Worried about weight gain from medication
kirdyq
Posts: 165 Member
I am worried, and hope that some of you might have been there done that and can give me some advice and/or encouragement.
I basically have been at 135lb for YEARS. Sure, I might have fluctuated a few pounds either direction, but on average that is how much I weighed.
July 2014, I started having horrific headaches, unlike any other I'd ever had. And I get migraines. After a bit, I went to the doc, he prescribed me amitryptiline, thinking they were tension headaches. I took that medication until Nov 2014, at which time I was still having them and insisted on an MRI. At that point, I was still at my 135ish range. MRI showed I had a blood clot in my head. I was put in the hospital for a week on heparin. Then, when released, I was put on Coumadin/warfarin. The headaches were still ongoing, so they kept me on amitrptiline. At that point, the weight gain began. I now hover around 148-150 pounds.
I talked to my neurologist about going off the amitryptiline, because it was not helping, and I was gaining weight (weight is a side effect of this drug). However, the thing was that I never gained any weight on it from July - Nov 2014, so I question if that is what caused the gain. I went off of it and no change. So now I wonder if the Coumadin caused the weight gain. I am now on a very low dose of it, and he would rather I keep taking it than taking a daily aspirin. However, it doesn't say that weight gain is a side effect.
I am just so frustrated because none of my clothes fit. I exercise and eat right and the weight is not going away. And I'm carrying a lot of this weight around my belly (but I also have it all over, too), which is odd for me. When I have gained in the past, it mainly has stayed on the thighs/butt.
Has anyone experience weight gain on this drug? In general, is it possible to lose weight gained from a drug if you a required to continue to be on it?
I basically have been at 135lb for YEARS. Sure, I might have fluctuated a few pounds either direction, but on average that is how much I weighed.
July 2014, I started having horrific headaches, unlike any other I'd ever had. And I get migraines. After a bit, I went to the doc, he prescribed me amitryptiline, thinking they were tension headaches. I took that medication until Nov 2014, at which time I was still having them and insisted on an MRI. At that point, I was still at my 135ish range. MRI showed I had a blood clot in my head. I was put in the hospital for a week on heparin. Then, when released, I was put on Coumadin/warfarin. The headaches were still ongoing, so they kept me on amitrptiline. At that point, the weight gain began. I now hover around 148-150 pounds.
I talked to my neurologist about going off the amitryptiline, because it was not helping, and I was gaining weight (weight is a side effect of this drug). However, the thing was that I never gained any weight on it from July - Nov 2014, so I question if that is what caused the gain. I went off of it and no change. So now I wonder if the Coumadin caused the weight gain. I am now on a very low dose of it, and he would rather I keep taking it than taking a daily aspirin. However, it doesn't say that weight gain is a side effect.
I am just so frustrated because none of my clothes fit. I exercise and eat right and the weight is not going away. And I'm carrying a lot of this weight around my belly (but I also have it all over, too), which is odd for me. When I have gained in the past, it mainly has stayed on the thighs/butt.
Has anyone experience weight gain on this drug? In general, is it possible to lose weight gained from a drug if you a required to continue to be on it?
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Replies
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The good news is that most medications don't actually cause weight gain. When weight gain is listed as a side affect, it's usually because it alters your behavior and THAT causes the weight gain. Meds can make you lethargic or hungry, causing you to eat more and/or move less. So you can control your weight, regardless of the medicine. Keep in mind that eating "right" won't cause weight loss, eating LESS will cause weight loss. Use MFP to track your calories as accurately as possible so that you stay in a deficit. Try to get in as much activity as you can to increase your calorie burn.
And I feel your pain. I suffer from chronic migraines and it makes life really hard sometimes. How many calories are you eating per day? What is your exercise regime like?0 -
I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.0 -
I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.
I would ditch the containers, at least for awhile. You can't really say whether or not everything has been the same unless you know how many calories you're consuming. The 21 day fix containers are a way of dumbing down calorie counting, but it's not really a good substitute. Try tracking the actual calories. Maybe buy a food scale to use for awhile so you know how much you are truly eating. (measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc... are not accurate)
Regardless of your medication, calories in calories out still applies. If your calories out is lower due to meds, you need to reduce your calories in, and vice versa. If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet?0 -
^^ This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.
