Unexplained Weight Gain And Fatigue

You Recently Started A New Medication

“Yes, medications we prescribe can cause weight gain,” says Drumm. “Certain diabetes medications including the sulfonylureas, insulin, and pioglitazone all cause some weight gain. It is interesting, since we encourage patients with diabetes to lose weight, yet some of the medications we give can make it harder to lose weight.”

Drumm adds that certain psychiatric medications can cause weight gain, with the atypical antipsychotics being the biggest culprit. Also, “oral steroids are the worst,” he says. “Do your best to avoid having to take them.”

What Type Of Blood Tests Are Used To Diagnose Autoimmune Diseases

Several different blood tests may be used to diagnose an autoimmune disease. In addition to a regular complete blood count and metabolic panel, other tests that are likely to be included are anti-dsDNA, anti-RNP, anti-Sm, anti-Sjogren’s SSA and SSB, anti-scleroderma, anti-Jo-1, anti-CCP, antibody against cardiolipin, and an antinuclear antibody test. A rheumatoid factor test, which looks for rheumatoid arthritis, is also usually included during the diagnostic phase. The antinuclear antibody test looks for antibodies that could cause an autoimmune response.

Nick Robinson And Lung Cancer

The illnesses mentioned above are just a handful of the many causes of unexplained weight loss, some more serious than others. Either way, its best to seek medical help and use the Isabel Symptom Checker to research possible diagnoses. The query below reveals the cause of the symptoms which affected the BBC News reporter, Nick Robinson who, having suffered from a persistent cough was referred to a specialist. It was only by chance that Robinson mentioned hed bought himself a new suit, having unintentionally gone down a suit size.

Luckily for him, the consultant made the connection between his cough and weight loss and diagnosed lung cancer in time for successful treatment. In cases similar to that of Nick Robinson, it is important to think about the causes of unexplained weight loss before simply accepting, or even celebrating, the change. Use the Isabel Symptom Checker to input all your symptoms and research the results to discuss with your healthcare provider.

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So When Do You See A Doctor About Unexpected Weight Gain Or Loss

Its normal for your weight to fluctuate a bit from day to day, or even from morning to night. But a fluctuation that keeps you in a general weight range is different from persistent weight gain or loss over time. If thats what youre noticing, its time to head to a doctor. Thats especially true if youre dealing with significant weight changes along with any of the above additional symptoms indicating that somethings wrong.

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Your Body Is Producing More Cortisol

Stress can elicit an excess of cortisol in your body, so youre having anxiety attacks, depression, and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, aside from the weight gain. If youre also having a hard time getting up in the morning and feeling so unmotivated, consider a visit to a mental health professional who can help you get back on track.

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Unexplained Weight Gain In Adults

Most people who gain weight are taking in more calories per day than they are using. If you are gaining weight despite eating fewer calories and maintaining your usual amount of physical activity, this guide is for you.

This is not a diet and exercise guide. It will not address issues of weight gain related to eating too much or not getting enough exercise.

The guide should be used as a complement to the care you receive from a health professional. It is not intended to replace direct interaction with your doctor.

Fluid accumulation is a common cause of marked weight gain over a short time period.

Have you noticed any new or additional swelling of your legs, feet, belly, or face?

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• Research health conditions
• Prepare for a doctor’s visit or test
• Find the best treatments and procedures for you
• Explore options for better nutrition and exercise

What Assessment And Tests May Be Done

Your doctor is likely to ask various questions. He or she may actually uncover other symptoms that you were either unaware of or did not think were significant. He or she may also examine you. Tests, such as blood tests, may or may not be appropriate. Following a doctor’s assessment, the likely cause may be clear and your doctor will advise on what to do next.

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Has The Patient Experienced Hair Loss

If they have lost eye brow hair and have diffuse thinning of scalp hair, or have developed weight gain, menorrhagia, constipation or tiredness, consider hypothyroidism.

If they have lost hair in a male baldness pattern, and developed hirsuitism, acne and oligomenorrhoea, consider polycystic ovarian syndrome, Cushings syndrome or a virilising tumour.

If they have lost secondary sexual body hair, and have a low libido or erectile dysfunction, consider hypogonadism or hypopituitarism.

If the hair loss is in well circumscribed patches, consider alopecia areata which may be associated with Addisons disease, auto-immune thyroid disease and other organ specific auto-immune conditions.

Does Your Day Look Like This

Have the words Im so stressed and Im exhausted become daily mantras? Do you often feel teary and tense and think, I cant handle this pressure anymore? If stress calls the shots on your life, its highly likely youre suffering from adrenal burnout. Or youre well on the way there. Meanwhile, it will also cause symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Over time, as your adrenal fatigue worsens, it can totally compromise your natural hormone balance, which may lead you to experience enormous energy fluctuations that look something like this:

These constant slumps and dips are signs that your adrenals are really struggling. Adrenal fatigue is one of the biggest cause of hormonal imbalance in women.

