Effects of Medicine

[bf6067]

I have been an avid muscle lover my entire life and the desire to build my own muscles and body is extreme. As I have gotten older, my goals have lessened but are more important than ever. I am 46 soon to be 47 yet I am fortunate to still look like I am in my 30s. I am dieing to have a lean muscular body before I look old. This is a very important goal of mine.

Back in July 1996, I learned I had Type II Diabetes and I was immediately put on medicine. I was on the medicine for about a year before I started reading articles on Diabetes which indicates doctors will first try to control it through diet and exercise. If that fails, they will resort to medicine. Well that isn't the way doctors treat Diabetes. They put you on medicine first.

I had worked out back in the 80s and found I wasn't going regularly enough so in 1992 I had stopped working out. But now with the added health issues, I began having regular dreams about working out in a gym where I wasn't a member. I started to yearn to be back in the gym building muscles. In January 1998, I finally started back in a gym.

From January 1998 until August 2000 (When I was layed off from my job) I worked out regularly at my company's gym. During that time, I couldn't seem to get muscular nor could I get lean. I kept feeling the frustration working out around people who weren't there to build muscles.

When I got a new job in November 2000, I started seeking another gym where I could work out and joined a gym in March 2001. Again, I was dedicated and worked out 5 days a week. Do to a health incident which occurred around the same time, I decided to stop taking my medications. Over the months which followed, my weight dropped, around 30-40 lbs and I found myself getting weaker and weaker in the gym. BY the time December rolled around, my blood sugar was over 400, my blood pressure was high as was my cholesterol. Starting over again with a new doctor, I began taking medication again.

Upon taking the medication, I saw these numbers again drop but once again, my weight started to climb. Of course I was getting stronger in the gym so I could tell I was adding muscle but I still couldn't seem to lose the fat or whatever it was which was hiding my muscles. I tried changing my diet, doing aerobics in fact everything I could think of but all that I noticed was I was gaining muscle without losing any fat.

In October 2002, I was reassigned at work and had to join a new gym as a result. I only missed working out for a month before being back at a new gym. But this time, the gym was close to home so I now was able to workout 6 days a week. But again, all I saw was muscle gain. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to reduce.

By April, my clothes were now starting to get very tight again. I would struggle every morning to put on my pants and then my belt. So when I saw my doctor, I complained again about my weight. The doctor would not admit that the medicine had anything to do with it, but because my ankles now were extremely swollen, he admitted that I was retaining fluids. My other problem was that after work, just walking to my car I was totally out of breath.

I became extremely depressed. I am working out as hard as I can doing everything I can to lose the weight, shape up and get muscular and with each passing day I am more out of shape than the day before. Something definitely was wrong. So I was relieved to see that it was probably retaining of fluids.

My doctor put me on a diuretic in May which was supposed to enhance my urination, yet I felt as if there wasn't any change other than I did notice my ankles were not as swollen as before. When I saw him again in June, he stepped up the diuretic by doubling the quantity I should take per day but then seemed to express a concern about me taking the medicine in the long haul. He suggested that I will have to live with swollen ankles and such.

Okay, the point of this thread. I am now to a really disturbing decision. Either I abandon all hopes of ever being lean and muscular and accept being a fat pig for the rest of my life or stop taking the medicine and allow my Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol to get out of control and probably kill me within the next ten years or I find some other solution.

Is anyone else on this board taking medicine who has perhaps had the same experience with a growing stomach? If so, what did you do to combat this problem? It is only my stomach which seems to be so large. My arms and legs still seem to be more on the thin side with some muscles hidden by a layer of fat or water. I am open to any suggestions anyone can give me.

I know I am not in my twenties anymore and so getting lean and muscular will be harder for me but there still has to be a way to get the body I want to build. As of this passed Monday, I have once again stopped taking my medicines. It is only temporary to see if I can get my gut to shrink some with the diuretics. But I am open to suggestions. I know other guys on this board have Diabetes. Have you dealt with this issue? Let me know. Thanks!

[Gator]

IMHO I would be more concerned about the long term..
Being able to do things when I get older..Your stuck b/t a rock and a hardplace unfortunately..

Its hard to check the ego I know but in yer case I think its a priority until everyhting else can be taken care of.
The medicine is there to help u eventho its taking u farther away from your personal goals..

I guess youll have to find a happy medium for yerself and go from there..I know I would..

Good luck!

Gator

[TwoWalks]

Originally posted by bf6067

Back in July 1996, I learned I had Type II Diabetes and I was immediately put on medicine. I was on the medicine for about a year before I started reading articles on Diabetes which indicates doctors will first try to control it through diet and exercise. If that fails, they will resort to medicine. Well that isn't the way doctors treat Diabetes. They put you on medicine first.

BF6, here is the first place to start - "All Doctors are not created equal".

I was diagnosed borderline diabetic in 2002 and the first and only place my doctor began was diet and exercise. I also found myself with water retention same as you indicate and the first thing my doctor did was run test etc to determine why.

What I am saying is that not all doctors really know about nutrition and exercise. Not all doctors look for the cause, just the treatment. Some times we need to look at getting a different doctor that specializes and knows of what they speak.