I would ditch the containers, at least for awhile. You can't really say whether or not everything has been the same unless you know how many calories you're consuming. The 21 day fix containers are a way of dumbing down calorie counting, but it's not really a good substitute. Try tracking the actual calories. Maybe buy a food scale to use for awhile so you know how much you are truly eating. (measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc... are not accurate)
Regardless of your medication, calories in calories out still applies. If your calories out is lower due to meds, you need to reduce your calories in, and vice versa. If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet?
I am on many medications that claim weight gain, but I am losing just fine. The trick is to control the feelings that these meds put you through.
Even the seroquel beast can be tamed.
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cerise_noir wrote: »
^^ This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.
I would ditch the containers, at least for awhile. You can't really say whether or not everything has been the same unless you know how many calories you're consuming. The 21 day fix containers are a way of dumbing down calorie counting, but it's not really a good substitute. Try tracking the actual calories. Maybe buy a food scale to use for awhile so you know how much you are truly eating. (measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc... are not accurate)
Regardless of your medication, calories in calories out still applies. If your calories out is lower due to meds, you need to reduce your calories in, and vice versa. If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet?
I am on many medications that claim weight gain, but I am losing just fine. The trick is to control the feelings that these meds put you through.
Even the seroquel beast can be tamed.
This is good to know!!!!!0 -
If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet? [/quote]
I should be hitting about 1300 calories a day.0 -
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cerise_noir wrote: »
^^ This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.
I would ditch the containers, at least for awhile. You can't really say whether or not everything has been the same unless you know how many calories you're consuming. The 21 day fix containers are a way of dumbing down calorie counting, but it's not really a good substitute. Try tracking the actual calories. Maybe buy a food scale to use for awhile so you know how much you are truly eating. (measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc... are not accurate)
Regardless of your medication, calories in calories out still applies. If your calories out is lower due to meds, you need to reduce your calories in, and vice versa. If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet?
I am on many medications that claim weight gain, but I am losing just fine. The trick is to control the feelings that these meds put you through.
Even the seroquel beast can be tamed.
^^ This too! I'm a chronic migraineur too (severe migraine every day for 5+ years with a few no pain aura type of migraine thrown in too). I've been on amitripyline, nortriptyline, Pizotifen and topirimate before eventually settling for flunarazine (a God send). Some increase appetite some decrease it but ultimately none of them "cause" weight gain, they just change your appetite. You decide whether to give in to the hunger or not.0 -
I should be hitting about 1300 calories a day.
This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »
OP, how are you figuring out your calories? Do you use a kitchen food scale, cups/spoons or guess the amount of food that you eat? Also, what is your age, height, weight and activity level?
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I feel your pain - I've been on lots of migraine meds that cause increased appetite, and that's why I'm here! There's just one that reduces appetite - Topirimate/Topamax, but it's a beast with lots of other side effects and didn't work for me. Lost 28lb on it though!! Good luck.0
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CiaraCatch wrote: »I feel your pain - I've been on lots of migraine meds that cause increased appetite, and that's why I'm here! There's just one that reduces appetite - Topirimate/Topamax, but it's a beast with lots of other side effects and didn't work for me. Lost 28lb on it though!! Good luck.
Ciara, I tried Topamax - NO WAY!! Lol! I couldn't function on it! I had high hopes b/c I thought it could help me get the weight off, but I have to function in daily life! LOL! I've heard lots of people who couldn't use it.0 -
I just entered my daily food for today, which is measured using my food containers. I was at 1397. So I'm a touch over the 1300. But the containers got me really close.
I'll start tracking on here instead of the containers, but it seems I'm not super far off using them.0 -
GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »
^^ This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.
I would ditch the containers, at least for awhile. You can't really say whether or not everything has been the same unless you know how many calories you're consuming. The 21 day fix containers are a way of dumbing down calorie counting, but it's not really a good substitute. Try tracking the actual calories. Maybe buy a food scale to use for awhile so you know how much you are truly eating. (measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc... are not accurate)
Regardless of your medication, calories in calories out still applies. If your calories out is lower due to meds, you need to reduce your calories in, and vice versa. If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet?
