Meds working against me - advice?

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CaitlinLaird07
CaitlinLaird07 Posts: 7 Member
in Getting Started
Hello everyone,

I started taking a new medication in November and have gained 30 pounds since then. I had been at a stable weight before that, so I think that I know my culprit. I would like to stay on the medicine as it has been helping me quite a bit and its substitutes have the same side effects. I just don't know how to counteract it's negative effects and wanted to reach out to see if anyone has had a similar experience and some pointers.

Thank you,
Caitlin

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    There's normally three mechanisms at play:
    1. Messes with your hunger signals, either appetite goes up or you don't feel full.
    2. Slows you down so you move less and burn less calories.
    3. Water weight gain (not fat as that requires a calorie surplus).

    Point 1 for me was caused by a migraine preventative and I was more hungry and never felt full. To counteract weight gain I had to be much more thoughful in how much I ate and watch my weight trend more carefully. Controlling my intake consciously instead of by hunger signals.

    You really do need to consult with your Doctor to see if dosage or meds needs to be changed.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,389 Member
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    Yes, what Sijomial writes: either of these three reasons. When I have to take steroids I get all three of these. Fortunately I only ever had steroids twice in my life. Second time I was totally aware of what was happening, but the hunger, The Hunger!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,055 Member
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    CaitlinLaird07 wrote: »
    Thank you for your thoughts! I know that I don't have normal hunger cues anymore, so I don't realize that I am hungry until I am about to pass out and then I stuff myself silly because I can't tell that I am full. My doctor put me on another medicine to help the weight gain, but it isn't helping. I am hoping that being back on here will help me to see where I am overeating and guide me to weightloss. Fingers crossed!

    Calorie counting for can help manage #1 on sijomial's list (cravings/hunger increase).

    The other two are maybe more subtle.

    #2, fatigue/slowdown can be somewhat countered by consciously increasing daily life movement**, or adding exercise . (Pick exercise that isn't excessively fatiguing itself, and if something is actively energizing, that's a plus. Start mild, progress slowly, to avoid making fatigue worse, IMO.)

    #3. Water weight is tough. It can be quite a surprising lot, added gradually, but usually it doesn't keep increasing and increasing indefinitely without obvious visible signs (such as the puffy appearance that can come from certain steroid drugs). If you sense you're developing substantial water weight, definitely consult your doctor. Calorie counting can help a little bit, in the sense that you have a better idea whether you're eating enough to explain the weight gain or not, and a weight trending app might potentially help visualize that.

    ** http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    Best wishes for success working your way through this!
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
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    Check in with your healthcare team. This includes your pharmacist. Perhaps a medication review is in order (and note that this includes any supplements/vitamins you're taking).

    Med side effects can differ. Weight loss could be one of them but this is a clinical conversation.
  • CaitlinLaird07
    CaitlinLaird07 Posts: 7 Member
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    I speak to my team once a month and we discuss these concerns each time we meet.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,164 Member
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    CaitlinLaird07 wrote: »
    Thank you for your thoughts! I know that I don't have normal hunger cues anymore, so I don't realize that I am hungry until I am about to pass out and then I stuff myself silly because I can't tell that I am full. My doctor put me on another medicine to help the weight gain, but it isn't helping. I am hoping that being back on here will help me to see where I am overeating and guide me to weightloss. Fingers crossed!

    I take a medication that blunts my appetite and have similar problems. My solution has been to eat "by the clock". I eat a large breakfast before I take my meds, have a substantial snack between 3 and 4, and eat dinner usually between 7:30 and 8:30. That way I don't ever get so hungry that I'm snarfing up everything in sight, even if my body isn't actually giving me hunger cues during the day. I work from home and live alone, so there's nobody to point out my "hangries" and my body isn't giving me any clues, so setting a schedule, along with calorie counting, has really helped.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,389 Member
    edited May 2021
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    CaitlinLaird07 wrote: »
    Thank you for your thoughts! I know that I don't have normal hunger cues anymore, so I don't realize that I am hungry until I am about to pass out and then I stuff myself silly because I can't tell that I am full. My doctor put me on another medicine to help the weight gain, but it isn't helping. I am hoping that being back on here will help me to see where I am overeating and guide me to weightloss. Fingers crossed!

    Can you put eating on a schedule? Have all meals at the same time of the day whenever possible. Log those meals to make sure that you get enough nutrition. Maybe start with a very low weightloss goal like 0.5lbs/week or set MFP to maintaining for now to get used to this schedule. Work in snacks. Snacks doesn't need to be something sweet. What about cucumber, cherry tomatoes and red paprika? Berries or water melon?
  • bluedreams83
    bluedreams83 Posts: 567 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    There's normally three mechanisms at play:
    1. Messes with your hunger signals, either appetite goes up or you don't feel full.
    2. Slows you down so you move less and burn less calories.
    3. Water weight gain (not fat as that requires a calorie surplus).

    Point 1 for me was caused by a migraine preventative and I was more hungry and never felt full. To counteract weight gain I had to be much more thoughful in how much I ate and watch my weight trend more carefully. Controlling my intake consciously instead of by hunger signals.

    You really do need to consult with your Doctor to see if dosage or meds needs to be changed.

    Do you mind sharing which migrane medication you are referring to? I am on one also and feel the exact same as you are talking about 😕
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited May 2021
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    bluedreams83 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    There's normally three mechanisms at play:
    1. Messes with your hunger signals, either appetite goes up or you don't feel full.
    2. Slows you down so you move less and burn less calories.
    3. Water weight gain (not fat as that requires a calorie surplus).

    Point 1 for me was caused by a migraine preventative and I was more hungry and never felt full. To counteract weight gain I had to be much more thoughful in how much I ate and watch my weight trend more carefully. Controlling my intake consciously instead of by hunger signals.

    You really do need to consult with your Doctor to see if dosage or meds needs to be changed.

    Do you mind sharing which migrane medication you are referring to? I am on one also and feel the exact same as you are talking about 😕

    @bluedreams83
    It was Pizotifen and seems quite a common side-effect from it.
    At the time I was getting four migraines a week and my treatment meds (Migril) typically hit the weekly dosage limit during the third one if not sooner. I lost a lot of Saturdays to migraines but the Pitotifen did help.
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
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    CaitlinLaird07 wrote: »
    Thank you for your thoughts! I know that I don't have normal hunger cues anymore, so I don't realize that I am hungry until I am about to pass out and then I stuff myself silly because I can't tell that I am full. My doctor put me on another medicine to help the weight gain, but it isn't helping. I am hoping that being back on here will help me to see where I am overeating and guide me to weightloss. Fingers crossed!

    You may have to do what I do. I am on Adderall and that does suppress hunger cues. And then I burst into tears and melt down for no reason and oh, that would be because I actually never ate.... And I don't find that an acceptable way to exist.

    So I have alarms. I have alarms to make sure we three take our meds, and the first alarm is also "Did you have breakfast? If not, eat something!" and there is an alarm for me to go start making lunch, and to go start making dinner. (I have alarms to remind me to wash my hair once a week and to go take showers, too.)

    You might find that setting an alarm on your phone might help you. Combining that with prelogging your food, you can then at eleven am know that you will eat, and exactly what, and you will intellectually at least know that you have eaten enough, even if you don't feel full. I would also recommend planning your meals, because then you aren't sitting there exhausted at night trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. You can work it out when you can think clearly, and then there's a plan and all you have to do is follow it.

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