Anyone else take medication that causes weight gain?

ArcticSero · January 2016

So at the end of my senior year in HS I got diagnosed with Von Willebrand type 2 something (basically a type of hemophilia). This means I need to take amicar and desmopressin in order to help stop my bleeding (including menstrual where I am a heavy and very long bleeding) because I was severely anemic.

Anyway, I began to take the medication and didn't really noticed the steady gain of weight until recently where I'm now 30 pounds above what I used to be. My diet hasn't changed any (in any negative way, I'm actually eating a lot better than I did before the medication) and I'm only 20. I'll try to lose weight, work out hard and diet only to lose 6-8 pounds before my menstrual cycle (or whenever I take the medication as sometimes I skip) only for me to shoot back up to 200 again. At first I thought it was me slacking or something, but even looking at the hand journal I keep at me recording what I eat (I normally use MFP for my cheat days, the rare and few they are, because it helps record better, my normal meals are pretty good), I wasn't.

I decided recently to read up on my medication side effects and lo'n'behold they both deal with weight gain. On top of my new birth control yazmin (which I have to take a high hormone medication to help) which also causes weight gain.

I'm tempted to see a nutritionist for help because there's nothing else I can do. I need my medications or I can go back to being severely anemic.

I'm just wondering, is there anyone else in a situation like this? If so, how do you guys cope with it? How have you been able to still lose weight?

tara_means_star · January 2016

Medications typically cause weight gain indirectly...ie they make you hungrier so you eat more. Eating more calories leads to weight gain. In these cases, it's hard, but counting your calories and staying in a deficit will still lead to weight loss.

ArcticSero · January 2016

tara_means_star wrote: »

Medications typically cause weight gain indirectly...ie they make you hungrier so you eat more. Eating more calories leads to weight gain. In these cases, it's hard, but counting your calories and staying in a deficit will still lead to weight loss.

I really do though, I do eat the calories allowed by MFP. I don't eat anything abnormal and I cycle the same meals that I've balanced previously to be sure. I have a scale and weigh things and etc.

I don't eat after 6pm either, I drink a ton of water. Soda has been cut out of my diet, as has sweets. I do drink tea though and it's normally plain with no sugar or anything at all.

I do work out around 3 times a week, around 30 mins of zumba and if not zumba I do a mile run (I'm trying to get under a specific time) as well as some strength training (or I do one of the exercises the school offers like circuit or aqua zumba or yoga or something).

It wouldn't matter if the weight wasn't going but the inches were but the inches comes and goes as well.

elphie754 · January 2016

ArcticSero wrote: »

tara_means_star wrote: »

Medications typically cause weight gain indirectly...ie they make you hungrier so you eat more. Eating more calories leads to weight gain. In these cases, it's hard, but counting your calories and staying in a deficit will still lead to weight loss.

I really do though, I do eat the calories allowed by MFP. I don't eat anything abnormal and I cycle the same meals that I've balanced previously to be sure. I have a scale and weigh things and etc.

I don't eat after 6pm either, I drink a ton of water. Soda has been cut out of my diet, as has sweets. I do drink tea though and it's normally plain with no sugar or anything at all.

I do work out around 3 times a week, around 30 mins of zumba and if not zumba I do a mile run (I'm trying to get under a specific time) as well as some strength training (or I do one of the exercises the school offers like circuit or aqua zumba or yoga or something).

It wouldn't matter if the weight wasn't going but the inches were but the inches comes and goes as well.

None of these are important.

Make sure you are weighing everything you eat.

Medications indirectly cause weight gain by increased appetite which is usually what is meant by weight gain as a side effect.

ArcticSero · January 2016

elphie754 wrote: »

None of these are important.

Make sure you are weighing everything you eat.

Medications indirectly cause weight gain by increased appetite which is usually what is meant by weight gain as a side effect.

Well if two people are saying so I guess I'll just better watch what I eat then and record twice as hard...

Thanks.

Psychgrrl · January 2016

I had this convo with my doctors the first time I was on prednesone. I gained about ten pounds in the next month. They said the weight gain was indirect due to increase of appetite, fatigue (and therefore less activity or less intensity of activity) or fluid retention or all of the above. Medicines don't cause weight gain due to us retaining or increasing fat (unless that was their purpose). So now, the other times I'm on it, I work really hard to have tight logging, make sure I'm eating really satisfying foods to keep my appetite in check, watch my sodium and exercise intensity/frequency.

If you open your diary, we might be able to see things that could help. Are the entries you're using correct? Not everything in the database is accurate. If you're sure your weighing/measuring is correct. Are you over estimating your calories burns? How many exercise calories are you eating back? How are you getting your calorie burns? Fitbit? HRM? MFP?

You can talk to your doctor about changing meds. or how to mitigate the side effects from these meds.

Or, you can increase your activity/intensity levels.

Or you could try reducing your calorie intake by 100 per day and see if that makes a difference.

tara_means_star · January 2016

Birth control, especially. It messes with your hormones and leads to cravings and increased appetite. I don't know your other med, but I'd be willing to bet about anything, it does the same thing. There are some studies being done to see if certain medication lower metabolism but even if the medication did, it would only be slightly (plus, last I checked there was no evidence as of yet that medication does lower metabolism) and it would still come down to counting your calories. The good news about all of this is it means your weight loss is not doomed due to medication that you need.

ModernRock · January 2016

ArcticSero wrote: »

I'm tempted to see a nutritionist for help because there's nothing else I can do.

Yes there is. You can start logging consistently--not just your cheat days--and find out how much you are actually eating. Pick a daily calorie goal, stick with it for a month, and see if you lose, maintain, or gain. Adjust accordingly. Some medications are associated with weight gain either through slowing the metabolism, increasing appetite, or both. Either way, it is still the food/drink calories causing the gain.

Duchy82 · January 2016

I had a quick look on the Web about those 2 meds that you take as I'm not familiar with them. They both make you retain water desmopressin, specifically is an antidiuretic so any gains you have on these meds is water weight.

The hormonal treatment you take to aid on top of your pill will probably also have an affect so maybe it will be worth asking for a referral to a see a dietician, if you are certain your logging is accurate.

Hormonal treatment can certainly mess with your body so at the least you can always have a discussion with your doctor about your weight. It will be possible to lose weight though, you'll probably have to just work that little harder for it.

rileysowner · January 2016

ArcticSero wrote: »

So at the end of my senior year in HS I got diagnosed with Von Willebrand type 2 something (basically a type of hemophilia). This means I need to take amicar and desmopressin in order to help stop my bleeding (including menstrual where I am a heavy and very long bleeding) because I was severely anemic.

Anyway, I began to take the medication and didn't really noticed the steady gain of weight until recently where I'm now 30 pounds above what I used to be. My diet hasn't changed any (in any negative way, I'm actually eating a lot better than I did before the medication) and I'm only 20. I'll try to lose weight, work out hard and diet only to lose 6-8 pounds before my menstrual cycle (or whenever I take the medication as sometimes I skip) only for me to shoot back up to 200 again.

Realize that increase during your cycle and perhaps with your meds, although talking to your doctor and or pharmacist to see if that is the case, is water weight. That is why scales are so deceiving as a measure of progress. I echo what has been said, log carefully using a kitchen scale for all solids including things like peanut butter and the like, and measuring cups and spoons for liquids although if you have gram equivalents for them, use that. If you put it in your mouth, log it. Stick to that for at least a month, making sure that month doesn't end when your menstrual cycle comes so it does not throw things off. Then see what your progress is and adjust appropriately.

Anyone else take medication that causes weight gain?

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