I am on many medications that claim weight gain, but I am losing just fine. The trick is to control the feelings that these meds put you through.
Even the seroquel beast can be tamed.
^^ This too! I'm a chronic migraineur too (severe migraine every day for 5+ years with a few no pain aura type of migraine thrown in too). I've been on amitripyline, nortriptyline, Pizotifen and topirimate before eventually settling for flunarazine (a God send). Some increase appetite some decrease it but ultimately none of them "cause" weight gain, they just change your appetite. You decide whether to give in to the hunger or not.
Sorry to hear that. Headaches suck. It's hard explaining to people who don't suffer from them how it affects your daily life. Luckily, I went through a lot of physical therapy that have seemed to keep the tension headaches at bay. And thank god I have not had any more of the blood clot induced headaches. They were unlike any migraine I've ever experienced. Knock on wood!!!0 -
cerise_noir wrote: »I should be hitting about 1300 calories a day.
This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »
OP, how are you figuring out your calories? Do you use a kitchen food scale, cups/spoons or guess the amount of food that you eat? Also, what is your age, height, weight and activity level?
I'm almost 36. 5'8" and 150lbs right now. Used to always be 135 - for years and years. I know I'm not overweight by any means, but I just want to be back at my old normal.0 -
I don't know how those boxes work, but unless you are weighing what you are putting in them, it is quite possible you are eating more than you think you are.
Look at this video to see how much a difference it can make.
https://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU 0 -
rileysowner wrote: »I don't know how those boxes work, but unless you are weighing what you are putting in them, it is quite possible you are eating more than you think you are.
Look at this video to see how much a difference it can make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=vjKPIcI51lU
It tells me there is an error when I click on the vid.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »I don't know how those boxes work, but unless you are weighing what you are putting in them, it is quite possible you are eating more than you think you are.
Look at this video to see how much a difference it can make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=vjKPIcI51lU
It tells me there is an error when I click on the vid.
I will try againhttps://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU 0 -
rileysowner wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »I don't know how those boxes work, but unless you are weighing what you are putting in them, it is quite possible you are eating more than you think you are.
Look at this video to see how much a difference it can make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=vjKPIcI51lU
It tells me there is an error when I click on the vid.
I will try againhttps://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU
Got it this time!
That is crazy the calorie difference between the sides because just from looking at them, they do look so similar! 0 -
I just entered my daily food for today, which is measured using my food containers. I was at 1397. So I'm a touch over the 1300. But the containers got me really close.
I'll start tracking on here instead of the containers, but it seems I'm not super far off using them.
Right but the containers are not a good measuring tool. You watched the video above, so I'm sure you've already realized this.CiaraCatch wrote: »I feel your pain - I've been on lots of migraine meds that cause increased appetite, and that's why I'm here! There's just one that reduces appetite - Topirimate/Topamax, but it's a beast with lots of other side effects and didn't work for me. Lost 28lb on it though!! Good luck.
I do botox for migraines. It helps A LOT. I'm down to 5-7 a month from 25+.0 -
I feel you. I've suffered from migraines my whole adult life.
I was on amitryptiline for a while, and I gained weight as well. I'm not on it anymore, (It just wasn't all that effective for me) and I can't say for sure that there's a cause/effect regarding the weight gain. I know I wasn't eating more, however, I do think it made me a touch "sluggish" - I just felt more tired when I was on it. Even if I did the same exercises I'd always done, I wasn't doing them as effectively.0 -
JeepHair77 wrote: »I feel you. I've suffered from migraines my whole adult life.
I was on amitryptiline for a while, and I gained weight as well. I'm not on it anymore, (It just wasn't all that effective for me) and I can't say for sure that there's a cause/effect regarding the weight gain. I know I wasn't eating more, however, I do think it made me a touch "sluggish" - I just felt more tired when I was on it. Even if I did the same exercises I'd always done, I wasn't doing them as effectively.
Amitryptiline is also used for a few things - headaches, depression and insomnia. So, it definitely helps you sleep. I always took mine at night, and I'd sleep well on it!0 -
I_Will_End_You wrote: »I just entered my daily food for today, which is measured using my food containers. I was at 1397. So I'm a touch over the 1300. But the containers got me really close.
