Anyone having issues with gaining weight after liver transplant?

Posted by grateful76 @grateful76, Dec 2, 2024

Good evening,
I hope everyone is doing well.
My liver transplant was in January 2023 and I have been doing well. The only issue I am having now is, with gaining weight. In 2023 I was loosing weight and could not add any pounds but in 2024 it’s opposite. Anyone having similar problems?
Thank you so much for being here and helping me to stay healthy.
Happy Holidays!!!

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When I had my liver transplant many years ago, I was told that post transplant the body needs 3,500 calories daily just to repair itself from the surgery. Additionally, I needed to take in the calories for normal sustenance.
Since your transplant was in Jan 2023 and you could consume many more calories and that is not happening any more, my take is that your body is repaired from the transplant and now you need to only take in a normal amount of calories. Incidentally, I had that same situation happening in the 4th quarter of 2024 when I had a total knee replacement. Intake of calories galore and no weight gain. That is unfortunately (lol) coming to a screeching halt now. The scale is starting to represent my calorie intake. Oh, well - it was fun for a while!

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Profile picture for grateful76 @grateful76

Thank you so much. 😊

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When I was near death requiring both a liver and kidney transplant, at my worst I went from 235 down to 198. That was in January 2021. Now my organs are doing fine but, my blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight are elevated. I now weigh 245. My Primary Doctor has now started me on Ozempic. To treat all of the above. It's only been 4 weeks on a reduced dose till next week when the dosage doubles, so I have yet to see any weight reduction from the drug. I hope that it will solve those problems.
FireCat

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Profile picture for grateful76 @grateful76

Thank you so much. 😊

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@grateful76, in addition to the helpful comments from @firecat and @cromme50, you may appreciate the posts in these related discussions:

- Anyone deal with Weight Gain after transplant? Any suggestions?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/weight/
- I'm struggling with post transplant weight gain and depression
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/help-with-post-transplant-weight-gain-and-depression-i-am-struggling-w/

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Hello, my name is Mary and I received a liver transplant in August 2024 at Mayo Scottsdale. My illness came on rather suddenly, and I was extremely ill. I live in Ca and have Kaiser Permente insurance and they contract with the Mayo Clinic. I found out I had end stage liver disease following a fall that lead to a Er visit and then 11 days in ICU with a sodium level of 101. I am very fortunate and thankful to all my medical team members and happy to say, my surgery was very easy with no complications. To this date, and even following a biopsy of my damaged liver, the Dr.’s have no diagnosis of why my liver failed. They called it Cryptogenic. I am doing amazing and feeling well. I am 63, and gaining my strength back was a slow process but I am getting stronger every day. My only issue is weight gain. I did lose a lot of weight prior to my transplant and gained my weight back slowly, until I reached my previous “normal” weight. Since then, I have continued to gain about 4 to5 pounds a month and I am not almost 30 pounds above my average weight. I eat healthy and have followed my dietician advice and am exercising and eating in a calorie deficit as well. I have followed up with my PCP and she has ran thyroid and a few other tests A1C etc, and all are normal. Has anyone else had this experience and if so do you have any suggestions?

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Profile picture for Mary @mmcpounders

Hello, my name is Mary and I received a liver transplant in August 2024 at Mayo Scottsdale. My illness came on rather suddenly, and I was extremely ill. I live in Ca and have Kaiser Permente insurance and they contract with the Mayo Clinic. I found out I had end stage liver disease following a fall that lead to a Er visit and then 11 days in ICU with a sodium level of 101. I am very fortunate and thankful to all my medical team members and happy to say, my surgery was very easy with no complications. To this date, and even following a biopsy of my damaged liver, the Dr.’s have no diagnosis of why my liver failed. They called it Cryptogenic. I am doing amazing and feeling well. I am 63, and gaining my strength back was a slow process but I am getting stronger every day. My only issue is weight gain. I did lose a lot of weight prior to my transplant and gained my weight back slowly, until I reached my previous “normal” weight. Since then, I have continued to gain about 4 to5 pounds a month and I am not almost 30 pounds above my average weight. I eat healthy and have followed my dietician advice and am exercising and eating in a calorie deficit as well. I have followed up with my PCP and she has ran thyroid and a few other tests A1C etc, and all are normal. Has anyone else had this experience and if so do you have any suggestions?

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Hi Mary. We have some similarities. I also had a liver transplant at Mayo Scottsdale around mid 2024. I am in your age range and like you despite a 9 hour surgery overall things have gone as well as can be expected. I lost weight at the time of the surgery , decided to double down and lost more weight over the next year. However my body has become very stingy with weight with me gaining a little back even when doing everything right. I think for me it is my age and my body has a "set point" of where it wants to be weight wise. Have not given up, will not give up, but despite my wife cooking healthy I am stalled for the moment at being a little heavy and not totally to my ideal weight. All I can advise is keep doing everything right ! (---: Congratulations on your successful surgery ! Best of luck.