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Follow An Adrenal Fatigue Diet

Dont:

• Live on caffeine: That cup of Joe may perk you up but have you stopped to think how? The reason a caffeine hit wakes you up is because it rapidly sends your adrenal hormones skyrocketing. This causes adrenaline to rise by around 32% and noradrenaline to spike by around 14%.

If you are caffeine sensitive, that adrenal rush may be accompanied by shaking, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping and a general sense of anxiety. So if possible, cut caffeine out. Or at the very least, cut caffeine intake right back. Instead, try my matcha latte it has less caffeine so it is a much gentler stimulant.

• Drop your carbs too low: Research shows that ketogenic-style diets that cut right back on carbs and increase protein, can increase cortisol levels by 18% while also reducing the thyroids T3 hormones.

You dont need extreme measures to ensure you are balancing hormones with food so make sure you eat some healthy carbs such as buckwheat, quinoa and sweet potato.

You Are Experiencing Mood Swings Hopelessness And Sadness

“Major depressive disorder is often correlated with weight gain,” says Christopher Drumm, a physician at Norristown Family Physicians. “I screen all patients with new weight gain with the PHQ-9,” which is used to diagnose depression.

Drumm says depression is tricky to diagnose because it can cause weight gain or weight loss, but he says that treatment helps improve those markers.

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Alcohol And Substance Abuse

Excessive alcohol and/or drug use often leads to weight loss, simply as a result of the sufferer not looking after themselves properly. Friends and family may notice the weight loss first without being aware theres an underlying cause of addiction. Classic symptoms vary, depending on the substance, but can include, in addition to weight loss:

• sickness due to withdrawal
• a general unwell look e.g. grey in colour or gaunt in the face
• insomnia
• neglect of other interests
• spending more time on activities where alcohol or drugs are easily available.

If you are concerned about your drinking or drug habits, or that of someone you know, you should consult a doctor about the best ways of tackling addiction. About 1 in 3 sufferers can cure their addiction without professional help. Indeed, simply accepting you might have a problem and seeking help for it is, for many, the biggest step to cutting back. Others may prefer to seek advice from counsellors or their doctor to stop their addiction.

What Will My First Session Be Like

Your first session will begin with a phone interview that will cover your chief complaints, current medical history and past medical history. A determination will be made regarding what testing is appropriate for your condition. Our goal is to find the cause of your illness and not just treat the symptom.

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Has The Patient Experienced Weight Loss

If they have also developed anxiety, tremulousness, diarrhoea, or oligomenorrhoea consider thyrotoxicosis.

If they have developed a deep tan, have a low serum sodium, and feel nauseated and dizzy consider Addisons disease.

If they feel nauseated and dizzy, have a low serum sodium, and have also lost libido or stopped having periods consider hypopituitarism.

If they have also developed thirst, polyuria and nocturia, consider diabetes mellitus.

If there are any other warning symptoms always consider malignancy.

You Switched To A Higher Carbohydrate Diet

If you switch from an extremely low-carb plan, like keto, to a diet that contains more grains and starches, you’ll immediately notice a difference on the scale. That’s because carbs are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. Each gram of glycogen contains about three grams of water, meaning that a plate of pasta will store extra water in your tissues.

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Learn More With Overcoming Estrogen Dominance

The body has an amazing ability to heal. We just need to give it the right resources.

In Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, my goal is to empower and give you the tools to take control of your hormones and health.

More than 70% of women experience estrogen dominance. The symptoms range from lumpy and fibrocystic breasts to thyroid nodules, hot flashes, fibroids, uterine polyps, painful, heavy or irregular periods to infertility and miscarriages, from mood swings to insomnia, weight gain to fatigue.

So many women have experienced the pain and frustration that comes when they feel their symptoms and complaints are dismissed or minimized. This is particularly true for women who are experiencing the symptoms of hormone imbalance. Even when doctors do offer treatment, its typically in the form of prescription medication or invasive surgical procedures.

In Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, I hope to show that those extreme interventions are often unnecessary, and to give women a roadmap to reverse estrogen dominance using food, herbs, supplements and natural protocols to rebalance hormones.

To get your copy of Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, go here.

Testing For Adrenal Fatigue It Can Be Tricky

If you go to a traditional doctor to see if your cortisol is skyrocketing or flat-lining, they will order a blood test. Unfortunately, this can give a very inaccurate or incomplete picture. It might show that your cortisol levels are fine in the morning, but wont show that your cortisol levels may be barely there by 3pm when you are having an energy crash. Also, blood tests only show the total value of cortisol and not the free value which is what your body utilizes.

Urine or saliva testing is a far more accurate way to check cortisol levels. Good tests will check your levels around four times over the course of the day.

Im also a fan of the DUTCH test.

Instead of collecting many samples, you need only one sample which involves placing urine on filter paper and letting it dry.