I'll start tracking on here instead of the containers, but it seems I'm not super far off using them.
Right but the containers are not a good measuring tool. You watched the video above, so I'm sure you've already realized this.CiaraCatch wrote: »I feel your pain - I've been on lots of migraine meds that cause increased appetite, and that's why I'm here! There's just one that reduces appetite - Topirimate/Topamax, but it's a beast with lots of other side effects and didn't work for me. Lost 28lb on it though!! Good luck.
I do botox for migraines. It helps A LOT. I'm down to 5-7 a month from 25+.
That is awesome that you had a good result! I am very lucky and only get a true migraine perhaps 2x a year. My neurologist said what I was having problems with was 2 different types of headahces. The horrible ones were because I had a blood clot in one of the cerebral veins in my head. Blood was backing up and had nowhere to go, so the headaches were massive. I couldn't lay down with them because the pressure was so severe. So I have to take blood thinners (coumadin) for that issue. Then, the others were terrible tension headaches, which I'd have probably 4-5 times a week. After I went of Amitryptiline which was supposed to help those, I switched to Topamax which was a nightmare. From there, I decided to take matters in my own hands and ended up doing months of physical and massage therapy at a chiro. I figured if the tension was caused by muscle problems, etc, then there should be a way to get to the cause of it instead of just treating the symptoms with these terrible meds. Turns out the PT worked wonders. Now I just have to make a point to get up and away from my desk regularly to give those muscles a break.0 -
Ciara, I tried Topamax - NO WAY!! Lol! I couldn't function on it! I had high hopes b/c I thought it could help me get the weight off, but I have to function in daily life! LOL! I've heard lots of people who couldn't use it.[/quote]
Yes, isn't it horrendous!! I was really slow cognitively, had word-finding difficulties, felt dizzy all the time, and all the skin peeled off the soles of my feet. And other side effects too. Not worth the weight loss!
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GrumpyHeadmistress wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »
^^ This.I_Will_End_You wrote: »I will have to plug my normal food intake on here and see how many calories that I am eating. I kind of use 21 day fix containers so I don't have to bother with all of the daily tracking, and I use the containers in such a way that I should be at a deficit.
While I do understand what your are saying about medicine changing behavior, the thing is that the whole time from when I started the meds until now I have either eaten/exercised at status quo from before or actually had some spells in there where I'd consider I was doing "better" than pre-medication. For example, past Spring I ate at a deficit to what I may normally do, and then also made sure to get daily exercise in every single day. So it's frustrating to me, because I don't feel like I suddenly started eating more or laying around more. At worst, I just remained the same (or sometimes even better after I started to see weight creep on). And here I am. 15 pounds heavier.
I really want to get a lot of this extra weight off before it starts getting hot and I cannot hide in my baggy winter clothes anymore.
What I've been doing for exercise - 30 minutes a day. M - cardio; T- upper body; W - lower body; Th - pilates; F - cardio; S - Cardio; Sun - yoga.
I would ditch the containers, at least for awhile. You can't really say whether or not everything has been the same unless you know how many calories you're consuming. The 21 day fix containers are a way of dumbing down calorie counting, but it's not really a good substitute. Try tracking the actual calories. Maybe buy a food scale to use for awhile so you know how much you are truly eating. (measuring cups, spoons, containers, etc... are not accurate)
Regardless of your medication, calories in calories out still applies. If your calories out is lower due to meds, you need to reduce your calories in, and vice versa. If you aren't losing, you're eating at your maintenance level. Have you set a calorie goal for yourself yet?
I am on many medications that claim weight gain, but I am losing just fine. The trick is to control the feelings that these meds put you through.
Even the seroquel beast can be tamed.
^^ This too! I'm a chronic migraineur too (severe migraine every day for 5+ years with a few no pain aura type of migraine thrown in too). I've been on amitripyline, nortriptyline, Pizotifen and topirimate before eventually settling for flunarazine (a God send). Some increase appetite some decrease it but ultimately none of them "cause" weight gain, they just change your appetite. You decide whether to give in to the hunger or not.
Glad flunarazine worked for you! It didn't for me. And pizotifen caused most of my weight gain - it was the worst for appetite!
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