has anyone else suffered weight loss due to RA

earthspirit

ok folks, i have lost not short of 2 stones of weight in around 18months due to uncontrolled Rheumatoid arthritis.

i have been searching for months to find any reports of medical info on this part of the disease and not really found anything helpful.

i know many people are struggling with being overweight as a way of helping joints (from what im reading on this forum, the weight loss hasnt made any difference)

so anyhow im underweight. quite a lot. i can hardly eat and the doctors gave me ensure plus drinks which are those nutrient things

i dont need specific dietary information but i am trying to find out what exactly it is happening in the body that causes this weight loss

why is the disease stealing bits of my body and not everybody's body??

however on saying that i am quite sure that there may be some slightly overweight people who have happily lost the weight but put it down to healthier eating/dieting rather being a nasty symptom of the disease.

when i lost the weight off my lean slightly muscly arms it like vanished almost overnight.

i dont know if it will do me any good knowing why it happens but then at least i can stop googling it to try to find out.

also just to add a bit more complexity to the mix - i am right handed but my right side is my weakest and having converted to being left handed a few years ago. i visibly looked stronger on the left but its the muscle and the tone on the left that has vanished the miost

i did start drinking my sons revolting protein shakes which i am sure were doing me good but some helpful medical person along the way told me better to have the ensure which had more nutrients

i can feel myself being a pain in the **** on this forum with complex medical history and awkward direct questions and answers, but in asking them discussing, hopefully they might help somebody else along the way.

bounce

Hi Earthspirit,

I dont have RA but OA and like you I have found the weight dropping off me over the past 2 years, I have lost 2 stone, even though I normally eat like a horse.

I have asked the doctor on numerous occasions about it and it ranges from not having much of an appertite due to flare ups, low folic acid levels, anemia, slight depression spells, being overactive during the day, metabolic rate, stress levels and of course medications which I have to take daily have all been mentioned as possible answers to weight loss.

I was even told to have a slimfast milkshake with every meal and any time I fancied a drink as that puts 250 calories approx into your body for each one you drink.

but even the doctors are not sure why people with arthritis of any kind can just throw the weight off when at my age (50) I should find it easier to put on, and its flipping impossible to put an ounce on, I try so hard, with all the fattening foods and chocolate etc, but no good.

so I cant help you with a difinitive answer but just to pass on some of the things I have discussed with the doctors over the past months.

If only we could have a magic pill that actually allows us to put all the weight we have lost back on then I would be a happy bunny.

all the best

Julie

earthspirit

hi j thanks for your reply.
it all makes sense what you say - with RA the metabolic resting rate is higher so hey ho lose weight while you sleep.

ive tried to counteract that by taking these ensure drinks at night before bed and they did zero over a few weeks

drink? on top of pain meds? wow no way could i do the sick dizzy bit - i would throw up and lose even more weight.

when i am tempted to do sugary stuff wow again it goes straight to my joints with agonising pain.

give me back my weight you bully RA

bounce

Hi Earthspirit,

Glad my reply made sense to you, a lot of non arthritis people just dont get it, all the problems with the bodys response to stuff.

The drink was non alcoholic im afraid, as I never touch the hard stuff, as im told im bad enough sober.

Though its one of the first things the doctors tell you, no booze as you could end up in A&E depending on how much you drink. Im a goody goody. and it is boring to be that good. hehehehehehe

When I eat the choccy its my version of the Harvey Smith salute to the Arthritis, though soon enough I take more meds which puts me back in my place, though its nice when it lasts with the choccy.

You do the right thing, humour is one of the best coping mechenisms going, stops you getting down and in a slump.

Hope you get more help with your questions.

All the best

Julie.

lindalegs

Hi Earthspirit,

I have the same problem when I flare. When I first got RA at age 27 I was 8 stone and I dropped a stone, plus I went on an anti-arthritis diet to cut out acids and I lost another stone. (I stuck to the diet for 4 months ad it didn't help my arthritis.)

The trouble is when we're in so much pain we have no appetite and the actual physical action of eating is so exhausting.

I think the weight loss is also due to muscle wastage because we're not doing our full range of movement and we're also less active.

I now have a balanced diet and cut out no foods and I'm a healthy-weight of 10 stone, My RA is under control and I've gradually put on weight over the years.

Hope this helps.

Luv,

stickywicket

Whenever I was ill, with little appetite, my Mum's maxim was 'a bit of what you fancy does you good'. It still works for me. Forget meal times, if meals are daunting, just think what you feel like eating whenever - piece of fruit, lump of cheese, slice of toast.

earthspirit

thanks for suggestions people. i did something today i dont ever do and never have and that is to buy ready made meals. i cant handle any sort of cooking as i cant lift pans cut stuff etc so sometimes im starving and it has to be finger food. luckily my OH has always shared the cooking but what he makes these days isnt really to my liking although he will do any food i ask for. its a bit much tho at 11 in the morning when i want something thats going to take ages to prepare and cook just for me.

i ate my first ready meal - chicken jalfezi - ofgs i didnt realise how hot and spicy it would be - took me an hour to eat it - ended up stone cold and quite revolting but its the first actual meal i have eaten in weeks.

family are really awfully good and when ive been a snivelling wreck in bed and asked son to make me coffee he comes up with a plate of all the little tasters that i like, such as parma ham cheese grapes and bananas.

i have got to get it into my dumb brain that food = medicine.

i did buy 2 gingerbreads tho today cos my physio who is a real gem first suggested that to me months ago as high in calories and to smear it with butter. i dont have any cholestrol issues and like she said, even the little bit of ginger it contains is good for calming & cooling inflamation. sugar might give me some pain but at least its food.

the skinny look just really is not me and im getting fed up freaking everyone out who sees my arms which are like some of those nutty size zero models - yuck :roll: