[Vanquish39]

Hi everyone, I'm a 21 year old male. The reason I'm writing is because I'm very puzzled as to what is going on with my mother. I will explain clearly in the next couple of sentences.

She is 47 years old and something is really puzzling me. One day she noticed she was feeling very dizzy and lightheaded. This continued for 2 weeks. She visited and doctor and the doctor said she had blood pressure. So she starts taking these blood pressure medications and throughout the next several months, things go haywire. Her weight skyrockets.... She gained about 40 lbs in a matter of 3 weeks. Her thighs, arms, and buttocks all got fatter. We are till this day stunned. I have no idea what is going on wit her.

1) Is this weight gain from the blood pressure medication, the menstruation, or both?

2) What can I do? She exercises in the morning, but still it's ridiculous how much weight she gained. By any chance, could the menstruation have caused the blood pressure to show up?

3) Can it be her weight is water weight? If so, what's the best way of removing excess water. What in general, can I give her so she can start losing her pounds.

Thanks everyone for taking your time to read this.

[KMonte85]

Nobody can gain that amount of fat (40lbs!!!) in only 3 weeks.. no way, no how! It is NOT fat that is increasing her weight.

I think your mom is retaining water, lots of it, and that is B-A-D! It is a sign of heart problems, like congestive heart failure, and she needs to go back to her doctor asap.

They will most likey put her on water pills to help maintain that problem, but make sure they check her heart out thoroughly as well. My grandmother had congestive heart failure and had water retention as her first symptom - it is the kidneys responding to the heart problems.

Take her back to the doctor as soon as possible, and tell her to take it easy on any sort of aerobic exercises that may put strain on her heart.

[Vanquish39]

She eats healthy, I don't see how she can have heart problems. Yesterday I actually noticed her arms getting fatter. She went to a doctor recently and they said she had no problems. Does she need a different kind of test to check her heart?

Thanks

[WildChild]

It certainly sounds like the meds. She may need to visit a different doctor if the one she is going to isn't taking this seriously. I had something similar happen after having Hepititus A. I gained about 40 lbs in a matter of weeks, it wasn't from drugs - I wasn't taking any, but something when haywire. It took me quite a while to lose it.

Your mother has been menstrating for well over 20 years, that is not the problem. Women often gain weight as they move into menopause, but is generally gradual and can be controlled with better diet and more exersize. It sounds like there is something else going on.

[DarienDearest]

It is probably the pills. My mom is taking some pills that make her retain a lot of water so the doctor gave her other pills to help stop that.

[KMonte85]

It is probably the pills. My mom is taking some pills that make her retain a lot of water so the doctor gave her other pills to help stop that.

ugh, this isn't advice at all, but this scenario is such a pet peeve of mine in the over-medicated world we live in.

"Doc, I'm sick... what can you do for me?"
"Here take this pill, it will stop your symptoms."
"Doc, my original ailment is gone, but now I'm sick again with something else. What can you do?"
"Oh, that's a side effect from the pills I gave you. Here's some more pills that will help stop the side effects..."

and so on, and so forth....


OP - glad to hear that it wasn't a heart issue! Best to rule that out right away... if it is her meds that are causing her to retain water, then she should go back to her doctor. No one needs to live with 40 pounds of excess weight on their bodies! It is good that she is eating healthy and exercising a bit, tell your mom to keep it up, and have her talk to her doctor, or perhaps get a second opinion for a different doc - who might have a different idea on how best to treat her.