Who gained weight & who lost? - Page 2

Barbara2 · 06-26-2006, 04:09 PM

With chemo treatment I lost about 25 pounds. No appetite due to metalic taste in mouth. I needed to be thinner, so the weight loss was a good thing.

I maintained that weight for about two years. After starting herceptin, I began gaining it all back. I just finished my last herceptin treatment, so am hoping the steady increase in weight will start to decline.

Still, thankful for herceptin and hoping it works.

Montana · 06-26-2006, 04:28 PM

I lost 39 pounds after diagnosis and during chemo. I started to regain the weight after starting Arimidex and have now gain 30 back.........hoping to lose some of that this summer.

julierene · 06-26-2006, 09:46 PM

I probably have gained 20 pounds in the last 2 years since my first dx. I was so depressed I just ate and ate. Then when I got past that, I was 20 pounds heavier and I have struggled to lose it even with the dieting that helped me lose 30 pounds a few years ago. Same diet, not losing the weight.

Sheila · 06-27-2006, 05:57 AM

I am up 25 pounds in the 4 1/2 years since diagnosis....I started gaining when I started on Herceptin, but I think alot of it is due to menopause....everyone always said I was too thin, now I feel too heavy. I went from 125 to 150....size 6 to size 10

Patty H · 06-27-2006, 01:31 PM

I lost a few pounds at first because of the stress. But then durung chemo I gained around 8lbs. I ate comfort foods, anything that tasted good to me like hot fudge sundays. Then this last winter during radiation I had to drive 50 miles there and 50 miles back every day for 33 days. So who ever was with me at the time, and I would stop and eat out some place fun, to make a bad situtation fun and I gained another 7 lbs in that 6 week period. Since summer I have taken the 7 off by being more active and watching a little more, what I eat. I am still 7lbs heaver then when all this began almost 6 years ago. Of course like others I am in menopause now. Patty H

Jamie · 06-27-2006, 03:09 PM

Hi,
I started out about 3-5 lbs. underweight and then with TAC chemo gained about 7 lbs. due to stress, only tolerating fatty foods, and inactivity. When I finished chemo, I lost a few lbs. but then decided to do a year of Herceptin every 3 weeks. After only 2 treatments, I gained an additional 7 lbs. and was told by my oncologist that most women with breast cancer gain weight. I just finished my year of herceptin and have already lost 2 lbs. Could be psychological?

sadie · 06-27-2006, 06:42 PM

I was 135 all of my adult life. Real skinny. My ideal weight would be 160; Then at 45 (pre-menopausal) I started gaining 1 lb/month until I stabilized (finally) at 185 at the age of 51. Menopause was at 48.
Before I could pull a diet regimen together, I was diagnosed. During chemo I gained 20 more lbs.
Had a horrendously large appetite while getting steroids with the Taxol/Herceptin combo; Not to mention the inactivity during winter and chemo months.
I am actively trying to lose wieght now.

Chelee · 07-01-2006, 04:33 PM

This was an fun thread to see how chemo affected each person. I realize there are so many variables to why some of us women have lost or gained weight, but I was trying to see if more gained verses lost, since thats what it seemed like from all the reading I had done?

Its pretty hard to tell after hearing everyones story...and its pretty much what I expected.

Myself I lost weight but that started from the DAY I was told I had bc. I LOST my appetite the *minute* I was told, as I read several other people here did too.

I use to eat ice cream at least twice a week before hearing the bad news...but after the DX...I had no interest in my ice cream. So that alone could of been responsible for some of my weight lose. Then you add chemo later...and I had that taxotere, carb, & herceptin...I really believe I blame the taxo for the AWFUL taste in my mouth and how my teeth felt coated with gross stuff. It was darned near impossible to eat after my full cycle infusions. I just was NOT hungry. When I HAD to force myself to eat...it was nasty. (Good old Taxotere!) Heck of a way to diet. lol

So its hard to say with any of us what caused the weight gain or lose? Like some mentioned here...when your tired and fatigued and don't get the excersize you use to...that alone changes things . Age, chemo regimen for each person is different in many cases.

I know I was always amazed when I read from some women that the steroids would make them hungry. I hated those darned things...they made me bounce off the walls...I could NOT sleep...and I lost my appetite completely. But I have read where so many other women had the opposite affect and it increased their appetite.

We are all so different and what affects one can be so different for another on the exact same chemo regimen. But again...I did this just for fun.

Like I said earlier, just too many variables to this such as stress, inactivity, fatigue, lose of appeite to chemo or stress alone. Or from a TOTAL change of diet due to the fact you have to eat different things since many things you USE to like tastes terrible. And the list goes on.

