IV fluid weight gain

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  • tped41
    tped41 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thank you very much, I do focus on getting healthy. I am healthy. I have lost 85 pounds since April 1, 2013. I must watch my weight every single day without deviation. Yes, it bothered me that I had put that weight on in such a short period of time--hospital or no hospital. I was on a liquid diet for 2 days, and I felt it had something to do with the parathyroid being removed. It was a feeling I had and a feeling I shared. When you are a person like myself, and this is the only thing that has worked, and I had worked this consistently, things like this do freak one out. I am fine with my recovery, but obviously my weight gain upset me. I was not complaining about my health. After reading similar cases of the "water" weight gain I felt much better and am glad that I came to this site to see what was up. That is what the message boards are all about.
  • cinger6364
    cinger6364 Posts: 2 Member
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    Redheadee - don't just others. I'm sure tped41 is thankful that she is out of the hospital and healing. However, after losing so much weight for health reasons I'm sure it is frustrating to see that you've gained weight back, especially when someone has more weight to lose.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I had a brief, but life-threatening emergency immediately following my surgery. They ran my fluids at a high rate for a while. I don't know if the doctor forgot to lower it or the nurse didn't do it, but when I woke up the next morning I was visually swollen and felt like...I can't even describe how it felt, lol. When you're doped up on morphine and have pain inside from the surgical manipulation and outside from the big old gash and your complaint is that you feel swollen, that's some swelling!!

    I never checked my weight through all that, but am sure I gained a ton.

    Once the fluids are stopped, it begins to go away.

    Just drink normal amounts of water and wait a few days. :)
  • princess_lisa_2006
    princess_lisa_2006 Posts: 1 Member
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    Thank goodness for this post! I had an I've in for 3 days running at a very high level causing me to gain 11lb. I'm so relieved to hear it will go down and it's all just Water!
  • pganton
    pganton Posts: 2 Member
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    I am also very happy to have found this post. I had 3 extended stays in the ER, hooked up to IV, over a 4 day period due to kidney stones (as someone else has already mentioned: worst pain ever!!!!!). In 4 days I had only eaten a few Saltines because I had to eat something to take the antibiotic I was prescribed. Was in too much pain, and too nauseous from the pain meds, to want to eat anything. Yup, stupid as it sounds, I'm thinking that the "payoff" for all the pain and suffering will be to have dropped a few pounds (which I know always comes back in these circumstances), so I was shocked when I got on the scale the morning I had to get dressed to see the urologist, only to see that my weight had gone up 5 pounds from the weight I was at just prior to this all starting. My jeans were less than comfortable, and I felt (and still feel) like an over stuffed sausage. It's obvious from reading all of these posts that this is par for the course. Today I was down 8/10s of a pound, so I only have 4.2 pounds to go to get back to where I was before all of this started (which I thought was a bit too high, but I'll take that number over this one). I'm bummed that it sounds like this is not going to drop off as quickly as it was put on, but I just need to have some patience and hope I can figure out what I can wear to work on Monday! Thanks, everyone, for sharing your stories!
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    If you are sick enough to be in the hospital, you are sick enough to stay off of the scale for a few days.

    Your body will normalize--give it time.
  • pganton
    pganton Posts: 2 Member
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    I did stay off the scale for a few days, so I was just going through my normal "pre-shower routine" on the first day I felt better. Not where my priorities should be, I agree, but out of curiosity I wanted to see what changes had taken place! Glad I did, because now I know how IV fluids affect weight (gain)!
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
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    When I had surgery in 2013, I weighed myself the morning before surgery and when I returned home 2 days later. 12 lbs weight gain (yikes) from IV fluids, it was gone 2 days after I returned home.
  • emrathmill
    emrathmill Posts: 1 Member
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    This is such a frustrating post, not for the subject, I've found that really helpful and found all the answers I had been looking for, but for the two idiots that have commented on it basically belittling people for feeling bad about worrying about their weight. I'm in hospital for the 12th time over an 18th month period and because of fluids my weight has gone up yet again. I don't know this from stepping on the scales every day, I know this from doctors weighing me every few days to keep an eye on my conditions. Weight issues don't all come down to somebody being vein and wanting to be skinny that's where people are quick to judge. When I leave this hospital I still won't be healthy, I have life long health issues to come to terms with so sorry if gaining extra weight and struggling with pains in my joints on top of that dont seem very appealing to me. Like the person said above, why can't we have a little hope that after all the pain and suffering we've been through we could have at least one positive out of it and have lost some weight? I think we deserve it!
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    emrathmill wrote: »
    This is such a frustrating post, not for the subject, I've found that really helpful and found all the answers I had been looking for, but for the two idiots that have commented on it basically belittling people for feeling bad about worrying about their weight. I'm in hospital for the 12th time over an 18th month period and because of fluids my weight has gone up yet again. I don't know this from stepping on the scales every day, I know this from doctors weighing me every few days to keep an eye on my conditions. Weight issues don't all come down to somebody being vein and wanting to be skinny that's where people are quick to judge. When I leave this hospital I still won't be healthy, I have life long health issues to come to terms with so sorry if gaining extra weight and struggling with pains in my joints on top of that dont seem very appealing to me. Like the person said above, why can't we have a little hope that after all the pain and suffering we've been through we could have at least one positive out of it and have lost some weight? I think we deserve it!

