Any out there on meds that make you gain weight?

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  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    _Ben wrote: »

    Pharmacy students are now experts?

    If you are tracking your calories in and out you can make adjustments to what the medications might slightly alter and still be successful at losing weight. As the OP has tried to claim she did not gain weight because of medications while eating 1 apple every 2 or 3 days.

    I lost the majority of my weight while on high doses of steroids and 13 other prescriptions. It took paying close attention to my numbers and making adjustments.

    Obviously its not impossible to lose weight while on 'weight gaining' medications, on the contrary, its very possible! However, the simple point is, some medications do make you gain weight. You may not see as fast of weight loss while on these medications, as compared to when you are not
    But see, I don't think they do. It may be semantics but I think that statement causes confusion, especially on a calorie counting site. They decrease your TDEE and that's not the same thing.
    If you are on a medication that has a known side effect of affecting your weight, measure and reduce your intake accordingly because eating too much with a lowered TDEE will make you gain weight.
  • cindyhoney2
    cindyhoney2 Posts: 603 Member
    Hily93 wrote: »
    YES! Most anti-psychotic and anti-depressant will and can cause weight gain. I shot up 60# with Seroquel. Abilfy is another one known for weight gain.
    I've even had a petite little doctor tell me that in no way shape or form did a drug cause me to put on weight. To be honest, she's lucky I didn't sit on her or break her in half since I weighed prolly three times as much as her at the time. I'm careful and will not take meds that have weight gain side effects simply b/c most of my depression was over being overweight.

    Anyone who says they don't has never been thru it and needs to STFU!

    Well aren't you pleasant...

    The meds didn't make you gain the 60 lbs. Not adjusting calories to account for the slight changes the medication caused is what put the weight on.

    When I was first put on the steroids I wasn't watching calories, weight was going up about 8-10 lbs per month because I didn't adjust for lack of movement, and increased appetite. Once I did I lost steadily.

    Some of us were never told that weight gain was a side effect. I for one blamed myself for over 2 years.

    Exactly, and I'm still unsure where you got the medical degree???

    The brochures list weight gain as a side effect, it's common knowledge, more know than 10 years ago. The doctors even discuss it with patients now. And you are right, I'm a bucket of sunshine when someone is telling a flat out lie!
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Hily93 wrote: »
    YES! Most anti-psychotic and anti-depressant will and can cause weight gain. I shot up 60# with Seroquel. Abilfy is another one known for weight gain.
    I've even had a petite little doctor tell me that in no way shape or form did a drug cause me to put on weight. To be honest, she's lucky I didn't sit on her or break her in half since I weighed prolly three times as much as her at the time. I'm careful and will not take meds that have weight gain side effects simply b/c most of my depression was over being overweight.

    Anyone who says they don't has never been thru it and needs to STFU!

    Well aren't you pleasant...

    The meds didn't make you gain the 60 lbs. Not adjusting calories to account for the slight changes the medication caused is what put the weight on.

    When I was first put on the steroids I wasn't watching calories, weight was going up about 8-10 lbs per month because I didn't adjust for lack of movement, and increased appetite. Once I did I lost steadily.

    Some of us were never told that weight gain was a side effect. I for one blamed myself for over 2 years.

    Exactly, and I'm still unsure where you got the medical degree???

    The brochures list weight gain as a side effect, it's common knowledge, more know than 10 years ago. The doctors even discuss it with patients now. And you are right, I'm a bucket of sunshine when someone is telling a flat out lie!

    It's not a flat out lie. Does it make it more difficult yes it can, can you take steps to work towards finding the correct intake to either maintain/lose weight while on medications .. yes you can but you have to decide you want to take an active part in your health and not just place blame on doctors.

    I don't need a medical degree, I know from experience that it is possible once you stop blaming everything else and start taking an active role in your health.
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  • cindyhoney2
    cindyhoney2 Posts: 603 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    YES! Most anti-psychotic and anti-depressant will and can cause weight gain. I shot up 60# with Seroquel. Abilfy is another one known for weight gain.
    I've even had a petite little doctor tell me that in no way shape or form did a drug cause me to put on weight. To be honest, she's lucky I didn't sit on her or break her in half since I weighed prolly three times as much as her at the time. I'm careful and will not take meds that have weight gain side effects simply b/c most of my depression was over being overweight.

