weight loss

7worlds

Hi there, Im new here and was wondering if someone could give me some advice. I was diagnosed with RA a year ago although i had problems for a year before that. I was on metrotrexrate for six months but it was,nt for me. Im now on lefluminide but have noticed i am gradually losing weight. Nearly a stone in six months. Could it be the drugs or the RA?

ruby2

Oooo cant help sorry but will watch what replies come in.. good luck.

7worlds

Thanks anyway Ruby. Have been browsing this forum for a while before i decided to join, so im sure someone will be able to help. Feel guilty bothering the medics sometimes.

tjt6768

Hi, and welcome to the forum......... I hope you are not suffering too much today

I have been on Sulfasalazine for a good few months now and have lost over two and a half stone.. I have zero appetite on the Sulfa, which is why the weight loss. Is it similar for you?
I think I will end up on the Meth at some point soon... Hope that isn't the same as I had the same reaction with Hydroxychloroquine..

Wishing you the best of luck, keep posting, let us know how you go on..

7worlds

Hi Tony. Thanks for the welcome. Its true for me too, my appitite not great but it was,nt as bad when i was on the mex. I cant really afford to loose to much as i didnt have much to start off with.. Worried the docs will change my meds again and i.ll be back to square one. You know how it is..

tjt6768

I do know...
The Sulfa is doing a great job of keeping the IBS/IBD under control, and the skin problem (they weren't 100% if that was psoriasis but it's cleared it up) as for the joints, (hands, wrists and elbows) they have calmed down a fair bit too, so I am worried about them changing things but I suppose it's not great when all I eat per day is a bit of fruit and maybe a couple of chicken wings lol..
I can still afford to shift another stone but no more than that and I am sure it will go straight back on if or when the meds stop. I recently cut them by half just to prove to the Rheumy that is what it was, I was eating full meals and put on 4lb in a fortnight... As soon as I started again (had to, things were flaring) I lost 6lb!! Lol

Anyway, I really must be logging off, had a rough day..

Catch you again, take care..

valval

check with doc if it carries on always wise to keep them in the loop hope it sorted soon i could do with loosing few stone but they not helping me loose any the sulfa that is cut appitite for a while but now back to normal val

lindalegs

Hi 7worlds and a welcome from me too.

With my RA I find I lose weight during flares when I'm generally unwell. My old dad used to say it was my body's way of lightning the load on my joints. It may also be due to the fact that when I'm in so much pain the physical action involved in eating is just too much.

Currently I'm well and weigh 9.5 stone but at my lightest I did go below 7 stone. :shock:

It might be best to check with your GP (as Val said) just to make sure you're generally okay.

Luv,

frogmorton

7worlds

it could well be the RA lass. It was one of the things the rheumatologist asked me at the beginning. Next time you see he/she l would be mentioning it - though they should be picking it up themselves.

Nice to meet you

Love

Toni xx

marrianne

7worlds,It could very well be both ,I am 6 weeks into leflunomideand have definately lost a few pounds a watch I good barely fasten pre medicine now swings around on my wrist.......sorry typo...could just keep a good eye on it I eat very well to lots of comfort eating good luck Marrianne

freesia

I don't have RA but have OA... these medications which you have mentioned are they for RA only...??

I could do with some tip's for losing weight please... apart from eating healthily (which I do try) and exercising (which at present is very difficult - due to mobility)...

Are there any herbal remedies or medications or anything else anyone can suggest...

I am only really taking paracetamol for OA pain - are there any other medications which can be helpful for OA... seeing my GP in a couple of weeks and it would be really helpful if I had some idea's - as GP's don't really seem to offer anything else apart from basic pain relief..??

Thanks
Hugs freesia x

dreamdaisy

Freesia, the meds mentioned are only for auto-immune based arthritis and losing weight by taking them is far from the ideal way of doing that. Those meds can seriously mess with one's body. As for pain relief ask your GP about co-codamol, that was the next step up for me back in the day. They come in varying strengths and are a mixture of paracetamol and codeine, thus not suiting everyone.

Hello 7worlds, it's nice to meet you and I am gald you have joined our creaky merry gang. I have had both meth and lef and didn't lose wieght with either of them, but I do when I flare (despite living on a diet of full-fat coke and plain crisps which is all I eat when flaring). Some people do react to the meds in that way and it is something you need to discuss with either your rheumatology nurse or consultant when you next see them. I hope you are having a reasonable Sunday and I wish you well. DD

7worlds

Thanks for the advice everyone. Its great to meet you all. Iwill defo mention it to my rhumy next time im there[some time in june, i think} My hosp seems to take you off your meds and put you on something else the minute you complain of having any side effects.As they all have some sort of side effects, it can be a bit of a merry go round. Nothing is ever simple with this thing we have all been lumbered with.

dreamdaisy

I think it depends on what the side-efffects are. Sometimes one just has to battle on until the body adjusts to the medication but there are some which do alert the medicos and I think this rate of weight-loss could be one such. Do you have a rheumatology helpline you can ring? My local hospital has one, I ring and leave a message and someone gets back to me usually within 48 hours - quicker if they deem it more urgent. DD

7worlds

.Thanks dreamdaisy. My rhumy dept has a number you can ring. I have only ever rang it once but they are always so busy and i hate to bother them. But if i loose any more ,i am in danger of falling down the drains! lol.Will ring tomorrow and see what they say.

freesia

To:- dreamdaisy

Sorry I was not "suggesting it was a good thing" to have to take these medications - far from it ....!!!

