Weight

[Bernice]

I'm 46 years old and for at least 44 of them I have been a tiny, petite person. Often doing all I could to try to gain a few pounds just to look like an adult, even going to doctors who put me on special diets to gain. B U T  N O W!  I'm headed back to my doctor for him to do something about the 20lbs. I need to lose.

Let's just say I've surely learned the grass is NOT always greener on the other side! I want to go back to being me again, but honestly don't know how to do so. When I wanted to gain I could'nt add a oz. but now I got more than I know what to do with. My frame is too small for the weight.

I'm going from being able to eat anything and as much as I like without thought to gaining to having to think about almost everything. It's too maddening to make sense of.  I contribute mine to age, menapause and not being as active as I was.

Bernice

[Nans]

Hi Bernice,

Have you been on the Lexapro for 2 years?  That stuff made me gain weight big time.

[jordozmom]

Before I got pregnant with my son (which apparently triggered the Sjogrens), my average weight was around 130lbs.  I gained 26 lbs while pregnant (I watched what I ate and exercised regularly), and lost that within a few weeks of giving birth.  I thought I was doing good by losing the weight, but then I started getting sick with Sjogrens and the weight just kept coming off, mostly because I was just too exhausted to even eat.  When my son was two I ended up being paralyzed from hypokalemia (sp) from DRTA caused by Sjogrens and when I got out of the hospital I was skin and bones (I'm 5'7 so it was really bad).  I was tiny for a while, then put some weight back on and I stabilized at around 130 lbs. again.   About 5 or 6 years ago I started on a few different meds all at around the same time:  Plaquenil for my Sjogrens, Lexapro to deal with the depression and anxiety from my illness, and Ambien to help me sleep.  Since then I have put on 45lbs!!!!  I believe there were multiple factors that could have attributed to the weight gain.  Lexapro can make you gain weight and it caused my appetite and my desire for carbs to increase.  With the Ambien I would get up in the middle of the night and "sleep eat" - I would literally wake up in the morning and find food wrappers and empty chip bags around the bed, sometimes IN the bed.  And the Plaquenil caused muscle weakness, which made me become less and less active.  I was told AFTER taking it for a few months that Lexapro can cause weight gain and since it first came out Ambien is now saying that it can cause sleep eating and subsequent weight gain.  All stuff that would have been nice to know before I started taking it, especially since you can become dependent on them.  Because of the muscle weakness and heartburn I quit taking the Plaquenil, and because it seemed like it stopped working (and wasn't worth the weight gain) I quit taking the Lexapro.  I am still hooked on the Ambien.  I still have not regained a lot of my strength or built back any of the muscle loss, mostly because I am too exhausted after working all day and no longer taking the Plaquenil and can't seem to exercise enough to build anything.  I'm lucky if I get little walks in here or there.  So, I'm totally struggling with weight now, and it is hard to say whether or not it is from the Sjogrens, the drugs, or my age (I'm having a hard time accepting that I'm ALSO ten years older since being dx, too!).  It really does seem, though, that I put on weight very, very easily and I can't seem to take it off.  And, of course, the doctor reminds me at every visit that I have put on "a significant amount of weight" since I first started seeing him, and of course it would make me feel better if I got more exercise and lost some of the weight.  No problem.  As soon as I'm done passing out when I get home from work I'll get up and run a couple of miles!  NOT!  Well, hang in there.  Sounds like you aren't alone in this!

[ohiolady]

Bernice,

Some of the antidepressants will really put weight on you.  I have a friend who takes Wellbutrin because it does not.  In fact, you will usually lose a few.  Now, I don't know if it would work for you but you might want to check it out.

Anna

[cindyh]

I see my rheumatologist in a few weeks and I am going to see if he can give me something for depression.  Between feeling so bad and the weight gain I could just cry all the time.  He tells me most of his sjogrens patients lose weight.  It is almost like he tries to make it like it is my fault for putting on weight.  I like everything about him except his attitude toward my weight.  He was my mothers doctor.  She was his first sjogrens patient.  She suffered for 10 years before getting lymphoma.  One she had lymphoma her health really went down hill.  I have only been married to my husband for 2 years and I know this is not what he signed on for.  He is wonderful and tells me not to worry and he loves be no matter how bad I feel.  We are constantly having to arrange our life around my illness. 

[Bernice]

I have been on them (LEXAPRO) since July, but I must admit since reading the responses about it I am not faithfully taking them, it really could be said I am off.
Yall I weigh 132 lbs. at 4 11" Me and my doctor about to have a "Come to Jesus Meeting"


Cindyh,
I feel for you, you and you new honey should be enjoying each other more without so much thought about Sjogrens. But somehow I trust that he really means what he tells you. Girl love is blind and can make one what to withstand most ANYTHING just to be with the one we love. Chile, You just keep your head about yourself and enjoy that good man that loves you and not focus so much on what's missing. ENJOY HIM! 

[cindyh]

Thanks for the kind words and bit of knowledge.  I try to focus on the positive.  I am so thankful that we found each other.  I don't think I could stand to deal with all of this alone.  I am so happy I found this website.  It is a comfort to know that others struggle with the daily annoyances of this disease.