    Anyone who says they don't has never been thru it and needs to STFU!

    Sorry but you don't set the rules.
    _Ben wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    _Ben wrote: »
    Pharmacist here. OP Im not seeing in this thread specifically what you are taking (possibly missed it) but if you want to send me a PM, there may be an alternative medication that might work a bit better for you.

    Also for those who say medications can or cant cause weight loss, you're simply wrong. Medications can alter your metabolism, water retention, salt/electrolyte retention, etc. If anyone would like, Id be more than happy to explain in further detail

    So if they alter your metabolism and lower your TDEE would the fat gain be from the meds directly or is it from a reduction in TDEE and eating above that?

    Also, yes, please explain in further detail with supporting evidence.

    Lots of misinformation in this thread, Im a bit busy at the moment, but I'll do a brief explanation. Dont really have a bunch of time to sit on this thread, so Ill do my best to make a brief, but thorough answer

    Weight gain and weight loss is controlled by a host of mechanisms, but primarily it is based off calories in vs calories out, which is the basis of MyFitnessPal. Calories out is primaily controlled by your metabolism, which is controlled by the energy that is expended by the body, and hormonal regulation. Drugs that alter either your energy, your hormones, or metabolism (such as thyroid medications) can have positive or negative effects. This is especially true with oral contraceptives, antidepressants (both atypical and typical), antipsychotics, thyroid medications, diabetic medications, parkinsons medications, nasal decongestants, and some blood pressure and heart medications.

    Other medications can alter other factors that while not directly affecting calorie use, can change storage habits. Some medications will cause increased or decreased glucose storage. Some move electrolytes and fluids into different locations, causing an increase/decrease in fluid weight. Heck if you take HCTZ you lose a bunch of fluid weight due to its diuretic effects. Just the same, theres plenty of drugs that cause fluid retention. Some medications also will increase appetite, which often times cause people to gain weight. While that weight gain is due to them eating more food, some drugs have reported increased appetite, leading to increased weight gain, therefore are considered to be related to weight gain.

    In terms of supporting evidence, it really depends on the actual drug you are talking about, but pretty much the best source for anything is the National Library of Medicine. Here are some quick links I found, related to a few different drugs

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0003573/ - Good overview summary article

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11681765 - Abstract related to weight gain in different antipsychotics

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16234878 - Abstract related to weight gain in general. Not on my work computer ATM so I couldnt access the full article.
    _Ben wrote: »
    Also for those who say medications can or cant cause weight loss, you're simply wrong. Medications can alter your metabolism,

    which can make you gain weight, einstein :wink:

    And seriously dude, you need to tread very carefully PMing with med suggestions. That's between the OP and her doctor/

    Im not certain what you meant by the first portion of your comment, but I think its just that I meant to type weight gain instead of weight loss, simple typo.

    In terms of medication recommendations, it is something that I have a degree and a license in. Its also a recommendation. A) These are prescription medications, and without a prescription from her doctor, there is no way for her to get these medications. B ) Its a recommendation. Of course without seeing her lab values, PMH, SH, FH, etc, there is no way to know for certain. Thats why I was offering to recommend an alternative, that may have decreased weight gain effects, but either a similar or comparable MOA. Thats what my job is as a Pharamcist. I can make a recommendation, and through her talking to her doctor, she possibly could make a switch. There is a reason that we are called 'drug experts'; because we are drug experts. I am simply offering an extension of some advice if she would like some, but I would never recommend doing anything without her doctor being aware. I never recommend my patients change their therapy without also consulting their doctor, often times I will call their doctor so all 3 of us can have a conversation to optimize therapy, outcomes, and adhrence

    I will be looking at those links in a few.

    SORRY, AT WHAT POINT DID I SAY I SET THE RULES???
    If I set the rules there would be no need for any of the meds to begin with to cause or not cause the side effects that cause the need for more meds. Or weight gain or loss (there are plenty that cause loss as well) I've done my research and I've been going thru it for 25 yrs, so you'll just have to excuse the hell out of me for speaking from experience. Although I'm not a licensed Pharmacist I can actually spell.

