Weight gain due to medication: Are your meds making you fat?

Weight gain due to medication is a real problem and, most of the time, these are common drugs used to treat widely prevalent disorders. Read on to know more.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Updated: September 6, 2019 8:51 pm

According to the study, only those who have a low rate of lipid turnover before the surgery managed to increase their lipid turnover and maintain their weight loss. ©shutterstock

Are you gaining weight despite leading the same lifestyle as before? You might not be at fault here if you are unable to lose weight despite your best efforts. It has now come to light that some medications can make you fat. If you have any mental disorders or are a diabetic, your prescription medicines may be contributing to your weight gain. In fact, weight gain due to medication is quite common.

Weight gain due to psychiatric drugs can be offset by healthy lifestyle

According to a recent study, even overweight and obese people who take certain psychiatric drugs associated with weight gain may be able to lose weight by focusing on healthy eating and exercise habits. Researchers from Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto followed 17,519 obese and overweight adults with at least one chronic health disorder related to obesity. All the participants were enrolled in a weight loss programme focused on lifestyle changes at Wharton Medical Clinic in Ontario, Canada. Nearly one-quarter of patients were taking at least one anti-depressant or anti-psychotic medication. Some of these medications are associated with weight gain.

Researchers saw that, overall, patients lost an average of 3.4 kilograms over 15.8 months of regular check-ups at the clinic. Women lost 3.1 kg when they didn’t take anti-depressants or anti-psychotics. It was noticed that this is similar to the 2.6 to 3.1 kg they lost when they took one or both types of medicine. Men lost 4.3 kg when they didn’t take psychiatric medicines, compared with 3.4 to 5.3 kg when they took one or both drugs.

Researchers concluded that patients on psychiatric medication can lose just as much weight as those who have not been prescribed these types of drugs, even if they are known to cause significant weight gain. The journal Obesity published this study.

Medicines that cause weight gain

Weight gain is sometimes the side-effect of certain medications. It could be due to many reasons. Some drugs may stimulate appetite and make you overeat. There are some medications that may affect the body’s capability to absorb and store glucose. This can lead to fat deposits in the abdominal area. Yet other drugs may slow down your metabolism. As a result, your body will burn less calories. Some may cause shortness of breath and fatigue and make it difficult for people to exercise. Moreover, there are also drugs that can cause water retention. This will add to overall weight.

Be aware of the medications that may cause weight gain. Some of the common drugs that can be blamed are corticosteroids, antidepressants, diabetes medications, heartburn drugs, hormone therapy, oral contraceptives and also certain anti-seizure drugs. Some blood pressure drugs can also cause weight gain. But you must understand that not all medicines under these categories cause weight gain. For instance, metformin, used in diabetes treatment, may instead make you lose weight.

But you must remember that even if a drug may not induce weight gain directly, it can do so by making it difficult for you to exercise or eat properly.

How to deal with weight gain due to medication

Different people may experience weight gain due to medication in different ways. For some, it may be sudden and for others it may be a gradual process over the years. Since most of the medications that induce weight gain are used to treat chronic conditions, you will not be able to stop taking them. Instead focus on eating right, exercising regularly and living a healthy lifestyle. If your doctor prescribes a new medicine, ask if the drug can cause weight gain. You can request your doctor to change the medication if required. Also, if you notice any weight gain after starting a new medication, ask your doctor if it can be changed.

Side-effects of weight gain due to medication

Though the medications themselves are not dangerous, obesity is. Weight gain due to medication can lead to many obesity-related diseases. Diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, metabolic syndrome and high cholesterol are some of the health disorders that you may suffer from if you gain too much weight. Other problems may include heart diseases, stroke, sleep apnoea, liver diseases, lung diseases, infertility and psychological problems.

What you can do

Eat a healthy diet and control portion size. Include a lot of fruits and vegetable in your diet. Protein is important too. Keeping a food diary may help. You must also make exercise a part of your life. Hit the gym, go for a walk or join yoga classes. Any kind of physical activity is good for weight loss. This will help you burn more calories and help you lose weight. You can also ask your doctor to switch to another drug or, if possible, lower the strength of the current medication. You may also consult a dietician who will help you make better eating choices.

Published : September 6, 2019 8:50 pm | Updated:September 6, 2019 8:51 pm

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