Gaining weight

[Judi]

Can anyone give tips on gaining weight. My husband lost over 30 lbs from PF ild and needs to gain some weight. Any advice

would be appreciated .  His  appetite is already good but because of the lung disease it burns lots of calories .

[Karen Martin]

My daughter was diagnosed diabetic at a very young age.  Being small anyway, she had difficulty eating as much as the doctors wanted her to eat.  We were told at that time to look for “calorie dense” foods.  Perhaps this same advice might help your husband.  I wish you much good luck with this.  (Alternately, I would be more than glad to donate some extra pounds to him.)

[Charlene Marshall]

@jnorth

Thanks for writing to us, though so sorry to hear your husband is struggling with weight gain. It can be tough when some of our medications really cause an aversion to food. Would he be able to take a high-calorie protein shake, like Ensure? I know those have helped some people gain weight in the past and are easy to consume. Since his appetite is good, he could have these shakes as snacks in between meals to help with extra calories. Just a thought – goodluck!
Char.

[Tammy]

Why does PF IPF make you lose weight?????

[Charlene Marshall]

Hi Tammy,

I can’t say for sure as I am not a physician, but I have talked to my doctors about this and others’ who’ve spoken to theirs. When you have a lung disease, your body is often working harder to breathe than someone with healthy lungs, which causes the body to use more calories. In combination with food aversion or lack of appetite some people get from the IPF medications, these things can cause a patient to lose weight rapidly sometimes. Hope that helps.
Charlene.

[Judi]

Thank u I will try these suggestions. The reason why some people lost weight is because your body uses up so much calories and energy  just trying to breathe.

[Elizabeth Ostrycharz]

Hi Judy, I too was losing weight and had no appetite. I was recommended to a dietician and she has really helped me. Apart from the high nutritious diet what has worked best for me was her suggestion of 6 small meals during the day rather than the traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner. She also recommended milk powder added to a glass of milk or cereal (if you can handle it) and smoothies. I have gained about 2 kilos and best of all I have an appetite again.

Cheers, Elizabeth

[Elizabeth Ostrycharz]

Judy, further to my previous post another good resource is the following web site,

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/nutrition/patients. scroll down to High Protein/High Energy diet.  It is an Australian Govt Web Site and  you will find really good info.

Hope this helps

[Midge Sanford]

I too have been struggling to maintain my weight and not lose anymore. (I have lost about 10 pounds in the last year and a half.) I am eating foods I was very careful about before my diagnosis — like ice cream and cookies, which I now have every day! I am on esbriet and it has changed my appetite, food aversions etc. I have scheduled an appointment with a dietician to get some help with this.

 

[Charlene Marshall]

Hi Midge,

Thanks for sharing this with us, though I know it’s really frustrating to manage weight when the medications cause such a food aversion. I’m sorry you’re experiencing this! In terms of calories, could you had a high-calorie protein shake to your snacks or meal for extra calories? This is something I know many other fellow patients have tried and it’s worked well for them. Just wanted to pass on this option. If your doctor has any other solutions or suggestions that are helpful when you talk to him/her, please let us know.

Char.

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