medications and weight gain.

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frommetoskinny
frommetoskinny Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering if there is anyone out there who has experienced weight gain from being on any medications?
I am currently on some that do, I believe that has been part of my battle.
Any advice or stories you would like to share I'll appreciate.
Thank you!

Replies

  • aakaakaak
    aakaakaak Posts: 1,240 Member
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    Yes, it can happen depending on the drugs. Some drugs will increase your hunger, so you end up eating more. Others cause you to retain water. Others effect metabolism. Talk to your doctor and let him/her know what's going on and ask what can be done to fix it.
  • Julesdublin
    Julesdublin Posts: 39 Member
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    Me! I've gained over 22lbs while on Effexor. The weight wouldn't come off while I was taking them - even with going to the gym.
    I stopped the medication in December (I took for 1 year only). Even while on the weaning off process I began to lose some weight (really slowly). Now that I am not on them anymore and dieting and working out I am losing weight a lot faster.
    I can't wait to fit on my old clothes again.
  • newki
    newki Posts: 30 Member
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    I've gained 35 pounds since I started Lithium. That's more weight than I gained during my whole pregnancy (including the babies weight). XP bleh. I don't know what to do. I was jogging and eating proper, but the lithium made me all bluhbludebleblehblah. XP
  • mykaylis
    mykaylis Posts: 320 Member
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    pretty much all my psych meds (i'm on several) have weight gain as a side effect.

    very frustrating indeed, but better than being suicidal.
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
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    Definitely, my weight gain started with prednisone. I was really hungry pretty much all the time and too tired to shop/cook due to the disease.

    It may be helpful to go to forums specializing in your illness (or one that has the same med as treatment) and see if people can help with coping strategies. Just because the actual side effect of the med - crazy hunger, or lowered metabolism, or whatever, call for such different strategies.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    I've gained 111 lbs from a combination of meds within the past 3 years… anxiety meds and meds for my Crohn's disease. I've taken Zoloft, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Effexor, Lexapro, Ativan, Klonopin, Prednisone, Gabapentin, Humira. I gained all of that weight while while counting calories and exercising.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    I was on Cymbalta for almost a year. Coming off of it did not make me lose weight quickly. The medication did not make me gain weight, eating too much made me gain weight. Whether the medication increased my appetite or I just lowered my activity enough to cause significant gains, I'm not sure. But the medication itself did not cause gains.

    IMO, if a medication causes gaining it will be pretty quick and it will be quick to come off, because it will be water weight. I once gained 25lbs water weight in the ICU, dropped it within a few weeks.

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