Bloating? And weight gain.

[HCVGENOTYPE1]

Hello guys n gals, I am new to this today, I have had hep C since about 24, I'm 36 now, I have failed 2 treatments and since the last triple treatment have put on about five stone and look like I am pregnant. Has anybody else experienced this at all?

[Walkinthawoods]

On my 14th week of Harvoni.  Interferon/riba treatment '97.  Have not gained that much weight only about 5 pounds since on Harvoni but have been dealing with terrible bloating for the past 2 years.  Have stopped most sugars, cheese/dairy to no avail. My Gastro scheduled a CAT scan and awaiting results.  Would love to know if others are experiencing bloating, what may be causing this and suggestions on how to minimize this.

[MontanaBlue]

Hi,

I have had bloating several times.  I did cut out milk and cheese and only now see bloating here and there.  I drink Soy milk and no bloat.  I have gained weight, but I think it is mostly water retention.  I will weigh myself in the am and then in the pm and I have gained 8lbs. I eat healthy all day.  No breads, pasta, processes anything etc... Tonight I am not bloated, but tomorrow is another day.  Who knows on these meds how you will feel from day to day.  Adjust what you are eating and see if that helps.  Worked for me.  Good luck!

[pherlocher]

Hello,

I'm hoping some of you that have posted about this are still out there. I'm interested in knowing how you're doing post treatment with regards to bloating and weight gain. I'm 2.5 wks post treatment, HCV 1b, Harvoni only and am still experiencing bloating and weight gain. I've gained 12 lbs and look 5 months pregnant. I'm a small person so this is a lot of weight for me to gain.  I've eliminated sugar, gluten and dairy with no success.  I had an abdominal CT yesterday which was essentially normal. My doctor doesn't know how to help. We're going to try a short course of diuretics. I'd love some feedback from anyone out there that is experiencing this.

Thanks!  I'm in need of support! 

[CureSeeker]

Hi,

I'm not weighing myself, but my clothes are getting tighter, and in the morning my feet hurt.

I had issues keeping my weigh up prior to treatment.  During treatment (Sovaldi & Ribavirin x24 weeks) no issues at all.  Suddenly, one day after a blizzard, my appetite skyrocketed, and I was going to the frig like food was some new invention no body ever heard of before. 

Also post treatment I have become very gassy, lol.  When I was little, my Mom used to lovingly call me, 'fartblossom' and even my husband used to lovingly call me, 'you little fart'.

Who knew the day would come when I would suddenly live up to those titles?  *shrugs*

As long as labs and diagnostics are good, I am going to look at this as part of the post-therapy adjustment process everyone's body seems to go through.

I hope people post more about this if they are experiencing it.  Maybe its just a natural part of the overall post-treatment healing process?  Maybe a natural part of the aging process too?





 

[Lynn K]

I have a small amount of fluid retention but only detectable on ultrasound which is due to my liver cirrhosis and what is called ascities. I take a diuretic, Spironolactone, to help with my lower leg swelling (edema) and my fluid retention.

Severe ascities in cirrhosis can make the patient have enough swelling to appear many months pregnant. This can be treated with diuretics and if not responding to diuretic treatment the patient may need to have paracentesis performed where the excess fluid is drained from the abdomen.

Have you been diagnosed with cirrhosis or had an abdominal ultrasound to check to see if the cause is excess fluid build up in the abdomen?

[gnatcatcher]

CureSeeker, since Harvoni includes Sovaldi, perhaps my experience is relevant. My very first day on Harvoni, I suddenly had a voracious appetite which was still with me nearly five months after treatment ended. I just looked at the "clinical summaries" my various doctors hand me at the end of each visit and see that I gained one-and-a-half pounds during tx and another 6 pounds after EOT. My amount of farting increased markedly, too. (What my dear spouse says is, "Where's my gas mask?")

Beginning on February 22, I began following the Always Hungry Solution diet (as closely as I can given some other medical limitations) as described in the book Always Hungry? by Harvard endocrinologist David Ludwig, M.D.  Just during these first two weeks, I've lost 5 pounds. Not only that, but during these two weeks I'm farting much less than I have in many, many years. What makes that all the more remarkable is that this diet is full of beans -- literally! I gave this diet a shot because it claims to reset one's metabolism, and it seems to have done so for me. Still, two weeks is a very short time, so please consider this just a recounting of my experience to date.

Gnatty

[CureSeeker]

Thank you, LynnK.  I certainly think your post applies to the OP and a few others on this thread, but Gnatty seems to have hit the nail on the head for my experience.

I'm guessing my morning foot pain is more closely related to RA.  I have aches and pains in other areas now too, but the feet in the morning is rather startling.  My feet aren't swelling like with edema.

Lol, Gnatty, I'm so explosive right now that the thought of beans is downright terrifying, but I'm very uncomfortable with the weight gain and embarrassed by the gas, so I would try anything.

I've already tried digestive enzymes and even live probiotics to try to get the flora and fauna of my digestive system back on track, post treatment. I'm sure its helping me in some way or another, but it hasn't decreased my appetite any or helped with the gassy problem either.

Always Hungry?

Why, yes.  Yes I am, lol.  Even when I'm full, I want more.  When it started right after a blizzard I thought my body might be going into some primal hibernation mode. 

I switched to raw vegetables to munch on instead of more fattening treats, and even a protein drink which is supposed to cut cravings, and it isn't helping either.

(Anyone reading this please note:  If edema is an issue for you, or you have a compromised liver, do not try protein powders without consulting your physician first.)

Thanks for the suggested reading, Gnatty.  Maybe a trip to an endocrinologist is in order.  You have at least given me another area to explore for some relief.

Thanks so much!

[Mugwump]

I didn't bloat up too bad on harvoni. But yes during the first 12 weeks of TX I could have powered my truck directly on the methane. My GI was not convinced and I was tempted to pull a blue angle right in his office just to show him that I was not kidding. My clinic nurse believed me however because I caused her to evacuate the room when she did a follow up at 4 weeks!


So yes getting the old butter churn back in action can cause you to create more unfortunate by-products of digestion.


A standard ultra sound is really important to ascertain the levels of fluids in the abominable spaces. Don't forget you might just be digesting your food more efficiently and this can lead to weight gain. The liver returning to a more normal state of affairs can bring on some unexpected results.


We cannot forget that this is the first time in history that so many people have recovered from cirrhosis and we will all recover differently, so there will be patterns of recovery that should be carefully studied and recorded by the clinicians and medical researchers.


;-)
Eric

[CureSeeker]

*jumps up and down waving arms wildly in the air* 

EUREKA ! 

I have discovered a miracle elixir!!!!

4 oz. of Aloe Vera Juice in my smoothie in the morning. 

80% less high-octane AND no more bloating AND coincidently - appetite calmed down finally.

Quite honestly, I couldn't be happier right now. 

Lol at the truck, Eric.

I will be getting that Ultra-sound in the next week or two, but I'm pretty confident I'm not retaining water, at least - that's my story, and I'm sticking to it, until proven otherwise.

SAY NO TO EDEMA!