Need help gaining weight

I live in on the south side of Wisconsin. I've seen so many Doc's and specialists all to no avail and told the same thing, "we don't treat LT Covid." I was even at Mayo! Unfortunately, left to only see an internal MD at Mayo who was terrible and of no help. I've been doing it and fighting for 3 long years ago with so many Doctors, unbelievable number of tests to include spinal tap (awful) MRI's, CT, Scans, Ultrasounds, tons of blood work, all to no avail.

I would love to find someone who is knowledgeable about treating LT Covid. I know I need medication for the unbelievable anxiety/depression which is off the charts. I just tried Zoloft which made things worse.

That's why I'm interested in knowing what others are taking for anxiety/depression. I realize meds will differently for everyone, but there might be a common denominator.

Yesterday and today is such a terrible day, I don't know how I can continue like this. I'm literally withering away at 90 lbs.

Hugs & Love to all

I didn’t mean to sound like I’m in need of an MD. I have one and I’m seeing him in 2 days. I have a psychiatrist and a “talk” therapist. I have a case manager who picks me up every other week to go out to a quick meal, a quick trip to Walmart or a ride to the bank to take some cash out. I have a cardiologist, I have a cardiovascular surgeon, a pulmonologist, a gastroenterologist, All of them make me realize that I have all these people. Some have Telehealth instead of a 15 minute ride to their office. So my State has one of the best Medicaid plans in the country (blue state).
Rhode Island is extremely blue. Plus I have Medicare and social security. I’m also disabled. I can’t complain about what is available to me. We have three major hospitals plus a trauma hospital. All free for me. We have Brown University that turns out doctors and other medical professionals.

I did have covid last summer. There are 48 residents here. Two passed away and I spent months in quarantine because most of us are high risk and most of us got covid. Mild for me because I took two vaccines and two boosters. I know, my sister is an anti-vaxxer and we don’t talk about our differences. We’ll go out for lunch and leave out politics and vaccines. She never got covid though.
I happened to have gone to hospital #1 ER for something unrelated but they did a CTscan like most ER visits entail and the ER doctor came into the exam room where I was laying down in and said “ we are going to have to transfer you to #2 hospital for emergency surgery " (a trauma hospital). Reason?
They found an aortic aneurysm and it was torn!
Great, they packaged me and ambulanced me to #2 hospital. When I got there they checked and probed me and said “we’ll, you are going to need to come back to the hospital but right now it isn’t bleeding so we feel you are stable enough to be discharged.” They strongly advised me to see my cardiovascular surgeon (yes, I actually have one).
I told him the hospital wants me to see you ASAP. He said “all hospitals say that “ and was clearly annoyed that I messed up his patient schedule.

They did an echo and he said “I didn’t see anything “ this doctor has been following me yearly because of the aneurysm. He claimed 2 years in a row that I had one and now says he didn’t see it. Smelled fishy to me. Two hospitals seeing 2 cardiovascular surgeons said I had one and it had a tear in it. I asked him as he was rushing out the door if it could burst. He said “it could!” I said I thought you said you didn’t see anything and now you’re saying it could burst?” He said “oh we have ways to deal with that.”

I know that if my aneurysm burst, it’s usually fatal! I’m on blood thinners and a torn aneurysm bursting is more likely to happen than not. Thin blood flows out quicker. A 5cm aneurysm is the surgery baseline. Even if it’s not torn. Mine was at 4cm as of last year.
I’m looking for a second opinion as this surgeon was a jerk. I have a mechanical heart valve. The reason for my thinner.

Anyway, I have really gone off topic but once I get going I can’t be stopped LOL. So yes, I’m a mess. Pardon me for the long post.

Please, please do not consider taking what anyone else has taken. You didn’t respond to an SSRI, which is from the “most prescribed” class of psych meds. You need someone to help you! Can you reach out to John’s Hopkins? My fave has been mt Sinai in ny.
I don’t know what your situ is, but please. If you $$$ can you need to see a private psychiatrist. He needs to get you help. You must see a nutritionist! They need to help you. Take the long Covid down to its parts: weight and depression, and treat those first.
If you have a child/neice/ good friend— hav them help you find someone. This is your very life we are talking about! No expense is too much. See a private psychiatrist, get a recommendation for someone good. Then go! Please. Try to find a nutritionist that works in or with a functional medicne doctor. Functional Med doctors look at things from a different perspective. Please do not give up! I’ve had this since 3/20, and I DO know how awful it can be and how hopeless it can seem!!

Also? Please keep me updated. The world needs you, summer of 42!!!

I did see a private psychiatrist and she is the one who gave me Zoloft and previously Escitalopram.

I would call John Hopkins, but I wouldn't know where to begin, who to call, what number and at this point I'm really losing strength and the will. I've completely exhausted myself, both physically and mentally and I continued to worsen with each and every passing month the last 3 yrs. Last week, burning tongue syndrome set in, it was unbearable and as I type, I have so much pain in my body to include nerve pain I can't stop crying.

All I can do is pray at this point. I wish I had a friend who had a private plane to take me wherever I need to be for care. I have excellent insurance and can go anywhere. . . problem is where? It sounds like you're doing better and I'm so happy for you. I wish I could be there.

What's really hard is I love life so much and was so darn healthy and active before Covid robbed me of my life.

Hi Frouke,
I had the same problem when I started to lose weight with my incontinence! I got down to looking like a skinny little old lady also! (I'm 77.) I hated looking like that! My husband was so sweet and said I looked just as good as ever. But I didn't! I prayed a lot about this and I am starting to weigh a little more. Some of my clothes actually fit me again!

When you go on eating binges, what do you eat? My mom always said that if you crave a food, your body needed it. That's too bad about the cramps.

I agree with you about the medications. I am very sensitive to many medications; even Tylenol. So I stay away from them.

It would be nice if the world settled down again but from what I've read in the Bible I think we are in the last days. However, we do know the ending of that and we'll be up in Heaven with all of this terribleness behind us.

In the meantime, I'll say a prayer for you! Best of luck with your weight gain!
PML

@earlylonghaule,
I lookd up the ingredients for both the Arbonne FeelFit Pea Protein Shake (Chocolate) together with Arbonne Essentials Green Balance and they are really geared toward eating/supplementing a healthier lifestyle and/or weight LOSS and nothing in the ingredients would contribute towards gaining weight, which is my goal and need.

Well I have Stage 3 esophageal cancer and a feeding tube and was 95 pounds last September, now I'm over 125. I do high calorie formulas,protein shakes and such. Jevity 1.5 is an 8 ounce 355 calorie full nutrition formula, Ensure has 350 calorie shakes too, muscle milk has 40 gram protein shakes.

Hi jwkelly72,
I'm sending you a private message 🙂

Go right ahead