I think it was Sandy that said it best. It really doesn't matter if we gain or lose....just glad to be alive.

Boy isn't that the truth. If I gained 40 pounds in the next five months...would I be happy about it? NO...but it would be the *least* of my concerns at this point. I am just happy to get up every day and see the sun shine and spend time with my family, friends, dogs.

But at least I did find out it seems to be a little of both when it comes to gaining or losing. At first I only heard of women gaining...now I see it goes both ways. I think I might of gained some weight had I felt good enough to cook...but I didn't.

Now had someone spoiled me and brought me some home cooked meals...it might of been a different story. But maybe not...that taxotere I am sure is what really killed my taste buds. Totally ruined. The thought of eating was just gross...don't know how else to put it. My infusion nurse kept telling me I HAD to eat. Much easier said then done.

Chelee

Marlys · 07-02-2006, 06:40 PM

I lost 30 lbs. with chemo and have lost an additional 13 since Feb. when I began having chronic diarrhea. I do have Chron's disease but after a colonoscopy and small bowel follow through x-ray study it is felt that my diarrhea is probably due to the Herceptin and not the Chron's. I am like Becky. I am trying to keep the weight off as I have been overweight since adolescence. So for I have succeded. I must admit that aside from the inconvenience of diarrhea I feel great and will get my last dose of Herceptin on July11. All studies show NED!
Marlys

Chelee · 07-02-2006, 06:49 PM

Marlys, You sound like me...I lost 32 since chemo. Just no appetite to speak of. I needed to lose weight anyway...although I would of perferred to lose it another way as I know you would of to. I just hope I can keep it off...thats why I was concerned about starting Femara, or something like that. I didn't know if it put on weight. I still need to lose more as is.

Glad to hear you feel great and are almost done with herceptin. Plus NED...that is fantastic. Yeah.

Chelee

juanita · 07-04-2006, 11:52 AM

I gained weight during chemo, i think it was the way i tried little bits of stuff till i found what tasted okay. And now a year later I am struggling to lose what I gained. The docs all say menopause is part of why it's so hard. I'll keep trying though.

heblaj01 · 07-05-2006, 10:51 AM

Please see article on a possible cause of weight gain, fatigue, depression at:

http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...6735#post96735

kat in the delta · 07-26-2006, 12:55 PM

Hi Montana !!
I am going to start on Armidex or maybe Femara next week. Did you have any side affects ?? wt.gain/lost? joint/bone aches? or other ? Anything good about it ??
My Onc. mentioned Femara first.Then he said Arimidex. Have you heard anyone complain about 1 worse that other ???
(curious) Kat in the delta

07-26-2006, 03:54 PM

I lost about 20 lbs while on standard chemo-- A/c and Taxol.
slowly gained some of it back and then started herceptin for a year.... in that year I have regained all that I originally lost PLUS another 10-12. I truly believe the herceptin was the real culprit tho happy to have received it. Now that I've been off of it for 2 months I'm slowly shedding some pounds.
Carol

Dace · 07-26-2006, 10:10 PM

I lost 24lbs during chemo the first time. Have since lost another 6 and am starting chemo again today... we'll see

dee · 07-26-2006, 10:45 PM

about 25 lbs - but that is the least of my worries. I am trying to learn to accept myself without reservations. Having a hard time of it. One of my coping skills i n the life portfolio is to say, "Ok, if I can't have that, then, I don't WANT it." I am trying to WANT to live life as it currently presents itself to me om on ITS terms. Right now, I manange to tolerate it. I still have a hard time thinking what I have been through is WORTH it.

kat in the delta · 07-28-2006, 10:30 AM

after herceptin, is anyone taking Arimidex, Femara, or aromasin ?????what are your personal side effects. if so???kat

07-30-2006, 01:55 PM

I lost weight when I was first diagnosed, but then started gaining as soon as I started chemo. I was sick, but hungry. I gained 22 lbs in two years and really struggle with it.

Val Pfeiffer · 08-06-2006, 09:56 AM

I think it depends on the chemo you get. I was on taxol/carbo/herceptin and I am at the same weight as the point at which I was diagnosed. I did continue to teach my Spin classes while on chemo, so that probably helped. (That was the only time I went out in public without one of my eight wigs--I just wore a bandana--didn't want my wigs to get all sweaty :-)

I felt that if my heart rate was elevated 3x/week that I would be getting more of my money's worth from the chemo drugs--more passes through my system :-)