Gained 20lb on treatment

[cierra2007]

Hi to all I keep reading that some  patients on tx for HCV are loosing weight I gained 20lb since Nov of 2007.

My thyroid is good and blood good............ just WBC very low now but stable the Doctor says...

Want to start jogging again or go on diet but my doctor says to wait.........I'm 5"5 and 159 lb......

What should I do???????
Do you usually loose appetite during tx?
Or Meds make you loose weight?

Thanks Cierra

[Mikkimoe]

Yikes 800 calories...usually takes me hours to do that. I have to go on a search for a super high fat food that is super condensed (small tummy problem - can only eat small portions at a time).

I hope the Q-10 will be OK - I really think it has been a miricle worker on the migrains.

I wear size 2's also. really depends on the brand though - I have worn everything from a kids 14 to a size 3 and have not changed size much since I was 13 yrs old (except gaining 15 lbs to have my son)

[sfbaygirl]

Maybe we should count the times I said fat....lol. Hey, it was drilled into my head eat FAT with that Riba and I complied!  I may not have eaten much else. LOL  I said 800 calories...what I meant was 800 calories with the Riba!  That is what jmjm read in some study...I am sure it is in the archives.  

Starting to gain again. darn!  I like my size 2's, but not the tummy!

Linda

[Mikkimoe]

Ok keep your paws off of mine....(see my pics) lol

[moahunter]

Wow - interesting thread. I thought I was typical - I lost 50 pounds, and I was reasonably skinny to start with (6'3, 200 pounds, dropped to 150 pounds). 2 months after treatment has stopped and I have already put back on 15 pounds, constantly hungry right not, could eat a horse, probably literally.

[Mikkimoe]

Wow do you know how many times the word fat was in your last post?

enough to make me want to do it!

Ok question for you..I have real sensitive teeth (as well as every other body part). So sweet and cold are hard to take. I eat little bits of ice cream after it melts...do you know of other foods that are high in fat but not cold and sweet?

I use to love avocados but my body is not craving them now...weird. I like oatmeal...is that fatty enough? Does it have to be food? Are there high fat liquids? I just seem to be getting smaller and sicker...and I haven't even started tx yet...I hate this! It must be stress related or maybe there really is a connection to the enbrel and the HCV like they are starting to think and I am having the same sx as I would being on SOC. UGH thanks for helping.

[sfbaygirl]

You haven't started tx yet, correct?  Don't worry about gaining now. It is a fact that the lower weight is good for you liver. Eat that ice cream and avocado during tx with the Ribavarin. You need to eat FAT during this time. It was hard for me to eat, but I knew that taking Riba required fat and a LOT of it. I am talking about like 800 calories!  Lots of fat!  Jmjm has posted the amt of fat needed with the Riba, it was outrageous!  I couldn't even take that much. But I gained during tx, trying to take the fat in.  Otherwise, I didn't feel like eating, so I ate lots of ice cream.  Getting to UND and SVR are the priority! Those on tx, forget about looking good and being thin, do the fat required for the Riba.  Looking good is important for self esteem,  but during the short time on tx, this is not the most important thing. Yeah, I felt like sh!t and looked the same. I wish I could have continued to SVR, but it was not to be. Do all you can to enhance your chance of SVR. Eat that fat, gain weight if you have to. Eat only ice cream, even though you know it isn't such a healthy way to live. It is a short time, in the scheme of things. It sure seems like forever! It isn't. You will get back to your healthy diet and exercise regiemen...just take this tx a day at a time and let yourself do what you can for SVR..   There are lots of posts, threads that talk about the supplements (not all are good on TX)  but read, study, learn, about the studies, about tx. This will bode you well.  