    I'm bowing out b/c you don't know me and I don't know you.
  • cindyhoney2
    cindyhoney2 Posts: 603 Member
    edited January 2015
    Hily93 wrote: »
    YES! Most anti-psychotic and anti-depressant will and can cause weight gain. I shot up 60# with Seroquel. Abilfy is another one known for weight gain.
    I've even had a petite little doctor tell me that in no way shape or form did a drug cause me to put on weight. To be honest, she's lucky I didn't sit on her or break her in half since I weighed prolly three times as much as her at the time. I'm careful and will not take meds that have weight gain side effects simply b/c most of my depression was over being overweight.

    Anyone who says they don't has never been thru it and needs to STFU!

    Omg I can so relate!! Seroquel is what got me here, and my doc didn't even tell me that I could gain weight. I really hate her, she did so many things wrong with me that cost me a lot. And the last time I spoke to her she was yelling at me and telling me I was the reason for all that went wrong. Which was some major breakdowns and a bunch of other things.

    If my p-doc would have acknowledged part of my problem was my weight I would have felt better a whole lot faster, but I found that out on my own. No one wants to exercise when they are crying and don't even want to get out of bed.
    Mine didn't help me much either, I'm seeing a new one now that understand my concerns. I hope you have better luck in the future as well :)

    I have made great strides to being healthier, not just less depressed, the meds are half of the problem. IMO
  • Just joined today and was gonna ask same thing, I'm on 30mg antidepressants and no matter how much I diet I put Weight on, had a suspicion it was my meds causing it.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    FredDoyle wrote: »
    _Ben wrote: »

    Pharmacy students are now experts?

    If you are tracking your calories in and out you can make adjustments to what the medications might slightly alter and still be successful at losing weight. As the OP has tried to claim she did not gain weight because of medications while eating 1 apple every 2 or 3 days.

    I lost the majority of my weight while on high doses of steroids and 13 other prescriptions. It took paying close attention to my numbers and making adjustments.

    Obviously its not impossible to lose weight while on 'weight gaining' medications, on the contrary, its very possible! However, the simple point is, some medications do make you gain weight. You may not see as fast of weight loss while on these medications, as compared to when you are not
    But see, I don't think they do. It may be semantics but I think that statement causes confusion, especially on a calorie counting site. They decrease your TDEE and that's not the same thing.
    If you are on a medication that has a known side effect of affecting your weight, measure and reduce your intake accordingly because eating too much with a lowered TDEE will make you gain weight.

    Unless you are a scientist actively researching the effect antidepressants have on weight, you are in no position to say "they just decrease your TDEE."
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    edited January 2015
    As we age, it's observed that our metabolism slows somewhat in the average person.
    Would you say that getting older makes you gain weight, or would you say that less energy is required to maintain our weight as we age? Saying weight gain is a side effect sounds like an excuse for weight gain. What it should be is a call to diligence in case we need to reduce our intake in order to maintain (or keep losing) weight.
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  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Hily93 wrote: »
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Meds can cause weight gain in ways that researchers have only recently begun to study.

    Sure they do. Due to affecting appetite, and causing people to retain water (giving an artificial gain on the scale that isn't fat gain).

    Are pills filled with calories that put someone in a surplus?

    You can gain weight while on certain meds. There has been research proving that people on certain drugs gain a significant amount of weight during the first year or 6 months of using the drug. These researches are made on thousands of people out there, you can't draw the conclusion that all of them are on a bad diet.
    In my case, I was on a bad diet, but at the same time I didn't eat nearly as much as I should because I had no appetite and I walk ALOT and back then I used to live on the 6th floor with no elevator, and I lived in a 2 storied apartment. I was running up and down those stairs all day.

    The weight gain while on meds is not about diet type, but about being hungrier than usual and eating more calories overall and/or tired from meds and moving less. They cause water retention too. However, in order to make actual fat, you have to feed it food.
  • fevrale
    fevrale Posts: 170 Member
    Hily93 wrote: »
    YES! Most anti-psychotic and anti-depressant will and can cause weight gain. I shot up 60# with Seroquel. Abilfy is another one known for weight gain.
    I've even had a petite little doctor tell me that in no way shape or form did a drug cause me to put on weight. To be honest, she's lucky I didn't sit on her or break her in half since I weighed prolly three times as much as her at the time. I'm careful and will not take meds that have weight gain side effects simply b/c most of my depression was over being overweight.

