Anyone else like me? Weight gain, sick, confused

Yes I have all of those symptoms! 

I do exercise a bit, not as much as I used to – but I figured if I was really strict on my diet, then it could help with weight loss. But maybe I need to increase my exercises. Very hard to do with a sore stomach though.

Apparently the sweating and bad skin is due to hormones – so am looking to go on the pill to balance that out.

I do have achy, swollen hands – I thought it was because I cracked my knuckles (bad, I know!).

Thanks for your reply – weird I’ve got this at this age too, but glad I found out now

I just ran a blood test yesterday and it showed my ferritin was at 1337. After your phlebotomies did you have to continually maintain your iron levels? Did it ever go back up? Because of your high iron levels did create other conditions in your body like diabetes or liver damage?

My results shows that it has for me. I'm waiting to get advice from my doctor whether if phlebotomy will reverse the damage that's been done.

Got tested for PCOS via blood and my hormones are fine, though a bit low on the progesterone but I’m going to get a more accurate blood test done on day 21 of my period.

I’ve been booked in to get a scan to check my ovaries to test further for PCOS so will see how that goes.

Breakfast is usually coconut milk, banana, blueberry and LSA smoothie. 

Lunch is either salmon and a salad or some kind of vege scramble (at the moment it’s red cabbage sautéed in apple cider vinegar on top of a roasted sweet potato – so yum)

Dinner is same as lunch or if I’m lazy, hummus and carrots!

Have cut coffee, all processed sugars, alcohol and I drink 3L of water a day.

Boring, but tasty and ‘safe’. Can’t see how after 3 months of this I can not lose weight!

I can’t eat seeds and nuts unfortunately due to diverticulitis (unless they are REALLY ground up). So I just avoid all bread / grains etc.

Haven’t been venesected yet – I’m booked in to the Haemochromatology unit but theres a 3-5month wait list. They will do more tests then and determine how often I need to get venesections.

My transferrin Sat is 0.85 (non-fasting) and 0.47 (fasting)  (ref range: 0.15 – 0.50)

Have tested my thyroid (all of them) and those results came back fine.

Have also been doing the ol’ apple cider vinegar and I have avoided all soy and milk products – they tend to cause IBS.

Lastly, some of my symptoms are linked to allergies (sneezing, sore throat) and acid reflux. 

Dr wanted to put me on antihistamines but convinced her to allow me to do an allergy test first! So will do that and see what happens.

Also, I am not on the contraceptive pill – so may consider that down the track to balance hormones – which is (hopefully) fix my skin issues and weight!

So frustrating to be going through all of this at only 25. It has totally knocked my confidence. 

I went from being a slim, healthy looking girl to a sick looking fatty in less then 3 years. 

These are supposed to be my prime years too!

Anyway thank you so much for your reply – it was really helpful!!! 

I have allergies with my Helicobactor Pylori too.  It keeps returning every now and then despite having special antibiotics to kill it off.  In the first instance I ended up with 6 duodenal ulcers because they did not know about HP back then.

Then my husband, who also has HH, started having allergy problems and a persistent cough and 'silent' acid reflux, ie he did not feel it but the endoscope saw signs of it in his throat.  He was found to have HP via a biopsy.  Otherwise, the test is usually a breath test but it can give unclear results.

With diverticulosis, do you need more fibre, or is fibre a problem for you?  I eat lots of different greens all at once (like a cooked salad), plus cauli, red onion, leek, fennel, etc.  Is broccoli a problem for you - all the little buds?  To replace my once loved pasta, I found an alternative called pasta and rice made from Konjac root, no carbs, no protein, no gluten, no calories, but high in fibre.

In my country Slendier has bought the company - used to be called Slim Pasta.  It comes in a two-serve pack, rinse it (it does have a funny smell but don't worry about that, it rinses out), then heat up some water and pop it in for a minute.  Then serve.  Only eat one serve at a time or you will burst!  Keep the remaining serve in the water in the fridge.  I often just mix some pasta up with the daily veges, or with the usual spag sauces.

Gee, I must try the cabbage sauteed in apple cider vinegar!!

When I was having major skin problems, I was put on Androcur but it was only after I was not going to fall pregnant.  It really worked, also a script for a retin-a cream (not gel).  The one sold in my country is called "Retrieve" with Tretinoin 0.05%.  Excellent stuff.  I also stopped using cosmetic cleansers, and now wash with Cetaphil wash, exfoliate with bicarb soda, and finish with a wet washer with a sprinkle of white vinegar on it to replace the acid mantle which helps prevent bacteria.

Androcur is also prescribed to women with PCOS.

Let me know how you go.

Hi-

wondering if you have any updates on your daughter? I was recently diagnosed with a Hemochromatosis with very similar symptoms.

Thanks!

I was recently diagnosed after 12 years of struggling. It started when I was 19. I started getting facial hair and felt dreadful. I compared it to feeling 80 years old. I kept going to Doctors to get tested because I knew something was wrong.. nothing showed.. I was completely "healthy". Then at 25, I gained massive weight while being healthy and active. My cortisol went through the roof and was the culprit. Over the years I haven't been able to get it off. My health kept getting slowly worse and I felt crazy!! Wondering why nothing I did was working and having Physicians look at me like I was lying about my lifestyle because all my labs said otherwise. I am a nurse and it is falsely thought we are thin. Remember that this is a metabolic disease. Therefore, the iron deposits into our cells of various organs causing dysfunction in many ways. Classically, metabolic syndrome.