Unexplained weight gain

[NobodyKnowsTiddlyPom]

I’m a bit baffled. In the last 12 months I’ve put on over a stone in weight (gone from 9st to just over 10st - I’m 5’3”). I’ve not changed my eating habits, I barely drink alcohol (Christmas, weddings etc) and I’m on my feet all day at work (usually cover 12-15K steps a day) plus additional walking and running. My weight just increasing on a weekly basis!

I’m 44 so don’t think it’s the menopause. Im on biologics for my autoimmune condition but don’t think it can be that as it’s not listed as a side effect and my consultant and GP have said it won’t be that. GP has just done a blood test to check my thyroid and that came back as 3.7 (within normal range).

To make matters worse, I’ve just come back off holiday and have been horribly ill- now on day 8 of horrendous diarrhoea, swollen stomach and unable to eat (I’ve eaten maybe 8-10 slices of toast in total over the last week and they went straight through me). Despite this - I’ve only lost 2lb. 2lbs after a week of near starvation and constant diarrhoea!!! As Peter Kay once said - you can shit a pound…except clearly I can’t! Hopefully GP can treat this once they get test results back.

Usually when I’ve had a tummy bug, it lasts less than 48hrs and I’ll lose about 2-3lbs during that time. So clearly my weight gain can’t be controlled through diet. What could it be? If it was stabilising I could perhaps deal with being a bit heavier but it keeps just increasing.

Anyone else ever had this issue?? I’m really struggling to fit into all my existing clothes and I can’t afford a whole new wardrobe!

I had very sudden weight gain last year and noticed that my legs were also swollen. Do you think it could be edema?

Mine is. No ideas a year later on what the cause is. I had lots of tests via my gp. Had covid for the second time recently didn't eat for a week. Lost no weight then either

No, haven’t got any water retention or any swelling anywhere. In fact, Im quite dehydrated at the moment because of the amount of fluid I’m losing.

I was about to say thyroid but I see you've tested

sorry, at 44 my guess is just age. I am overweight. I don't know anyone who has maintained weight into 40s without either cutting back a lot on their food or doing targeted workouts.

I have tried to get a answer via my gp and saw a neurologist ( for a separate nerve pain issue) then a rheumatologist.

Can you ask your go for a full blood test? Something on their might be an indication. I had low vitamin D which the gp didn't pick up on as its within range ( just ) but the rheumatologist put me on vitamin d which has made me less tired

I hope you recover from the bug asap.

I recently had a full blood test (have to have them every 8 weeks anyway because of my meds) where they also did my yearly vitamin D/magnesium/bone profile tests too. All normal.

I just don’t understand how I can be continuing to put on weight so steadily. I also dont understand how a week of starvation and diarrhoea also doesn’t result in losing weight.

Op create an account on my fitness pal and record every single thing you eat. Then take this info to your gp and explain that you can be certain your diet has not changed and your calorie intake is not responsible for weight gain.

That's a really good idea - best to be able to show you've not increased your calorie intake.

A TSH of 3.7 is way too high, even though it is within the reference range. Treated, you'd be looking for it to be around 1. You need full thyroid testing, which you won't get off your GP. Theclovely people at ThyroidUK can help with this.

I speak as someone who put on three stone in just over a year without changing anything and then couldn't lose it by dieting. Turned out my thyroid was the culprit.

This has happened to me.
I'm 64 5'8" and weighed 9st 7 most of my life. Eat a healthy diet but never dieted because I never needed to. I would lose weight rapidly when ill and put it back on later. I never understood people who put on weight.
In the last year I have gained about 10lb with no change in a lifetime's eating habits. It's clearly not the menopause as that was 10 years ago.

Im on biologics for my autoimmune condition but don’t think it can be that
I also have an auto immune disease.
A year ago I was very ill and since then my inflammatory markers have been the lowest in ten years.
My theory is that inflammation was keeping my weight down and now it's gone (and I am in theory healthier) my body has gained weight because it's not fighting inflammation all the time.
I'm still not overweight so I can't exactly go to GP about it but I will ask the rheumatologist next time I see him.

@DeedIDo My TSH has been that sort of level for years. I’ve had symptoms of hypothyroidism all that time but GPs keep telling me it’s within normal range. Even if I got a private full thyroid testing blood test done, the GP still wouldn’t treat me would they?

@WhizzFizz My Crohn’s and arthritis have been well controlled for some years now so I’ve not been fighting inflammation, iyswim?

Everything I’ve been suffering for years points to hypothyroidism but GP says it’s not.

@NobodyKnowsTiddlyPom, without full testing, which the NHS doesn't usually do, a lot of hypothyroidism is simply missed. Knowing what I know now, ten years into treatment, I'd speak to ThyroidUK for starters. I think they probably saved my life.

I am hypothyroid but only feel well when my TSH is 1 or slightly under.
When GP dropped my meds my TSH shot up to 3.5 and I felt awful and banged on 3 quarters of a stone in 5 weeks.
Insist to your GP to trial thyroid meds. You are hypothyroid and could eat salad all day and put on weight with you TSH.
It makes me so mad that GPs say its in range and leave women sick.

I've also gained weight in the past year and I've tried everything to lose it but nothing works. I'm healthy, all my blood tests are perfect. I exercise regularly, eat healthy food, control calories and sleep well. I'm 43 years old so the only reason my GP can think of is perimenopause. I've always been slim so my body wasn't prepared for this weight gain and my joints and backache all the time (same as when I was pregnant). I only lose weight when I stop eating completely, which I'm not planning to do :)

@LizzieB44 I’m not so sure mine is menopause as I’ve no other symptoms of that at all. I do have almost every single symptom of hypothyroidism though (except that my TSH isn’t above 4.2), even the raised diastolic BP.

I am now heading into day 12 of my horrendous stomach bug and having added up all my calories since it started, I’ve had a week of 300-500 calories a day food intake (most of which went straight through me) and almost a week of 600-900 calories a day, again most of which has gone straight through. It hurts so much to eat so I’m having to force myself. I’m physically shaking with hunger and very weak but my weight is not budging. Obviously this isn’t sustainable anyway but I’m not having doctors tell me that I’ve put on weight ‘just because’. Especially when I’ve got all the other hypothyroidism symptoms (dry skin, high BP, lethargy, fatigue, sensitive to cold, ringing in the ears etc).

Hope you manage to get to the bottom of your mystery weight gain too!