    Anyone who says they don't has never been thru it and needs to STFU!

    Well aren't you pleasant...

    The meds didn't make you gain the 60 lbs. Not adjusting calories to account for the slight changes the medication caused is what put the weight on.

    When I was first put on the steroids I wasn't watching calories, weight was going up about 8-10 lbs per month because I didn't adjust for lack of movement, and increased appetite. Once I did I lost steadily.

    Some of us were never told that weight gain was a side effect. I for one blamed myself for over 2 years.

    Exactly, and I'm still unsure where you got the medical degree???

    The brochures list weight gain as a side effect, it's common knowledge, more know than 10 years ago. The doctors even discuss it with patients now. And you are right, I'm a bucket of sunshine when someone is telling a flat out lie!

    It's not a flat out lie. Does it make it more difficult yes it can, can you take steps to work towards finding the correct intake to either maintain/lose weight while on medications .. yes you can but you have to decide you want to take an active part in your health and not just place blame on doctors.

    I don't need a medical degree, I know from experience that it is possible once you stop blaming everything else and start taking an active role in your health.

    I'm thinking the reason people who are affected by certain medications that are associated with weight gain wanted to post in this thread initially was to find people in similar situations for support and figuring out solutions to their problems. Not to have strangers tell them that they're putting on the blame on someone else (I know, I know, "it's a public forum/free country and I can do what I want"). If I missed the post in which someone said "WAHH! It's all the doctors fault!" please, point it out to me. If not, the fact that someone is posting on this site is that they are looking to take an active part in their health.

    Now, I'd love a thread for those on these sorts of medications where we can talk about stuff that matters like how to restrict intake and deal with the insatiable hunger, etc. and the stuff that's actually productive. Let's do that sometime.
  • Well I've had blood tests,changed my diet,exercised more, cut out carbs,eat gluten free products.but still notice no weight loss since on my meds.always been active since leaving forces. I've no medical degree or a diet guru.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    edited January 2015
    fevrale wrote: »
    Hily93 wrote: »
    YES! Most anti-psychotic and anti-depressant will and can cause weight gain. I shot up 60# with Seroquel. Abilfy is another one known for weight gain.
    I've even had a petite little doctor tell me that in no way shape or form did a drug cause me to put on weight. To be honest, she's lucky I didn't sit on her or break her in half since I weighed prolly three times as much as her at the time. I'm careful and will not take meds that have weight gain side effects simply b/c most of my depression was over being overweight.

    Anyone who says they don't has never been thru it and needs to STFU!

    Well aren't you pleasant...

    The meds didn't make you gain the 60 lbs. Not adjusting calories to account for the slight changes the medication caused is what put the weight on.

    When I was first put on the steroids I wasn't watching calories, weight was going up about 8-10 lbs per month because I didn't adjust for lack of movement, and increased appetite. Once I did I lost steadily.

    Some of us were never told that weight gain was a side effect. I for one blamed myself for over 2 years.

    Exactly, and I'm still unsure where you got the medical degree???

    The brochures list weight gain as a side effect, it's common knowledge, more know than 10 years ago. The doctors even discuss it with patients now. And you are right, I'm a bucket of sunshine when someone is telling a flat out lie!

    It's not a flat out lie. Does it make it more difficult yes it can, can you take steps to work towards finding the correct intake to either maintain/lose weight while on medications .. yes you can but you have to decide you want to take an active part in your health and not just place blame on doctors.

    I don't need a medical degree, I know from experience that it is possible once you stop blaming everything else and start taking an active role in your health.

    I'm thinking the reason people who are affected by certain medications that are associated with weight gain wanted to post in this thread initially was to find people in similar situations for support and figuring out solutions to their problems. Not to have strangers tell them that they're putting on the blame on someone else (I know, I know, "it's a public forum/free country and I can do what I want"). If I missed the post in which someone said "WAHH! It's all the doctors fault!" please, point it out to me. If not, the fact that someone is posting on this site is that they are looking to take an active part in their health.

    Now, I'd love a thread for those on these sorts of medications where we can talk about stuff that matters like how to restrict intake and deal with the insatiable hunger, etc. and the stuff that's actually productive. Let's do that sometime.

    Read through the thread. There are a few it's my doctor's fault, my doctor didn't tell me.

