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Avatar universal

Weight?

Happy New Year to all,
     I guess these are questions for those maybe who have begun tx, and even those who have been on tx for awhile.  

1).  How much and how fast did you guys lose weight in week, month(s)?  

2).  Are there those out there who have not lost weight while on the tx?

3).  Have any been able to put any of it back on while on tx?  

Lastly, in losing the weight is it just because of the lack of appetite?....Nausea?  Or do you lose it because of the meds?  Just curious.  I really would like to try and stay around what I am now which is 154lbs.  I think the lost of weight is what I am having anxiety over the most.  Be- in- charge has told me to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day to keep my metabolism up and to help with the weight.  I begin with my first shot on the night of January 23rd.  Thanks for all of your input.

In Him,
Rick
14 Responses
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146021 tn?1237204887
Rick:
You post then everyone answeres and then we don't hear from you for ten-12 days. I miss you!
Did you read my comments when you were asking about viral load pre-tx? I know I keep posting comments to you but then you probably jump on a jet and work for awhile.
Take care, there was another guy who posted who is co-infected also. I can't remember why he posted. Did u catch that one? Let me know I can look it up.
Janice
Helpful - 0
91778 tn?1252555170
Hi, I thought I would lose weight too, but it did not affect my eating. I gained about 15 lbs first treatment and  now I am on second TX. and still can't lose the weight. Dr says I need to lose 20 lbs. It has been very hard for me. Staying home and looking at all the food in the kitchen doesn't help. HEE Hee. But I hate to go to the dr next visit cause I gained back the 5 I lost last month. Take care, Debi
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started at around 155lbs, and lost around 15lbs. I didn't really loose my appetite, I ate very well. I am not 2 months post treatment, and can't really tell if I gained weight back. I am still around 140lbs. 1 month to go on my PCR!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I actually gained about 15 lbs. I've been SVR for about a year and still have retained the weight.Treatment did nothing to my appetite. Eat up !!!!!
Helpful - 0
137539 tn?1344379928
I am on week 23 of 48 and have gained about 16 lbs since starting TX.  I have had the nausea also but apparently not enough to lose weight.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm about 19 weeks into treatment and have only lost 10-15lbs. The treatment has been strange for me. It's as if I've been going through cycles in regard to appetite. About 3-4 weeks into treatment, I was nauseous and really losing weight fast (probably lost 20lbs at that point). I would just try to force down fattening foods in an attempt to keep it on, but sometimes I just couldn't do it. My pants were really hanging off my a$$ (do they call that "jailin?") and I started to take on a pale/gaunt 'Karloffian' aura. But, later on as the treatment ebbed and flowed my appetite seemed to return, at least to reasonable levels where it seemed clear I wasn't going to shrivel away to ethiopian proportions. Whenever I feel hungry or even as if I can tolerate food I chow down and don't hesitate to eat high fat/calorie foods. There are some that swear you should eat only a very healthy diet high in grains/low fat lean meats/fruits/veggies etc, and normally I would agree with that and if I wasn't on treatment would largely achieve that. But as jim says, I feel like I'm in survival mode and simply eat whatever I have a hankering for that might put some meat on my bones (pizza is a big staple lately). Unfortunately I have almost zero craving for healthy foods, with the exception of high fiber cereals in the morning (which I HAVE to eat if I expect to have a bowel movement in this millennium). Plus healthy foods are a lot of trouble to prepare, what with having to leave the house and go to the grocery and then return and prepare everything and then do the dishes later...much easier to just 1-800-pizzaguy it and then later simply throw the box away as the clean up.

And it's hard to predict what you're going to be in the mood for too. One day I'm craving 4% fat cottage cheese with canned peaches, and the next I can't stand it anymore and now only want a certain type of cereal to eat. Be prepared to feel like a pregnant woman when it comes to food cravings/repulsions.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Rick -

   Hi there - sounds like your starting to get "pumped up" for this treatment(and worried a little).  Try to realx - you might just "fly" right through it and wonder what on earth everyone was talking about...

  Yes, the 5-6 small meals DOES help! Also - You should try to make sure you get protien in every one of those meals to help maintain your muscle mass (weight). I use penutbutter alot - I'll probably never want to eat it again after this, but it's easy to eat, high protien, has the "right" kind of fat - and I can eat it no matter how I am feeling...

  I lost about 25 pounds in the first month - but I am not you - I had some health issues before I started, and out of control stress right after I started etc. So my reaction won't necessarily be yours. I have only lost a few more pouds since that first month and am hoping to gain back at least 5 by August, I found out you can still be quite healthy even if you do look a lot like twiggy...


