Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Ibs Weight Gain

Question:
Ever since I got a major IBS attack in late '96 I have been getting heavier. Diets don't work, exercise don't work. It doesn't take much for me to gain weight, and it won't come off. Except once, I lost 5 kilo's 'cause I had D. for 3 weeks. One week later after the D. had subsided I re-gained the 5 kilo and then some. In '96 my weight was 60 kilo and now I'm almost 100 kilo's. It's insane and I feel like a balloon ready to pop. I can literally feel myself getting fatter and it's scary. I just bought 2 new pairs of jeans, again one size larger, I’m almost wearing tent sizes. T-shirts I could wear last summer are all too small now. I don't eat much 4 sandwiches during the day and in the evening my usual dinner. I do snack sometimes, but it's not a habit. What's going on with me and does anyone experience what I'm going through right now? My doctor won't help me he says I just have to go to the gym and work a little harder. My IBS goes both ways sometimes D. and most of the time C. How does my IBS influence my digestion and could it be the cause of my weight gain? My weight history is that before my first attack I was a skinny girl and never had a problem with my weight, I also ate a whole lot more back then. Please help me with useful info, before I hit the big 100 on the scale (which isn't far away now).

Answer:
I know what you are going through. I started to pack on the weight when still in my teens but was always very active so it went slowly (after an initial burst which gave me stretch marks at age 14). The only thing I ever heard from doctors was eat less so by the time I was 20 I only eat about 600-800 cal a day (depending on the dinner meat mainly). Still kept getting heavier. About 10 years ago I collapsed (literally) at a time I was swimming 5 days a week an hour and played indoor soccer. There were days I didn't eat at all (I still smoked) but being in bed all day you just don't use up any. Eventually I was 120 kilo's (under 1.50 tall) and at that time was dx sub clinical hypo and put on desiccated thyroid. I slowly but surely lost about 20 kilo's and was again able to tie my own shoelaces, put on own socks etc. Then the hit, was dx Crohn’s. Last Jan. was put on prednisone and within a month I gained 25 kilo's (have the stretch marks on breasts even to prove it) Be careful with diets. If some diet seems right realize you can only start with this if you will commit to eat like that forever, otherwise you yo-yo maybe, which is worse. Although, diets never worked for me either, only gained on some because I had to eat more then I was used to. We are different in the fact that I neither lost weight when having major diarrhea, one reason the GI was sure there was nothing really wrong with me. Ha! Showed him.  May I ask, do you sweat at all?? I never did even upon exercise. When I got tired I could feel the sweat sitting underneath my skin but I would get beet red (mmm, maybe a Dutch expression? yep, I am Dutch also) and if I forced myself to continue I would just faint. Have given a few life guards a little scare. I am now at 125 kilo's and very depressed about it. First advice, beg if you have to but really try to get your doctor to check thyroid and incl. the following blood tests. Thyroid anti bodies, free T4, free T3 beside the usual TSH. Get a copy with the actual numbers and lab ranges and find out what it really means. Telling you you are in the normal range is NOT o.k. Often thyroid problems really start after a shock to the body; physical or psychological (woman often get this after giving birth). If you are hypo thyroid and get treated it sure will help with at least part of the weight. If the doc refuses, any chance these days in Holland to get your own lab work done? Take care Note; although dx 1 year ago with Crohn’s knowing what I know now, I realize I had something already in my teens, probably around the time I gained weight. I agree with Paula 100%.  I totally forgot to tell you that I have thyroid issues. I was 1 point above the normal test result of T3.  I insisted that I get thyroid rx, but the side effects were too much, so I had to stop. HOWEVER, the weight did start to come off.  I am going to another doc (endocrinologist) and will see if he/she can put me on thyroid until we get me on a tolerable brand. Please do look up hypothyroid.  It can cause emotional, digestive, and weight issues, as the thyroid is very important regulator in the body. I was lucky that my doctor was up on the latest research and he automatically tested for all the important things for thyroid Paula mentioned, but be warned, most doctors only check TSH!  So you should get articles prepared to make sure you have backup that the doc checks everything Paula said.  If you need links, please email the list, and I will send some, but you should find many from a good search engine. I think about.com has a good article on doctors checking for thyroid problems properly. KJ, are you sure you wrote this right, that your T3 was 1 point above the normal range?? T3 being the real active thyroid hormone, in that case you should not have received more I would think; some would say you are hyper at this point. Ever considered the side effects could have been allergic reaction to the fillers in the medication? Apparently some people are very sensitive to this. I am going on memory here.  It was about a year ago.  When we got the results back, the range (ie. 200-300) would have been like 201.  I can't remember what the exact numbers are.  Whatever the exact number is, I was 1 point above the LOWEST normal number, one number lower, and I would have been considered low thyroid.  So I wanted to try the thyroid and it helped. But then for some reason, I couldn't take fiber anymore (horrible intestinal cramps).  I had to put off doing anything until now. I didn't make myself clear before, that it was one point above the lowest normal number. A reaction to the fillers?  I agree, but this was a natural thyroid that was given by an MD who deals in natural meds.  Unfortunately, I couldn't see him for a while, so I will have to discuss this with him or the endo.  I am sensitive to a lot of stuff, so it could be anything uuugghhh!!! For certain, I am low, definitely not high. Also, I had to do a chart that showed my body temp every morning, and my temp was/is always low.  I also have the cold hands/cold feet of hypothyroid.  I am pretty much a textbook case. Misty, if you are reading this, when I first discovered I was low thyroid, it was inability to lose weight that clued me in.  Even when I fasted on water alone, I couldn't lose anything.  The thyroid helped tremendously when I first took it, but it was a different brand than the recent one that had the side effects.  Unfortunately, I had to do my own research to figure this out, but that is not uncommon, because most docs didn't used to test T3. Thanks again Paula for clearing that up. I'm checking things out, and I have symptoms that could relate to thyroid so I think it's best that I have my blood checked. As soon as I can I will co to my doc. Thanks for the heads up. YES, YES, YES, YES!!! I am 90 pounds overweight and I get warm easily (like Misty) but can be cold in a minute.  It doesn't matter what I am doing or not doing.  Especially cold hands/feet is a classic symptom of hypothyroid. Here is a page that will give a good overview of the symptoms: http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/hw145669.asp Esp. this section: What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism? The symptoms of hypothyroidism are seen throughout the body. In adults, they usually develop slowly and are often considered part of the aging process. Symptoms in adults may include:   a.. Coarse and thinning hair.   b.. Dry skin.   c.. Slow body movements.   d.. Inability to tolerate cold temperatures.   e.. Feeling tired, sluggish, or weak.   f.. Memory problems, depression, or difficulty concentrating.   g.. Brittle nails, or a yellowish tint to the skin.   h.. Constipation.   i.. Heavy or irregular menstrual periods that may last longer than 5 to 7 days. Other, less common symptoms may include a goiter, modest weight gain, hoarseness, muscle aches and cramps, facial puffiness, and swelling of the arms, hands, legs, and feet.