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Sorry that i have so many questions, but thank you all so much for your wonderful responses. i've learned a ton from present as well as past postings this past week since i became a member!
My question is about weight loss. Initially in the first 2 months i lost about 10 lbs. Then two weeks ago i had a good week and gained a couple. Then last week i started the Entocort, the D has stopped and i'm eating a greater quanity of food and it's not just shooting thru like before but to my surprise i've lost 5 more pounds! i don't understand - and it's getting really scary. i'm literally skin and bones - i'm 5'10 1/2 and weigh 121 now. i was 135 in May before this started. Last summer when i had these same symptoms but with C not D and it wasn't diagnosed, i got down to 123. i worked all year to get to the 135 i had finally reached. HELP! what can i do? i'm afraid of getting some illness (like swine flu) and not having the reserves to fight it off.
Carole
weight loss - HELP!
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
weight loss - HELP!
The Lord never said it would be easy - He only said it would be worth it!
Carole,
Most people gain weight while taking Entocort, (it's one of the most-feared side effects), so hopefully that effect will soon show up.
You should ask your doctor for a prescription for Tamiflu, (while it's still available). If you catch the flu, start taking it within 48 hours of the first symptoms, and it should prevent the virus from becoming a serious threat. Tamiflu is effective against the swine flu H1N1 virus, though that could change, if it mutates.
Tex
Most people gain weight while taking Entocort, (it's one of the most-feared side effects), so hopefully that effect will soon show up.
You should ask your doctor for a prescription for Tamiflu, (while it's still available). If you catch the flu, start taking it within 48 hours of the first symptoms, and it should prevent the virus from becoming a serious threat. Tamiflu is effective against the swine flu H1N1 virus, though that could change, if it mutates.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I hope you have better luck getting the Tamiflu than I did. I asked my doctor for a prescription to have on hand and he gave me a long spiel about the CDC issuing a statement that if they do that there won't be enough for the people who really need it. He wouldn't even give me one for my 86 year old Mother. I heard on TV that younger people are being hit harder but I'm not sure if that's really true or just "spin".
Love, Shirley
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
Hi Carole,
When I was unable to eat anything except rice (with honey) and bananas, but starving hungry, Tex suggested trying eggs. I found I could have lots of eggs (usually scrambled with water, or a plain omelet) and they made me feel full without maker me sicker.
Then I found out which medication I was taking was causing the problem, and it resolved quickly.
If you are going to bust out on cookies, go for ones free of gluten, dairy and soy. Eliminating the things that cause most MCers problems is going to improve your chances of widening your diet. Really rapid weight changes are going to be a lot about fluid levels, so make sure you are drinking enough water. The D causes you to lose more fluid than normal, so you need to drink more to compensate.
Lyn
When I was unable to eat anything except rice (with honey) and bananas, but starving hungry, Tex suggested trying eggs. I found I could have lots of eggs (usually scrambled with water, or a plain omelet) and they made me feel full without maker me sicker.
Then I found out which medication I was taking was causing the problem, and it resolved quickly.
If you are going to bust out on cookies, go for ones free of gluten, dairy and soy. Eliminating the things that cause most MCers problems is going to improve your chances of widening your diet. Really rapid weight changes are going to be a lot about fluid levels, so make sure you are drinking enough water. The D causes you to lose more fluid than normal, so you need to drink more to compensate.
Lyn
Hi Carole,
I haven't gained any weight since I've been on Entocort; I've lost about 10 pounds. But I've lost them over a period of a year or so and it's because I'm eating less. I had the Enterolab testing and it showed that I didn't have any malabsorption, so I know that my loss isn't due to that.
It's possible that you have a malabsorption problem. This should ease as you modify your diet. I wasn't under the impression that you were eating a lot. It sounded to me like you were eating chicken, rice and applesauce - a very basic, simple diet that is relatively low in carbohydrates. That would also explain the weight loss.
The inflammation in your gut is calming down each day that you are on the Entocort. I hope you can level off pretty soon and start feeling back to normal.
Gloria
I haven't gained any weight since I've been on Entocort; I've lost about 10 pounds. But I've lost them over a period of a year or so and it's because I'm eating less. I had the Enterolab testing and it showed that I didn't have any malabsorption, so I know that my loss isn't due to that.
It's possible that you have a malabsorption problem. This should ease as you modify your diet. I wasn't under the impression that you were eating a lot. It sounded to me like you were eating chicken, rice and applesauce - a very basic, simple diet that is relatively low in carbohydrates. That would also explain the weight loss.
The inflammation in your gut is calming down each day that you are on the Entocort. I hope you can level off pretty soon and start feeling back to normal.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Shirley,
If your doctor wouldn't even give you a Tamiflu prescription for your mother, he has a rather warped view of his "responsibilities", IMO. My doctor didn't bat an eye, when I asked for a prescription for it, a couple of months ago. He just reached for his pad, and wrote it out.
Yes, it's true that with novel flu strains, such as the H1N1, younger people are more vulnerable, due to their naive immune systems. Older patients are typically at greater risk of life-threatening complications from the flu, though, especially with the more common strains of the flu. H1N1 is unlikely to be the only strain of flu making the rounds, this fall and winter. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Shame on your doctor.
Tex
If your doctor wouldn't even give you a Tamiflu prescription for your mother, he has a rather warped view of his "responsibilities", IMO. My doctor didn't bat an eye, when I asked for a prescription for it, a couple of months ago. He just reached for his pad, and wrote it out.
Yes, it's true that with novel flu strains, such as the H1N1, younger people are more vulnerable, due to their naive immune systems. Older patients are typically at greater risk of life-threatening complications from the flu, though, especially with the more common strains of the flu. H1N1 is unlikely to be the only strain of flu making the rounds, this fall and winter. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Shame on your doctor.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.