weight gain and chemo

puppymama09

 I was hoping weight loss would be one silver lining in this whole process, so I was quite disturbed learning that many women actually gain weight during chemo.  I was wondering how many of you gained weight and if you think it was because of the actual chemo drugs or because changes in your exercise and eating habits?  

Melrosemelrose

I gained a few pounds during my time in chemoland but some of it was from fluid retention from the steroids.  I lost most of that weight after I finished chemo.  I ate 5-6 small meals everyday.  You need to make sure you eat healthy and eat enough protein to help your body's blood counts and also get some exercise.  Try to look at the big picture here--- it is not the time to go on a big diet while on chemo.  You want to stay as healthy as you can while in chemoland which means eating healthy food and enough of it.  You can ask your onco for some dietary suggestions as to what to eat or ask for a referral to see a dietitian.  I had two books that I used to help me figure out what to eat plus did a little research on line at the livestrong.com website.  The two books I used are: Eating Well Through Cancer by Holly Clegg and Gerale Miletello and The Cancer Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz.  You may be able find those on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  Just remember that everyone reacts different to chemo.  Some people do gain weight and others do not.  Eating healthy, sleeping and resting adequately and getting enough exercise is the part of the experience through chemoland that you have control over.  Wishing you the best....

sciencegal

I gained 20 pounds- steroids plus self-pity eating, and not having the energy to exercise. Then I got horrible edema and could barely walk down the hall for a few months.



I lost the first ten fairly easily after recovering from chemo and am stuck here until rads are over, then I will work hard on the other ten.



Good luck!!!

melmcbee

I gained about 30lbs from steroids and no exercise. I ate alot and often to keep from being sick. I lost 20 already.

puppymama09

Thanks for your input everyone. 

Melrose,  You posted those books awhile ago in another thread, I ordered both of them from Amazon,  They have some good recipes in them that I am planning on trying.  I wasn't planning on trying to loose weight while going thru chemo, it just seems like usually people do, so I was surprised to find out alot of people actually gain weight.  I am definitley going to try to eat as healthy as possible.  Thanks for your input!

kayezzy66

Hi melmcbee,read your post,and i know everyone is different ,but,i had 1st chemo last tuesday,and that shot the day after.Had to go back for labs today,and my white blood count is way down.Im in a reasearch ,and they say the shot has not kicked in yet..so sick from feeling so sick....

slickchickie17

I gained around 25lbs during chemo, most of it while on Adriamycin & Cytoxan. I was able to lose about 10lbs in the month after finishing chemo & waiting for surgery. The rest will have to wait until after surgery. Obviously, the steroids don't help & neither does the Neulasta when it comes to weight gain.

DeliriumPie

I gained twenty lbs by my 4th treatment. I blame steroids and port eating. Also, while on AC, I has very specific cravings with each cycle. And only once was it for something healthy. I also found that eating, especially greasy foods calmed the queasiness that was constant during these cycles. Oh and that gummy worms made the unpleasant taste go away, but only while eating them constantly. So I guess it's no surprise that I gained. I was already overweight and now my ps is pushing gastric sleeve surgery between radiation and reconstruction. Which I find surprising and horrifying, especially since I have never thought if myself as obese. I am healthy, besides the whole ya know, cancer thing. Am active and while I have always wanted to be smaller and yo yo dieted, just never thought of myself as a candidate. Ps says steroid weight is very hard to lose and doesn't think I can get it off on my own. Told me it was so important that I should charge 10k on a credit card to have it some ASAP. Still having a hard time with making this decision. Has anyone else encountered this?

GoWithTheFlow

I gained about 10-15 lbs. during chemo.  It's come off in the 9 weeks since it ended.  I don't recommend watching food channels while laying around.  I ended up with pastrami from Katz's Deli in NYC, cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes, and crumb cake from Carlo's Bakery.  Thankfully it all froze well and I could take a bit out when I felt like it.

JeriGrace

DeliriumPie, I think you should listen to your instincts.  If you're feeling pressured, that's probably a good time to slow down and think things over. Especially when you're talking about such a huge amount of money! 

cider8

PS pushing a gastric sleeve?! I've not encountered that one before! I don't know exactly what it is either, but I'm not a fan of surgical solutions for weight loss.



