Health related weight loss question

john_not_typical · August 2019

Until a few years ago, I was generally a healthy weight. I was an athlete in high school and (division 3) college. I started gaining weight at an alarming pace and noticed I didn't have the same level of fitness I enjoyed before. My doctor and I (I have a graduate degree in biomedical engineering) kind of thought I was just slacking off and needed to get back on track. I went from 200 to 300 lbs in 4 years.

One day I was feeling very poorly and ended up in the hospital. After four days of poking and prodding, turns out I have a serious heart condition that usually kills people before they graduate high school, but I made it this far. I have significant issues with my liver and my thyroid due to my heart not moving enough blood through my body, but both of them have generally been addressed well enough that they should not be an issue with my weight.

(Okay, so my endocrinologist is less than convinced, but thinks I should be able to lose weight if that's really what I want to focus on.)

My doctors are real doctors that work at some of the best hospitals and medical schools in the country. They are qualified to solve my issues, but can't.

I vomit quite frequently, like 5 to 6 days a week. All my doctors, principally my gastroenterologist are focused on finding out why. Problem is, due to my heart condition, he's terrified to touch me. The problem is that I keep gaining weight.

I have been imaged so much that the only places that haven't been touched by either an MRI or X-Ray CT scan are my arms and legs. As a guy that spent his entire time in grad school doing research involving imaging, I can't see anything wrong with me.

Sometimes I think I'm making all this up. My doctors assure me this is not the case.

I only eat 1.5 meals a day at most, but I've gained over 4 pounds in two days after eating nearly nothing and vomiting it up right away.

I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation. I'm out of ideas. My doctors are out of ideas. Anybody have any?

Thanks.

DaddieCat · August 2019

Asking an internet forum for medical advice is generally a bad idea. That needs to stay in the realm of trained professionals. If your doctor is not doing it for you, then you'll have to get a second opinion or find another doctor who is more willing or able to provide the assistance you need.

LyndaBSS · August 2019

You've had a rough time of it. I'm sorry for that. I can't help at all but just wanted to give you a gentle hug. I hope you feel better and get some concrete answers soon. 💙

JeromeBarry1 · August 2019

You haven't mentioned an internist.

NovusDies · August 2019

john_not_typical wrote: »

Until a few years ago, I was generally a healthy weight. I was an athlete in high school and (division 3) college. I started gaining weight at an alarming pace and noticed I didn't have the same level of fitness I enjoyed before. My doctor and I (I have a graduate degree in biomedical engineering) kind of thought I was just slacking off and needed to get back on track. I went from 200 to 300 lbs in 4 years.

One day I was feeling very poorly and ended up in the hospital. After four days of poking and prodding, turns out I have a serious heart condition that usually kills people before they graduate high school, but I made it this far. I have significant issues with my liver and my thyroid due to my heart not moving enough blood through my body, but both of them have generally been addressed well enough that they should not be an issue with my weight.

(Okay, so my endocrinologist is less than convinced, but thinks I should be able to lose weight if that's really what I want to focus on.)

My doctors are real doctors that work at some of the best hospitals and medical schools in the country. They are qualified to solve my issues, but can't.

I vomit quite frequently, like 5 to 6 days a week. All my doctors, principally my gastroenterologist are focused on finding out why. Problem is, due to my heart condition, he's terrified to touch me. The problem is that I keep gaining weight.

I have been imaged so much that the only places that haven't been touched by either an MRI or X-Ray CT scan are my arms and legs. As a guy that spent his entire time in grad school doing research involving imaging, I can't see anything wrong with me.

Sometimes I think I'm making all this up. My doctors assure me this is not the case.

I only eat 1.5 meals a day at most, but I've gained over 4 pounds in two days after eating nearly nothing and vomiting it up right away.

I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation. I'm out of ideas. My doctors are out of ideas. Anybody have any?

Thanks.

I can't help other than to say that to the bolded it is impossible to gain 4 pounds of fat eating and vomiting in the way you described. You can't gain fat without enough calories to create it and 4 pounds would require a surplus of 14000 calories over the 2 days. I would say it has to be mostly water weight but I am uncomfortable commenting on your situation because I lack the expertise.

kimondo666 · August 2019

dunno, maybe you are deep sleep eater(you eat while asleep). And after eating in sleep you dont vomit it. Dunno its divination at this point for me. Check your fridge carefully after night.