Your problem here does not sound like a problem with the workouts, it sounds more like a problem of nutrition that does not match the medication etc. There is no reason that diet and exercise can not meet your goals, so I suggest finding a different doctor that specialises in Nutrition - exercise as well as working with diabetics.

[bf6067]

for the feedback. Not sure what I will do next. Unfortunately, even though the medication is for my own good and I know this, it shouldn't make me keep gaining weight. It isn't something I can nor should I accept because instead of feeling good, I feel lousy. And getting heavier and heavier only opens up the opportunity for more troubles. I do not understand how any guy or gal can accept being obese. I am hardly obese and yet it is killing me to watch my stomach get bigger. And I really do not have a big ego. I would much rather praise other guys for their hard work in the gym than have people praise me on my efforts. But I do want to look my best. Okay, maybe a very slight ego.

As for changing doctors, this is my third doctor since learning about the Diabetes. Unlike the other two, this doctor seems more knowledgeable and more willing to work with me. At least to a point. But as for nutrition, I already watch my sugars and sodium intake. I have tried cutting down on calories as well. I am now hoping that the combination of a good diet and exercise, coupled with the diuretic will be the key. I just figured that maybe someone else has had this problem occur and found some change made a big difference.

One more point about the medicine. This doctor has informed me that somewhere within the next ten years I probably will be insulin dependant. When I first learned I had Diabetes, I was told that I was Type II and could never become Type I. Now I am learning differently. Also, I am convinced that where my situation could have been controlled through diet and exercise from the start, since my doctor, at that time, immediately put me on medication first, my body now is dependant on it and can not do without it.

Anyway, I do appreciate your suggestions. Obviously, I shouldn't give up but keep seeking the key to this problem. If it kills me, I will become lean and muscular.

[hbk3]

my grandfather was a diabetic and he lived to be 91 worked up till he was 88. the main thing he did was a good diet and he walked his cattle fences every morning . I will probably be one since it skips generations . and i love sweets i cut them out and feel like i am dying . read all you can about it exercise ,walk get your rest and doctors do not have all the answers there just a tool do not put 100 percent faith in them .

[MiloMan]

Originally posted by bf6067
Also, I am convinced that where my situation could have been controlled through diet and exercise from the start, since my doctor, at that time, immediately put me on medication first, my body now is dependant on it and can not do without it.

We recently had a thread wherein a similar topic arose, the statement of, "I hate how docs lean on meds to do all the work."

I replied with this, as I had asked a doc about that once in the course of general conversation:
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I asked my sportsmed doc about this once, even though he isn't a prolific prescriber of Rx.

He said that he thinks most docs just reach for the scrip pad for high BP / high cholesterol / type II diabetes and similar maladies because most people will not do the work (diet/exercise) to make it happen any other way.

In his specialty, he generally doesn't see too many lazy patients (sports injuries, you know), but for most docs it's just the opposite. He said if you have a fat person with poor cardio fitness, they're probably as lazy as a brick when it comes to exercise and as far as diet control, they tend to have the attitude of a cow - "if there is food in front of you, then eat it all". They've been a slug for years and years, and they are more likely than not to stay that way till they get put in a box. They are more likely to take a pill than to go and work hard/diet/sweat.
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[bf6067]

My retort of course is that in spite of the fact that most people are lazy, you have to take each person one at a time. My first doctor was amazed how in one month, after learning I had Diabetes, I had brought my blood sugar down into a normal range. That should have been an indication to him I wasn't the typical patient and he should have tried to battle it in my case using diet and exercise.

My current doctor has said many times about how some people will do everything possible while others will fight the disease by ignoring it and end up suffering the negative effects of it. He has seen how I do as I am told and so I think he is more willing to work with me on this, however, he refuses to admit that the medicine could be the cause of the water retention. By denying that fact, he isn't doing me as much good as he would be if he would admit it and offer suggestions. I do agree with you, he probably figures that most patients hearing that medication they are taking is causing water retention probably would stop taking the medicine.

I do realize that without the medicine, my blood sugar will sky rocket and I will have major health issues. However, based on the way I feel now, I am still going to have major health issues, they will just be different ones. I need to find that happy balance.

Although I do try and eat right, I avoid the bad foods and I try not to eat too much, something about the combination of the medicine and everything else is making my gut protrude and nothing I do shrinks it. It is very embarrassing to go to the gym and work out hard yet look like you never worked out a day in your life. Sure, you can feel there is muscle but it isn't obvious to look at me.

Again I appreciate everyone's kind words and suggestions. It is a tough battle which presently I feel as though I am losing. But I haven't given up just yet. Thanks again!

[JimGymLB]

Boom Boom - To get rid of that gut, you'll have to add significant amounts of cardio to your weight routine. Start slow and work your way up to 30-40 minutes on the treadmill every day. And more importantly, you've got to cut the carbs. This means most of the foods you love(d) to eat: potato chips, cheeze puffs, pretzels, snackwells, bread, rolls and french fries. Find a Doc who understands the benefits of Atkins and try to maintain a high protein/low carb diet.

You can do it!