*Negative* side effects of dramatic weight loss

cherdan

So, in the last year or so I've lost about 80 lbs. While they say one of the most noticeable benefits of weight loss is renewed energy, I've noticed some things that have changed in my physiology, that have gone to the extreme end of the spectrum nd have now remained as such. For a time, I thought I may have hyperthyroidism, but some of the symptoms just don't fit. Here is what has changed dramatically from after I lost the weight:

I no longer get any acne at all, but my skin is always oily
I get bouts of horrible dandruff and patches of my scalp flaking off
I am super jittery all the time and often find it unable to sit still. My hands are always shaking.
The weight just seems to fall off my upper body.. my sterum and collarbone stick out more and more and people tell me I look too skinny, but still have backfat, stomach fat, all that fun stuff.
Most of all, I feel like I have a lot more aggression and anger, and I'm assuming this can be attributed with higher testosterone levels? I deduced that fat is made up of estrogen, therefore more fat = more estrogen, while less fat = more testosterone? Does this sound correct?
I just feel so defensive and uptight all the time. I have been getting a lot more attention, and I don't know how to deal with it, but it's more the feeling of being vulnerable and objectified that I can't handle.

Some asides: I think I have a healthy, average caffeine intake (1 cup of coffee a day, 1 diet soda), and I've been a smoker for 1.5 years now, but I literally smoke 1 a day. I am a heavy drinker, but I drink a veritable TON of water, constantly, and I've been a vegetarian for 11 years.

Anyone else experience these kinds of changes? It's like I went from zero to overdrive.

tmdugger

I would definitely consult a physician about this. I have hypothyroidism and depression and I need to be closely monitored by a physician when I lose weight because of hormone level changes.

As for body composition....I had horrible backfat the first time I lost all the weight. I eventually had it lipo'ed after I'd been at my goal weight. Sigh 4 yrs later I gained about 60 of my 115 lbs lost back, but thats another story

Please consult a dr. We are all individuals and none of our stories is going to perfectly mirror yours and our solutions won't be best for you either.

What could be wrong......thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, trace minerals and vitamins, heavy metal poisoning...etc....the list goes on but all it takes are a few simple blood tests to put your mind at ease. Make a written list of your symptoms to take with you. You never know what's important and I can never remember everything the day of the appt.

coralbeauty

I agree with tmdugger. Go see an endocrinologist. Don't play around with your thyroid. Having your levels correctly balanced can change your life! I have had hypothyroidism for nearly 15 years. I actually had hyperthyroidism during my last two pregnancies and some of your symptoms (jittery, hands shaking, irritibility) fit hyperthyroidism. I repeat, go see an endocrinologist. They can check everything out and monitor you for changes. Good luck!

ValeriaWins

Sorry for my honesty, but what do you mean :"I am a heavy drinker"....could it be this the real problem? I think so.....you say that your hands shake, you feel anger...really I don't think your problems are relate with weight loss.
Look after yourself young girl
you are precious
Valeria

cherdan

Wow, how bold!
By heavy drinker, I just mean I drink what is considered "heavy" for a female (more than 2). I am also not a small girl (5'11") who can handle my liquor. At least I'm honest! I've got a mom, thanks.

cherdan

I would definitely consult a physician about this. I have hypothyroidism and depression and I need to be closely monitored by a physician when I lose weight because of hormone level changes.

As for body composition....I had horrible backfat the first time I lost all the weight. I eventually had it lipo'ed after I'd been at my goal weight. Sigh 4 yrs later I gained about 60 of my 115 lbs lost back, but thats another story

Please consult a dr. We are all individuals and none of our stories is going to perfectly mirror yours and our solutions won't be best for you either.

What could be wrong......thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, trace minerals and vitamins, heavy metal poisoning...etc....the list goes on but all it takes are a few simple blood tests to put your mind at ease. Make a written list of your symptoms to take with you. You never know what's important and I can never remember everything the day of the appt.

*sigh*
I've struggled with depression since I was 15 years old. I was diagnosed with clinical.
This sounds silly, but I refuse to have my weight taken and my now former doctor had previously deemed me obese before my weight loss. I never had blood work done because on all her referral papers she would put 'OBESE' in huge letters, and it was so degrading and humiliating for me to walk in and present a paper with that, when I wasn't even. She refused to remove it unless I had my weight taken.
In short I have made things more difficult for myself, but I've had more than a few doctors scream at me that I was obese, so it's much too painful for me to go there again.