I was merely trying to get any "suggestions or tips" on weight loss that any of you might have / be able to share - apart from diet and exercise...

I'm currently really struggling with my weight which is so depressing for me - ontop of the OA anxiety & depression...

I know swimming is good exercise, but unfortunately I can't do that either, I feel asthough I'm sinking & spiriling out of control - depression rising - weight rising.... and problems at home & work....

My Head is NOT in a good place....

So Sorry

dreamdaisy

Oh Freesia, I am sorry, I didn't mean to upset you - I obviously got the wrong end of the stick and having been off the forum for about ten days I am a little out of touch with everyone's situation. :oops: I apologise.

I too have OA in my knees and ankles (I found out about this just over a year ago) and that news hit me very hard. The pain of the OA is much harsher than that of my PsA (which is well controlled by the meth, humira aznd sulph) and it is unremitting, grinding away day after day, night after night, and it does pull one down. I started Citalopram tablets to help with the depression and I am still on them as my rheumatologist pointed out that they also help with pain management, which I guess makes sense. I find the OA much more frustrating than the auto-immune stuff, I was turned down for new knees last August for being too young (rubbish) and overweight (true). Weaning myself off the oral steroids helped me to shed 1.5 stone but I still have another two to go and I will do it, if only to reduce the load on my joints. That won't affect the pain (another doctory myth!) but it wil help to prevent further joint damage and that is important.

We do find ourselves in very deep holes (sometimes on a very frequent basis) and this is where the forum is a real support. You are not alone in facing this weight-loss battle and it can be done, but for us it is a slower process. When I get fed up with plodding along I think of a lady on here who lost five stones despite being chair-bound, and that gives me the spur to carry on. She did it, I can do it and so can you, but there is no easy way to do it. Eat better, eat less and (when possible) move around a little more, that seems to be the key. My four-wheeled rollator has encouraged me to get out and walk a little more and that is a good thing. it bloody hurts but it has to be done. I admit that it is hard to turn down and not buy crisps and sticky buns, my usual thinking was 'I'm in pain and I deserve a treat' but I have now changed it to 'I am in pain, and this will taste lovely, but it will only add to the pain.' Chocolate is a thing of the past as I can no longer afford the better quality stuff, crisps are fading, my next battle will be with the beer! I reduce the bad things one at a time, once settled to not eating item A I move on to item B - there is nothing more self-defeating than trying to change everything overnight, that never works.

You sound as though are you struggling on many fronts: arthritis not only has an impact on the person who has it, it sends its ghastly ripples out into all areas of life. We understand that, and we will do our best to help you through. Once more, I apologise for upsetting you, that was not my intention. DD

PS Sorry, 7worlds, I've thoroughly hijacked your thread! I'm not doing well this morning, I think I'll log off!

marrianne

Hope your feeling slightly better today Freesia,I did rest up yesterday 7 Worlds feel in pain maybe the weather or lack of activaty.hope the other posters are having a good morning to.Sorry your not so good DD.Marrianne

XxxHollyDollyxxX

hello my name is holly and im sorry to tell you this but leflunamide can have the side effects of anerexia as i was told by my gp i only no because i was on it for a year and a half and went from 7 stone to 4 stone in a couple of monthes i would suggest coming off of the tablets if you can only as the effects got worse for me to the point all food eather made me sick by smell or taste i rely hope you get better soon
and feel free to message me if you want to talk about it
wishing you well holly

7worlds

Hi Holly.Thanks for the info. It seems it isnt only me who have had problems. I was advised by some of the guys on here to talk to the rhumy nurse, which i did today, She said that weight loss can happen and it sounds like i have lost quite a bit, so she said that i could stop it or wait a few weeks till im due back in june. Think im gonna do that because im scared that if i come off the drugs, i will flare.Im hoping i dont loose to much more before then

tjt6768

Hi again 7
My rhuemy asked me to stop my sulfa for two weeks to 'make sure' it is that causing the lack of appetite, I managed a few days before flaring, stomach too.... :roll:
I did however start eating a bit more quite quickly.. I managed to halve my dose to just two tablets (one at morning, one at night, I was told to always split them) and I put on 4lbs in the fortnight.. About four days after starting them again I was down by 6lbs :shock:
I think he has the 'evidence' he wanted.. Lol

Best of luck

freesia

marrianne wrote:

Hope your feeling slightly better today Freesia,I did rest up yesterday 7 Worlds feel in pain maybe the weather or lack of activaty.hope the other posters are having a good morning to.Sorry your not so good DD.Marrianne

Getting there slowly thank you - looking forward to the "long" weekend a break away from work.... need a good rest both physically & mentally... As I have more appointments next week...

7worlds

Hey Tony. I had thought about doing what u did, but the problem with leflunimide is i only take one tablet a day so its either stop or hot. Ionce went away for the weekend and forgot to take them with me, by Monday i was a very sorry girl! lol. I just wish i could get a med that agrees with me. Im sure theres one out there somewhere.....