Question:
I Gained 7 pounds in 4 hours!!!

Ok...I am appox. 4 and a half weeks post op from open RNY and I caught the flu. I had to go to the doctor's yesterday because I become very dehydrated from vomiting and had to receive 4 bags of IV fluid and a few anti nausea shots. When I left to go to the doctor's I weighed 259lbs (which I have weighed for about 3 days)., when I came back just about 4 hours later I weighed 266 lbs!!! Please tell me this is from all the fluid they gave me! It has now been over 36 hours since then...and I still weigh 266 lbs. Do I have to battle to lose this 7 pounds all over again? Or is this just water weight? I thought if it was just water weight, that it would have been gone by now. I am very worried. Has this ever happened to anyone else?    — Shawnie S. (posted on August 26, 2002)

August 25, 2002
Shawnie, I'm most positive that its just water weight. That is probabally your actual weight because, you were already dehydrated when you weighed yourself before going to the doctors. Had you not been dehydrated thats what you would have weighed. I'm glad you are now feeling much better.
   — Patricia C.

August 25, 2002
any time someone is given iv fluids they gain water weight..
   — paula B.

August 26, 2002
Shawnie, it is the IV fluids that caused the weight gain. Don't worry about it-it'll disappear in a few days. I gained 12 pounds right after the WLS surgery and you could see the puffiness in my wrists and face from the fluids. Shocked me too! Wish I had been warned...
   — Cindy R.

August 26, 2002
Hi. Relax, it's not possible to gain 7 pounds of fat in four hours (thank God). It has to be water weight. You said that they gave you 4 bags of IV fluid (that's about 7 pounds right there). Just remember that you were dehydrated when you weighed yourself the first time. That might mean that you didn't get an acurate reading. So when the water weight goes back down, don't be suprised if you are a few pounds more than you expected. It's just water, not fat so don't worry about it. =)
   — Sarah K.

August 26, 2002
Patricia is right, the weight you were before going to the doctor's was low because you were missing some of you normal fluid! You may have become somewhat over hydrated with the IV fluids and may loose some of it but pray that you don't loose all of it or you will once again be dehydrated. Do yourself a favor and don't speend so much time on the scale! Your weight will fluctuate normally in the course of the day, you would do better to weigh yourself just once a week! God Bless!
   — garnet156