can pain meds cause weight gain
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Misskim121211
Posts: 28 Member
Hi Everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has ever noticed a weight gain well on pain meds. I was diagnosed with cancer last March and have gone through a couple surgeries, chemo and radiation. All my treatments are done and I'm on the road to recovery. I have some side effects from treatment so I have limited mobility so not much exercise is going on. Over the last month I have put on a good 10 lbs. My treatment put me into menopause so I have that to deal with, I am also taking some strong pain meds...my eating hasn't change so just trying to pinpoint the weight gain.
Just wondering if anyone has ever noticed a weight gain well on pain meds. I was diagnosed with cancer last March and have gone through a couple surgeries, chemo and radiation. All my treatments are done and I'm on the road to recovery. I have some side effects from treatment so I have limited mobility so not much exercise is going on. Over the last month I have put on a good 10 lbs. My treatment put me into menopause so I have that to deal with, I am also taking some strong pain meds...my eating hasn't change so just trying to pinpoint the weight gain.
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Last year I was on pain meds for quite some time - I didn't find that they did much to affect my weight (percocet).
For me, it was the mental side of what I was dealing with that had a lot more to do with the weight gain. I wasn't able to be as active as I wanted, I hurt, and TBH, I was feeling pretty down and worried (nothing as scary as cancer, but it was still scary for me). Eating was something I could enjoy - whether it was socially or alone, I could enjoy food and it was something I enjoyed doing. So, I let myself eat out, eat the good things, and eat what I wanted.
I knew doing that it was going to affect my weight - frankly, I didn't care. I knew it would suck having to lose it again, but the enjoyment I got from those meals was worth it IMO.
Yes, I'm back to slowly losing it all again, and yes, it sucks, but I don't really regret my choices, either.1 -
Not just pain meds, but the chemo itself can change our metabolisms and cause hormonal alteration setting one up for metabolic syndrome. Here's the PubMed published studies you might find interesting, plus some other journals and reputable sites: https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22133030
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3867745/
https://webmd.com/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-and-weight-changes#1
https://cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/side-effects/weight-gain
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104084281630275X1
