Are Your Medications Working For You or Against You?
TriStar Centennial Center for Weight Management / / Blog / March 1, 2018
Weight gain can be a side effect of some common medications, including many antidepressants, diabetes drugs, corticosteroids and others. Drugs can cause weight gain by slowing metabolism, boosting appetite, increasing fluid retention or prompting the body to store fat. People react differently to the same medications, so doctors can’t predict how they might affect you. Also, weight gain is so
common that it may be difficult to know if medication caused it.
If you start a new medication and gain five or more pounds soon after starting it, and your diet and exercise have remained the same, that extra weight may be a side effect of your prescription. Fortunately, optional drugs are usually available for those troubled by weight gain. Ask your doctor about possible alternatives and whether you should change your diet or exercise routine. Don’t stop taking a medication without consulting your doctor.
Medications in these categories can cause weight gain:
- Antidepressants
- Mood stabilizers
- Antipsychotics
- Anticonvulsants
- Diabetes drugs
- Corticosteroids
- Antihistamines
- Alpha blockers
- Beta blockers
- Migraine drugs
- Allergy, hay fever drugs
- Epilepsy drugs
- Birth control pills
- Female hormones