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Battling Glivec Weight Gain
For those who don't know me, my name is Genie and I was diagnosed with CML in Feb. of 2000. This was pre-Gleevec so with a white count of approximately 280,000 I was placed on interferon and hydroxyurea. Once Gleevec was approved, I was immediately switched to 400 mg Gleevec, where I remain today.
I was one of the "lucky" 30 some odd percent of patients to suffer from weight gain while taking Gleevec. During the first year of treatment, I was gaining an average of 3-4 pounds a month. Needless to say, as the months progressed, that got more and more difficult to deal with. My frustration was compounded by the fact that my eating habits had not changed. I promise, I was NOT sitting home eating bonbons all day everyday!
Approximately a year ago, I decided to take the bull by the horns and see if I couldn't do something about the weight. I talked to my specialist at Dana Farber and he assured me that weight gain was indeed a side effect of Gleevec. He mentioned that some of his patients had had luck with a low carb diet. I decided to try.
I needed to get a handle on the weight gain, so I started with the diet part. I began to write down everything I ate. I always try for a hearty breakfast; a scrambled egg, light toast, orange juice. Or sometimes I have oatmeal, banana and juice. Regardless, I tried to make it balanced. I take Gleevec with my breakfast, so I always follow with a large glass of water.
I try to make lunch a NO-carb meal. I usually have salad or I make a sandwich, but instead of bread I use two pieces of organic romaine lettuce for bread. I try to be creative so I don't get bored.
Then, dinner is usually a smaller portion of whatever I make for the family for dinner. I find being conscious of what I'm eating is half the battle. The main thing is I concentrate on limiting my breads and starches...small portions! Once or twice a week I make fresh vegetable juices with my juicer. I also increased my water intake throughout the day.
Next came the exercise part. For me, this was where mind over matter kicked in. Besides the weight gain, one of the more frustrating and lasting side effects of Gleevec in my case has been fatigue. I think that this made the weight gain worse. It was like a vicious circle...gain weight...become more fatigued....gain more... become more fatigued and more depressed about it. My battle plan was walking. I have always been an avid walker for fitness. When I walk now, I am not breaking any speed records, nor am I walking a marathon, but a little movement and fresh air did wonders for my morale. I felt as though I was doing something positive. Recently, my bones have been aching a bit, so I have taken to walking around the house instead of around the neighborhood, but I still force myself to move, move, move.(OF course...the kids seem to keep me hopping too!).
A recent addition to my exercise regimen has been some light weights. I bought a machine that uses elastic band resistance to help stregthen arms, legs, back, and abdomin . My doctors began discussing BMT's again recently and this got me thinking about having the strength to undergo one should I ever have to. This machine is one of the best purchases I have ever made. In the two months that I have been using it, I have dropped two pant sizes and feel as though I am gaining some muscle strength. Again, I really have to pace myself. I can't work out like I used to pre-CML and psychologically that can be depressing. But, I am doing something postive and healthful for my body.
Regarding the exercise: I have to pace myself. I know my body now and its new limitations. I force myself to do some movement everyday. How much or how little varies depending on how I feel. I find I have cycles of feeling pretty spunky and then days when I feel like I am 150 years old!
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