Weight in lupus patients

Hey,
I am sorry for your lupus…
Weight gain is very common in lupus patient… weight gain is a side effect of those medications you are taking, but do not think of stop taking those pills because of weight gain- lupus is more dangerous than weight gain. I guess, the only solution is proper dieting- less bread, more fruit and vegetables.

I know the feeling, I also have lupus and from a size 6 I jumped to a size 12. Just by itself the disease is a horrible thing to have and then in top of it become fat...



I'm just start a healthy diet so I hope I can lose some weight.

Brenda

buchberger wrote:

Hello,
I was diagnosed with lupus… horrible thing. And I got this antibiotics, but I also gained 6 pounds!!! Besides this lupus, I am also fat now!!! Is this normal that lupus patients gain weight?
What can I do?

HI! My name is Michelle, I also have SLE. I was diagnosed 5 years ago and have gained nearly 50 pds! The steroids are the main cause as well as the lack of excercise. I was a proffesional cheerleader, than went on to run a gym where I taught high impact step areobics and kick boxing. I now have a hard time just getting out of bed. Depression plays it's part in my weight gain as well. I am currently trying the Atkins diet, which means absolutley no carbs. My doctors say it is okay to do but for no longer than 2 months. I have lost 12 pds in 2 1/2 weeks. I'm hopeful that I can shed this horrible weight and get back my life. Fruit is okay, however you must choose the proper ones. Well good luck to you, and to all with this horrible disease!!

Adkins is a TERRIBLE diet for a lupus patient!! The majority of lupus patients have some form of kidney disease (some times not revealed until autopsy) and this diet is extremely hard on your kidneys. You don't want to add additional stress. A much better, safer way is to go about with the previous response stated---a healthy diet. Buy Dr. Phil's book "The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution". It's about changing your lifestyle so that you are eating healthy foods AND not eating from other problems like depression (which comes with a chronic disease) or anger.

As for gaining weight, does the doctor have you on steroids? They are the largest cause of weight gain in lupus patients. The best offense is a good defense. Watch what you eat especially when on steroids so that your weight doesn't spiral out of control. Steroids muck with your blood sugar, they cause you to retain water and put on fat. Other drugs used on some lupus patients (like tricyclic antidepressants) also cause a sweet tooth.

I've had lupus for 21 years; it's a struggle. Good luck.

Tracy

Hi... I also have SLE. I've had it since I was 9 years old...
I'm now 26 years old and trust me, I've gone through alot
because of the Lupus. I have gained and lost weight for
years now and I do not think the Atkins diet is a good thing
for you to do. If you want to lose weight, just eat right (lots
of veggies and protien) dont starve or deprive yourself,
do pilates and/or yogi, aqua aerobics is also awesome and
easy on your joints. Also, make sure you take it slow and dont
over work yourself, get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water.
Other then that stay positive and take it day by day. God Bless.

Hello, my name is susie. I was diagnosed with SLE lupus 3 years ago. I know how hard the weight gain can affect all aspects of your life. I went from 130lbs. to 170lbs in what seemed like no time at all. It's funny how people tell you to exercise and eat right and the weight will come off. What most people dont understand that when you take some of these drugs your body no longer understands that you full means when you eat. It just keeps you thinking that you hungry all the time, and exercise PLEASE half the time your so tired and weak or sore that if you can get out of bed in the morning thats a mircle. I'm not saying that exercise and eating right arent the way to go because they are but dont beat yourself up about it. If your having a bad day dont make it worse by stressing yourself out. People always think they know whats best for you but they dont! I learned this the hard way! I can tell you how I was able to make my weight stable and that was by picking a proper calorie range and sticking to it. I would write down exactly what I was going to eat that day before I had a chance to eat anything leaving myself a certain amount of calaries that wasnt in my daily menu incase I wanted a treat. This sounds easy but really when your best friend pulls out a big mac right beside you, or you see a commercial for KFC it can be a war between your brain and your belly! For exercise I quit my office job and became a waitress (I'm not saying go and do this!) I just find that if I keep moving I'm in less pain. That is until I sit down. I also went off prednisone and have started a new drug Methotrexate since then I have lost 30lbs and still dropping. Its not for everyone but I feel alot better over all. You should disscuss it will your doctor. I wish you all the best hunny! Stay strong and keep smiling! :-)

