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Lou38

Senior member
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Messages
232
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
02/2017
Country
UK
State
Scotland
Today is not a good day! I went in for vascular surgery only to be turned away by the surgeon because of weight/BMI issues.

My weight has rocketed since Christmas, I gained 2 stone in 2 weeks and it is still increasing by the day. I saw my GP a couple of weeks ago and mentioned concerns about weight gain & asked if Amitriptyline could be a contributing factor & he just said it was very unlikely & that it's more likely to be caused by pain and decreasing mobility.

I only got a formal diagnosis a few weeks ago & am struggling to get my head around it when this happened today & I'm feeling even lower than I already did. When researching online I found that Amitriptyline can cause both increased appetite & weight gain. I'm at a loss of what to do now & am annoyed that I was put in that position today. To give you an idea, I'm a size 14 top & 16 in trousers & I know that's not exactly slim but I don't think it's massive either! I have a really big frame and am 5 feet 11. I'm most comfortable and look fine at a size 14 or 12 depending on which shop as sizes are crazy here in the U.K.

I've barely been able to walk with knee pain since just before Christmas but last year I was cycling around 80 miles a week or more & I did a charity bike ride in September which was 50 miles. I'm feeling so frustrated, sorry for the long winded vent but it helped a bit.
 
Hi Lou,

I'm sorry you got turned away. I think your surgeon and your internal medicine doctor should have made you aware prior to the surgery, that weight/BMI would have been an issue.

Getting ready for surgery causes anxiety and takes preparation. Some doctors just don't prepare or give enough information to the patient, and it's wrong.

I understand how frustrating it is to be so active and then be in the position of barely being able to walk , because I think a lot of us have been there.It changes our lives drastically and it's hard to deal with.

I hope your knee pain improves and you can talk to your drs and see what they want you to do about the weight.Even though size 14 doesn't sound overweight to me.

Hope u can get your vascular surgery soon.

Sagey
 
Many doctors need a refresher course on sensitivity. Talking to any patient about their weight is a very very sensitive issue. But to hear it in such a way, at such an already nerve wrecking moment....I really feel for your pain. They should've told you about the BMI requirements, with good explanation and should've been more supportive in the process.

Losing weight...I hate the topic. I am at my heaviest, I try to be active and make sure I eat only healthy food - come on, we all know with fibro we have very bad days, and bad days equal no activity and whatever food that is easy to grab/make. Plus we women suffer more as we age, making weight loss an even greater challenge, thank you hormones!

Can you be referred to a nutritionist/dietician?
Or join any sort of exercise program that is knee-pain friendly in your area? Swimming/aquarobics, basic yoga/stretching classes maybe.

Or find a friend to join you in your goal to lose some weight - having a buddy can be a huge motivator to keep up with the exercise/diet program.

And believe in yourself - you can do this!!!
 
Hi sagey. Thanks for your reply. I'm not feeling quite so embarrassed now, more angry. One of the nurses phoned me this afternoon & was so apologetic because this should never have happened. After surgery you need to wear those horrible stockings & I've never had slim calves, even when I was 3 stone lighter than i am now, it runs in my family & we all have the same problem. Just another thing I hate about my body at the moment! The problem is that the stockings are really small made and wouldn't fit properly after surgery, I'm quite tall too & they dont have any in that length without ordering in custom made ones. This should all have been pre-arranged instead of wasting my time & the surgeon who had wasted theatre time. He was annoyed too but at the consultant that I saw pre-operatively who should have put all this in place. I've been promised I'll get my surgery in a couple of weeks but I'm already feeling lousy & wiped out stressing about today. It's horrible getting psyched up for surgery only to be cancelled for another day.
 
Thanks for your kind words Vicky. I've had to diet most of my life to keep my weight in check but being so inactive & taking so many meds is taking its toll. I feel a bit let down by my GP for not offering any kind of support when I admitted I was really struggling with weight gain. I plan to get back out on the bike & will just listen to my body about how far I can go, I'm slowly beginning to realise that I'll never be able to do 40miles at a time like I used to. I use the myfitnesspal app when I'm watching my calorie intake as I find it makes a big difference and have started this again today, hopefully I'll see some results soon.
 
I gained weight in the also 2 years too as my fibro has gone crazy and i have barely left the house. Inactivity of course contributes but it is mainly diet and possibly meds that make biggest difference unless you can be very active.

I know you have to walk ..cycle several miles to burn the calories from a sandwich or a single cake. I have managed to shift about 16 lbs in 3 or 4 months by diet and without going hungry. Its hard work and hard to be motivated when you are in pain and not living life the way you want...i just want to motivate a little and say it is possible.

So sorry for your rubbish day Lou...you dont sound really overweight to me either 5 ft 11 is very tall...but if youknow you are more comfortable lighter im sure a dietician could help you and motivate too.

Luckily ive gained weight once or twice before in my life..during pregnancy and just a period of too much good living and know what i need to do to loose it again and count calories..write everything down..reduce unfilling calories that i call wasted ..like oil, butter, mayonaise, salad dressing, and stick to lean sources protein..lots of veggies, and find ways to add flavour with gravy, tomato rather than creamy sauces...use large filling jacket potatoes for lunch and add huge salad and low fat dressing.