    I did go through this, so if you don't want to hear from someone who was there I was 285 lbs when I started on 14 different prescriptions, I couldn't stand for more than 5 minutes at a time, so don't tell me I wasn't in a similar situation. I'm saying I blamed my medications for a while until I learned that I could control it.

    Just because you don't like the response doesn't mean it's not helpful or supportive, some of us have been there and done it already.
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  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    bretttania wrote: »
    Well I've had blood tests,changed my diet,exercised more, cut out carbs,eat gluten free products.but still notice no weight loss since on my meds.always been active since leaving forces. I've no medical degree or a diet guru.

    Start logging your food accurately and honestly see what you are consuming. Adjust from that point. But without knowledge of your consumption it's not going to make a difference. You don't have to cut out carbs, go gluten free, or any of that.
  • Thank you, but I've always eaten healthy and trained, it's only been in the last year I've noticed a weird weight gain.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    _Ben wrote: »
    Pharmacist here. OP Im not seeing in this thread specifically what you are taking (possibly missed it) but if you want to send me a PM, there may be an alternative medication that might work a bit better for you.

    Also for those who say medications can or cant cause weight loss, you're simply wrong. Medications can alter your metabolism, water retention, salt/electrolyte retention, etc. If anyone would like, Id be more than happy to explain in further detail

    So if they alter your metabolism and lower your TDEE would the fat gain be from the meds directly or is it from a reduction in TDEE and eating above that?

    Also, yes, please explain in further detail with supporting evidence.

    If I hit you over the head with a hammer, just hypothetically of course, since I'm not a violent person, would the pain be from being hit in the head with a hammer, or from the inflammation caused by the burst blood vessels and fibers under the skin?

    Sometimes people talk in shorthand. It's easier to say, "This medication caused weight gain," than "This medication caused my metabolism to slow which resulted in unknowingly overeating which resulted in weight gain."

    If you want to fix the problem then that is a very important distinction.

    If I take a drug and then gain weight I could say that the drug caused weight gain. I have to take that drug so there is nothing I can do about the weight gain. That is wrong.

    If someone tells me the drug can not cause weight gain but it does alter my appetite or cause me to be less active. If I eat more calories than I burn as a result THAT is what causes the weight gain. Then I know how to fix the problem. Adjust calories intake or increase calorie output. It simple even if its not easy.

    The drug did not cause the weight gain, too many calories cause the weight gain.


  • PammieSuzyQ
    PammieSuzyQ Posts: 100 Member
    There are medications that affect weight for any number of reasons. Some cause a change in appetite, some cause a change in metabolism, some cause water retention, and others for reasons unknown. For anyone to blow someone off with "pills don't have calories" is unhelpful and unnecessary; if you do not have anything useful to say, bow out of the conversation.

    As a PTSD Veteran I have spent more than 30 years off and on various anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications, and currently I am on Prempro, a Hormone Replacement Therapy medication for women in menopause or post menopause. Almost all of the meds I have ever taken have affected my weight by various methods. And the meds I am on now, Prempro, Trazadone, Amlodipine, Tramadol, and Topomax, every single one of them can cause weight gain. I have learned to work around the ones that cause a change in appetite; I am the one in control. As far as metabolism changes, I can fight back with weight training; muscle burns more calories.

    But I have had trials of some real horrible meds that caused me to gain between 8 and 14 pounds in a single month. Needless to say I refused those meds and forced the doctors to try other ones. The 14 pounds I gained with the one anti-depressant has never come off since, I suppose because I gained it in my 50th year. I was perimenopausal and my metabolism was in flux. But hey, is 100lbs even healthy on a 5'5" frame? I'm fine with 115 even, so I am only working to take off the winter 10 I gained back over the holidays, and tone up the muscles that went flabby during time off trail after several injuries.