Hi my name is Kim. I am a viet-american girl who was diagnosed with lupus at 15 and now I am 26. I have tried to excises and it does help but I learn the hard way. By pushing myself, I got really sick. So excising is good for some and for some it's not. It's up to you to know how you feel that day and if you are able to working out then do it but don't push yourself. Every morning I also some time have a hard time getting out of bed but I have to cause I have a 6 years old son to take care of. It would be hard but my husband and son (even though he is so young) understand what I go through every day with lupus. But I just take care of myself and just have a good look out about it and not try to stress myself out. Weight gain is hard but you have to understand with lupus you have to take the medications your doctor gives you and just cause you gain a lot of weight just be happy that you are a live and not die. I know that it sound rude or mean, whatever you want to take it as but its the true. I was 110 pds when I was diagnose with lupus and now that I am 26 I am 200 pds which I'm not happy with but I just understand that it is the medicines that I am taking now. I also have kidney problem which my lupus had something to do with it. It is very hard when I have a young child to worry about but I do have a wonderful husband who is health and understand what I go through everyday. I take treatment pills as well as all my other medications that I have to take every day. My weight has been stable and yes there are times when my weight goes up and down but my doctor doesn't worry to much about my weight cause he knows that I eat pretty healthy and nothing that he has to worry about. Basically, watch what you eat not saying that you can't eat whatever you want but just be careful. Try not to stress out or put yourself down. When I feel that my weight is going up I usually eat grapefruit. That also helps. I have been blessed with a young child that is healthy and a husband who loves me for me and understand. I can say when you're happy and stress free for some reason (well for myself) my health is so much better and my weight tend to go down but I'm not saying that your weight will always drop. I have had my lupus going on my 12th year now and it has been hard but only I know how my body is with medications and what works for me. So, whatever works for you go for it and good lucky.

hi my name is teddy, and i was diagnose with lupus at the age of 16 i was down to ike 90 pounds .i also had it for 5 yrs. now, I actually hated especially the drugs, i was on so many meds. and my weight went sky rised in less then 2 weeks i gained almost 40 pounds, and its all caused from prednisone a.k.a (steriods), but as the dosage decreases u appetite should also decrease, as for me im down to only 2mg a day and i cant even eat right.. my weight is droppin so fast. so as for me im trying to gain weight and everyone is trying to lose it. like one of the articles i was reading a women said how she has gained and loss weight for years.. same here. but iit was nice to read everyone article and see im not the only one with weight problems... thanks for posting..

Hi my name is Jennifer. I was diagnosed with borderline Lupus at age 25. I am now 38 and Lupus has totally affected my life. I have gained 50 pounds 5 years ago. I have not been able to get any of it off. I have however stopped pumping myself full of the prescription meds that the doctor gave me to "manage" my pain. Instead through research I am now taking vitamins and no gluten. I can finally get up in the morning without being in severe pain in my body. If it is exercise you are seeking... try to find water aerobics(no impact) or walking. I have talked to several people about those new shoes made for shaping your body. They say that they really don't help with cellulite, but I have heard that do increase circulation in legs and help with align the body= decreased leg pain. Please make sure to talk to doctor before getting off any meds that you are taking. I prefer a natural path in dealing with Lupus. In my own experience, the drugs that they put me on were harmful to my body in the long run and I couldn't figure out how that helped an already failing body.

Hello,

I am a 35 yr. old male that is (as of yet) undiagnosed. I have the buterfly face rash, small round sores on my lower legs and forearms that will not heal. I also have been complaining of extreme fatigue/triedness for years. As of 6 months ago (which is the same time my rashes and sores appeared) I am now expierencing horrible pains in my joints. My father is a type 1 diabetic, my mother is a SLE survivor (she almost died from kidney failure in the early 90's before her doctors realise it was lupus) and have recently discovered that I had a grandmother on both sides that died from unknown kidney failure in their ealier 60's. When I was 21 I gained 90 lbs in the corse of a year without any major changes to my diet or activity. My largest concern at this point, is that the joint pains are becoming unbearable (and the worse part, 1 day its my back, the next my hip, and today its my jaw....it seams that any of my joints can be hurting on any given day). What also worries me is sudden unexplained weight lost. When I finally went and ssen my doc in late march, he decided it was "suspected SLE" and decided to chart my physical stats on a weekly basis. At this time he has not commented on blood work other than "interesting" (I think its time to see a specialist), but he is concerned about my weight. I have lost 48 lbs in 4 weeks with no effort on my part to lose weight. The comment he made today was that it appears that if it is SLE, that my symptoms are begining to spiral out of control, and has actually suggested hopsitalazation is possible in the near future. Is this possible?!!? I thought Lupuus was a long decay of the body over the corse of years....so why are my symptoms coming on so fast and strong. FYI, yes I am under an extreme amount of stress at this time from other factors that are unfortunatly beyond my control. What has me scared the most, I cant help but feel that if this continues to progress at this rate...well....I guess it's more a question, Can Lupus be acute ending in a fatallity in a short period of time... or to put it another way, I don't know if I can hold out much longer. I am pushing for a diagnosis because I'm an auto technician by trade, and that job can be physically taxing. I dont know how much more work I have in me, but it isn't much...maybe a couple months at best. Do the treatments allievate the symptoms enough to continue a "normal" life? On the flip side of that, if not: is it possible to get social security disability for Lupus? I guess Im really reaching out for support. Im a husband, and father of 3 wonderful children, and I want to be the best "me" I can manage from here, but I'm in so much pain, and I feel like absolute c**p all the time...I just don't know how much longer I can carry on like this. So if anyone has the time to possibly share some of their time, I would appreciate some inside information froma Lupus patient as to what I can expect..or, what to do from here.