Best wishes to all of you on tx!
Linda

[Mikkimoe]

Right on bay gal...I'm feeling much better about going into this scronny after this post. I have been trying to gain some weight with no luck...food seems to always be the last thing on my mind and my tummy only allows real small portions. I thought i might be anarexic but guess not. I start tx next week and only weigh 105 am just over 5'5".
I do eat very healthy - lots of protien drinks, veggies, suppliments even ice cream ;-)

[Mikkimoe]

Right on bay gal...I'm feeling much better about going into this scronny after this post. I have been trying to gain some weight with no luck...food seems to always be the last thing on my mind and my tummy only allows real small portions. I thought i might be anarexic but guess not. I start tx next week and only weigh 105 am just over 5'5".
I do eat very healthy - lots of protien drinks, veggies, suppliments even ice cream ;-)

[sfbaygirl]

I found an interesting thread/post about gaining and NOT losing during/after tx. It seems that if you are diabetic, or have some other problems such as this, you will not/can not lose weight!  I found this interesting.  For me, obviously this was not the case. Pain caused me not to eat at all.  A 1200 Calorie diet should produce some weight loss, strange?  I would check all those systems out.  

I am now gaining. Still I do not have a scale, but my tummy is feeling fat. I can still wear those size 2's, but who gives a blank, when you are on tx?  I sure just wanted to be UND.  I made a mistake saying I never was UND. Actually, I was UND before 24 weeks, therefore needed to go 72 weeks. Couldn't get there, b/c of the bleed.  

All those on tx, don't even worry about weight!!!!  That is low on the priority list.  Just get that UND and SVR. Don't worry about how you look. Hey,  that pasty skin, falling out hair, shuffling feet...who needs to be skinny?  You know you put on the first thing you find in the drawer.  It's not like you put those outfits together on tx? There are so many priorities besides this!  Yes, it does feel good to look good, but if you are feeling awful, who cares what you look like?  SVR is your priority!  

my best
Linda

[Lady Lauri]

And..... I think most of us that gain is from the lack of doing much or anything!! I was very active, hyper, never stop going girl before tx. On tx....a lazy, couch/bed potato that dreamed of being productive :)

LL

[Lady Lauri]

cierra....I gained @ 5 lbs., lost already but laying around, doing nothing physical I have lost muscle, 128lbs but needs work :) Thankful I didn't gain the 10-15lbs.  they wanted me to before tx!!!!! Not much you may be able to do on tx tho, sorry. Maybe watch what you eat, but we need the fatty food too. Good luck.

sfbay......"still have that same cup size, just the bottom half seemed to lose"......
LMAO! At 1st I thought you meant the bottom half of the 'cup' ! As in drooped.
Mine increased, loving it, hope 'they' stay :)

LL

[feartheferon]

I put on almost 60 pounds during treatment and I didn't eat that much at all, I'm 6'3 and now 300 pounds. No matter what I do I can't seem to shed this...damn intron..argh!!!!

[mar148]

Have they checked your thyroid?

[Frank J. Perrotta]

I gained so much weight during treatment as well as two years off.

During treatment I exercised hard for one or two hours every day, mostly aerobic. On 2000 cal I gained about 40 lbs on 72 weeks of treatment.

Now two years done with the cr*p and UND I either gain or maintain 60lbs extra weight on 1200 cal. I am 5'10" with 235lbs.

There is nothing I can do to lose weight and my bloodwork comes back normal.

My newest nurse admitted that lose vs. gain is about 50/50.

congrats on the UND,
frank

[cierra2007]

I guess you are right need to keep up my energy. I put all of my skinny clothes away up in the attic for now...LOL
And yes I'm grateful to be UND so far so good............
Thanks

Cierra

[fuzzy1dar]

I've also gained a few lbs. since starting tx.  I'm glad that I didn't lose any weight...a little more healthy this way...I hope!   I'm not gonna worry to much about it until after I stop tx.  Gotta eat and keep up the energy!  best wishes to ya cierra!

Darla

[sfbaygirl]

I also gained weight on tx. All that strawberry Lourdes Ice cream with the Riba did me in!   Never weighed, but I am the same height as you. Always was a yo yo weight wise. After tx I went down to 120 lbs, my high school weight.  Kinda love it. In a size 2, still have that same cup size, just the bottom half seemed to lose. Strange. I didn't UND or clear the virus. I got really sick and was for a year after tx for many reasons. I am starting to eat more and gain a bit. Still love that size 2, but it came at a price. Be grateful if you SVR. That is your goal, right?  I didn't and would prefer that SVR than my size 2.  I sure hope you do get that prize. My 2 is an empty victory.

Linda