COPD + Weight Loss

[caz1951]

A lot of people with COPD say Thu have weight loss. Why does this happen?

[O2Trees]

Hi Caz, one reason this happens is that it takes up to 10 times the calories just to breathe compared to a person without copd. Exhaustion is common and can cause loss of appetite. Loss of weight is more common with emphysema. People primarily with chronic bronchitis often tend towards weight gain - not sure why.

If you get pneumonia you can lose weight very rapidly - I lost nearly a stone in 2 weeks despite eating like a horse. It took about 6 months to put it back on partly probably because i didn't want to take weight gain drinks.

Im sure people will come on with other reasons for weight loss.

Do you have weight loss Caz? Is that why you're asking?

[caz1951 in reply to O2Trees]

No, the opposite, since retirement 18month's ago I've become quite lazy 😊. Joining Slimming World next week to try and lose a stone...I do have Chronic B so interesting to note the weight gain...no luck for me then e.g.!😋

[O2Trees in reply to caz1951]

Good luck at Slimming World Caz.

[Elorac in reply to caz1951]

I'm going to slimming world tonight I need to lose at least 3stone where I live its very hilly and it puts me off going out and I have got very lazy since I retired so must do something about it good luck to you I hope it works for both of us

Take care

Carole xx

[caz1951 in reply to Elorac]

Weight buddies? 😊

[Elorac in reply to caz1951]

I havnt been to a consultant I'm looked after at my GP surgery so I'm not sure what I've got they just said copd and angina .

The minute I move i am puffed out and the more I do the more puffed out I get and then I cough a lot of mucus up then I'm a bit less puffed out but all the time I'm moving I'm puffed out. I never get the feeling I'm breathing through a straw like some people ( that sounds so scary) but I get very dizzy when I cough and sometimes I cough and till I'm sick .so do you think I am more likely to have bronchitis than emphysema ?

Carole xx

[Mandy6513]

The simple answer to that my love is our bodies have to work much harder ....

Last year i went out to celebrate my brother in laws birthday when one of the in laws camE up to me and told me how jealous she was that i was so slim..(((... im sure i was growling when i answered her)..))))...i told her having a life long illness does amazing things for weight loss....STUPID WOMAN...I actually left after speaking to her i was so angry and upset

[Kim2402 in reply to Mandy6513]

It's hard for others to understand, I am really thin now and I get the " do you eat" question all the time which drives me mad!!

[Mandy6513 in reply to Kim2402]

It makes me sick how people comment when your under weight.....Ive never seen anyone call someone else fat but they dont think twice about calling me skinny

[Kim2402 in reply to Mandy6513]

I know!! I try really hard to cover up how thin I am but people still comment!

[Mandy6513 in reply to Kim2402]

Thats because they dont have their brains engaged before they speak

[O2Trees in reply to Mandy6513]

Also, don't know if any of you get this, people can say things like, of course you're so lucky to be so slim. There is little understanding of it and people often just joke

[Mandy6513 in reply to O2Trees]

Yes thats what i was told by the in law....I was stood talking to her while im on oxygen ...STUPID WOMAN

[clematis5932 in reply to Mandy6513]

I was relieved when told the reason for my weight loss by my consultant was my emphysema and bronchiectasis. After nearly 18months of losing weight I also was being constantly questioned by relatives, even being told I was anorexic, asked if it was because of now being retired could I not afford to buy food, constantly asked what had I eaten that day. Being low in weight brings its own problems I have eaten a lot over xmas plus loads of chocolates etc but have not been able to put any weight on, in fact after having an infection 2 weeks before xmas have lost 4ib.

[Mandy6513 in reply to clematis5932]

Perhaps have a chat with your GP....mine gave me those neutrician drinks for a few months while i built myself up and they helped a lot x

[clematis5932 in reply to Mandy6513]

Thanks Mandy we have spoken before have been under dietician, can not tolerate the creamy drinks but quite like the fortisip fruit drinks cold from the fridge, think its time to go back on them. I stopped them as I thought I could do it on my own, maybe not.

[Mandy6513 in reply to clematis5932]

Oh get back on them for a while , im just changing my diet a bit as im sick of this high calorie diet they have me on ive put weight on which is fab but i feel like a snail with brain fog all the time and need some energy ....we got to do what we got to do x x

[Hidden]

I have never lost weight with having COPD more like put on with taking steroids

[Lisachamp]

I have put weight on since having copd due to steriods but my appetite is very poor i eat one meal aday hardly snack have tried eating little but often but just made me feel full all the time x

[bayleyray-uk]

I'm the same small appetite on preds again (at my suggestion this time) and have gained 7lbs in the past three weeks. Did not overindulge at Christmas and have gone off of cakes and potatoes. Still I'm not coughing constantly so the preds do seem to be doing some good. Ended up going to A&E I was coughing so much and the other night I coughed to violently I fell out of bed and pulled all my muscles in my left shoulder blade.

Cheers,

Sue

[Lisachamp in reply to bayleyray-uk]

Oh thats not good hope your feeling better i get a bad cough too and end up nearly being sick or start choking and then i carnt get my breath am hoping that i might lose some weight when i do plumanory rehab course

Lisa x

[bayleyray-uk in reply to Lisachamp]

Saw my consultant on New Years Eve and asked him if I could try Preds to see if it would calm my cough down and he said I could give it a trial for three months. I had been on them for five days at the beginning of December but by the end of last week the cough was coming back and that's how I coughed myself off the side of the bed, it sounds a daft thing to do but has caused problems when I was carving a joint or just carrying a hot cup of coffee. Anyway cough has nearly disappeared, I don't know how I will feel if I start to get a build-up of steroid in my body as I have had side effects with them before. It was a big decision to make as 30 to 35 years on they will certainly impact on my body, but I'm 67 so for me calming the cough down now rather than sit in doors twiddling my fingers for the next few years seemed the better of the two options.

Off to my first pulmonary exercise class next Thursday really looking forward to it.

Cheers,

Sue