Weight gain as a medication side effect anyone?

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shellymvan
shellymvan Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
I have gained 30 pounds since last August and am so ready to take it off! Anyone else ever had this happen to them any advice? Getting off the medication is an absolute cannot do. Help!

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  • akanephew
    akanephew Posts: 2
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    have you tried P90x , i gained also but then started the p90x2
  • 33lbsless
    33lbsless Posts: 42
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    I had to start taking BC to regulate my period and my weight slowly climbs and climbs and I CANT get it off. I understand how you feel. I feel like the only thing to do is to stop taking it.
  • turbophoenix
    turbophoenix Posts: 152
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    I'm on several medications and most of them have weight gain as a side-effect. Whoopie. I find that means I have to work a little bit harder to stay on top of things but it's not impossible. I just watch my calories in/out really closely and try to make sure I'm on top of my exercise. I'm hoping that I'll be able to eliminate some of these meds in the future.
  • akangas22
    akangas22 Posts: 9
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    I gained over 30 pounds taking meds. I can't go off them, but I have lost almost 30 pounds in the last 2 months my doing low carbs and fat. It can be done!!!!!
  • SandyandJesus
    SandyandJesus Posts: 11
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    Yes, it has happened to me. That is why I am on this program and also going to the gymn. Now is the time to start working to get it off before it gets out of hand. I was gaining 10 pounds a month, got sick and went from 150 to 215 and my normal weight is 145. Hopefully, I can get down to that again. Best of luck. I feel if we work a plan to get it off, we can stay ahead of the weight gain or at least hold it to where we can live with it. Good Luck.:flowerforyou:
  • peachprl
    peachprl Posts: 119 Member
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    It definitely can happen with lots of meds. Happened to me with prednisone that I take for lupus. But there are a gazillion others (I'm a nurse...believe me it is a huge side effect of many drugs and is a common reason many patients end up on my unit- they stop taking their medications because they don't like the side effects). It takes a lot of work, but it is possible to exercise and track diet and lose the weight. MFP really does help with that!
  • laineyluma
    laineyluma Posts: 358 Member
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    With my BC I gained an extra 30 lbs on top of 100 lbs of baby weight..
  • amberray4307
    amberray4307 Posts: 81
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    I gained 20 pounds for medication i have been taking but I also have to stay on it. I started eating healthy and going to the gym. I have lost 16 lbs so far and have about 19 lbs left to lose. You can do it! Good Luck!
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
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    I was on one once that stimulated my appetite so badly I put on nearly 11 pounds in one month! Swtiched as soon as I was able. And then they just stayed there! Even a few months afterward. I think that was the 11 pounds that finally convinced me I was obese and needed to lose, hence one of my reasons for coming here.
  • siobhano_
    siobhano_ Posts: 101
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    Antibiotics made me gain about 15lbs over the course of a year, and being on the pill means that it's harder to lose as well. (It used to be that if I just did a bit of exercise the weight would fall off)
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
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    I gained 40 on a med.....it was VERY depressing!!!! I was able to get off, eventually, but it is taking a ton of work and time to get it back off.
  • pamperedhen
    pamperedhen Posts: 446 Member
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    I have been on a SSRI for 13 years and the ONLY time I gained weight was recently when I stopped exercise and caloric intake.I am still in my BMI. My husband who also is on the same SSRI has lost 80 lbs. You CAN do it!! Cheering you on!!!:drinker:
  • shellymvan
    shellymvan Posts: 5
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    Ughh I could switch but the side effect of the alternative is extreme lethargy sheesh! And I just started a new bc pill a few days ago uh-oh should I be expecting more weight? Greeeeaaaat. Guess I better fire up the Wii! :)
  • shazzannon
    shazzannon Posts: 117 Member
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    I gained about 40 pounds on paxil in just a few months, on top of having balance problems so severe that I fell down on an almost daily basis (once such incident left me with a spectacularly impressive black eye. Truly magnificent). I've been off it for almost 9 months and the weight is just now starting to drop.
  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
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    Well, its hard to be entirely sure, but I think my recent rapid weight gain has to do with going *off* a medication. And then trying various replacements until I settled on the one I'm on now that *doesn't* cause weight gain (thank goodness). All that off and on, off and on, were part of what caused me to gain 40 pounds in 8 months. And I'm short, so that's a *really* rapid gain. I gained more than a 3rd of my bodyweight in less than a year. Insane.

    I found that lower carb really helps. That doesn't mean loading up on the meat and avoiding vegetables, but cutting down on simple carbs like flour and sugar. Because a lot of the drugs that cause weight gain trigger increased cravings, which can be controlled by avoiding things that trigger cravings.
  • BazAbroad
    BazAbroad Posts: 248
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    I knew a guy in the army who used to be fit as, then had to go on steroids for a condition he developed. He just could not train enough to stop weight being piled on,
    so I know this does happen.
    My thoughts are, train like crazy and do your best, no one can ask you to do more.
    Asking others for advice here is a good idea, but speak to your doc as well, he may be able to help you.
    I know some people use fat blockers, whether they r good for you in your condition, is for you and your doc to decide.
    Good luck.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I never gained weight from meds, but when I was taking Yaz birth control pills, it was IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight. I would eat the exact same that I am now (I stopped taking the pill last August) and I would exercise my brains out (weights and cardio daily!) and lose...oh, say...1 pound per month and no inches. But since I stopped taking the pill, I am almost at my goal weight. And I don't exercise as much (now I do 4 weight sessions and 2 cardio sessions a week, never on the same day though).

    I honestly do think that it was because I did so much exercise that I didn't gain weight on the pill. If I was eating good and not working out, I bet I would have gained. I mean, I always eat 1500 calories or less, so I should be losing. Dumb ol' pill. Now my weight is dropping and me and my husband use other methods to prevent pregnancy (although it would be nice if he'd agree to NOT try to prevent it, lol. I don't wanna be an old lady mom!)
  • megonzalez1230
    megonzalez1230 Posts: 9
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    I'm on one that can cause weight gain (lyrica), but then I'm on two that can cause weight loss (savella & arthrotec). I have gained weight being on the medication that makes me gain weight but I think that has to do more with me and what I put into my mouth then the actually medicine itself.

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