I'm now 13 months post kidney transplant. Since the transplant I have put on at least 15 pounds but it keeps going up - I was only 4-5 pounds and then it went up to about 10 pounds and then 15 pounds. Even though I try to exercise and I do watch what I eat too (my wife's a nurse so I rarely get by with eating junk and never processed or fast food) the weight seems to still grow. It is all centered around the belly. It looks like I have a beer gut (which I don't drink nor drank that much prior to the transplant).
Any suggestions? I saw a post on here about Wegovy but has anyone tried anything that is not an additional medication? I would try that if they thought it was helpful but would just like to lose some of this extra weight. I think I would feel even better if I could get this "gut" off of me.
As always, thanks for your help and support.
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Tankjsl
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I had my kidney transplant 15 years ago, & have gained weight & lost it along the way. Best advise, to not even buy crackers, chips, or sweets or you will be too tempted. I ask my partner to hide them he wants some for himself. Portion control. If you eat buts, bring only 10 in a zip bag & never keep the whole box or bag with you as its too easy to indulge. I learned this advice at UCSF after transplant. I rarely eat between meals & that helps too. No sugar but once in a month or less. No fruit juices…they have too much natural sugar. No gluten helps reduce bloating as well. Lots of veggie dishes with green veggies. I eat minimal bread, potatoes & pasta. More rice, veggies, chicken & beans.
Hi, congratulations on your kidney transplant. It’s a great gift but comes with complications like the weight gain that you describe. I’m 4 years from my kidney transplant and have gained 10 pounds, all in my stomach area too. The only advice I can give you is what Tashikat suggested - be careful about your food choices and exercise. Exercise really helps me. I find keeping weight off is really hard and takes a lot of discipline. I’m curious if anyone else has other suggestions.
If your transplant doctors are tinkering with your immunosuppressants, it's possible that your weight is reflecting that. Otherwise, diet choices and little exercise can contribute to weight gain significantly. My hubby (with the transplant) and I are seniors and we know this makes a difference too. My hubby was very overweight (and diabetic) and exercise-averse most of his life - and this led to his kidney failure. He managed to change his diet before he went dialysis and remains slender today - almost three years post post-transplant. Throughout, we're very mindful that our metabolism is decreasing as the birthdays roll around and we also aren't as active as we were in earlier years. We also know that, with his new kidney, his appetite is great. Unfortunately, the western diet is well known for contributing to weight gain. And it's not helpful that cooking shows are everywhere and have little to do with nutrition and health. So, some years ago, we focused heavily on avoiding processed foods that have lots of sugars and carbs in them and we also concentrated on portion control. Since then, we've continued to purchase veggies and fruits and we favor "fins and feathers" for protein. We rarely eat desserts. For example, we usually eat an egg or two with fruit in the morning, a simple sandwich with tomato slices for lunch, and chicken or something similar with two veggies (no potatoes or rice or noodles) for dinner since they're very carby. Snacks are usually nuts, popcorn, fruit. And we're mindful of portion size. As an interesting footnote, my hubby inherited dinnerware used in the 1930s (depression era). He searched everywhere for the dinner plates only to discover the "salad plates" were the dinner plates! He was sooo bummed. He quietly put the set in storage, noting people would think they were being starved if served on those plates and dishes. So, yes, the current American diet and the super-size meals need improvement. As for exercise - that's another area we're dealing with. We alternate walking and exercising, (We use HasFit for Seniors on YouTube.) We're careful not to get injuries - we don't heal fast. Staying active is a "must do" now - a pattern and habit that keeps us focused. I'd like to add that our family doctor was instrumental in getting my hubby on the right track and cheering him on. Having a doctor or dietician in your corner may be helpful for you too. Wishing you lots success in getting your situation to where you want it. You've reached out - that's half the battle!
I have but one question for you: are you on steroids? Steroids will 1. Make you hungry 2. Alter your metabolism you so gain weight even if you’re eating the same amount of calories as before transplant Even 5 mg of steroids will do this.
When I went for my transplant evaluation, and I will never forget these words, the transplant surgeon Dr Bunnapradist (who was a very tall, thin guy) said “I want you to lose weight now because after transplant I put all my patients on steroids and they gain15-20 pounds.” I left in tears. I’ve struggled to lose weight my entire adult life.
Other drugs may cause weight gain. I suggest you go to the manufacturers’ website and read the side effects profile. Or go to your pharmacy and say you want the package insert.
According to my uncle who was a cardiologist, statins cause diabetes and he avoided putting patients on them unless their cholesterol was really, really high. There are also several other drugs out there to treat high cholesterol that are not statins.
Fully 20% of all post transplant patients become diabetic. Did they not tell you this?
I got put on Phentermine which has helped me go from 155lbs to 134 lbs so far. My transplant doctor kept telling me to loose weight but being on prednisone it's hard to loose weight and Phentermine has helped a lot. My Endocrinologist said that this works short term but he wants to find something long term since I have Addison disease on top of being on prednisone which Addison can cause you to feel hungry all the time. The Phentermine has help with that a lot. I still have another 20 pounds to loose but slowly getting there. I am only 4 ft 9 in tall so being 114 lbs or less is a hood weight for me.
Can you take Moujaro? My nephrologist suggested it to lose 20 lbs. Don't know how it may interact with your post transplant drugs but you may want to ask.
No because it will react with my main anti rejection med and I have hypoglycemia so it can make it go lower. Thank you so much for the suggestion though!
I gained 30 pounds in 1 year. I’m 27 months post transplant. I’m not on Prednisone, but I’m peri-menopausal, the anti-rejection meds made me gain weight and I think the enormity of everything hit me.
I have always been trim. Because my blood pressure was starting to raise and I was having a hard time losing weight, my Nephrologist ok’ed me being on Mounjaro.
HOWEVER, I’m combining the med with therapy and a dietician. I do not want to be on an additional med forever. I need to work on the parts I can control - emotional eating and a new healthy diet for my lower metabolism.
I highly suggest both - therapy and a dietitian. We have all been through SO much. We can’t eat like we use to ever again. The meds really affect our metabolism. The transplant or dialysis affect our emotions and stress levels.
Good luck! The weight gain was really demoralizing after everything.
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