I gained 10 pounds on DD AC/T. But it was 10 pounds that I had lost between surgery and start of chemo. Those 10 pounds came off again. For TC I've gained less than 5 pounds. For both courses I had lots of fatigue and just didn't move very much.

sciencegal

Hi Deleriumpie, I would say also to slow down and just get through your treatments. You dont need another major surgery right now.



It also sounds a bit suspicious that the PS said to just "put it on your credit card"- you are clearly not obese enough that insurance would cover it! If weight was really threatening your health it should...

Sometimes plastic surgeons want us all to be barbie dolls and not everyone fits that profile.



SO I woud think carefully and maybe get a second opinion and just get through what you are enduring right now, with your treatments.



Just my two cents!

encyclias

I only had A/C chemo x4, three weeks apart.  I don't think I was given a steroid with it.  And I wasn't given any of the taxane family of chemo drugs, which seem to require steroids.  The anti-nausea pills I was given allowed me to continue to eat my regular foods, although I did cheat -- more than I will admit to my internist -- with some extra carbs and desserts (I am a Type2 diabetic).

I did not gain any weight.  In fact, from my DX in Oct and through chemo, lumpectomy and current rads (only a few more to go, woooohoooo!) my weight never varied by even one pound.  I can't take credit for not gaining or losing weight though.  It has just happened this way. 

But I do believe the steroids have a lot to do with the weight gain so many have, as well as the anxiety which produces a desire for 'comfort' foods.

Carol

puppymama09

Gowiththeflow, lol I will definitely stay away from the food network! Thanks for the warning!



Delurimpie I totally agree with Sciencegal and 10k on the credit card can cause a lot of stress which for me causes more eating, seems counter productive. If you really needed it your insurance would pay for it!

sciencegal

Thanks Carol, I forgot that steroids cause anxiety. As if we all arent anxious enough about the stupid cancer!

I am definitely a "nervous eater" so that KIND of gives me a reason for the 20 pound gain.



I am sorry that you have to battle diabetes as well as breast cancer. Not fair!



Kudos to you for not gaining though, good job.

christina0001

I am right with you puppymama. I expected to lose weight too, but I gained about 20 lbs. Part of it was because of decreased energy and activity, and the other part was food choices. I tended to enjoy my comfort foods, especially if I was feeling bad for myself. It's not good to use food as a reward or comfort but that's a problem I have. Also the last couple of treatments, I could not stand water. Very few fluids tasted good, but frozen strawberry lemonades from McDonalds were great! So I had one almost every single day. Boy do I regret it now!

DeliriumPie

Thanks for the advice ladies. I am definitely giving it a lot if thought. I guess I should explain that I am on the breast/cerv cancer Medicaid right now (long story, had to take pay cut to qualify in order to get anyone to give me an appt for treatment). So not sure if I would qualify for the sleeve if I did still have real insurance. But I'm thinking not. I have also never been a fan if surgical weight loss but have struggled my whole life with my weight. The ps says I have metabolic syndrome. Have not googled that yet but he told me that I have normal size limbs, etc but carry all my weight in my stomach and tummy which is extra hard to take off (I'm thinking hellllooo I have been living with that my whole life so it's no news flash, the while time he was talking). He did offer me names of docs who would operate at current weight but couldn't stress enough how important to lose. In the past I have been able to take off 30-50 lbs at different times but always plateau then regain over time. Now I don't know what steroids and chemopause will/have done to that ability. Also the downtime I will have from strenuous activity during surgery recovery and rads. I'm afraid I will get down 30 lbs and plateau, then have no chance if qualifying at that point. He would do recon at the 30lb threshold but I would still be heavier than desired. So his plan sounds like an easy solution to my lifelong woes on one hand but still hard to process more surgery and drastic lifestyle changes, ie. eating 1 oz of food at a time many times a day. ( how will I take clients to lunch? , no dinners or happy hours, etc , the small stuff that seems big).



Also, ironically enough, I started a boob job fund" a few years ago because I've always hated my breasts. I have exactly $10k in there which I have now been earmarking for when Medicaid gives me the boot. So by ps statements, spend 10k on gastric surgery= free boob job and tummy tuck and have the body I've always wanted. Sorry for such a long post. I'm just really struggling with the options.