Unexplained Weight Gain: A personal inquiry

QUESTION:

Aloha,
I am female, 52, and moving into perimenopause. I am 140lbs, 5'9" and have always been active and physically fit. My hips are small, my arms & legs are small, I am thin and yet my stomach has been growing and growing for the last 18 months. I have started natrum mur.6X cell salt for water retention, but my mid section keeps growing. We moved to hawaii 2 years ago, and my diet changed "TOTALLY" but I am trying to utilize the healthier diet of this sunny climite verses the heavy foods of a cold climate where I use to live.

I am lost as to what to do. I have looked at many solutions and am stuck.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Tummy [name changed for privacy]

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ANSWER:

Tummy -

My first thoughts are that I have a 1000 questions to ask you. Thus, I believe it would be wise for you to seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

A growing tummy without other areas growing can be many different things. Can be as simple as weight gain due to water retention - as you stated -or it could be something that needs medical attention. What that may be is unknown without geting a thorough history and running some lab tests.

Have you had a pregnancy test?! It is still possible to get pregnant during perimenopause.

So please visit your healthcare provider.

If you have not been in some time, do tell them that your tummy has been growing and that maybe an ultrasound should be done and a CBC with differential. The CBC stands for complete blood count and gives clues to what is going on with all organs of your body - very useful test. Some basic physical exams test are useful as well.

Thank you for asking us a health question.

I apologize that I cannot offer specific information here but seeing a physician is the prudent thing to do.

In health,

Benjamin Lynch