Why can taking drugs cause weight gain?

Losing weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight is challenging for many patients on medication. Drugs that cause weight gain include diabetes medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, and even pain relievers.

Common reasons why many patients taking medication gain weight include:
Increased appetite: drugs that stimulate appetite increase appetite and affect satiety. Water retention (salt and water retention) in tissues. Increase fat storage. For example, insulin can increase fat storage. Metabolism slows down. Fatigue or weakness: can lead to inactivity, less exercise and burning of calories. It is often difficult for people to find the exact cause of weight gain. Distinguishing weight gain due to drugs from weight gain due to other reasons (diet, lack of exercise...) is also not easy. Some psychological problems, such as depression, can lead to weight loss or weight gain, depending on the individual.
If rapid weight gain occurs in a short period of time, it is advised to contact your doctor immediately for an evaluation, especially if you are at risk for cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure, blood high pressure ...

Some prescription medications can add unwanted pounds to the user, such as:
Schizophrenia (Olanzapine, Risperidone, Quetiapine) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Bipolar disorder Depression (such as Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, Paxil, Effexor, Cymbalta, Norpramin..) Type 1 or 2 diabetes (such as Actos, Avandia, Amaryl, Novolog, Lantus, Humalog) ...) High blood pressure (Tenormin, Lopressor, Inderal, Norvasc, Catapres) Seizures and convulsions (Tegretol, Neurontin, Depakote) Allergies, anti-shock (Depersolon, solumedrol) Pain and inflammation (Prednisolone, Solumedrol, Dexamethasone). ) There are some drugs that are more likely to cause weight gain than others, and not all patients taking these drugs experience side effects. However, patients should still be aware of the risk of weight gain when using the drug and have an appropriate treatment plan.

When taking medicine for weight gain, the patient should not stop taking any medicine without consulting a doctor. If you are concerned about weight gain due to medication, make an appointment to discuss.
In many cases, patients may be able to switch to a different medication or take the drug at a lower dose to ensure that the benefits of taking the drug outweigh the risk of weight gain.
In addition, you can also apply some weight-balancing methods such as:
Increase movement, exercise daily Pay attention to your diet (limit salty foods, avoid eating fast food, real foods, etc.) processed foods...) Limit food intake. Add foods rich in potassium such as bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados, radishes...etc.); Drink plenty of water Eat slowly, divide into several meals. When taking the drug to gain weight, do not be too stressed, but find out the causes leading to this condition. If your weight gain is due to taking the drug, you can stop or change to a medication that has the same therapeutic effect (but does not gain weight) as directed by your doctor. This will help you both have a reasonable weight and treat your health problems.
If you need more in-depth advice on taking medications that are reasonable with your current health status, customers can contact Vinmec International General Hospital for advice by a team of experienced doctors. .

Reference source: drugs.com - healthline.com