SuzySunshine99 · August 2019

If the situation is continuing to get worse, and the doctors in your area are not able to help you, you may have to travel to get help. It sounds like you are in the U.S. For cases where all other local options have been exhausted, The Mayo Clinic might be an option for you.

john_not_typical · August 2019

Thanks for the help everyone. I admit I am in a strange situation. My internist has passed me on to my specialists. Frankly, my internists seem more like a herd of unusually intelligent squirrels than a bunch of doctors, but my cardiologist is helping me find new ones.

I don't think I am gaining any fat. The fact that I'm gaining at all is the problem. Even water weight. Given my condition, I shouldn't be able to do even that.

It is possible, but I can't believe it. I could absorb most of the nutrients in what I eat and vomit them back up an hour later but it doesn't seem possible. There are medical conditions that support this idea, but I really don't want them, I don't think I have them (one doctor disagrees but is outvoted 3-1 not including me) and I'm trying to ignore them. I don't want to go into details because I know how people lose it here, but doing medical research I have seen things that I literally cannot believe. The only problem is I saw them and they happened. People's bodies can do interesting things.

I have at least one second opinion for every issue I have. There's not a lot more to work with there.

This is part of my Hail Mary. If I didn't have a wife and children and a company I need to keep running, I might have given up already.

I've seen people make important scientific discoveries in fields they are not experts in. Maybe someone's been through this. I was just hoping there was someone that could help me out. You never know until you ask.

Thanks.

kshama2001 · August 2019

NovusDies wrote: »

john_not_typical wrote: »

Until a few years ago, I was generally a healthy weight. I was an athlete in high school and (division 3) college. I started gaining weight at an alarming pace and noticed I didn't have the same level of fitness I enjoyed before. My doctor and I (I have a graduate degree in biomedical engineering) kind of thought I was just slacking off and needed to get back on track. I went from 200 to 300 lbs in 4 years.

One day I was feeling very poorly and ended up in the hospital. After four days of poking and prodding, turns out I have a serious heart condition that usually kills people before they graduate high school, but I made it this far. I have significant issues with my liver and my thyroid due to my heart not moving enough blood through my body, but both of them have generally been addressed well enough that they should not be an issue with my weight.

(Okay, so my endocrinologist is less than convinced, but thinks I should be able to lose weight if that's really what I want to focus on.)

My doctors are real doctors that work at some of the best hospitals and medical schools in the country. They are qualified to solve my issues, but can't.

I vomit quite frequently, like 5 to 6 days a week. All my doctors, principally my gastroenterologist are focused on finding out why. Problem is, due to my heart condition, he's terrified to touch me. The problem is that I keep gaining weight.

I have been imaged so much that the only places that haven't been touched by either an MRI or X-Ray CT scan are my arms and legs. As a guy that spent his entire time in grad school doing research involving imaging, I can't see anything wrong with me.

Sometimes I think I'm making all this up. My doctors assure me this is not the case.

I only eat 1.5 meals a day at most, but I've gained over 4 pounds in two days after eating nearly nothing and vomiting it up right away.

I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation. I'm out of ideas. My doctors are out of ideas. Anybody have any?

Thanks.

I can't help other than to say that to the bolded it is impossible to gain 4 pounds of fat eating and vomiting in the way you described. You can't gain fat without enough calories to create it and 4 pounds would require a surplus of 14000 calories over the 2 days. I would say it has to be mostly water weight but I am uncomfortable commenting on your situation because I lack the expertise.

@NovusDies was it you on another thread (today?) who said some time back you gained a crazy amount of water weight due to a medical issue?

poisonesse · August 2019

I'm no doctor. But really fast weight gain as you describe could mean your heart problems are worsening. If you aren't getting satisfaction from your current doctors, do look elsewhere for additional input.

https://www.cardiosmart.org/~/media/Documents/Fact Sheets/en/zp3773.ashx

This addresses sudden weight gain when you have heart problems and how to monitor it. And I seriously hope they find out what's wrong quickly and you can get back to life.

