The COPD diet

[susandennis]

Before I quit reading about experiences with the drugs I'm taking for this breathing crap, I found several about people who have lost their sense of taste while on Advair (one of the ones I take). I've lost my sense of taste before and it's not good. I got it back and I plan on keeping it. So far, so good.

I also read that some people on Advair and on Combivent experience a substantial increase in appetite and/or weight gain. I've really noticed no difference in the latter (although at my size, it will need to be more than subtle for me to notice). But, I have absolutely noticed that it takes far less food to fill me up.

Chef Anita's meals are lasting two nights or three - the first night and then one or two of leftovers. A half sandwich is about all I can manage these days for lunch. I used to be able to handle a full one with chips.

It's fine. I'm not complaining. Chef Anita might - she's going to have to cut down on the size of her meals or come less often. Or maybe my body will get used to it and I'll go back to the chow hound I've always been.

Comments

[jawnbc]

As long as you don't put on stoopid, bad for your heart, weight, don't worry about it. A lot of folks with COPD have the opposite problem: burning so many calories breathing they lose weight.

Mom had COPD; Dad's a diabetic. She she'd be in bed working on a milkshake and and ice cold can of Pepsi; Dad would be sullenly slurping a Diet Coke!

[susandennis]

Come to think of it, Mom was kind of tiny when she died after years of COPD. Interesting...

[jawnbc]

For years Mom was losing weight--and she had osteo as well, so that was not good. My pointing out that a can of regular pop has over 100 calories was the turning point: she was drinking diet so my Dad wouldn't feel deprived.

COPD is diagnosed much earlier now--and people live with it for years, decades even. Mom wasn't diagnosed until she went into respiratory arrest--her fault, since she was trying to hide her symptoms. You're smart for dealing with it sooner. Better prognosis.

[viridescence13]

My Nana lived with COPD for almost two decades. She also weighed less than 90 pounds when she died and could never put weight on, and it was due to how much she had to labor just to breathe. She joked about how she spent all those years dieting and exercising, never to know that she would later wish the fat back!