and the doctor says

[Beth-C]

My weight loss is great, but my hip pain might actually be being caused by it!

For several months now, I've had a nagging ache in both of my hips. It hasn't limited my movement and exercising makes it ease up a bit, but it never really goes away.

The doctor agreed with me that it could simply be my hips are tightening back up (finaly) after having my kids and loosing 55 pounds. Or.....

It could be arthritis. If after I reach my goal weight the pain doesn't ease up I will need to have further tests done. Until then I am supposed to take a perscription anti-inflamitory.

Can you believe there is a bad side effect to loosing weight?!

[marysmom]

I CAN SOOOO BELIEVE IT !!!!! I have bruises, too! I've never bruised easily before...now oy vay!...I bruise at the slightest bump!!!

Rhonda "marysmom"

[JuliaG1]

Hi Beth-C. I'm sorry to hear about your hip problem and I hope it does feel better once you reach goal. I guess when a person loses such a large amount of weight there are just so many changes on the body (I hope to find out first hand!). Some of them are bound to be negative. Personally, I worry about the effect this is having on my skin. I suppose all we can do is focus on the positive and learn to cope with the negative. I really do hope it's a temporary thing. It's interesting that exercise makes the pain lessen. That doesn't happen with Arthritis (sp) does it? Keep us informed.-Julia

[TameraZ]

Beth, I had major problems with my right hip when I was pregnant and it has suddenly flared up again. I never even considered the fact that it could be weight loss related but I guess that makes sense since the problem started by gaining weight?! Hope yours gets feeling better soon.

[Beth-C]

Rhonda---- I bruise too! I had forgotten how easily I used to bruise! Today the doctor asked about a big bruise on my arm (I'd been trimming trees with my Dad, got hit by a falling branch but it looks like a finger mark.) The doctor said to take an iron suppliment in addition to my multi-vitamin to see if it eases up. You might want to ask your doc or just give an iron suppliment a try (Or we could be like Popeye and eat lots of spinich! )

Julia-- I worry about my skin too. I figure I'd better start saving up now to get some work done! Oh, and yes, exercise does help with some forms of arthritis.

Tamera-- the meds the doc gave me today are already working. I feel better than I have in months! Hopefully the condition it's self will clear up and I won't be taking yet more pills for long!

Let's see, 1 Phen, 1 multi-vitamin, 2 calcium supps, a birthcontrol, my afternoon phen booster, and now my once a day anti-inflamitory!! Crikey! I'm almost as bad as my grandma when she was end stage cancer!

[stellar]

Hey,
I had the preggo hip pain for sure and the sciatica, ouch! Now if my lower back gets tensed up the muscles push on the sciatic nerve and causes pain in my hip and sometimes down my leg, usually on the right side. Its pretty common so I keep up with my lower back stretches to avoid it.

The left side of my hip makes crackling sounds when I exercise,of course not right now though while my left knee is injured. Thats just air pockets I hear but its still annoying!

edit: I wanted to add that iron and calcium shouldn't be taken together. They cancel eachother out.

Bruises, Yes. I've been iron anemic since birth. I eat enough iron rich foods. Docs have always said that my body just doesn't absorb iron as it should. I take a very strong prescription iron suppliment everyday. If I don't I get bruises, dizziness, fainting, thin indented discolored fingernails, skin problems etc... lack of iron can do bad things. Of course be careful as well cause its very easy for a normal iron absorbing person to overdose on iron. Men especially! Keep iron pills away from kids. VERY DANGEROUS!

I also heard and this may be wrong. It was told to me by a nurse practitioner, that when you gain weight your body creates new bloodvessels to feed the skin, since the surface area has increased. As you lose weight these vessels are no longer needed, they weaken and when you do something vigorous like workout or if you bump into something etc... these weak vessels break apart and form a bruise then your body disolves them over a few days but they are basically the same as bruises. They can look aweful.

Beth, I hope you feel better! You are doing so well and isn't it nice to hear your doc confirm it? Keep up the good work!

[ September 12, 2002, 09:22 PM: Message edited by: stellar ]

[gsleader]

Beth,
I hope everything works out and you feel better soon.
The one thing that I have noticed since the weight loss is that my b u t t seems to have a bone that I can feel when I sit down. I know that sounds really strange but it is really weird to me.

Amy

[Whowhon]

Beth,

I was sorry to hear you were having hip pain, but I am glad that the anti-inflamitories are working. I am glad you found out what was wrong. I have the same pain in my right hip. And it does get better with exercise. It is something else that we are losing weight for our health; yet, our bodies make us think we are doing the opposite.

I get weird bruises on my body but after reading alot of people get bruises in here I just thought it might be a side effect of the phentermine. Never thought to contribute it to extra vessels in the skin. Thanks stellar for the information even if you are not sure.

Amy, I can understand the butt thing. You have just lost so much weight that all is left is skin, bone, and a muscle. So when you sit down, you can feel your bones. This is a good thing.