what medication can i use to gain weight

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Side effects are common with most any medication. What'southward less common are side effects that can complicate your recovery from the very condition you're looking to treat. Case in signal: medications that can cause weight gain.

"Often, nosotros think of side effects that cause more [physical] symptoms — dizziness, stomach problems, fatigue," says John Batsis, K.D., an associate professor in geriatric medicine and nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Loma. "Weight proceeds, though, can creep up on yous." And for patients who accept other medical problems — osteoarthritis or high claret pressure, for example — "the excess weight can potentially worsen" those conditions, Batsis says.

Withal inquiry suggests a growing number of people take drugs that cause weight gain — most notably, for atmospheric condition that are exacerbated by excess weight, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Drawing on data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Diet Examination Survey (NHANES), a recent study published in Obesity found that 1 in 5 U.South. adults have at to the lowest degree one medication that causes weight gain, the most mutual beingness some beta-blockers and diabetes drugs such equally insulin and sulfonylureas.

As side effects go, weight gain may not seem similar a big bargain, especially if y'all're treating a life-threatening status. Only in less serious scenarios, added weight can compromise your overall health. People with obesity are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including eye disease, stroke and expiry, co-ordinate to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even pocket-sized weight gain — we're talking five to 20 pounds — can have negative wellness effects, one study shows.

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Another drawback: Weight gain as a side event can interfere with medication adherence, says Devika Umashanker, M.D., system medical manager with Hartford HealthCare'due south Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Program and an obesity medicine specialist.

Keep reading to see why each of these mutual medications causes weight gain and what you can do to prevent whatsoever changes on the scale.

one. Diabetes drugs

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important office of any handling for type 2 diabetes. But here's the rub: Some of the drugs prescribed to help manage the condition often event in weight gain. Accept, for instance, injectable insulin.

The hormone works by helping the trunk's cells blot glucose. Insulin causes a spike in weight, however, when the cells blot too much glucose and the torso converts it into fat. Non everyone with type 2 diabetes is on insulin. But insulin isn't the only type 2 handling that carries this side effect.

Sulfonylureas (such as glyburide, glipizide and glimepiride) reduce blood saccharide levels past 20 percent, only they can also cause a weight gain of near four to 5 pounds on boilerplate, according to a study published inAthenaeum of Medical Science. That'southward because they stimulate beta cells in the pancreas to release insulin.

What to practise? "These medications have been used for many years and are ofttimes commonplace in diabetes direction, simply at that place are newer medications that promote weight loss and should be considered," Batsis says. Lesser line: Talk to your doctor if you're concerned.

2. Antidepressants

If you've been on an antidepressant for a while now and you've put on weight, it could be a sign of improved mood if weight loss was a symptom of your depression.

Significant weight gain, on the other manus, is likely a side issue of the medication itself, especially if you're taking an SSRI (short for selective serotonin uptake inhibitor), the near commonly prescribed class of antidepressants. Here's why: SSRIs, such as paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa), work by "increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain, which is a cardinal neurotransmitter involved in depression," Batsis says. "Serotonin, though, is also implicated in the biological and neurotransmitter processes that regulate weight and appetite. At that place are many serotonin receptors, but at a loftier level they interfere with this procedure."

The good news? With many of the newer second-generation antidepressants, there is ofttimes no weight proceeds; some, such as bupropion (Wellbutrin), may even outcome in weight loss, Batsis says, echoing the results of a review of studies published in the periodicalPostgraduate Medicine.

"Bupropion is less likely to crusade weight gain and when coupled with naltrexone (Vivitrol) is a potential handling for obesity," he says. "Notwithstanding in older adults, bupropion, while safe, needs to be counterbalanced with other medical problems as it may have more key nervous arrangement side effects." His advice: Work with your medical team to discover the best handling for your situation.

3. Beta-blockers

Beta-blockers work past slowing the heart rate, the heart's workload and its output of claret, all of which lowers blood force per unit area. That's why they're often prescribed as a handling for hypertension, angina and irregular heartbeat. If you're on a beta-blocker, no one has to tell you the side furnishings include fatigue, insomnia and a dull heartbeat. All of those tin add up to a less physically active lifestyle, which — no surprise — may result in extra weight.

"Weight gain ofttimes occurs in the get-go few months after initiating beta-blockers like atenolol or metoprolol," Batsis says. That's "thought to be due to changes in metabolism, insulin sensitivity and touch on on skeletal muscle metabolism."

If you're on a beta-blocker and weight proceeds is an issue, talk to your doctor well-nigh possible alternatives such as carvedilol, a nonspecific beta-blocker; angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors; angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs); or calcium blockers, Batsis says.

iv. Oral corticosteroids

Oral corticosteroids — like prednisone and methylprednisolone — are prescribed for everything from astringent allergies and rashes to rheumatoid arthritis, simply they come with a number of side effects — amid them, weight gain. The culprit? Fluid retentiveness.

"Electrolyte imbalances atomic number 82 to water retention," Umashanker explains. "Oral steroids also reduce the body's sensitivity to insulin, leading to insulin resistance." That, in turn, ramps up production of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite.

To avoid weight proceeds, Umashanker recommends a nutrition rich in depression-glycemic foods such as fruits and vegetables, beans, minimally processed grains, low-fat dairy and nuts, all of which are "slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels."

5. Migraine meds

Talk about a fell wheel: If you lot're overweight and endure from migraines, the extra weight puts you at greater risk for more frequent and more severe migraines. And nonetheless weight gain is a side effect of some migraine-preventive meds, including propranolol (Inderal) and divalproex sodium (Depakote).

According to the American Migraine Foundation, people at a salubrious weight who experience migraines have about a three percentage chance of developing chronic headaches. For people who are overweight and for people with obesity, however, the chance of chronic migraine is 3 to five times greater.

If you're on a migraine-preventive medication that's causing weight gain, talk to your doctor about switching to one that has the potential to suppress appetite, such every bit topiramate (Topamax), zonisamide (Zonegran) or protriptyline (Vivactil).

Kimberly Goad is a New York-based announcer who has covered health for some of the nation's top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, Men'due south Wellness and Reader's Assimilate.​

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Source: https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2022/medication-weight-gain.html

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