Hi my husband had a knee replacement 4 weeks ago he has always been on the biggish side and people were saying youve lost weigh.Now his appertite is very poor at the minute and he isnt eating as much rubbish as he was because basically he s not going out to get biscuits etc ,I wonder if the weight loss is normal while it is good he as gone down from 15st in november to 14 two weeks ago got weighed again this morning and has lost another 5 poiund i expected weight gain he is also type 2 diabetic and his levels are all over after the surgery but managable but my friend also a diabetic type one says that when your levels are unstable you can lose weight.Dont get me wrong its a good thing but seems to be a lot in a short time .Is this normal or should we monitor it
Hi Lynne, pain meds can make you lose your appetite, especially the strong ones at the beginning.
Hi lynne,
I have had two TKR surgeries in the past 12 month, I did loose weight in the first months, the pain and feeling down or depressed , you just want to take your pain meds and sleep and food is not appealing. . I lost alomst 2 stone ( I needed it) , but a year on I am eating very well and walking fast, stairs are no problem etc, I have no pain at all. I am so glad I have no crippling pain from arthritis. The first three months are hell , but it does pass.
Yes nearly everone seems to lose weight after tkr. As he's diabetic obviously need to watch and sdjust insulin but major trauma like rhis does cause havoc with the sugar levels . As Im sure you know the lows are the main danger and if he is used to nibbling between meals and not now doing that he meeds to be very careful . My husband no longer gets the tell tale symptoms of a hypo (trebling sweating etc) so take care and watch. At least as you say weight loss has to be good long term for the knee and the diabetes!
Hi Lynn, I note the concerns you have for your husband's health.
All the comments and concerns that you have made are completely understandable, and I would certainly not worry too much about your husband's weight loss at this time.
With diabetics the weight can go either way, for example in my case (also diabetic t2) my weight went up quite a bit when I quit smoking, but with other diabetics there can be a marked decrease in weight.
In your husband's case, as he is not eating quite as much or chomping away at the biscuits, I think a certain amount of weight loss should be expected.
Diabetics do need to eat the correct food and regularly if they are to maintain a reasonable degree of control on their BG.
What I would consider to be of more concern are his BG levels.
You do not say whether you husband takes medication for his diabetes, or if it is regulated by diet alone.
So to sum up then, his levels need to be carefully monitored and if they do not show signs of stabilizing in say a week or so then I would seek the advice of your GP or Diabetes nurse.
As for his weight loss, this should also be carefully monitored, and if it shows signs decreasing much more or more rapidly, then I would also be tempted to seek professional advice.
I am nearly 4 weeks in not overweight and have lost 8lb already...I think it is a general cannot eat any rubbish as can't go and get it but also appetite isn't great at the minute x
I lost weight after my first TKR, a stone in a very short time. But then gained it back unfortunately when my appetite returned and I could move fast enough to keep it off. The knee weighs a fair bit too. I'm now 12 months into my second TKR a and I'm another stone up! Moving fast now though!!!
You dont give his height but at 15 st and type 2 diabetic, its probably a good thing he is loosing it. A 6 ft man should be about 12 stone. Think of it as a God send as his diabetes may disappear
It can go both ways as far a weight. Loss is normal with this surgery. The high level of pain just causes you to lose your appetite. Pain meds dull the taste buds so food is not as desirable. On the flip side, lack of sleep and being up and about all hours of the night can cause you to developed bad eating habits. Personally, I found a bowl of ice cream @ 2 a.m. to be a great reward for all the suffering I was enduring and, if it was a really bad night, a couple of tablespoons of hot fudge upped the reward. Give him 3 months recovery time to see if life settles down to some sort of norm. He will find life to be normal again but it may be a new normal. This is a strange operation as it throws everything into a different light both physically and mentally. Things will come at you so fast and from so many directions you will find this forum a great help. There are no silly or foolish questions. Folks here are very compassionate and caring
He is on insulin 3 times a day and metformin he did ring the drs surgery because one day is levels in the morning was 12 then dinnertime 10 and dropped to 3.5 at tea time but they did say they will be all over the diabetic nurse is ringing him back this week i dont wantthem to change it to much incase it goes to low so maybe higher is good at the minute ..thank you for your reply
It's a normal process of post op procedures. After my tkr I lost 9lbs. It's now creeping back
It's normal...I lost a stone after each of mine. Things don't taste the same and you do also lose your appetite. And, of course, you are not expending as much energy as usual.
Hi Lynne, I too lost weight. I asked my Doctor about it and he said our bodies burn a lot more calories after surgery. The healing process requires a lot of calories. It is completely normal and if he is like me he will put it back on after. I am 20 weeks out and the weight is coming back. In the first 2 months I lost 10 pounds.
Here i was hoping I might lose a bit ( I certainly need to) but no such luck. Think I ll blame it on a heavy metal knee joint!
Sorry for the late reply Lynn, but Sunday is my day off everything.
Following on from what we said before, you are correct in thinking that his levels will be all over the place at the moment, but as the Diabetes nurse is phoning you this week and she know what is going on there is little to worry about.
It is heart rendering to hear you concerns for your husband, he is lucky to have you to monitor and care about his situation, but you must try not to let any of this get you down.or there could be noone to look after your and his welfare.
I think it is true to say that you have done everything at the moment that can be done so now get the professionals to do their bit.
My very best wishes to you and your husband.
Rod
sounds normal to me , its a masive opp and most of us dont really want to eat for a while , hes been knocked sideways , things will return to normal soon , dont worrie , if he doesnt want to eat , he may just eat what takes his fancy at the time