I like the apple pectin too. I need anything and everything right now!
I am sure the folks that do not have this problem do not understand how this is possible. Neither do many doctors. Thats why they keep telling me to do a diary and limit carbs. Well I used to do this before and be able drop 5 lbs at least in no time ....I dont exercise at all right now but I never did much before.
Anyways, just hanging in there for now, Thanks!
Posts: 187 | From FL | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Lacy -- I also gained weight (about 50 pounds) while I was sick. Many posters have mentioned the metabolic problems, water retention, and interference with leptin production/receptors that can be caused by inflammation associated with lyme disease.
As I've started to feel better and regain my mobility, I have started to lose the weight with minimal effort on my part (monitoring -- but not restricting -- what I eat, and doing some tough yoga 2-4 times a week).
Try to be gentle and understanding with yourself. I know how frustrating it can be to feel like your body is betraying you. But as many posters have mentioned, your body may actually be trying to protect you. I don't know about you, but I would rather stay at my current weight forever,
quote:Originally posted by coltman: When my symptoms flared up this february I had to drop intensive exercise regimen I used to do. So in order to not gain massive amounts of fat I cut down my caloric intake in half. I still lost lots of muscle mass...
quote:Originally posted by coltman: So in order to not gain massive amounts of fat I cut down my caloric intake in half. I still lost lots of muscle mass ( low test/adrenals didnt help for sure) , but at least my BF stayed around the same
Does anyone else find the last line there depressing as hell? I think it's very sad that you think your BF would dump you for gaining weight while you were sick.
-------------------- Wildlife biologist working in tropics since 1997; tick bites in Nicaragua in March 2007, started getting sick May 2007; diagnosed with Lyme based on serological testing in Jan 2009; treatment starting Feb 2009. Wish me luck! Posts: 116 | From Seattle | Registered: Feb 2009
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