1. Community
  2. Blood & Immune System
  3. Haemochromatosis

gaining weight

Posted , 3 users are following.

anne06326
anne06326

my sister is waiting to go on the transplant list,but has been informed she must excerise more and gain weight which is hard as with loss of appetite her meal portions have been a lot less.They have now after 6 months of being diganosed brought in a dietician in on things(far too late in my opinion) but her suggestions are to eats snacks more inbetween meals,ok that's fine but she has cirrosis and haemochromotosis ,and acitas having to have a drain every 2 weeks and she has been told to eat bacon,sausage for breakfast and crisps as snacks and 7 digestive biscuits a day !! surely this is adding to the sodium intake which is bad for water retension . srely there are other foods that can increase muscle,would be interested in other patients that have or are having the same problems .

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • RHGB
    RHGB anne06326

    Posted

    What was the cause of the cirrhosis?
    • RHGB
      RHGB anne06326

      Posted

      I had to smile to myself, when I came out of hospital after about two months - liver failure and a brain hemorrhage. My first appointment (after my GP) was with a hospital dietician who told me allabout the right diet, special foods, little and often, between meals, snacks, eat just before bed etc.

      I said why? She said your liver is not good and it can't retain energy like a normal one. So I said, if that is the case, why did they feed me the usual hospital slop, at the usual regimented three times a day, if it is so important. No answer came the reply.

      As has been mentioned, protein drinks are a good way. In the UK, you would be prescribed Fortisip in this situation. I don't know if eggs are allowed (6% iron), but they are low in sodium and a decent source of protein. They are also high in choline, which is good for the liver.

      Again, as suggested, fats that are low in sodium are a great source of calories.

  • allaroundanne
    allaroundanne anne06326

    Posted

    You need to up her protein intake without increasing the sodium.  There are a lot of different protein shakes out there, most of them whey based.  You can make milkshakes out of them.  Another thing to add is stuff with healthy fats like peanut butter, walnut butter, coconut oil, olive oil.  The easy thing with fats is just a couple of tablespoonfuls is a LOT of calories.  You can even add them to the protein milkshakes and make a supercalorie shake that really tastes yummy-- ie get some chocolate flavored whey powder and add peanut butter to it.  You can also try adding in some fruit to the shakes for healthy sweetness and calories.  You might want to look online at some of the body building websites- they have a lot of recipes for muscle building without adding sodium.  They are very concerned about not retaining fluid as it ruins how their muscles look and of course they want to beef up.  Sounds like the perfect combination for your sister. HTH.

    Lynn

    • anne06326
      anne06326 allaroundanne

      Posted

      Thank Yo yes i have looked into that also will give it a try but she has to like them also ,don't want to be heavy handed with her although it is for her benefit 

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.