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Medicine-related weight gain can have many causes. Some medicines might stimulate your appetite. This causes you to eat more and gain extra weight. Some medicines might affect your body’s metabolism and causes your body to burn calories at a slower rate. Medications might cause you to retain water and causes you to put on more weight without excess fat.
Symptoms of Medication-related Weight Gain
Other medicines might affect how your body stores and absorbs sugars and other nutrients. However, there are cases in which the drug itself is not causing weight gain but its side effects. It includes stimulation of appetite that causes you to eat lots of food Other medications can store too much glucose and leads to fat deposition.
Common Medicines that Cause Weight Gain
- Tricyclic Antidepressants. These drugs may increase appetite to stimulate weight gain. If you are on antidepressants, do not stop taking them abruptly. Talk to your doctor to develop a plan that prioritizes your mental health.
- Corticosteroids. Treat a range of conditions, from asthma and arthritis to back pain and lupus. The side effects of this medication include an increased appetite, fluid retention, and altered metabolism.
- Antihistamines. Taking certain antihistamines regularly have higher body weight and waist circumference compared with those who do not.
- Epilepsy medication. These drugs may increase your appetite and causes excess calories from greater food consumption. It can eventually lead to weight gain. If you are a patient taking one of these medications be aware that weight gain may be a consequence.
- Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers can make you tired, especially as you first start taking the medication. It slows down your heart rate and can decrease your exercise tolerance. The fatigue and discomfort during activity cause you to stay sedentary, prompting weight gain.
How to Stave off Excess Weight Caused by Medications?
- Make healthier choices to lose weight, and choose low-calorie foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Eat small frequent meals. Instead of having three massive meals throughout the day, breaking up your food into smaller, more frequent meals can curb your appetite and maintain satiety.
- Stay active. Light yoga, walking, or something along those lines helps to keep you mobilized and improves overall health. Staying active is important for overall health as well as weight loss or maintenance.
- Try intermittent fasting. It can be an effective way to lose weight, provided it’s recommended by your doctors. Along with eating discipline, ensure to get complete sleep to manage your hormones.
Treatment for Medication-related Weight Gain
Doctors may recommend diet and exercise. This includes changes in food choices and dietary patterns to curb the effects of weight gain caused by medication. Discuss with your doctor before taking weight loss drugs to prevent other conditions. You can also try these medications:
