Anyone else experience Weight Gain with long COVID?

Yes. I've had a 50lb weight gain since 2020. It was 10 lbs immediately following my first infection. A lot of it is bloating. I see a physical therapist who specializes in lymphatic drainage. She hasn't helped me lose the weight but she does help take care of some of the pressure I feel in my face, head, and abdomen. It obviously doesn't help that with longcovid sometimes you can barely walk anymore (like me), so there is a lot of atrophy as well.

You have no idea how happy I am to have finally come across this discussion after months of searching! March 2020 infection as well. Long Hauler. Rapid weight gain 100lbs! It came on in 6 weeks!

I was a triathlete when I got sick. I was in the best shape of my life. Age 42 female. Hyperactive, always on the go, always happy seeing the positive in everything.

I’m now destroyed. Please help.

My PCP and other doctors within USFHealthCare are focusing on my diet and exercise.

First off I can’t exercise due to fatigue and secondly I’m barely eating at this point. I’m on mainly none solid foods. Juicing and things like that. I’m 5ft 1in and now 245lbs which is crazy.

I was also prescribed a diuretic which was supposed to help me shed “water weight”, but it only made the leg and feet swelling worse. My mouth tasted like the ocean. They even doubled the dose thinking it wasn’t quite working. It just made it worse.

I took myself off of it and the swelling of my legs, feet, and ankles drastically improved if not gone completely.

When the rapid weight gain started it was so scary. I could even see the fibrous outlines in my legs like the adipose tissue was swelling uncontrollably pressing through, it was like a grid on my legs.

My stomach hard which made its way higher and higher working it’s way to my chest and my neck. I developed a fat hump on my upper back at the base of my neck. Testing negative for Cushings. Couldn’t have been caused by high cortisol I don’t think.

I did end up in adrenal failure. That part I don’t quite understand.

I do have hypothyroidism but it wouldn’t have caused this VERY rapid weight gain. My TSH levels went sky high only during a short period of time. It was around initial infection.

However, they still don’t have my hypothyroidism under control and keep trying to treat me with T4 even though my previous doctors had always treated me with T3 because my body just doesn’t convert T4 to T3 effectively. My previous doctor told me I had Hashimotos but these doctors are telling me I don’t have Hashimotos. I think this is a secondary issue.

Rapid weight gain was after initial infection. 100lbs in 6 weeks. It’s when I feel my long COVID started.

It’s like they think I’m eating a ton of junk food sitting on my butt all day. They aren’t listening to me. They can’t get this weight fixed.

Any advise please.

I use a walker now. I’m walking about 3 miles on average a day just with steps taking my dog outside.

There has to be some link with the adipose tissue and COVID. I wasn’t obese or overweight when I got sick. Like did COVID somehow cause my fat cells to replicate like crazy while COVID cells replicated within it? Is there still COVID infection in there now? Is there a medication that gets rid of this potential viral debris?

Please share any and all doctors that you’re having success with.

I’m desperate here. My body is Completely destroyed.

I cannot continue to be ignored any longer, I need help. I need a doctor to figure this out.

I am single and live alone. No support system. Work-a-holic.

I had very mild Covid in January 2022. My only real symptom was fatigue. I have since gained 30 pounds and climbing. Nothing has changed in my diet or exercise routine. My doctor has been running labs every few months because my cortisol levels are so high which she is contributing to my weight gain. I have never struggled with my weight ever. I'm only 5'1" tall and went from 125 to 155 in 8 months. I seem to be holding steady at 155 but can't lose weight no matter how hard I try. Since my doctor can't figure it out I'm searching for answers myself and hopefully can figure out how to reset my body since having Covid.

This is my story almost down to a 't'! Had very mild COVID at the beginning of July 2022 and since then my weight continues to go up. Nothing has changed in my diet or exercise, if anything, I'm now eating less than before! I track my food, strength train in the gym 5 times a week, cardio on 2 other days, daily steps averaging 11-12k.... and the weight continues to go up. I now eat the amount of calories that a year ago I'd be losing weight on and now I keep gaining at a pace of around 0.5 pound per week! In 9 months I've put on 20 lbs and it's not stopping! That's what terrifies me the most! Blood tests came OK, hormones, thyroid... all good... The doctors don't seem to think it's important, they probably think I'm just stuffing my face and lie about not eating more than before. Or they say it's normal as I'm getting old... It's not normal! I know my body. I've got all the data from years of tracking and I'm 100% sure the problems only started after covid. Any time in the past when I put on weight at least I enjoyed lots of yummy food but now.... I feel like I'll need to start starving myself to try to stop this weight gain. I'm feeling so frustrated, disheartened and depressed. Just ready to give up and dive head straight into a chocolate fountain with a cookie jar for company cause what's the point of eating healthy and exercising is my weight continues to go up for no reason... May as well at least enjoy all the food that I'm currently not...

Welcome to Mayo Connect. I see that you have just joined us. Have you had the opportunity to look at the wealth of information about Post-Covid that May has released? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/post-covid-recovery-covid-19/

There are so many new things being discovered all the time, and the causes seem so complex, that there may well be someone here to answer you.

Have you seen your doctor for any other health concerns since you had Covid? Have you been given any new medications, perhaps to address long-lasting symptoms?
Sue