NovusDies · August 2019

kshama2001 wrote: »

NovusDies wrote: »

john_not_typical wrote: »

Until a few years ago, I was generally a healthy weight. I was an athlete in high school and (division 3) college. I started gaining weight at an alarming pace and noticed I didn't have the same level of fitness I enjoyed before. My doctor and I (I have a graduate degree in biomedical engineering) kind of thought I was just slacking off and needed to get back on track. I went from 200 to 300 lbs in 4 years.

One day I was feeling very poorly and ended up in the hospital. After four days of poking and prodding, turns out I have a serious heart condition that usually kills people before they graduate high school, but I made it this far. I have significant issues with my liver and my thyroid due to my heart not moving enough blood through my body, but both of them have generally been addressed well enough that they should not be an issue with my weight.

(Okay, so my endocrinologist is less than convinced, but thinks I should be able to lose weight if that's really what I want to focus on.)

My doctors are real doctors that work at some of the best hospitals and medical schools in the country. They are qualified to solve my issues, but can't.

I vomit quite frequently, like 5 to 6 days a week. All my doctors, principally my gastroenterologist are focused on finding out why. Problem is, due to my heart condition, he's terrified to touch me. The problem is that I keep gaining weight.

I have been imaged so much that the only places that haven't been touched by either an MRI or X-Ray CT scan are my arms and legs. As a guy that spent his entire time in grad school doing research involving imaging, I can't see anything wrong with me.

Sometimes I think I'm making all this up. My doctors assure me this is not the case.

I only eat 1.5 meals a day at most, but I've gained over 4 pounds in two days after eating nearly nothing and vomiting it up right away.

I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation. I'm out of ideas. My doctors are out of ideas. Anybody have any?

Thanks.

I can't help other than to say that to the bolded it is impossible to gain 4 pounds of fat eating and vomiting in the way you described. You can't gain fat without enough calories to create it and 4 pounds would require a surplus of 14000 calories over the 2 days. I would say it has to be mostly water weight but I am uncomfortable commenting on your situation because I lack the expertise.

@NovusDies was it you on another thread (today?) who said some time back you gained a crazy amount of water weight due to a medical issue?

I am not sure mine is a medical issue. My doctor seems to think it is about the massive weight loss. However, I have experienced on 2 occasions a 15+ pound water gain while eating maintenance for 4+ days. One was a diet break over Thanksgiving and the other was a vacation.

SWellz · August 2019

I would make sure your cardiologist is aware that you gained 4lbs in 2 days. I'm sorry for what you're going through and hope it all works out for you.

stella7x7 · August 2019

Do you have ademia.? Are your legs swelling and getting big ? I sure hope you find some answers soon.

Diatonic12 · August 2019

No one here can diagnose you but don't you think you need to go somewhere else. We can only surmise but it does sound like some congestion. Could be in the lungs.

TheRealSlim_Shelly · August 2019

john_not_typical wrote: »

I don't want to go into details because I know how people lose it here, but doing medical research I have seen things that I literally cannot believe. The only problem is I saw them and they happened. People's bodies can do interesting things.

I’m intrigued by what you are inferring... are you talking about something spiritual?

If I were you I wouldn’t stop at a second opinion, I would be getting a third, a fourth, a fifth. I wouldn’t stop until I found the right doctor who could give me answers. I would start moving heaven and earth. I’d be admitting myself to the hospital with sudden weight gain.

I’ll be praying for you. Don’t stop searching for answers 🙏

concordancia · August 2019

Are you actually putting on fat or is most of it water weight related to your heart condition?

Hannahwalksfar · August 2019

It sounds more like fluid retention. That’s generally related to heart or kidney failure. I’m sorry you’re going through this but this sounds more like a medical issue not a fat gain issue. I sincerely wish you a full recovery.