    If you want to know the side effects of your medications, check out drugs.com. Weigh the pros and cons. The meds I am on are the ones I need, I asked for lower doses on some of them to counter act the side effects. I can also take them at different hours of the day. AND, I chose talk therapy and group therapy over anymore meds. Talk with your doctor AND your pharmacist. Your pharmacist knows more about medication than your doctor does, drugs are his job.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    Does anyone else think this endless bickering over the exact mechanism of drug-induced weight gain is pointless? The end result of many people being put on these medications is weight gain. Does it matter whether it does so by making you more hungry or by slowing your metabolism? Either way, the result is the same. Seroquel is a drug used to treat bi-polar disorder, and every person I know that has taken it, experienced significant weight gain. I would venture to say that these numbers are statistically significant, otherwise, why would doctors warn patients that they were going to gain weight before they started taking the drug? Not they "might" gain weight, but that they most certainly would, although some may gain less than others. I think people here are looking for solutions, not arguments.
  • candacefausset
    candacefausset Posts: 297 Member
    I'm a firm believer that meds don't just magically make you put on weight like so many side effects labels would have us believe. Yes, they can make you store fat deposits if your meds alter the way your body processes glucose. But at the same time you burn those same fat deposits like you would any other fat deposit- by a calorie deficit. And if people say their meds give them a lack of energy, it kind of screams bologna to me. That same fat you are trying to get rid of is literally stored energy. I got put on a birth control that took some considerable time to regulate in my system. It caused me to become severely depressed for about half a year in which I did relatively nothing besides eat cookies because I am an emotional eater. The meds may have given me a side effect but it was still CICO that caused me to gain back 20 pounds after my initial 43 lost. Even water weight can be gotten around in most cases by flushing your system and if you can't flush the 3-4 pounds of water weight, you can still lose fat while on meds. It may be hard to work through whatever side effect you have but the only excuses you have are the ones you are feeding yourself. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just stating exactly what I have had to come to realize through my own experiences.
  • Well said fatcity.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited January 2015
    MrM27 wrote: »
    _Ben wrote: »
    Pharmacist here. OP Im not seeing in this thread specifically what you are taking (possibly missed it) but if you want to send me a PM, there may be an alternative medication that might work a bit better for you.

    Also for those who say medications can or cant cause weight loss, you're simply wrong. Medications can alter your metabolism, water retention, salt/electrolyte retention, etc. If anyone would like, Id be more than happy to explain in further detail

    So if they alter your metabolism and lower your TDEE would the fat gain be from the meds directly or is it from a reduction in TDEE and eating above that?

    Also, yes, please explain in further detail with supporting evidence.

    If I hit you over the head with a hammer, just hypothetically of course, since I'm not a violent person, would the pain be from being hit in the head with a hammer, or from the inflammation caused by the burst blood vessels and fibers under the skin?

    Sometimes people talk in shorthand. It's easier to say, "This medication caused weight gain," than "This medication caused my metabolism to slow which resulted in unknowingly overeating which resulted in weight gain."

    If you want to fix the problem then that is a very important distinction.

    If I take a drug and then gain weight I could say that the drug caused weight gain. I have to take that drug so there is nothing I can do about the weight gain. That is wrong.

    If someone tells me the drug can not cause weight gain but it does alter my appetite or cause me to be less active. If I eat more calories than I burn as a result THAT is what causes the weight gain. Then I know how to fix the problem. Adjust calories intake or increase calorie output. It simple even if its not easy.

    The drug did not cause the weight gain, too many calories cause the weight gain.


    It's simple, really?

    Riddle me this…

    I gained 111 lbs within 3 years on AD's all while following a strict diet given by a registered dietician, counting calories, AND being a competitive gymnast who trained 5 times a week 3 hours each practice. If you know anything about gymnastics, we are pushed to our limit every time we train. It's a brutal sport. There's a reason it's one of the top most dangerous sports.

    I wasn't eating more calories. I was eating less calories than I did before starting AD's. I wasn't inactive. I was more active than I was before starting AD's.

    So no, your whole "altering appetite, being less active, and not adjusting calorie intake" didn't apply to me.

    Do NOT try to tell me the medications didn't cause my weight gain when I was 95-97 freaking pounds my ENTIRE life before beginning AD's (oh and did I mention I couldn't gain a single pound no matter how much I tried until I began AD's… That's not a coincidence)
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    edited January 2015
    There are medications that affect weight for any number of reasons. Some cause a change in appetite, some cause a change in metabolism, some cause water retention, and others for reasons unknown. For anyone to blow someone off with "pills don't have calories" is unhelpful and unnecessary; if you do not have anything useful to say, bow out of the conversation.

