Melatonin and Unwanted Weight Gain

TrishSeren · August 2019

kathyd87 wrote: »

I wanted to chime in on this topic as well. Melatonin most definitely causes weight gain, especially if you are a women going through menopause and taking certain prescription drug which can cause a contraindication. I gained 10 lbs in a month's time and my doctor and I contribute it to the melatonin. I went back and did my research and found this research link that breaks down who can be affected and by which drugs with melatonin.

https://www.ehealthme.com/ds/melatonin/weight-increased/

So to the OP and other posters who are having this side effect, I definitely feel your pain. I am in the same boat.

Those who say melatonin does not cause weight gain, all drugs (OTC and prescription) affect people differently. What may affect one person may not affect you. So please do not give an absolute definitive on any drug.

If this was true then we’d be giving it to famine victims so they didn’t lose weight and die.

Your body literally cannot gain fat if there is no fuel (calories from food) for it to happen. It’s scientifically impossible.

kimny72 · August 2019

Drugs that "cause" weight gain can only do so in a few ways, none of which are a reason for gaining fat you can't control:

It causes water retention. This will show up on the scale and can make you feel bloated, but may dissipate over time or once you stop taking the medication. It's not fat.
It increases your appetite. If you are logging accurately and consistently, you can continue to control your calories and not gain weight. It might make it harder for you to stick to your calorie goal. (If you weren't counting calories, you might end up eating a little more without realizing it and therefore gain weight.)
It makes you fatigued, and this causes you to be slightly less active during the day, reducing your CO. This can be the toughest to deal with, because it might take you a while to figure out what's going on. You would need to force yourself to get moving, find ways to get back the lost energy, or eat less to compensate.

None of these cause your body to spontaneously store fat it wouldn't otherwise. It causes you to change your behavior. Most people don't track their calories or activity, so they don't realize they are subtly hungrier or less active.

If I've left out any other ways a medication may affect your weight, please feel free to add. But I think far too many people feel helpless or like there is no way to understand what's happening to them, and miss that they do have some measure of control

Melatonin and Unwanted Weight Gain

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