General
Weight changes
April 14, 2025
in General
How have you handled weight changes post Transplant?
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How have you handled weight changes post Transplant?
1 - 9 of 9 Replies
This is a great topic. I was actually very underweight during my dialysis days. After my kidney transplant, and the ability to eat a mostly unrestricted diet, I began to put on weight quickly. I'm not on prednisone, but I'm mindful of how transplant recipients can experience new-onset diabetes, so I do my best now to do cardio 3-4 times a week and use free weights to help maintain muscle mass and keep a healthy weight for my height.
@onlylivingboyinny I totally identify what you’re saying. I was under the Dialysis. I have been diabetic for 24 years but with the diabetes, I was smaller. Now I’m post transplant. I gained so much weight. Part of my weight is fluid retention that they seem to can’t really get rid of but it was like I was gaining 8 pounds a month and they can’t distinguish between the weight gain in the water weight . Now that I’ve gained so much weight. It’s been so hard to do exercise but we have a plan and I’m going to try to lose the weight now with some assistance. I’m only two transplant medications.. I’m also wondering if once I went on an insulin pump did that contribute to the weight gain because that’s when I started to notice a significant changes.
I was probably a little underweight before my transplant... Not much to eat as a T1D with stage 4 CKD, and Celiac disease. @Jeanmarie warned me that it was about 2 years before she saw an increase in weight, and now that I am about 2.5 years out from my transplant I have started to see slight changes in my baseline weight. I have increased my daily activity, and I still monitor what I eat. Admittedly, I have been a little more "free" with my eating lately and I see that in my weight. I am up about 6 lbs, its enough for me to notice how I feel in my own body. My transplant team also wants me to start some weight assisted workouts to help prevent osteoporosis from steroid use. I do not care what the scale says, but I do care how I feel in my body; both fully clothed and naked.
Have they ever put you on diuretics to see if that would help the excess fluid retention?
You reminded me just how "locked in" I was to my renal diet during ESRD that it also took me around 2 years post-tx before I was FULLY comfortable eating a mostly regular diet again.
@TServold I totally agree with you. We need to go at what’s comfortable for us. I’m going to try to be like you and increase my daily activity. I do go to therapy, but I know that’s not enough so I’m going so make it my business to spend an in the gym every day. The feeling definitely changes in you. At this point, I’m trying to hide from the bathroom mirror and stay in sweat so it’s not as noticeable until I get the way down.
@onlylivingboyinny they have tried every thing possible. I spent a couple days in the hospital on 24 hour Lasix strip for four days because I had anasarca. Now at home I am on 120 mg of Lasix and metalzone . They said I have a venous insufficiency so pretty much the fluid is stuck in certain areas of my body and they don’t know how to get it out. I’m actually going to be starting. Mounjaro to get rid of some of the weight.
Transplant Patient
I lost a lot of weight immediately post transplant. I was on so much medication and high carb diet right before my transplant that I swelled up like a balloon and as soon as I got my transplant and started recovering it fell off. I dealt with body dysmorphia for a long time just because I didn’t recognize myself. I had no idea how to shop for clothes, and I had an internal panic every time I looked in the mirror. I’ve mostly adjusted - my weight has been stable and the scars don’t bother me. I do feel lucky that I’ve had a lot of support, and working with my therapist on body dysmorphia and a dietician to figure out my diet helped immensely.
I'm so glad I had a dietician during my prep for, and right after, tx. I have so many transplant pals who didn't have access to one.