Sick and losing weight. Experience?

yirara

This is weird! I've had an asthma attack Thursday night, and since then I've lost a lot of weight. Yes, I haven't done any sport (obviously), haven't eaten much, but have been drinking a lot and got lots of salty liquids at the hospital where I stayed over night (looks pretty cool on my salt counter here O.o). But there's no way I could have lost 1.6kg from eating less, and I'm still losing.

Water loss due to lack of sport combined with a woosh? Hmm.. maybe, but I'm normally not really holding a lot of water, and those body parts keen on doing so (legs, and especially lower ones) didn't go down on the tape measure. Hips/*kitten*, face (guess) and lower arms did though. Belly didn't and I haven't been to the loo a lot. Btw, I was initialy only aiming at a small 4kg weight loss to get me into a 'normal' BMI range, but I rather aimed at 4 months for that, not a few days. I guess my weight will go up again, but it's funny nonetheless.

edit: just realized one of my meds is a kind of steroid. But it would surely not lead to a rapid weight loss? If I were fitter now maybe I should start lifing heavy

47Jacqueline

Since Thursday you have lost water weight.

Watch though, because if you change your diet due to a medical diagnosis, it could lead to weight loss over a short time period.

I was recently diagnosed with silent reflux, given a list of foods to avoid (be realistic) that were all my favorite, go to foods and ended up losing 7lb in a month (129 to 123). I'm now trying to adjust and gain about 5lb back. Looking into changing from cardio to to strength training, which is supposed to help as opposed to all the cardio I do right now.

JG762

Steroids make me extremely hungry and retain water.

yirara

Funny.. it seems to be the opposite for me. Whenever I got another inhalation at the hospital I lost my appetite. And this morning I could have gone on forever without eating. I do try to meet my calorie intake again, but it's difficult.

yirara

Hmm. just had one of my favourite pasta dishes: 180 grams of penne, a tin of tuna, tinned tomatoes (better taste than those water bomb tomatoes unfortunately), garlic, onion, cayenne pepper and a pinch of sugar divided between my husband and me. I usually take two portions, about half of what's in the pan. Just now I had to force myself to eat one portion. Hell, I was full from eating two dates for breakfast - yes, I did eat more than that in the end, but it's weird.

eslcity

I once had to take medicine to cure a fugus I had on one of my toe nails... that for some reason caused me to lose all taste... it was amazing just how much I lost when I could no longer enjoy the taste of food....

I know it has really nothing to do with what you were talking about... but it came to my mind when you were talking about getting sick then lost weight....

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I've lost weight with illness before. Sometimes it comes back, sometimes not. I usually drop a bit of water weight if I don't exercise and that comes right back as soon as I start again. Also you likely have less food in your system. I wouldn't be concerned unless it continues over a period of weeks.

yirara

Hmm.. again lost 600 grams from one morning to another. This is getting scary as I'm not familiar with quick weight losses over so many days, neither when I'm sick (not even when I have a stomach bug) nor when I temporarily stopping with sport. I might see an overall reduction of 300-500 grams, but I've now lost over 2kg in 5 days.

Mykaelous

You normally have elevated heart rate while sick, which means you are processing more fluids than normal(which is why people tell you to drink lots of fluids). Even if I am drinking tons of water and eating soup I tend to loose a few lbs while sick.

elphie754

Albuterol (the medication they give you in the nebulizer) has stimulant type properties, so it is not all that shocking you are not hungry. It also can deplete your potassium levels, so make sure you try to get some even if you are not all that hungry.

fatcity66

This is weird! I've had an asthma attack Thursday night, and since then I've lost a lot of weight. Yes, I haven't done any sport (obviously), haven't eaten much, but have been drinking a lot and got lots of salty liquids at the hospital where I stayed over night (looks pretty cool on my salt counter here O.o). But there's no way I could have lost 1.6kg from eating less, and I'm still losing.

Water loss due to lack of sport combined with a woosh? Hmm.. maybe, but I'm normally not really holding a lot of water, and those body parts keen on doing so (legs, and especially lower ones) didn't go down on the tape measure. Hips/*kitten*, face (guess) and lower arms did though. Belly didn't and I haven't been to the loo a lot. Btw, I was initialy only aiming at a small 4kg weight loss to get me into a 'normal' BMI range, but I rather aimed at 4 months for that, not a few days. I guess my weight will go up again, but it's funny nonetheless.

edit: just realized one of my meds is a kind of steroid. But it would surely not lead to a rapid weight loss? If I were fitter now maybe I should start lifing heavy

Oral steroids can do funny things to your body. I have been given prednisone and solu-medrol for my asthma before, and one caused weight gain and increased appetite, the other caused weight loss and no appetite. I can't remember which was which.

ETA: Also, albuterol neb treatments make me jittery and increase the heart rate.

yirara

Yes, I noticed the jittery thing and increased heart rate with nebular thingy (Ventolin). Basically: it works for me. The same med with an aerosol spray hardly works I need about 4-6 doses and again a few 40 minutes later and then it kind of works. Back to the doctor today to discuss.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Hmm.. again lost 600 grams from one morning to another. This is getting scary as I'm not familiar with quick weight losses over so many days, neither when I'm sick (not even when I have a stomach bug) nor when I temporarily stopping with sport. I might see an overall reduction of 300-500 grams, but I've now lost over 2kg in 5 days.

That does seem like a lot-- have you mentioned it to your doc yet?

eta: nevermind I see you're going today. Hopefully he or she can shed some light.

yirara

back at hospital for another night *sigh* as the medication they have seem to work wonderfully and that they can prescribe doesn't. They'll also have a look at the weight loss but don't seem to be too concernd. On the positive side: Hey, I do have beautiful arm muscles! Wow, can I keep them without the padding around please? only joking. I'll take all the weight I lost back and then some to be better again

yirara

Yiha, finally things seem to go better. The hospital stay was so worth it. I bought a tiny travel nebuliser as well, however the montelukas pills I have seem to work best of all the stuff I got. I seem to have lost another bit of weight. At least now way past mid-day I'm at 70.3kg and just had a lot of bread (still not hungry) and even more water. Last morning measurement yesterday was 70.1. At least the doctor doesn't seem to be concerned. He said most people get hungry from those meds, others lose appetite and weight loss seems to accelerate. Guess I'm one of those then. To be sure he did a lot more blood tests for things that might result in weight loss. All ok.