    As a PTSD Veteran I have spent more than 30 years off and on various anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications, and currently I am on Prempro, a Hormone Replacement Therapy medication for women in menopause or post menopause. Almost all of the meds I have ever taken have affected my weight by various methods. And the meds I am on now, Prempro, Trazadone, Amlodipine, Tramadol, and Topomax, every single one of them can cause weight gain. I have learned to work around the ones that cause a change in appetite; I am the one in control. As far as metabolism changes, I can fight back with weight training; muscle burns more calories.

    But I have had trials of some real horrible meds that caused me to gain between 8 and 14 pounds in a single month. Needless to say I refused those meds and forced the doctors to try other ones. The 14 pounds I gained with the one anti-depressant has never come off since, I suppose because I gained it in my 50th year. I was perimenopausal and my metabolism was in flux. But hey, is 100lbs even healthy on a 5'5" frame? I'm fine with 115 even, so I am only working to take off the winter 10 I gained back over the holidays, and tone up the muscles that went flabby during time off trail after several injuries.

    If you want to know the side effects of your medications, check out drugs.com. Weigh the pros and cons. The meds I am on are the ones I need, I asked for lower doses on some of them to counter act the side effects. I can also take them at different hours of the day. AND, I chose talk therapy and group therapy over anymore meds. Talk with your doctor AND your pharmacist. Your pharmacist knows more about medication than your doctor does, drugs are his job.

    I'm so pleased that you found solutions that you could implement to counteract the negative side effects. As you said, you must be an informed patient, and willing to work with your doctor to find the best medication and treatment for you. It can take quite a bit of time, and some personal research, but it is so worth it.
    You are an inspiration to others. Kudos to you!
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    If medications can't cause your body to process food differently, then why do some bodybuilders bother with anabolic steroids? Shouldn't just eating a surplus (CICO, ya know) and lifting weights be enough to give them big muscles?

    That's all I'm saying here. Some medications alter the way your body is processing the nutrients you take in. I understand that it's still, technically, CICO. But one would need to be a psychic to know ahead of time just how and to what degree a medication is going to affect them as an individual.

    It's known that the scale itself isn't a good way to gauge progress. There's so many variations that can cause an increase on a scale. And I'm not an obsessive weigher. So the first few times the number went up, I thought, "Eh... fluctuation. Maybe I need to poop." When it went up ten pounds in three weeks, while logging my food and eating the same amount of food I was eating prior to the injection, when I was losing about a half pound a week... I can put two and two together.

    It's insulting to have someone say it can't happen, just because it doesn't fit their narrow world view.

  • Unknown
    edited January 2015
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  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    Hily93 wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    I was on a medication that made me insatiably hungry. I gained 60 pounds in about 6 months. I'm trying to lose that weight now. I'm still on a similar medication but one without the side effect of constant hunger.

    This. I was on Prednisone for 2 years and hated it. I was always hungry. It definitely contributed towards my weight gain. Luckily, I got off of it and the insatiable appetite ended.

    I was put on meds that would increase my appetite, my doc said that it would be the worst side effect, but that I needed that since I hardly eat. But all I got was weight gain and no appetite. After I changed doc I found out the drug makes you gain weight and should never be given to a overweight person. I was already a bit overweight(size M) since the only thing I would eat a day would be sugary stuff, and due to misdiagnosed asthma I was forbidden to exercise. In the last 2 years I have gone from size S/M to size L/XL. :neutral_face:


    I have asthma and I have never heard a dr say to forbid exercise.mine always told me to walk and get some kind of exercise to build up my lung strength. same with others I know who have asthma and heart problems as well they are always told to build up their lung capacity with exercise.I would have gotten a second opinion to be honest.

    I thought that was strange also. I've had asthma since age 4, and I have always been active in sports. As long as it is treated appropriately, and well controlled, there is no problem with exercising with asthma. In fact, it can be helpful in improving the symptoms over time.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Of course there are meds that can make you gain weight.

    I do take one med that causes weight gain. I also have five different metabolic diseases, all of which make keeping the weight off really tough. Still, I've lost 80+ pounds and maintained for several years. My current weight is 25 pounds less than what my endocrinologists thought would be physically possible for me.

    I just have to work ridiculously hard and to be incredibly strict with myself. It's not fair, but that's the reality.
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