Emmapatterson1729 · August 2019

kshama2001 wrote: »

NovusDies wrote: »

john_not_typical wrote: »

Until a few years ago, I was generally a healthy weight. I was an athlete in high school and (division 3) college. I started gaining weight at an alarming pace and noticed I didn't have the same level of fitness I enjoyed before. My doctor and I (I have a graduate degree in biomedical engineering) kind of thought I was just slacking off and needed to get back on track. I went from 200 to 300 lbs in 4 years.

One day I was feeling very poorly and ended up in the hospital. After four days of poking and prodding, turns out I have a serious heart condition that usually kills people before they graduate high school, but I made it this far. I have significant issues with my liver and my thyroid due to my heart not moving enough blood through my body, but both of them have generally been addressed well enough that they should not be an issue with my weight.

(Okay, so my endocrinologist is less than convinced, but thinks I should be able to lose weight if that's really what I want to focus on.)

My doctors are real doctors that work at some of the best hospitals and medical schools in the country. They are qualified to solve my issues, but can't.

I vomit quite frequently, like 5 to 6 days a week. All my doctors, principally my gastroenterologist are focused on finding out why. Problem is, due to my heart condition, he's terrified to touch me. The problem is that I keep gaining weight.

I have been imaged so much that the only places that haven't been touched by either an MRI or X-Ray CT scan are my arms and legs. As a guy that spent his entire time in grad school doing research involving imaging, I can't see anything wrong with me.

Sometimes I think I'm making all this up. My doctors assure me this is not the case.

I only eat 1.5 meals a day at most, but I've gained over 4 pounds in two days after eating nearly nothing and vomiting it up right away.

I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation. I'm out of ideas. My doctors are out of ideas. Anybody have any?

Thanks.

I can't help other than to say that to the bolded it is impossible to gain 4 pounds of fat eating and vomiting in the way you described. You can't gain fat without enough calories to create it and 4 pounds would require a surplus of 14000 calories over the 2 days. I would say it has to be mostly water weight but I am uncomfortable commenting on your situation because I lack the expertise.

@NovusDies was it you on another thread (today?) who said some time back you gained a crazy amount of water weight due to a medical issue?

I did... I posted something about it this morning on a couple of threads about low calories.

I had heart failure. Similar as OP: was athletic, 134 lbs... No warnings, just started packing on weight, mine was fast, over 100 lbs in less than two months.

Before heart failure was eating around 800-1100 calories daily, and working out for hours daily. Like a 5-9 mile jog/brisk walk in the morning with an hour or two calisthenic or Pilate style workouts at night. Aerobics/cardio, etc. Worked out 7 days a week.

Not everyday, but some days would workout 8-16 hours a day.

The cardiologists started me on strong prescription diuretics: lasix, k-dur, blood pressure meds (I don't remember all the meds, was under a lot of stress, 25 years old, and on 13 prescriptions)... Most were to get the water weight off.

And put on a very, very low sodium diet... Like almost zero.

After they investigated, lots of tests, my lifestyle, combined with my echocardiograms, I was diagnosed as anorexia with a compulsive exercising disorder.

Was told my electrolytes got out of balance, heart had weakened, one chamber had swelled which slowed the heart... Because my calorie intake was considered starvation, and way too much exercise for that low of calories.

john_not_typical · August 2019

Thanks for all the help everyone. I have seen several cardiologists and we all agree that it does not seem I’m retaking fluid. I am on all kinds of diuretics if for no other reason than they allow me to breathe comfortably but we need to dial them back because my sodium level is dangerously low. Was hoping for that magic answer but wasn’t really expecting it.

I have been seen by experts at George Washington, university of Maryland and John Hopkins. I am well attended to.

john_not_typical · August 2019

Sorry, retaining fluid

Emmapatterson1729 · August 2019

Hope you get it figured out!

Yeah, diuretics for breathing!! I remember, I couldn't walk from bed to toilet without being short of breath and could only lay on my left side to breathe while lying down.

It sucked going from feeling young and strong, thin and fit, to being labeled morbidly obese and bed ridden.

This is one reason, I hate it when people say things like they have no sympathy for obese people or that all obese people are to blame for their own problems from over-eating and being lazy.

Sorry, no magical answers here, just somewhat similar circumstances, but different conditions.

Health related weight loss question

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