Re: Re: Sprycel Diet-Suzzie

[Guest guest]

Hi Suzzie,

No, you are not nuts. When I was on Gleevec I gained 40 pounds within a few

months. Then, a few months after this precipitous gain the fat just melted off.

I never changed my diet or exercise program during this period. Of course, I

also lost my response to Gleevec which was never great anyway even though I was

on 800 mg.

The timing of the current weight gain and inability to take it off goes back to

last February when my psych meds were changed to the current ones and after a

3-week break from Sprycel I went back on that drug, too. I think they ALL cause

weight gain.

I'll tell you what I eat but I don't think it will necessarily be helpful

because I'm not having any luck losing weight now. But, here it is:

Breakfast -- one fat-free 50-calorie carton of yogurt with my morning meds. One

bran muffin with butter or one of those buttery spreads.

Lunch -- salad or I graze on what's in the frig but not too much. Sometimes a

few leftovers from the night before.

Dinner -- A main dish (usually a meat or eggs) and vegetables. No potatoes,

bread, chips, cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream.

The only snakcs I eat are sometimes at night a large handful of salted in the

shell peanuts.

That's it!

I also drink 2 cups of coffee per day plus I sip almost all day on juice water

which is 20 calories per serving. Sometimes I use Crystal Light which has no

calories. You have to be careful of what you drink because some of those

healthy drinks out there are loaded with calories.

I like a high-fiber diet and don't like to eat refined, packaged foods.

I hope this helps. At least you know you're not alone. I think weight gain is

caused for some by Gleevec and Sprycel but not for all. Side effects are

different for everyone and I think weight gain is one that hits some, but not

all of us.

Good luck!

[ ] Re: Sprycel Diet

Hi : I was glad to see your post on here. I have been on Gleevec

since 2000, and I have gone through a lot of stress eating. I also

gained a lot of weight since on Gleevec, even when I dieted. I agree

that these medications cause weight gain. Not as a excuse for the gain,

but I also mentioned it to my doctors. They did not think it was a

issue. Now that I have spoken to others, I have found that they are

struggling with weight gain also. I have to try some kind of eating

plan. I cannot do the treadmill or any exercise right now, but I do

need to get started on proper eating. Can you tell me what you actually

eat in the coarse of a day. Again so glad to see that I am not nuts

with regard to all this.

Suzzie

>

> Hi All,

>

> I had my first check-up today with a new primary doc and we talked

about diet and how medications might affect weight gain. This doc is an

endocrinologist as it happens and she knows a lot about the thyroid

needless to say.

>

> Well, here are the results of our conversation: She wasn't familiar

with Sprycel but did say that several of my psych meds cause weight gain

even though it isn't fully understood how they do so. Also, she said

that people in their 60s and over (I'm 62) often completely lose their

thyroid functions! So, metabolism is very low. She said she recently

read that in order to LOSE weight one has to exercise vigorously at

least 1 1/2 hours per day! To maintain weight takes at least 1 full hour

of exercise. She suggested that since I use the treadmill at the gym 3

times a week that perhaps I could purchase a treadmill and have it at

home to use 3 times a day to get in that 1 1/2 hours instead of trying

to do it all at the gym. I agree! So, I'll be buying a treadmill. Then I

can use the gym for counter weight exercises. I also have free weights

at home. I know that my diet is good and am hard on myself about it --

high fiber, low fat, low carb (simple) and some complex carbs like bran

muffins.

>

> I still think Sprycel and Gleevec have an effect on weight gain and

difficulty of weight loss but apparently no one at BMS agrees or they

simply haven't looked at that possibility very closely. Now I know that

my psych meds have weight issues so this is starting to make sense.

>

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