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10 Common Medicines That May Cause Weight Gain

Medications include amitriptyline (Elavil), doxepin (Silinor), and nortriptyline (Pamelor). “As a class, these medicinal drugs might also increase appetite to stimulate weight gain,” says Jessica Nohavandi, Pharmacist, co-CEO and co-founder of Honeybee Health, in Culver City, California. If you are taking an antidepressant, do now not end taking it suddenly; Discuss it first with your doctor and advance a sketch that will exceptional help your mental health, notes Harvard Women's Health Watch. If your weight achieve makes you desire to stop taking your medication, you can talk to your medical doctor about switching to every other type of antidepressant. "Bupropion (Wellbutrin XLOSR) or duloxetine (Cymbalta) is most associated with weight loss, while fluoxetine (Prozac) is viewed weight neutral," says Dr. Nohavandi.


2. Corticosteroids

Oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone (sold underneath manufacturer names like Rayos, Deltasone, and Prednicot, the Mayo Clinic factors out), treat a vary of conditions, from allergies and arthritis to lower back ache and lupus, says Dr. Ellis. "These have a lot of facet effects, one of which is multiplied appetite, fluid retention, and altered metabolism," she explains. Pharmacists advise taking corticosteroids with food, and Ellis suggests eating a healthy, balanced snack, such as almonds or a bowl of yogurt. Oral steroids are typically advocated for a brief period of time (eg, a one or two week dose), which limits aspect effects. If they are to be taken long-term, the weight reap can be difficult to control, and you'll have to be greater diligent with diet and exercise, she says.


3. Antihistamines

If you are allergic or have an itchy rash, you may also have taken an antihistamine. “Studies have shown that humans who take positive antihistamines on a regular groundwork have higher weight and waist circumference in contrast to these who do no longer take them,” Ellis says. Previous lookup in the journal Obesity discovered this affiliation with the H1 antihistamines cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), and desloratadine (Clarinex). why? "Histamines in the body flip off hunger signals," Ellis explains. In contrast, antihistamines may one way or the other intrude with alerts of fullness, she says. One alternative is a steroid nasal spray such as fluticasone propionate (Flonase). These work otherwise than oral steroids, and are usually now not associated with weight gain, she says.


4. Epilepsy drugs

Medications that treat seizures, including gabapentin (Gralise), pregabalin (Lyrica), and vigabatrin (Sabril) may increase your appetite, Nouhavandi says; Excess energy from improved meals consumption can finally lead to weight gain. “If you are a patient who is taking one of these medications, it is essential to realize that weight attain can also be a outcome of this. If you experience the medicine is no longer for you, speak to your medical doctor about switching to epilepsy medications associated with weight loss or weight-neutral. Ask about felbamate (Felbatrol) or topiramate (Topamax) or lamotrigine (Lamictal).


5. Beta blockers

Beta-blockers are in many instances used to deal with excessive blood pressure, says Aaron Emile, MD, founder of PharmacyTechScholar.com in St. Augustine, Florida. Some are more probably to purpose weight gain, inclusive of atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor), in accordance to the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Emile says the cause for the slight increase in the scale is not clear, but beta-blockers can make you tired, particularly when you first start taking the medication. "It slows your coronary heart charge and can decrease your tolerance for exercise," he says. Tiredness and pain all through recreation can also make you greater probably to remain sedentary, main to weight gain. A study posted in the journal Gastroenterology in May 2017 showed that the drug might also decrease metabolism as well. For this reason, researchers endorse that individuals who are obese or overweight  now not be prescribed beta-blockers as a first-line treatment. Alternatively, an ACE inhibitor may additionally be a better option, but discuss to your doctor.


6. SSRIs

SSRIs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a type of antidepressant, that enlarge ranges of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, the Mayo Clinic explains. Examples consist of escitalopram (Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). may also motive weight achieve via affecting your appetite; Emil also says that, by way of relieving signs and symptoms of temper disorders, they can also additionally affect ingesting or workout habits. "If you are overweight, speak to your doctor. Weight acquire typically happens early on, which shows that it could come to be a long-term trouble for you," he says. 


7. MAOI

MAOI stands for monoamine oxidase inhibitor, which was said in an August 2020 article in StatPearls that it treats despair with the aid of blockading a talent enzyme that breaks down mood-balancing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. It can also be used to decrease migraine symptoms. They may additionally also stimulate appetite, says Nohavandi, who notes that phenelzine (Nardil) motives the greatest weight reap in this classification of drugs. If this is a subject for you, ask your medical doctor if there are choice options.


8. Insulin

If you are taking insulin to deal with diabetes, be aware of that it can also promote weight gain. That is, due to the fact the hormone helps your body soak up glucose from your bloodstream. “Glucose is a exact element — the cells in your body use it to work efficiently,” says Mitchell Howard, M.D., assistant scientific professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toledo in Ohio. However, after sugar is absorbed from the bloodstream and pushed into the cells, if the body does now not use it for energy, it will be converted into fat. If you overeat, especially foods excessive in sugar (candy, sweets), you will gain weight, he says. If you have kind 1 diabetes, you will want to take insulin. However, if you have type 2 diabetes, lifestyle modifications will help improve insulin function, and you may be able to use eating regimen and exercising to decrease your insulin dose (or subsequently dispose of it), says Dr. Howard.


9. Sulfonylureas

Another common type of diabetes medication, sulfonylureas, reduces blood sugar stages by using 20 percent but also causes an average weight reap of about 4 to 5 pounds, notes a learn about posted in August 2015 in the Archives of Medical Science. Sulfonylureas consist of gliclazide (Diamicron) and glibenclamide (glinase). These medicinal drugs stimulate the beta cells in the pancreas to secrete insulin. "More insulin in your bloodstream pushes sugar into your cells," Howard says. Ultimately, they purpose weight attain in a comparable way to injectable insulin. Howard says there are medicines for diabetes, consisting of metformin or SGLT2 inhibitors, that additionally promote weight loss or are weight-neutral. He adds that the type of medicine it's great for you relies upon on your medical history, contemporary fitness status, and price considerations.


10. Antipsychotics

These medicinal drugs may also be used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One in precise — olanzapine (Zyprexa) is linked to the easiest viable for weight gain in contrast to other antipsychotics, Howard says. Furthermore, these sorts of medicinal drugs impair glucose characteristic and enlarge ldl cholesterol and triglycerides, inserting patients at hazard for metabolic syndrome, in accordance to a review posted in August 2017 in the Journal of Neurological, Psychiatric, and Therapeutic Diseases. Howard says that lurasidone (Latuda) and ziprasidone (Geodon), two different types of antipsychotics, have a lower hazard of causing weight gain. 

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