You can also check your adrenal function at home.

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Criteria For Considering Reviews For Inclusion

We included all Cochrane reviews that assessed the effects of an intervention on fatigue and/or unintentional weight loss in adults with advanced progressive illness in the overview. Systematic reviews published outside The Cochrane Library would not be included, nor would systematic reviews which only included children.

Types of studies

We included Cochrane systematic reviews of interventions with fatigue and/or unintentional weight loss as primary treatment intent.

Types of participants

Adults 18 years or older with an advanced progressive illness known to have clinically significant fatigue and/or weight loss in the latter stages of illness. These conditions include degenerative neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, irreversible organ failure, cancer with distant metastasis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome .

Types of outcome measure

How To Use Sea Vegetables

• Purchase a shaker of dulse and/or kelp flakes and sprinkle on your food in place of salt
• Rehydrate strips of arame and/or wakame and add to salads and soups
• Add to cooked gluten-free whole grains like buckwheat, brown rice and/or quinoa
• Make a lunch wrap with nitrate-free deli turkey, sauerkraut, avocado wrapped in nori sheets instead of flour or lettuce-based wraps

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Has The Patient Experienced Low Moods

If they also complain of tiredness and weight gain consider hypothyroidism.

If they are tired and nauseated, and describe polyuria or constipation consider hypercalcaemia.

If they have developed weight gain and thinned or red skin consider Cushings syndrome.

If they have also lost their libido, or developed erectile dysfunction consider hypogonadism, or hypopituitarism.

Don’t Jump To Blame The Pill

Contrary to popular belief, combination birth control pills aren’t proven to cause lasting weight gain. It is thought that some women taking the combination pill may experience some weight gain related to fluid retention, but this is usually short-term. If you’re still concerned about possible weight gain, talk to your doctor.

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Not Changing Up Your Workout

You may be experiencing unexpected weight gain because you are doing the wrong workout, explains Saara Haapanen, a personal trainer and performance consultant in Colorado. She notes that if youre working out and youve plateaued or are gaining weight, you should probably change up your routine, especially if youre doing the same thing all the time. As humans, we adapt and need to be consistently challenged. The same goes for workouts, says Haapanen. She illustrates this with the following example:

If you do a lot of steady-state cardio you will become more efficient at it. Running will become easier and you will get a lot of cardiovascular benefits but once you get to a point, it wont be a good use of your time to change your body.

In order to mitigate this, Haapanen says you need to change things up. You can still run but change it up. Do 1 min of sprinting, add in hills, and vary your speed. She says its all about keeping your body guessing. If youre doing the same workout every day change it up, add in a strength-training workout, a HIIT, Pilates, yoga, dance, or something else you enjoy. If it doesnt challenge you, it doesnt change you.

An Ovarian Or Uterine Tumor

Earlier this month, a 53-year-old woman in Singapore had a 61-pound tumor removed from from her uterus after showing up at the hospital struggling to breathe. To grow so large, the tumor was likely developing inside her for years. It’s an extreme case, sure. But it shows that if left untreated, large pelvic area tumors, such as uterine or ovarian tumors, can distend the abdomen the way excess fat does and send the scale soaring. In the case of the Singaporean woman, the tumor was benign, but others can be cancerous.

In addition to weight gain, symptoms of ovarian or uterine tumors include lower back pain, vaginal bleeding, painful intercourse, and constipation. But these signs are common for other conditions as well, Dr. Nusbaum says, which is why you should always consult your doctor to confirm the root cause of the problem.

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Cramming Too Much Into Your Smoothie

Regularly drinking smoothies is an easy way to see unexpected weight on the scale, says Gregg. She adds that theres a misconception that smoothies are health drinks. It is true that they often are made with fruits and vegetables, which are extremely healthy. However, there also are a lot of additives blended in, especially when enjoying from a restaurant or pre-bottled item. Smoothies and juices can be extremely high in calories and sugar. For example, Gregg cites that the Daily Warrior from Smoothie King contains 680 calories and 58 grams of sugar. That exceeds the calorie recommendation for an entire meal for a lot of people, she explains.

When choosing a smoothie, Gregg says to forgo the added sugar. Ask for water or a milk product such as almond milk to be used as the base instead of juice, she suggests. Also, ask for no sugar or sugar substitutes to be added. And Gregg says to skip the options that exceed 500 calories unless using as a meal replacement.

Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue

Traditional allopathic Western medicine doesnt recognize adrenal fatigue, even though the changes it can cause are now starting to be confirmed by science. Referring to it as exhaustion syndrome research from Umeå University in Sweden has found that people suffering adrenal fatigue have lower activity in their frontal lobes and also altered regulation of cortisol.

The study also found that people more prone to this condition are often over-achievers and perfectionists. This is not news to functional and integrative practitioners who see women suffering from this problem every day. They arrive feeling absolutely at the end of the line and suffering from these kinds of chronic complaints:

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