weight gain

Daychele

New member
I am going crazy with my 15 year old. She eats somewhat during the day and does tube feeding throught he night but she just isn't gaining weight. As a matter of fact she is losing. In May she had got up to 112 after her hospital stay then she was in again in Nov. Going in she weighed 98 came out at 102. She just went for her visit this week 5 weeks later and weighs 96. She looks at eating as chore, does like much of anything. Any ideas?

Dana
 

JazzysMom

New member
I know for me the harder I concentrated on calories & eating enough the more of a chore it became & the less progress I made. When I eased up a bit & just did my usual thing it became easier. I also relied on shakes a lot because my appetite sucked. The doctor told me that she doesnt want me to rely on the shakes forever, but if its working for now that is fine. It is very frustrating to skip a meal or a snack & lose weight. It makes you just totally want to throw in the towel. I suggest not making a big issue out of it, but try to push the food without pushing the food if you know what I mean. She is taking her enzymes when she does eat & during her feeds? I am a bit concerned about her weight loss more so since she is doing feeds at night. Are they definitely getting done & maybe the enzymes need to be adjusted or an antacid added if she is already using one. If its just a matter of her lack of eating you have to play it by ear. Just like the people that are obese & cant lose weight because its overwhelming mentally/emotionally it is the exact opposite problem, but with the same mental/emotional struggles. Good Luck!
 

anonymous

New member
Well this could be way off the subject but I have depression and I had to go on Trazadone (also helps you sleep at night, another problem of mine). Well this med made me gain 20 pounds...AND I DON'T NEED TO GAIN WEIGHT!!!
So now my dr is telling me to lose 10 pounds...easier said than done. But this med really made my appitite go thru the roof and added pounds onto me.
Good luck with your daughter.
Kelli
28 w/CF
 

Mockingbird

New member
What is her activity level like? I have the same problems with eating; i pretty much have to force myself every time, but when I am active all day it is easier to eat. Sometomes, I even find myself wanting to eat.

Another option is try preapring lighter meals. Sounds crazy, i guess, but when I try to eat, say lasagna, I find I can't even eat a bite; all that cheese and meat sauce is way too heavy (I love lasagna, by the way, but I still can't get it in sometimes) If I have some fish, or a salad, or something like that, it's way easier for me to eat, and some calories is better than none.

Is your daughter on Miralax or go-lightly or anything like that? Part of my appetite problems used to be constipation, and I think it was quite a while before my doctor at the time realized it. Anyway, that stuff helps, especially in the mornings.

Also, instead of having an entire meal in one sitting, perhaps try to encourage her to snack throughout the day. It's way easier to eat just a little bit every hour or so rather than eating a whole bunch in one sitting. Triscuits are great; despite the advertising, they don't really fill you up and they have decent calories. I like the roasted garlic flavored the best, but your daughter may be different. =-)

If nothing else works, try getting her to drink something. Not scandishake (it goes back to foods being too heavy); maybe just fruit juice, or something. Drinking is always easier than eating, and fruit juice is alays yum. =-)
 

JennifersHope

New member
Trazadone is also used to induce sleep... I take 50-100mgs a night to induce sleep because of the steroids I am on I can't fall asleep.. I also have gained weight from the trazadone as well.. That coupled with the steroids and l have gained so much weight... but I didn't need to gain any... so now I am trying to lose some... wish we could trade pounds around....
 

thelizardqueen

New member
Have you gotten her tested for Diabetes? I know before I was diagnosed with diabetes, I would eat and eat, and not gain any weight. I would even lose weight. Its an idea anyway.
 

Seana30

New member
My daughter, Courtney, is 13 years old, she is 5 foot 3 inches, and only weighs 77 pounds.  She is on medication to increase the appetite, but it doesn't seem to work real well.I have found that the more I bug her about eating, the less she will eat.  I don't want to hound her about it all of the time so this is what I now do.....I fix her the same meals that the whole family eats.  We have brocolli......Courtney has brocolli with butter and cheese.  We have apples......Courtney gets apples with a chocolate or carmel dip.  We have mash potatoes.....Courtney has mashed potatoes with butter and gravy....etc.I just try to get in the extra calories anywhere I can.  If she sees that she has more food on her plate than the rest of us she moans and groans.  This way she eats the same amount as the rest of us......JUST WAY MORE CALORIES.  Of course she also does not have to ask for snacks.  I keep high calories snack in the house at all times.  I buy pies like you would get from McDonalds.  They are small but are PACKED with calories.  One little pie has 500 to 600 calories.  My biggest problem with Courtney is to get her to take her meds.  I tell her that she is 13 years old and I should not have to remind her to take her enzymes with every meals, and her morning and evening meds.  I don't know how to get thru to her how important it is to take her meds.Seanamom to   Lauren 14, no CF        Courtney 13, with CF        Cameron 10, no CF
 
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