Also  - if you can force yourself to get your heart rate up a bit (not max it out - just up) for about 10 min every other day it will help your blood levels be better and the oxygen going where you need it, as well as keep your "mass"  - a walk around the block at a steady pace would do it, and I've heard of people jogging, bicycling, swimming etc.

Everybodys reaction to these meds are different.  Some people have no touble at all with any of it or just mild sides on shot day.  

Try to organize your at home time so that it is your "sanctuary"  - you will for sure need a comforting low stress environment to regroup and recover from your work. Worrying about if the treatment is working, how well it's working, etc, etc, etc, is normal and you'll need some "down" time to compensate for this.

I also have been using magnesium supplements for the past few weeks to help with the *smile* - emotional - sides.  So far one magnesium tablet in the AM and PM has helped quite a bit...  I feel a bit more smoothed out now.


  I am sorry to say there is no way to predict what your experience will be, you will just have to do what you can about whatever you can do anything about - and let the rest of it go - if you can ;-)


I hope this helps!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My nurse warned me when I started my treatment that I'd probably loose weight. I weighed about 160 lbs. When I started tx, I decided I'd eat all the ice cream and pie I wanted while on tx, whenever I wanted it. I ended up putting on about ten pounds. I finished treatment about seven months ago, and I've been going to the gym two or three times a week, and I've given up all that pie and ice cream but I still weigh 170 lbs. I'm SVR, I was genotype 1a, stage 2, grade 3.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
At first I lost some weight, but then I began to gain weight.  I think it's because I when the virus was attacking me at full strength I was so fatigued and jaundiced that I was nearly starving myself.

When on tx, I had to force myself to eat at least twice a day in order to take my riba.  That combined with less physical exertion because of the fatigue of the anemia resulted in me actually gaining weight.  Then again, the tx didn't work for me either so perhaps that may have something to do with it as well.

But in the nearly two months now since I was pulled from tx, my appetite has been eradict. At first I would go for days without eating much at all except to snack now and again.  Lately it has been better in that I may go from eating a full meal a day to eating a couple of meals.  I've lost somewhat since being pulled from tx, but then again I've also been more active now that fatigue is lifting and I am becoming more active again too.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i didnt really lose any weight, just FAT haaa i went down 2 sizes but i weighed the same it was the best thing about tx lol
Helpful - 0
86075 tn?1238115091
good thread, on the treatment lit is says that some people get hypoglycemic, which is worrying because I already am, has anyone experienced this because of treatment? can you elaborate if you have?

Jim, since you only ate two meals a day, I'm thinking that hypoglycemia wasn't one of your issues...(I have to eat at least every 3 hours or it's nuttyness and lightheadedness, anxiety, seems my blood sugar takes too big a drop if I'm not eating on a consistent level, most likely due to the hep, once again with this disease, a catch22) ...and you seem to be at a good weight now for your size no?

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone, guess the old saw applies...be happy, though you've considered all the facts :))
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been on 12 weeks and have not lost any weight in fact I am up about 5-7 lbs, could be the holidays or just from sitting on my fanny more often.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Most seem to lose some weight on treatment but not everyone does, in fact some gain weight.

On a personal note, I started treatment at 176 pounds and lost twenty pounds within the first month or so of treatment. My low point was around 140 pounds. By the time I finished treating at week 54 I was around 155. By the three month post treatment mark I was back up to 170 lbs and now, 9 months post treatment am back around 176.

I experienced nausea, lack of appetite, taste alteration and GERD (reflux) during treatment but I still attribute most of the weight loss to the effect of the treatment drugs themselves which in my case appeared to significantly alter my metabolism. I say this because at times during treatment I did pack away the calories with high fat meals, did zero exercise, but still lost weight. Again, everyone has a different experience here.

As to frequent, smaller meals -- it's a good plan, but in the end, you do what you have to in order to survive and maintain weight if that is your problem. Because of GERD, taste alteration and other issues, I was only able to eat twice a day and therefore both were large meals. Had I dropped much lower than 140 pounds my doctor was prepared to intervene with supplemental testosterone and/or steroids to keep me on treatment.

Unless you significantly underweight, most people can lose more weight than they imagine and still be healthy. How you look in the mirror is another story but Hep C treatment is definitely not a beauty regimen :)

Good luck with your treatment.

All the best,

-- Jim
Helpful - 0
12773 tn?1328913186
I have already lost 12 lbs in a week.. Last night was my 2nd shot.. but I think mine is all the water...  Not accustomed to all that water. Plus not really hungry all the time.  I feel hungry but by the time I eat.  I can only eat a litte cuz it tastes funny, and feel sick to my stomach.  Today I feel better than last Saturday.   No real symtoms except feel a bit light headed & tired.  I was a bit chilled earlier but could have been the AC kicking on.  I am in florida.
Helpful - 0
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