Re: Rapid weight gain - Ideas?

[Guest guest]

Have they checked her kidneys, and thyroid lately? If your kidneys are not working correctly, it is very common to get water retention. Also when the thyroid is not working properly, a common side affect is weight gain. Best wishes.

[Guest guest]

Kass

she didn't start taking Risperidal or another drug in that category did she? That causes very rapid weight gain.

could she have edema?

deb...mom to three great kids and wife to one amazing guy!http://www.lifeofloveproject.org/http://www.heartliftersgallery.com/

[Guest guest]

Kass,

My first thought is - is it water weight? Have they checked her kidney function? Just a thought. What about her thyroid? Low thyroid can make you gain weight easily. If I come up with any other thoughts, I will write, but those are the first things of the top of my head.

Anne R

[Guest guest]

I have often wondered that too. Gracies GI always remarks that her belly is very distended, so I think she would disregard it if it were normal to have a big belly with a g tube. I have also read that a big belly can be from low muscle tone. I will be looking for others advice on this one too.

[Guest guest]

Is she retaining fluid? Is she on lasix?(water pills)..

Is this actual weight? Sounds like she might be retaining fluids. Have they checked her heart.....looking for congestive heart failure? Might want to have them look there first, especially since she is having trouble breathing.

What meds & vitamins is she on? Have you checked to make sure there is no relationship between her bloating and any of her daily meds? That is an awful lot to gain. Is your new ped. concerned at all? Seems like he/she should have been a little more aggressive, rather than wait for the next 13 lbs to appear. I'd push for an echo and ekg..just to make certain nothing is going on there..

let us know what you decided to do,

Krystena R.

Caden, Carsen & Warren

Rapid weight gain - Ideas?

I am really at a loss and am hoping someone here has some ideas for me. Madison was 62 lbs (90%) in September, 64 lbs in October, and 69 1/2 lbs on our return trip to Mayo in March. In January we started having problems with her clothes fitting one day (size 8) but being far too small for her the next, and this pattern has continued to this day. I even had to buy 2 different size clothes this summer so she'd have something to wear no matter how bloated she was that day. I expressed concern to Dr. Whiteman and the dietitian at our March visit but both really weren't concerned, thinking maybe it was some pre puberty weight gain. She'd only increased by a percentage point, and the dietitian confirmed that she was actually taking in less calories than recommended for her age (as well as too little protein). In that they were okay with things, I let it go and figured they were probably right. Still wasn't sure why she was bloating on a regular basis but figured we'd watch things and see what happened. We saw our new ped last week with her and I was shocked to see she now weighs 75.5 lbs!! So she's gained over 13 pounds since September, 6 since March and yet is only taking in 1000-1500 calories a day (2000 recommended for her age). Her height remains in the 50% and has changed very little during this time. She's now sitting at the 95+% in weight and is fast approaching "obesity" levels. Her energy level is and always has been low, but nothing more than its always been, so no real explanation there, and she has no other signs of puberty to make one think this is pre puberty in some way. I am starting to see the weight gain affecting her breathing as well as what little stamina she has. The ped is concerned but I didn't gather that he has any idea why this is happening or what it means either. She continues to bloat and look "puffy" off and on and last night I weighed her here at home and she was 79.5 lbs, but was back to 75.5 by this morning. It's almost like she's on steroids or something....I just don't know what to make of it and don't have any ideas on what to even check into. If you have ANY idea, please share it with me......she just cannot keep on like this!! THANKS!!! -- BIG hugs, Kass, proud mom to Chance(10-Mito), Madison(7-Mito), and Abby(6-Mito) Updates (http://www.caringbridge.org/tx/mitowhat/) "Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" Unknown Please contact mito-owner with any problems or questions.

[Guest guest]

Kass,

I would definately think they should check the thyroid, for

diabetes or other insulin regulation problems. Is she gaining the

weight all over or just in her stomach area? Have they considered

doing an ultrasound to see if there is extra fluid there? How was

her BP?

If all of those things check out, relax. is four and a half

and weighs 55.5 lbs. She is off of the charts. Sheis tall for her

age and no one knows why she is sooo big. It seems to me that most

mito kids are very small, but there is a hndful of them that are

just bigger than average. is 4 and wearing size 14 shirts

becasue her belly is so big. We have had every test known to mankind

and found nothing. She eats very little and still gains weight.

It really could just be a pre puberty weight gain. She could just

be going through a normal weight gain. I hope this helps, good luck,

Dawn

[Guest guest]

Does having G tube mean the child will gain a lot in the stomach area or look distended?

Krystena

Re: Rapid weight gain - Ideas?

Kass, I would definately think they should check the thyroid, for diabetes or other insulin regulation problems. Is she gaining the weight all over or just in her stomach area? Have they considered doing an ultrasound to see if there is extra fluid there? How was her BP? If all of those things check out, relax. is four and a half and weighs 55.5 lbs. She is off of the charts. Sheis tall for her age and no one knows why she is sooo big. It seems to me that most mito kids are very small, but there is a hndful of them that are just bigger than average. is 4 and wearing size 14 shirts becasue her belly is so big. We have had every test known to mankind and found nothing. She eats very little and still gains weight. It really could just be a pre puberty weight gain. She could just be going through a normal weight gain. I hope this helps, good luck, DawnPlease contact mito-owner with any problems or questions.

[Guest guest]

Kass,

Does she seem to be gaining weight mostly in her stomach area?

I would check thyroid, kidney function, and look at adrenal function.

[Guest guest]

> Does having G tube mean the child will gain a lot in the stomach area or

look distended?

No, it does not. A g-tube only bypasses the mouth and the espohagus as the

way to get food into the stomach. You process food no differently with a g-tube

than by eating orally. In fact, you can drink most of the formulas by mouth that

you put into a g-tube. Some of them taste really bad so while you could drink

them, you probably would not want to.

[Guest guest]

Kass,

Because Flovent and Pulimcort are steroidal meds, Madison could be

having a prednisone like reaction. Whenever I have to take Nasalcort

for my sinuses, I gain weight. At first my ENT did not believe me when

I told him this, but weight gain (and cushingoid features and

hyperglycemia for Flovent) is listed as a side effect for Flovent,

Nasalcort, and Pulmicort.

The endocrinologist could check Madison's thyroid and adrenal

function. Some symptoms of hypothyroidism in children include

increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, pale and dry skin, puffy

face, protruding and bloated abdomen, hoarse voice, and unexplained

weight gain (sometimes due to fluid retention).

Here is a web address for a matrix that looks at signs and symptoms of

Adrenal Fatigue vs. Low Thyroid

Function

http://www.drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.asp

Take care,