I have never posted anything like this before but I am at a loss what to do next. I am 53 and overweight and trying to lose it and unwell.
On Dec 29th I got a chest infection that lasted 2 weeks, I then got a post viral infection and another chest infection. They did a load of tests and I have high blood pressure and chlesterol so gave me blood pressure talets and statins. I was off unwell for 7 weeks. During this time they also found out my heartbest fluctuates between 60 and 135 bpm while doing nothing so I have worn a heart monitor and am due to see a Dr on May 3rd with the results.
I returned to work on Feb 12th.
On March 28th I got a nasty cough that continued through Easter I was however on annual leave (going nowhere, all cancelled due to being unwell) Due to go back on Apr 15th but cough had mutated to chest and was not sleeping and so badly congested that lying down meant I could not breathe. I had strong antibiotics and by Thursday last week was improving however from Friday(when antibiotics finished) until today it has gone down hill massively, moved off chest to throat and I am back seeing the Doctor today.
Thinking aloud it seems my immune system might not be working well as I just don’t seem to be able to shake off anything. I am taking multi vitamins and a tonic on top to try and support my body.
Now I know you aren’t Dr’s but does anyone have any ideas or suggestions that may help as I am at my wits end. I know I need to lose 3 stone in weight but currently just walking makes me breathless and I struggle to eat currently but weight not dropping. I weigh 15 and half stone and am 5ft 8".
I hope the doctors can figure it out. The best bets are the blood tests and others they are no doubt running. I got an ECG recently for palpitations. Have they been following up on that? I’m currently seeing specialists with the NHS regularly and they have been good to me, even though I once had to remind them that no I hadn’t agreed to do nothing more for 6 months.
Fingers crossed they figure it out and you feel better soon.
As I side note, I have lived in UK 25 years and stones are still meaningless to me. I don’t think you will find many non Brits who know how to convert them off hand.
I’m sorry you are going through this. You must be very scared. It’s great you have a doctor looking into this, but I sense a lack of urgency to be honest. May 3rd is a ways off if doing a short walk makes you breathless.
Don’t worry about your weight. Hell I’m 5’9" and weight 30lbs more than you, but I routinely do 3-4 mile hikes with 500-600’ elevation without an issue. The fact you had these chest infections and continue to struggle, I would say you’ve got to more aggressive with the doctors. Get a 2nd opinion if they won’t treat it with a sense of urgency.
My only bit of advice and it will echo most health practitioners and that is to drink a lot of water. Think 6-8 pints a day and always start the day with a fresh glass of water. The body needs help and water is a great lubricant in expelling things out of your body.
I wish you well and hope you get better soon. Take your health into your own hands. You’ve got to be your own advocate and push for finding the problem faster.
Remember that modern medicine is amazing, and (if you engage with it) will work what would have been miracles a couple of hundred years ago.
You can’t do everything all at once. Losing weight is a medium-term project so not something you should be worried about while you’re sick. It’s also not as important as dealing with whatever else is wrong with you (which could be an immune issue but could easily “just” be stress or depression).
Weight and fitness are correlated but not the same thing. Work on your fitness first, and gradually (once you’re well enough to do a little exercise) without worrying about your weight. The fitter you get, the longer you’ll be able to exercise. When you’re fit enough, either you won’t be so concerned about your weight or you should be able to lose weight relatively easily.
Personally, I recommend walking for exercise, provided you have somewhere pleasant to walk nearby. It’s really easy to just keep building up how far you go and there are things to see and hopefully some nice peace and quiet.
Your mental health is as important as your physical health. If you’re on a diet and it makes you miserable, that’s likely to be counterproductive overall. So instead of limiting your food intake, look for foods that are a bit healthier than your usual but are still enjoyable. Then replace some of your existing food with more healthy options without necessarily decreasing portion size.
Thanks all, just back from the Dr’s. I have newer stronger Antibiotics and a Perscription Nasal spray to open up the airways more. Thye say if I am not better by next week they will look to refer me to the Ears, Nose and Throat Team at the hospital.
The mental side is also tough, I am about to run out of sick pay which will be a big issue and also while my boss is excellent the ones above her are not so you become consious of that as well.
I am hoping another week doing nothing with new meds will help this time.
I think I need to get out walking a bit each day so something to start as well.
Reemul, that sounds awful. I’m not a medical professional, so can’t offer much advice or guidance beyond my own experience.
My immune system SUCKS. For whatever reason, my immune system fails to adequately deal with pretty much any infection. It tries – I get the usual fevers and whatnot – but ultimately it always fails. The answer for me is always antibiotics, and a longer (and slightly stronger) course to make sure the infection is eradicated. Doctors (at least here in the US) are really reluctant to prescribe antibiotics these days, but if you can develop a relationship with your GP, he or she may recognize that you need more and better drugs than the average bear.
I’ll second this. Eat healthy and get plenty of sleep while working with the docs - your body needs rest and calories to help fight whatever is ailing you. Worry about the weight loss once you get back on track.
Agree with everything above. Fight the immediate issue (chest infection/cough) first, and worry about the secondary issues once you’re better. Rest, LOTS of water/fluids, follow-ups with docs (sounds like you already did this and got stronger meds, that’s a great start) and even more rest and fluids.
I would also recommend taking stock of the stress levels in your life. Stress is a huge factor in things like high blood pressure, heart irregularities, panic attacks, even autoimmune and gastrointestinal issues. Reducing stress can significantly impact your immediate health, and in turn make it much easier to get healthy long-term. You might not be able to completely remove the sources of stress in your life, as often it comes from family, work , financial issues or a combination of all of those, but you can try to moderate it somewhat.
Something simple you can try right away is controlled breathing. Before you fall asleep at night, after you are in bed and all the lights/TV/etc are off, try taking in a deep breath, holding for a couple of seconds, and then slowly letting it out again. Repeat this again and again for 5 minutes or so, you can alternate breathing through your nose and mouth as sometimes breathing in through one and out through the other helps relax your body even further. It sounds silly, but it works. I started doing this at bedtime several years ago when I had high blood pressure issues brought on by stress, and since I started doing it I find I sleep MUCH better at night, which in turn helps me feel better throughout the day. You can do it at any time during the day too to help with stress or anxiety.
As far as weight goes - I would ask if doctor is testing your Thyroid. That could be affecting ability to lose weight. I just learned this may be happening to me. Have to do more tests.
I would suggest writing down what you eat for one week and looking to see what foods seem to be the biggest culprit towards weight. For me it is Soda or Sweetened Ice Tea. I learned to treat those items as a snack and NOT part of my meal. Drinking water only all week - I start to lose some weight each week.
I also bought a treadmill (living in Florida is just to hot to walk outside especially with my asthma and the pollen here). The treadmill helps to start in small doses. I started walking only one tenth of a mile and working it up slowly to a quarter mile and so on. I believe losing weight really needs to have my daily habits change (even if it is small changes in the beginning).
Something like this would be a safe and excellent option for the state you’re in. I’m using a medical grade one in pulmonary rehab because I’m a fall risk on the treadmill some days.
Your immune system is pretty compromised it sounds like. Please consider wearing a good mask when you go out to limit your risk of picking up more bugs to infect your sensitive lungs.
I think a lot of us are having mild spring colds and infections now, causing me too to worry it’s something else. I think this year more people are working in the office and socializing, and we may have tipped back to people feeling a mild symptom and still choosing to go in to work due to perceived or real pressure. But do follow up on the tests.
I agree don’t overdue it. Try and cut calories to 2000 or so a day, and when hungry eat carrots and hummus or your equivalent. Buy a bicycle.