    Unless you're on iv fluids containing dextrose, TPN, or propofol or other drips that contain calories, it's water weight gain not real weight gain unless you're also consuming at a surplus. I mentioned it the other day but I had a patient gain 48 something lbs in 24 hours due to receiving 22 liters of fluids and blood products. It was all gone by the time they left in 3 weeks. If a patient can't rid of fluids to the point we are medically concerned with the weight gain from it it's usually due to renal or heart failure.
  • mothermarypoppins
    mothermarypoppins Posts: 1 Member
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    Was in the hospital and had 3-4 liters in the 4 hours I was there. Up 8 pounds 2 days later and keeping to my diet and home water in take. Glad to see I'm not the only one feeling frustrated. Hoping in the next few days to see it going back down. I've been working so hard to get back on track. I'm also on low dose steroids so that is probably playing into it. But really don't want to be almost back to where i was 1 month ago
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Can anyone seriously believe the weight gain is anything other than water????

    In three days you think you can manufacture seven pounds of what? Fat? Muscle? Blood cells?

    It's not real body tissue. It's just a number. If you can't stop obsessing over a number on a scale you have more health problems than you think.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Maybe a good rule of thumb is to not get on the scale for a week after you are out of the hospital. It's not just IV fluids, it's swelling, drugs and any number of other issues. You may have had tissue removed, metal implanted--your body has been disturbed in a significant way. If you've been allowed to eat at all, it's likely been nasty hospital food. It's traumatic, and the body does strange things in such situations.

    Unless you NEED to weight for medical reasons (kidney transplant, for example) just resist the urge. I don't say this lightly--I've had brain surgery twice as well as many other less drastic surgeries. Be kind to yourself and don't do it.
  • LokiGrrl
    LokiGrrl Posts: 156 Member
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    A pint's a pound, the world 'round...

    IV fluids will puff you up sometimes and so will several illnesses. Best thing to do is not stress over it, and maybe drink a little more than usual, unless you have some kind of water restriction. I know it's worrying (I am well acquainted with the sausage fingers), but it will go away as long as you keep well hydrated and well nourished. If it doesn't, call the doc.

    I hope you're feeling a lot better!
  • gilcat2
    gilcat2 Posts: 1 Member
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    Can't tell you how glad I was to find these posts. I was just released from the hospital after emergency surgery a few hours ago, and after five days of npo (no water, no food) and one day of clear liquids...I'd gained 19 pounds. I won't be back on my treadmill for a week or so, but I will weigh myself every day. Haters, FYI it's a joy to see the numbers go down, even a few ounces. Progress is progress. Don't judge.
  • iceskater247
    iceskater247 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm so glad I found this. I just got out of the hospital today after 3 days 2 nights and I get on.the scale and I've gained 20 lbs. I almost lost it. I only had Jello and popsicles, I was so sick. I figured it was water weight but I wasn't sure how long it was goimg to take to get rid of it.
  • jo_pederick
    jo_pederick Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi everyone,
    I'm glad I found this post too, so helpful :) I had an iron infusion and IV drip, in the hospital only for an afternoon and was up 2 pounds overnight! I had a feeling it would be water weight but reading everyone's experiences makes me feel better. My main concern is my health as I have been feeling like death for a long time now. But I totally get when you've been slogging your guts out and see sudden fluctuations in weight! I hope everyone who commented is now back to good health x
  • yogeshvaraom
    yogeshvaraom Posts: 45 Member
    edited November 2020
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    Odd thing this. After 5 days of IV fluids in the hospital I had a late afternoon weight of 167 when released. Next morning it was 162. The next morning 157, the next 152, which was my weight before my hospital stay. It kept going down more slowly till I hit 147. So what looked like a big gain was actually a 5 pound loss, due to losing my appetite. Since then it has gotten better and better and I'm staying between 147 and 150 which is a perfect weight for me.
  • poodiebeer
    poodiebeer Posts: 51 Member
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    These posts are very helpful. I just got out of the hospital from two days, nothing but IV s and medicine. The 8 pounds I gained actually scared me as I didn't know this could happen and was googling what could be wrong when I came across these posts. For me it brought peace of mind and I very much appreciate everyone who shared.

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