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Profile picture for Mary @mmcpounders

Hello, my name is Mary and I received a liver transplant in August 2024 at Mayo Scottsdale. My illness came on rather suddenly, and I was extremely ill. I live in Ca and have Kaiser Permente insurance and they contract with the Mayo Clinic. I found out I had end stage liver disease following a fall that lead to a Er visit and then 11 days in ICU with a sodium level of 101. I am very fortunate and thankful to all my medical team members and happy to say, my surgery was very easy with no complications. To this date, and even following a biopsy of my damaged liver, the Dr.’s have no diagnosis of why my liver failed. They called it Cryptogenic. I am doing amazing and feeling well. I am 63, and gaining my strength back was a slow process but I am getting stronger every day. My only issue is weight gain. I did lose a lot of weight prior to my transplant and gained my weight back slowly, until I reached my previous “normal” weight. Since then, I have continued to gain about 4 to5 pounds a month and I am not almost 30 pounds above my average weight. I eat healthy and have followed my dietician advice and am exercising and eating in a calorie deficit as well. I have followed up with my PCP and she has ran thyroid and a few other tests A1C etc, and all are normal. Has anyone else had this experience and if so do you have any suggestions?

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I had the opposite problem but I would suggest don’t eat anything fried, any fast food of any kind , put a APP on your phone YUKA and scan everything you eat while grocery shopping your going to be surprised the garbage that stores sell, I’m at my weight and keeping it there and swim a mile a day I’m 65 3 years post keep healthy and exercise, my scar wouldn’t let me gain too much weight otherwise I’d be in pain

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Profile picture for Mary @mmcpounders

Hello, my name is Mary and I received a liver transplant in August 2024 at Mayo Scottsdale. My illness came on rather suddenly, and I was extremely ill. I live in Ca and have Kaiser Permente insurance and they contract with the Mayo Clinic. I found out I had end stage liver disease following a fall that lead to a Er visit and then 11 days in ICU with a sodium level of 101. I am very fortunate and thankful to all my medical team members and happy to say, my surgery was very easy with no complications. To this date, and even following a biopsy of my damaged liver, the Dr.’s have no diagnosis of why my liver failed. They called it Cryptogenic. I am doing amazing and feeling well. I am 63, and gaining my strength back was a slow process but I am getting stronger every day. My only issue is weight gain. I did lose a lot of weight prior to my transplant and gained my weight back slowly, until I reached my previous “normal” weight. Since then, I have continued to gain about 4 to5 pounds a month and I am not almost 30 pounds above my average weight. I eat healthy and have followed my dietician advice and am exercising and eating in a calorie deficit as well. I have followed up with my PCP and she has ran thyroid and a few other tests A1C etc, and all are normal. Has anyone else had this experience and if so do you have any suggestions?

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Also a Kaiser member that went to Mayo Scottsdale. Summer of 2024 I weighed 220 had some issues and lost a little weight before my transplant on 02/06/2025, came home after 4 months in the Casita weighing 150. I am now holding steady in the 170-180 range and feeling good. I eat what I like, just less. Walk about 6 miles per week and diddle around the house during the day. Other than an eye issue just after the transplant and on going, I’m doing great.

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Profile picture for Mary @mmcpounders

Hello, my name is Mary and I received a liver transplant in August 2024 at Mayo Scottsdale. My illness came on rather suddenly, and I was extremely ill. I live in Ca and have Kaiser Permente insurance and they contract with the Mayo Clinic. I found out I had end stage liver disease following a fall that lead to a Er visit and then 11 days in ICU with a sodium level of 101. I am very fortunate and thankful to all my medical team members and happy to say, my surgery was very easy with no complications. To this date, and even following a biopsy of my damaged liver, the Dr.’s have no diagnosis of why my liver failed. They called it Cryptogenic. I am doing amazing and feeling well. I am 63, and gaining my strength back was a slow process but I am getting stronger every day. My only issue is weight gain. I did lose a lot of weight prior to my transplant and gained my weight back slowly, until I reached my previous “normal” weight. Since then, I have continued to gain about 4 to5 pounds a month and I am not almost 30 pounds above my average weight. I eat healthy and have followed my dietician advice and am exercising and eating in a calorie deficit as well. I have followed up with my PCP and she has ran thyroid and a few other tests A1C etc, and all are normal. Has anyone else had this experience and if so do you have any suggestions?

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I've experienced weight gain as well. My liver transplant was June 27, 2025 at Mayo in Jacksonville. Since the transplant I am experiencing terrible cramps in my hands, forearms, legs, and feet. No one seems to know the definitive cause of these but it makes it difficult to walk and I have now employed a cane. I am trying to do some indoor walking since I can rest when I like rather than be stuck outside and unable to go further. Less exercise, coupled with (until very recently) 40 MG of prednisone and insulin injections likely have caused the weight gain. I look forward to getting better and getting this weight back off.

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Profile picture for Stephen B @stephenbrown

I've experienced weight gain as well. My liver transplant was June 27, 2025 at Mayo in Jacksonville. Since the transplant I am experiencing terrible cramps in my hands, forearms, legs, and feet. No one seems to know the definitive cause of these but it makes it difficult to walk and I have now employed a cane. I am trying to do some indoor walking since I can rest when I like rather than be stuck outside and unable to go further. Less exercise, coupled with (until very recently) 40 MG of prednisone and insulin injections likely have caused the weight gain. I look forward to getting better and getting this weight back off.

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@stephenbrown
I didn’t feel remotely good for 2 years, swimming might help just walking in a pool does wonders, my feet have never been the same and the drugs didn’t do anything so I live with it, good luck on your recovery it’s a year at least so be patient

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