For sweet treat i make up a low calorie jelly..it has less calories in the whole thing than the milk in a cup of tea or coffee.. i make a low calorie hot chocolate drink to stave of any sugar craving.

Anyway i wish you good luck both with diet and any exercise you can manage. :)
 
Two stone in two week!.thats 28 pound.are you sure darling, and if you did your doctor needs to do something real quick.

I take amitripolyne. A lot of pills say it can make you hungry, and gabbipintin makes me hungry too. At least I know it's not just me being a piggy.
Your doctor should of told you about your bmi. That was wrong. I'd be real peed off if I was you.

But if you have put 28 pounds on in two weeks you need to go back to the doctor.

x
 
I gained 27lbs in 2 weeks over Christmas & New Year & that wasn't me going completely off the wagon! I only had a bad day or 2 on each of these weeks & my weight was going up 2lbs each day. It's plateaued a bit now, I got to around 35lbs gain and am now gaining around 1lb a week. I'm back to religiously counting calories but if I have any more than 1200 calories a day and don't really exercise, the weight will go up & fast. I can't diet forever, I'm struggling enough with work, family etc with fibro without something else making me miserable. I have an appointment with my GP in a couple of weeks & will speak to him again about my weight concerns. The NHS tries to promote healthy living and maintaining a healthy BMI but my GP didn't seem too bothered!
 
Lou38, I agree that the weight gain in a short period of time is a concern. Have you had your thyroid checked? Could you perhaps be retaining fluid? Fibro and day to day stress is a struggle to deal with in itself but the health concerns that can accompany weight gain is another kettle of fish. Hopefully you can gain some ground in identifying the reason behind this rapid weight gain with your GP on your upcoming visit.
 
I agree Lou thats a lot of weight to be gaining while on such a low calorie diet and think it needs investigating...i really feel for you as managing fibro and taking meds and balancing side affects against any relief is problem enough.

It must be a bit soul destroying to being so careful with calories and not be loosing weight but gaining 1lb a week. Thats about the calorie intake i did and although not fast weight loss it did work.

keep us posted..MM idea about thyroid is a good one..im not up to speed on other conditions that cause weight gain ..i know Amitripyline can cause it but unless it is making huge improvement to your pain and sleep maybe its worth considering weaning off and trying something else.

We take these meds to help us that can contribute weight gain ..i know gabby does the same for many people...meaning more stress on our joints and muscles so potentially causing more pain!
 
Willow is correct. For myself I have communicated with my Dr the importance of taking meds that cause less weight gain. Sadly, too many cause weight gain and are dose related. The higher the dose, the greater chance of weight gain. For the average woman 1200 to 1300 calories per day is plenty. A weight loss program is 80% in the kitchen and 20% the gym which is good news for us Fibro patients as physical exersize can be challenging. Even a gentle walk is beneficial for us. I feel for you. Please continue the good fight. Healthy food choices and portion size is a good start. We must be so careful not to transfer our struggles into food to help us feel better. We're hear to help and encourage you. Hugs.
 
Thanks for all your replies. Medicmurphy I've tried a few different calculators to ascertain how many calories I would need to maintain my current weight using the weight I was before Christmas & they all say 1800 or so. 1200 is not a lot of calories at all for someone my build & height. I've dieted a few times over the years & with a calorie intake of 1200 a day I used to lose an average of 4lbs a week.
 
Perhaps consult a nutritionist? Certainly people come in all sizes, shapes and heights. However, to gain the amount of weight you describe is a concern. It's inviting a whole host of other health issues. I wonder is maintaining your current weight, if indeed its over weight since you cld not undergo the vascular surgery is what you need? To lose excess weight one needs to decrease calories. I don't wish to be disrespectful. I'm sorry if I come across that way.
 
I have found recent years with fibro i need way less than any calorie counter says to maintain weight...i am 5 feet 5 inches and about 126/128 lbs but only need about 1400 calories a day to maintain this weight..if i go much over and have a few treats just for a week or 2 i find my weight starts to creep up quite quickly by a pound or two..but i should add i am now particularly inactive which is soo frustating in itself and not good for my general health..but even if i did a 30 minute walk each day i could probably only afford to add 100 calories a day to my intake which is only the milk in 2 cups of tea or 1 slice of bread.

Good Luck Lou this is a real dilemma when you dont know the cause.
 
I didn't think you were being disrespectful at all medicmurphy, maybe just misunderstood a little. My lightest ever weight was 168lbs and I was a size 12 but this made me look unhealthy as i still had broad shoulders etc. A comfortable and maintainable weight for me is more like 182lbs and a size 14. I understand that I need to lower calorie intake for weight loss and even more so when I'm inactive but this still doesn't make much difference. I'll definitely be asking my GP when I see him next week as I feel there must be another reason for my weight gain when dieting is futile. I had my thyroid checked last year and the results were abnormal but the latest bloods for this were normal which made me question the meds I'm taking. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
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