Breast Cancer - weight gain and chemo

I gained a lot of weight though my chemo I am currently 66 kg I went to 74.5 kg, that also is a little hard but completely normal. When things settle down the weight comes off again.

Women with breast cancer often complain of weight gain as an undesirable side effect to their treatment. Women treated with chemotherapy are 65% more likely to gain weight than those patients who undergo other forms of treatment. Premenopausal women undergoing chemotherapy are at the greatest risk for weight changes.

Many women who have chemotherapy for breast cancer have reported an average weight gain of about 5 to 8 pounds over a year. Some have reported gaining less while others have gained as much as 25 pounds.

What causes weight gain with breast cancer?

Many things contribute to weight gain. One reason for weight gain could be premature menopause brought on by chemotherapy. Menopause makes it easy for you to gain weight. That's because it causes your metabolism to slow down. There is also a change in body composition. Your body gains more body fat and loses lean muscle

A second reason for weight gain during breast cancer is the use of corticosteroids to help with nausea that often occurs with chemotherapy. These types of drugs can cause an increase in your appetite. In addition, they can cause a redistribution of muscle mass from the extremities into the abdominal area as fat.

Normal weight gain involves a gain in both fatty and lean tissue. The weight gain brought on by chemotherapy, though, involves only fat. The loss of lean body mass and the gain of body fat are typical of the normal aging process. A woman having chemotherapy ages the equivalent of 10 years over the course of just one year.

Some research suggests that weight gain is also related to lack of exercise. The drop in the level of physical activity may be due to the fatigue, nausea, and pain that come with breast cancer treatment.

Weight gain may also be related to intense food cravings. Some women have cravings that typically involve sweets and carbohydrates during chemotherapy. These foods can cause weight gain, especially when they're not eaten in moderation.

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