A note about pain and weight battles

[Guest guest]

It seems that many of us have a weight battle of some sort, and I just felt

like throwing my two cents (sense?) in...

Caveat: my weight battles aren't with being overweight, but being

underweight...which, needless to say, causes a whole different set of health

problems and

psychological ramifications. So perhaps my opinions and suggestions might not

suit those of you on the other end of the spectrum. But my post is

well-intentioned, nonetheless. <g>

I used to think that my low weight was the least of my health problems as

I've been skinny my whole life, and therefore it didn't warrent much thought

compared to the pain, neurologic disorders, heart defect, etc. For awhile after

my

stroke, I was actually in the 90-95 pound range (I'm 5'4 " and have the bone

structure of a ten year old child, btw, but even still that's way too low)... I

was anemic, weak, cold all the time, and out of breath at the slightest

activity. I hated the way I looked, and hated it even more when people would

actually *compliment* me on being so skinny, saying they were *jealous* of how

thin

I was. I became depressed, worsened all the more by people's constant hounding

me that I must have an eating disorder (I didn't then, and never have).

And it dawned on me that the inactivity and stress caused by my weight, and

the subsequent depression, was making my migraine so much worse. So I started

adding on the calories, eating meat again (which I'm still not happy about),

doing yoga and weight training with a physical therapist, and taking walks to

build my muscles back up. I'm still underweight (only 108 lbs), and it's still a

battle just to keep this weight on not to mention add more, but I feel so

much better...I can take hikes with my husky, find clothes that fit, and am no

longer ashamed to show my body or get depressed about my appearance. I can even

feel pretty sometimes. <g> This has made the pain so much easier to deal with.

So while the weight issues may not seem as important in comparison, they tie

in with so many aspects of our health problems...and the more you work on your

weight, and the more active you try to be, the more your self-esteem and

activity levels will rise...and the more bearable your pain will feel.

Again, this is just my opinion from the other end of the spectrum. But maybe

it will help to inspire those of you who have this daily battle...

My best wishes to all of you for better days ahead...

Raven

[Guest guest]

Hi Raven and all,

I too have had problems with weight loss from chronic

pain. My doctor has tested to find out why but so far

it is unexplained. My weight is normal for my height

but I have lost 30 pounds. No matter how much I eat, I

can't gain any weight.

It's a mystery.

Mark S. Jordan

zorbasci@...

Raven wrote:

> It seems that many of us have a weight battle of

> some sort, and I just felt like throwing my two

> cents (sense?) in...

[Guest guest]

Mark,

It's not just how much you eat, it's what you eat. Meat, starches, high fat

foods are all better than fruits and veggies for gaining weight.

But it may also indicate you have a high metabolism. Some meds have an impact

on metabolism. Unfortunately, mine slowed it down!

What meds are you taking?

Muscle also weighs more than fat, so if you are working out, you may be losing

fat.

I assume your Dr. did a thyroid test. If your weight is normal for your height,

I wouldn't worry. I'd love for mine to be like that!

Dix

[Guest guest]

I too had trouble keeping weight on. I was normally thin, but when I

go thru a bout of severe pain, the kind that goes for weeks or months,

I would loose a lot of weight, get very sickly looking.

I am taking remeron now, the psych said it had the characteristic of

putting on weight. She was right!

I also have pretty severe stomach problems - exact nature unknown,

should know soon, I had an endoscopy.

I also take quite few other meds that probably contribute to gaining

weight - keppra (anti seizure), and avapro and norvasc (hi blood press).

I trying to get a lot more active to try to control the weight.

Mark Jordan <zorbasci@y...> wrote:

> I too have had problems with weight loss from chronic

> pain.