I am coming up on 2 years post kidney transplant. I feel very good with one exception. I have gained about 25 lbs after transplant. My lab work is looking very good and doctors are very pleased with me. I believe that some of the anti-rejection medications work at adding weight. I will admit that I get very hungry throughout the day and especially at night. Trying to find healthy options for those.
Have any of you experienced this and what did you do to try and get your weight down or "in check?"
I do workout at least 5 days a week either at home with bike, treadmill and some workout bands. I do go to a local gym as well and work with a personal trainer and also use the pool at the YMCA. So I try to stay active.
I tried to get some of the new weight loss medications (Zepbound or Wegovy) but have been denied by my Medicare Advantage program. I've approached Aetna (my provider) that this is more or less a medical issue not just weight loss. I know that kidneys do not like excess weight and than there's a potential of diabetes risk (and my A1C is inching upward too) , blood pressure issues (just got done doing a 24 hr. monitor of my BP) etc. No one wants to listen in that a weight loss medication might help. I wonder why do they have these drugs if not to help people?
Has anyone found a truly effective way to deal with weight gain after transplant? I appreciate any suggestions and thank you!
Tankjsl
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Tankjsl
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Not easy as we get older but if you’re already exercising regularly and getting your heart rate up 3+ times per week for an extended period of time then we probably all need to be looking at our diets & what we eat.
Cut out all ultra processed foods, flavoured & fizzy drinks, try switching to fresh & natural foods that only looks like food & mostly drink water. It can be more expensive to shop like this but cut out the stuff that was made in a laboratory or a factory and you’ll feel better and invariably feel fuller on less.
Probably not a popular answer but taking more drugs cannot be the answer.
Good luck, I battle with my weight too at times but I know that exercise & what I eat/drink is always the answer (even when I was on steroids initially after my transplant).
HI, this issue is not really your fault. The drugs they put you on are known for weight gain. I would talk to the prescribing doctor to see if some can be change. For example, the steroid they use is really bad for weight gain and it also raises your glucose levels. But I have read they have an alternative drug now. YOU are not at fault. It sounds like you are doing everything right. The drugs for weight loss are for a lot of weight, which you do not have right now. I would be concerned about the interaction of the drugs and the ones you are on. And they all have some serious side effects. I know, I was on Ozempic and it caused pancreatitis twice.
It is such a dilemma. We work to get the transplant, such as losing weight to get one, and then the drugs they use make you gain weight. I know a guy who did lose weight to get his and then gained 88 pounds back. Personally, I am trying to lose weight to get my transplant and had bariatric surgery to do so. It is not an easy way out either as people think.
Talk to your doc about the drugs and your concerns.
It's always what you eat and when. Journal what you are doing now for a week and then make adjustments. Like you I am hungry and never really full. I have cut out fried foods and sugary drinks. Also cut down on milk products. I have a tendency to snack all day and sometimes in the middle of the night but I choose nuts and fruits. But as others point out your weight is only part of your health. You may be gaining muscle. I wish I had your exercise routine.
It is a shame that your insurance won't cover GLP-type drugs. For me, Ozempic has been a miracle drug, but I had diabetes. I have been in the normal A1C range now for at least 6 months and lost over 20% of my body weight. But as Basstemommer said, it is not for everyone. I do hope that I can take it after transplant though as I do not want diabetes to creep back up. The drug makes you not want to eat, at least for me. I do not really get hungry on it, until the end of the week, when it is almost time for another shot. I begin eating more and more, so I know the drug works for me. For me, not any kind of diet or amount of exercise was able to take more than 5-10 pounds off in over 25 years of diabetes until I went on Ozempic. Hopefully you can adjust your meds as she said previously.
I agree with those advising you to take a good hard look at your diet. I watched my husband lose his kidneys to T2D and go through dialysis and then a transplant. For many years, he faithfully followed and believed his prescriptions would keep him him going just fine as he continued to enjoy western meals loaded with rice, potatoes, other items soaked or covered in sauces and, of course, accompanied by wheat flour-based items like rolls and muffins. Pies, pizza, and banana bread are so yummy! Right? But their high carb content does not bode well for diabetics. So do you have to give it all up? No! Find the substitutions - cauliflower rice for rice, almond flour for wheat based flour, diced or sliced zucchini for noodles, etc. Find recipes for diabetics. Become a label reader. My husband managed, while on PD (even with it's sugar-based solutions), to get himself off insulin. When he received his transplant, he knew his diabetes would return because of his meds and his appetite would also be heightened with toxins now removed. While he had no choice post-transport but to take a minimal amount of insulin, his weight remains in the optimum range. He continues to focus strongly on his diet and takes great care of his transplant. His future is optimistic You can do this too - establish habit-forming dietary changes. I'm confident you'll succeed with this just as you did with your exercise needs.
I gained 2 stone so around the same in the first 2 years after transplant caused by the steroids I’d say but lost it slowly over the last 2 years . Didn’t really change much but I don’t eat a lot of processed food anyway and don’t eat cakes etc. I was put on a tablet for steroid induced diabetes and didn’t know until recently there is a very mild weight loss ingredient in them . That might of helped a bit .
I totally understand! I lost 20 pounds but I also got anal cancer and did chemo and radiation I don't suggest that as a solution! LoL I was put on phentermine to help with the night time cravings it's not a permanent solution but it helped before I got cancer. I would ask about things that can help curve the night time cravings and look into homeopathic options but okay them with your transplant team. If you have an adrenal gland issue like Addison disease it is common to have night time cravings. Good luck.
If your doc still has you on Prednisone, ask him to take you off! It puts on the weight and there’s no need to be on that drug for more than 1 year post-transplant. My nephrologist tapered me down to 5 mg during the first year and then took me off. I lost the weight and had no issues at all.
Thanks…I will mention that at my next visit. I did get approved just this week for Wegovy. I will give that a try for now until any other challenges are met.
I know how important managing weight and blood sugar is for us as transplant recipients, so I wanted to share what has worked for me. I had the same issues. I was exercising 6 days a week and could not lose weight and my 1Ac was climbing
I started following the approach outlined in the book Glucose Revolution, which focuses on changing the order in which you eat your food. It’s a simple but effective method—starting meals with fiber, then protein and fats, and saving carbs for last. I’ve found that this has really helped with stabilizing my blood sugar.
Over the past three months, I’ve lost 20 pounds, and my A1C has gone down as well. I haven’t made drastic changes to what I eat, just how I eat it, and it’s made a big difference.
Thanks - I just ordered the book. The library.....there was a long wait to get a copy. I will read it but I also picked up a prescription of Wegovy today and hoping it can kind of jump start me downward. Weight & A1C are about the only things now and someone suggested that I ask them to take me off of prednisone. Hopefully all will improve soon. Thanks for the support.
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Weight gain post transplant. How do I lose while on prednisone? 
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