weight loss with als

[cyberhart]

hi my name is steve i would like to thank the people who answered my inquirey on hand atrophy i do have another question that i hope would atract some replys if a person has got als do they loose body weight i got down to 69 kgs but have been able to put 6.5 kgs back on even though i am showing signs of atropy

 

[liz]

Hi Steve -

Someone with ALS might lose weight for several reasons - poor appetite from anxiety, loss of muscle mass, inability to eat due to bulbar problems. Likewise, someone with ALS might gain weight for several reasons - overeating from anxiety, increasingly sedentary lifestyle. There's probably some other reasons too that I'm not thinking of here. Could be another medical condition. Or maybe medication side effects. I think consulting with your physician is the best way to sort out your own situation.

Liz

 

[shannonme]

Weight gain

Count mom and me in the weight gain category! (stressed out caregivers gain weight, too) I can barely get my own big body up the stairs these days let alone help get her upstairs for her twice weekly shower. I'm going to have to get a hoyer lift for both of us! It's time to break open the lettuce bag I'm afraid.

 

[patricia1]

I went to my als clinic and I lost 15 pounds in two years about 6 pounds this last year They were all up in arms Giving me a diet I would have loved 10 years ago Icecream high fats, protein , hamburgers, fried foods, whip cream All the food I was told to stay away from I am having a ball Now Ill die of a heart attack from too much cholesterol :mrgreen: Pat

 

[CindyM]

I lost weight last summer and fall, from nausea. Nothing tasted good and I felt horrid all the time. then I solved that problem just in time for the holidays so now everything except my shoes is tight and won't fit properly. The shoes are loose. Now I find myself choosing easy to eat foods like oatmeal, soup, mashed potatoes, since my face gets tired. So we'll see how this new symptom affects my weight. I guess there could be a lot of reasons for losses and gains! Cindy

 

[quadbliss]

For those who are losing weight due to loss of appetite or nausea, I used medical marijuana to combat those symptoms for a couple years. (It is legal in my state, and I had a Doctor recommendation.) I used a vaporizer, so I was not inhaling smoke. I don't like to feel loopy during my productive hours. I only used it at night before bed. The hunger effect lingers for 24 hours. There are also a few beneficial side-effects. It was a better sleep medication than any of the pharmaceuticals I take now, it virtually eliminated my fasciculations, and it dries secretions. :-D

Mike

 

[tabney]

lost 40 pounds and counting

I have lost 40 pounds thus far due to nausea. I agree with Cindy that is seems to vary from person to person. Part of me is not complaining and the other part of me know I need to maintain my weight as much as possible. Hopefully will be able to get something for the nausea when I start clinic next week.

 

[Al]

From diagnosed in Oct. 03 until now I lost 30 lb. I haven't lost any weight in about a year, Still eat well, veggies taters and meat. Some junk like ice cream yogurts amd pies but not a lot. Peanuts are still favourite snack and popcorn. Belly is still big as it ever was but has sagged due to loss of muscle to hold it up. In Canada we call it Molson muscle. In the US I think you call it BUD belly. LOL.
AL.

 

[ltr]

Does anyone know what exactly causes your nausea? Has a doctor ever explained this to anyone?

Al - it's sad we're known as the Bud bellies, I'd much rather be known as the Molson bellies (much better flavor instead of that carbonated water taste)! Leslie

 

[patricia1]

I never has nausea but maybe it from the excessive mucus.Pat

 

[vantec]

I was 181 pounds in May of 2006. In the month of June, I went on a diet. I felt perfectly fine on my Birthday (June 15), and got my drivers license renewed. I was 175 pounds on that day. In the next week, I started to feel weakness, and I knew something was wrong. I now weigh 132 pounds, so I lost 43 pounds. I eat as much as I can, but I have nausea too, and my stomach hurts. I've tried everything, medications, Ensure, ice cream, whipped cream, and other foods, but nothing helps. It really makes my days miserable. I wish I could try medical marijuana, but no doctor will prescribe it for me.

Conrad

 

[ltr]

Conrad- nice to hear from you! Didn't you have a recent appt? Let us know how things went. Leslie

 

[Mike27]

From diagnosed in Oct. 03 until now I lost 30 lb. I haven't lost any weight in about a year, Still eat well, veggies taters and meat. Some junk like ice cream yogurts amd pies but not a lot. Peanuts are still favourite snack and popcorn. Belly is still big as it ever was but has sagged due to loss of muscle to hold it up. In Canada we call it Molson muscle. In the US I think you call it BUD belly. LOL.
AL.

I'm in the same boat Al!
Like I tell my wife, why would I need a 'six pack' when I've got a keg?

 

[JACKIEMAX]

weight loss

hi everyone,

my husband weighed about 205 lbs when he was diagnosed this past january 07. he is down 17 lbs now. not due to nauseu, but he just has very little appetite. i have the same problem. i weighed 160 lbs. last summer, but i am unable to eat much either, so i am also down 17 lbs. as far as i am concerned, i needed to lose the weight, and i look and feel better, but horace certainly did not need to lose it. he looks sooooo thin and pale, it is just so disheartening.

jackiemax

 

[CindyM]

My theory on nausea is that we are operating on our last nerves/muscles. So that affects the body in many small and not-so-small ways. As muscles grow weaker in the chest and stomach, we get more indigestion, hiccups, and for some, nausea.

My problem was that I didn't recognize indigestion, so the sour stomach made me feel queasy. Being overtired makes me feel queasy too - as does over-eating. It takes me a day or longer to digest a big dinner. But I can control all of this with rest and OTC antacids. My doc implies that he was much more worried about whether or not I could still chew and swallow, and he felt the indigestion and slow digestion was just something I had to deal with, given our real concerns about my health. Cindy