ResilientWoman

My two best hunches about what you might be going through are leaky gut syndrome and/or adrenaline fatigue. You might benefit from having a look at Dr. Diana Schwarzbein's site. She is an endocrinologist whose research on hypothyroidism and diabetes saved my life and helped me cure 10 years of infertility. My daughter is 5 now.

I also recommend looking at the research on VLC Paleo nutrition plans. http://thehealthyskeptic.org/heartburn

I didn't start having many of your symptoms until I hit the shed-85-unwanted-pounds-mark. Without Paleo nutrition, I'd have needed surgery this month.

Let us know how it's going, I'm concerned for your well-being.

Painten

It may be painful but the symptoms your describing look severe and you could have some kind of illness that really needs investigating. Believe me when i say i know how it feels to not want to go to the doctor. I had chicken pox a number of years ago and as an adult i was really feeling it. When i went to the doctor as i was still feeling ill after the spots went i had to endure a long lecture on my weight before the doctor would even discuss what i went to see him for.

You've just got to ask your self, do you feel worse now or worse for the 2 minutes you see and overweight label on some paper work? After your weightloss would that even be an issue anymore anyway?

PoleBoy

What's your current weelky weight loss target, and how close are you to your "ideal" BMI - aggression/tension can be a result of hypoglycemia.

foodforfuel

Hi Cherdan. I just googled 'artificial sweeteners and aggression' and sure enough, I found some articles where aggression and anger are listed as side effects with some of them. Thought it might be worth a look.

myofibril

In reality it could be a number of inter linking factors, both physical and psychological. It will be very difficult for anyone to tell without a detailed history.

I personally feel that your heightened aggression has a mainly psychological cause, mainly due to acute stress and anxiety. Less fat does not equal more testesterone unless your exercise routine was specifically geared towards increasing muscle mass / CK levels etc. Doesn't sound that way to me.

Again, it is very difficult to give any fixed answers. See a sympathetic doctor is good advice.

maserati185

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maserati185

cherdan - I agree with asf.

However, I'd like to add my own perspective on the doctor situation. There are A TON of bad doctors out there. When the approach is emotionally abusive, as it sounds to me your physicians' approaches were, it tends to have a negative impact on us. Know that there ARE good physicians out there and it just may take some reading reviews, asking others if they know of any "kind, open-minded, intelligent" etc. physicians... and perhaps even call and ask to speak to them before a visit to test the waters and ensure your potential new doctor is understanding of your situation. If they aren't willing to speak on the phone prior to the visit, probably not the doc for you anyhow.

You have to let them know what makes you uncomfortable and that you want to approach things in baby steps, as you are just not feeling happy. If they don't respect you, keep looking. Not an easy feat, I know. Another thing - a dermatologist can treat your dandruff, which might be a result of your stress. I wish you the best of luck.

MzBug

If your insurance will allow, go to a specialist not your regular GP. If your insurance requires a referral from your doctor, call the insurance company and see if you can get an exception made to see a specialist or to go to another doctor NOT affiliated with the doctor you are currently seeing. Any doctor that tells you that all your problems are because you are obese and refuses to look further or labels you as such to any other health care professional, should have their practice examined. Something is out of wack and you need to find out what it is.

nezyrevos

If it's hard for you to go back to your old doctor who made you feel embarrassed, maybe you should try going to a new doctor? You will have to weigh in still no matter what doctor you go to, because they just want to measure every facet of your health, and weight is a part of your health (as I'm sure you know). You can also talk to the new doctor about how you've been losing weight and how you're sensitive about it. You can ask to speak to the doctor on the phone when you call to make the appointment and ask if there's some way that you could be privately weighed if having other people watch is an issue for you. I'm sure that if you find a doctor who is decent they'd be willing to take into consideration your extra needs in order to help you figure out what is wrong and get you better again.
Also, if you're having such problems with people weighing you that you refuse to be weighed at the doctor's office because you think the doctor is judging you (which they might be, not saying it's in your head or anything), coupled with you depression and your weight fluctuation over the years, I would suggest going to some kind of therapy. I'm not saying you're crazy but we all need a little extra help sometimes.