Thank you in advance.

to the father with undiagnosed lupus: I was diagnosed w/ lupus at 13, i am 21 now..i had the same syptoms you are having and it took them forever and about three months in the hospital to come up with my diagnosis..turns out it was caused by a medication called minocycline...i had EXTREME joint pain, extreme fatigue, extreme loss of appetite and weight loss and no motivation to do anything... eventually (before my hostpital stay)i got to where i could not walk, my hands and feet looked HUGE and i eventually had to go on homebound school..it was really bad...i guess what im trying to say is that it is good that you are staying on your doctors and pushing a diagnoses because when they diagnosed mine and then came up with my treatment plan, i immediately starting seeing major improvemnt...they put me on plaquinil, steroids, and hydroxychloroquin** (sp) and now i am able to live a normal life and do all of the physical activities (to an extent) that i want...its effects everyone different but the soone they can diagnose the sooner they can get you a treament plan and the better you start feeling... :)

Try the book Autoimmune Cause and Cure, on kindle you get to read two chapters for free! It is designed to help us feel better and if we feel better we can exercise and loose weight. Protein is important in this diet but where the protein comes from is what counts. It's an amazing book! I am officially starting the "recovery diet" tomorrow. I look forward to what it can do for me. I gained over 100 lbs in 6 months on steroids, lost over 60 only to get endocarditis, gained 60 back, lost it again and have now gained back 40 weighing in at 160. I love using the Swiss exercise ball for all my exercising as it's so comfy for my back. This book doesn't proclaim to help you lose weight, it proclaims to cure autoimmune diseases and is highly praised thus far from all different sites. The author really studied her facts and list medical journals for all her advice. Has to do with lupus patients missing an essential enzyme and it carries on from there. It's a hard slow read at first but both my dr and two sisters who are nurses say it makes perfect sense. Btw, I have it in my living will that I cannot be given ANY form of steroid. I suffered not just the tremendous weight gain but also steroid psychosis. With any medication PLEASE put side-effects up against quality of life. My husband begged me not to take them for that reason but the doctor had me so scared. Went on to have more problems from weight gain than steroids helped with. For now I take nothing for lupus and treat symptoms as they arise. And my very serious lupus has become moderate. Just my thoughts on the whole business. Shouldn't we all get t-shirts that say NOT FAT FROM FOOD, LUPUS DID THIS TO ME! I hate the difference in the way people treat me depending on my size. Even my young daughter noticed it. Sad, judgmental world we live in.

Thank you for reminding us to not beat ourselves up. I can't seem to get the 50 lbs. I gained off at all. I eat very healthy and barely anything. Typically, almonds for a morning snack, salad at lunch and skinless chicken with brocolli for supper. The best I can do is tell my self, it would be worse if I didn't do what I am doing. The amount of medications is amazing. Family and friends don't begin to understand how you feel on bad days. You have to put on your fake smile as you try to keep up with daily routine. I was on Methotrexate for 1.5 years. It was wretched for me gave me horrible flu like symptoms and body aches. I told the doctor it was like a body migraine. I hope it works well for you. Plaquinel works for me much better.

What were the signs when you were diagnosed with Lupus. The reason I am asking is because first of all I have fibromyalgia and lately I am very exhaused no energy. also the past 2 weeks I developed a rash on my arm just about where you fold your arm in and it itches terribly. I thought it was a heat rash. I know my Uncle had Lupus. I hope I do ot have it.