Need to gain weight
For the past 3 years I have been losing weight. At 5’7” I’ve been at 134 for several years and then for some reason started losing weight. Have gone through 3 docs and several labs but nothing unusual. I’ve been at 112 for several months now and just recently dropped to 110 lbs. I eat all day long including after I go to bed. I try to eat healthy since I have high cholesterol. I’m not kidding when I say I probably eat every hour along with my main meals of lunch and dinner. Protein bars, peanut butter, dairy (I’m lactose intolerant so take supplement which helps a lot). I’m on low income so any suggestions will need to be inexpensive. Any ideas on how to get my weight back? Thank you! I’m in the USA 🇺🇸 Also I’m 77 yrs and walk everyday.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.
in reply to @gboi Thank you. I lift weights everyday so as not to lose muscle mass, and this has made a huge difference. I have a wellness visit coming up at the end of the month and will discuss with my doctor the product you described. Lately I have not been able to eat much of anything, or rather, everything goes right through me. I have 2 specialists telling me I need an endoscopy and colonoscopy, yet the gastro doctor does not think a colonoscopy is in order. Needless to say, I will go with the advice of the other two specialists in an effort to find out if there is something going on inside. I am also being referred to a new gastro doctor because I filed a complaint against the current one last year because of his unprofessional behavior. Not to mention the number of complaints I found on the California Medical Board website. Last year when I was in the ER, the ER doctor told me in confidence, "if I were you, I would never let that doctor touch you again." Go figure.
I would recommend a resting metabolism rate test. They can cost south of $100 from a wellness center or more than that from a doctor. You can research it on the internet. Then add up the calories you consume in a typical day and subtract the calories you burn by exercising and see if you are meeting or exceeding your RMR. That should help you figure out the number of calories you need to eat either maintain or gain weight.
Yes, I agree that getting a new gastroenterologist is a good idea.
in reply to @scolio Thank you. Yes, a new gastro doctor is certainly in order. For what it is worth I attended the washroom 12 times the other day, and it was exhausting to say the least. The doctor suggested I take imodium daily, which I do not want to do, nor do I want to take Bentyl every 4 hours because it will make me so sleepy. All of this will only create another problem, one I do not want to endure.
Last year my doctor made a referral to another gastro doctor affiliated with my health plan, Sutter. They refused to see me out of a "conflict of interest" whatever that means.
Have your doctor run fecal tests for pancreas like elastase its responsible for breaking fats, proteins and carbs down for digestion without it food goes right through without being fully digesting resulting in weight loss. Best of luck I hope you find answers!
Keep searching for good gastroenterologists and dont give up. I have seen 5 this year and they all had different ideas on what to look for I was able to get a full set of tests to rule out all functional issues with my organs. Blood and fecal tests are fairly cheap but can reveal a lot.
in reply to @missingthebeach Thank you, The test has been ran, and the results were normal, I sent the doctor a note earlier today inquiring about the "normal" results, and asking if some additional tests can be done for me. I understand there are other tests available to check for pancreatic diseases, and that a normal elastase test is not abnormal. I remain hopeful that having another gastro doctor treat me may lead to some more informative answers. But I have to admit, I am getting awfully tired of all these tests, yet not getting any concrete answers after more than 3 years and a 40 pound weight loss. On the other hand, the iron infusions have kicked in and I have more energy now than I have had in a long time, and today I felt like Wonder Woman. Having said this, I am anxious and unnerved about the lack of "care" that I am receiving from the majority of my clinicians. The social worker from Sutter called me the other day and told me that, "yes, a lot has changed at Sutter, not for the good, and she does not see any positive changes on the horizon." Oh well.
My weight loss is similar to yours. I was diagnosed with anorexia with unintended weight loss and was down to 115 literally skin and bones. My body was not taking in nutrients even though I ate all day. I had my feed tube put back in 45 days ago and we adjusted my anti depressant and added olanzapine for Nausea. The side effects for the olanzapine is weight gain, increased hunger and thirst and help sleeping I’ve gained 25 lbs in 33 days and I’m also able to eat things I haven’t ate since my surgery in Dec. 2023.
Maybe something to check into I know how hard eating problems are. Hope you find what you need . Prayers and Gods blessings for you
Yes thyroid has been tested and normal but I do take medication for it.
Thank you, yes I eat a lot of pasta, just incorporated a 1000 calorie ice cream shake. Been a week since I added that but still nada 🤷🏼♀️