i have a couple 'odd' questions:

1 - has anyone had acne due to medications? i take atenolol 25 mg/day, B-12 1000 mg/day, Vit D 50,000 iu/week. The last couple months I have had horrid acne, like when I was a teenager.

2 - as I become more active, I'm gaining weight instead of losing it. And I know 'muscle weight weighs more' but believe me, there is no muscle weight yet. It is all cellulite and flab. So, I'm wondering if maybe my body is holding more fluids, which is making me feel better, which is enabling me to be more active. So do I have to be heavy to be healthy?

(p.s. when I see my dr. on 10/10, I'll be asking him the same questions - just curious for now)

WantMeBack---
Get your doctor to test your cortisol levels.
(Best to get saliva test taken 2 to 3 times in one day, definitely once in morning and once in evening. Blood tests can be taken too, but saliva test is supposed to be more accurate.) Just tell your doc you heard from other dys patients that their cortisol levels were abnormal.

Good chance you have abnormal cortisol levels contributing to the weight gain. If too high then there are things like 300mg phosphatidylserine you can per day, or if too low than prescription of a cortisone. Methylation cycle also helps in the process of cortisol regulation so if the methylation cycle is malfunctioning then so can the HPA axis (hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal)

Cortisol is a stress hormone. Which is also raised during the physical stress of exercise. Continuously raised levels of cortisol promote weight gain particularly around the middle.

The lack of muscle gain may be indicative of low Carnitine levels. (which can also be caused by undermethylation within the cycle.)
May want to ask about getting your Carnitine tested. I'm doing much better taking 1000 mg per day. Even 500mg in the morning helped right away.

Well, I watch my diet very very carefully, and although I haven't really gained a lot of overall weight, I do look to be about seven months pregnant.
My abdomen is growing daily and I'm not sure why.

physical symptoms of cushing's syndrome (raised cortisol levels)......

"Symptoms include rapid weight gain, particularly of the trunk and face with sparing of the limbs (central obesity), a round face often referred to as a 'moon face,' excess sweating, telangiectasia (dilation of capillaries), thinning of the skin (which causes easy bruising) and other mucous membranes, purple or red striae (the weight gain in Cushing's stretches the skin, which is thin and weakened, causing it to hemorrhage) on the trunk, buttocks, arms, legs or breasts, proximal muscle weakness (hips, shoulders)"

I'm finding it really helps to lift weights. Trying to gain arm, chest, and back muscle is difficult but there seems to be a pay off in that I burn more calories building muscle there, it's not too terribly hard to do even if I'm tired or too short of breath to do aerobic exercise, and overall just seems to make me feel better.

I too have the "pregnant" look which utterly creeps me out. But as I suspected my cortisol levels are raised, so I'm upping my dose of phosphatidylserine and when I'm done being sick with the cold I have currently, I'll go back to lifting weights.

http://www.olivebranchhealing.com/stresses.html

I'm reposting this link. "The Physiological Impact of Stress"

My stomach is also huge--it looks like a filled water balloon and feels like one, too. I believe it's supposed to be just part of POTS, which I have, but is painful and disconcerting just the same. I used to weight lift before I became ill, but find it impossible at this point, so no help there. Anyone else have any good ideas?

I have to say, my skin has gotten much worse lately, like when I was a teen. Very frustrating. Perhaps the Nadalol?

I am switching to Bystolic today on advice of GP. Well, maybe tomorrow. Webmd says Bystolic still can cause funny dreams, but doc said it's a lot better than Nadalol.

your B-12 may be too high -- I was taking 2500mg sublingual and it made be break out real bad. I dropped it down to every other day and I don't have the acne anymore. As far as Cushing's, been there done that. Had it for over 10 years. The only good tests are 24 hour urine done for at least 3 days and/or petro-nasal sinus sampling (if it is a pit. tumor).

I was thinking it might be the vitamins....the extra vitamins being flushed out through the skin

Mayo did a cortrosyn stimulation test in May and the results were normal (as far as I can tell). But that was before medication and PT.

I do have to admit that I don't do a great diet and found that as I feel better/improve, I am returning to my junk food habits.

BUT I just don't understand why I'm gaining weight with more physical activity regardless.

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions. I'll take them 'under advisement' with my doctor

I've had problems with vitamins making my skin break out. Also, they tend to give me migraines, especially multi-vitamins. Another thing I have problems with is the "good" bacteria in yogurt and buttermilk (you'd be surprised how many things contain buttermilk)--they make my face break out in lumps and my stomach bloats out even bigger than usual (if that's possible!).

I have also changed my diet tremendously. Hubby was dx'd w/diabetes (no shots, just glugophage) So we don't eat anything white, watch the carbs (but calories are king) and have totally done away with processed foods. My only vice is a pepsi in the morning and one at night. I drink about 3 52oz 'bubba kegs' of water every day. If I drink milk or eat bread of any kind, I get bloated. My dr. put me on magnesium supplements (I also had severe IBS prior to dx).

lucky to have clear skin. I gained 2o lbs in two weeks 29 %. Docs dont seen to kno or care, I thouht I wouldlose it on the D, bu i gained two back, I am starvinn myself yet docs were more concerned when i was skinny..og they thought I esd snotrexic begore, I ate then..not now/

OMG--this is one ofmy really odd symptoms--from the beginning of this--b4 vitamins--or anything else--my face has been breaking out like I'm 15 again. Who knows why?

When I was having some problems with pimples prior to my period my dermatologist recommended B-6 and it works quite well.