What prescription drugs can cause weight gain? Discover the types of medications that may lead to an expanding waistline, including depression medications, mood stabilizers, diabetes drugs, and more. Get the facts to manage your weight while taking necessary medications.

The Connection Between Medication and Weight Gain

Your bathroom cabinet may be the culprit behind your expanding waistline. As many as 10-15% of weight issues are related to the medications you take, according to Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medical College. Some drugs can increase your appetite, slow your body’s ability to burn calories, or cause you to retain extra fluids – all of which can contribute to weight gain.

The effects of these medications, however, are not the same for everyone. “One person might gain 15 pounds on one drug. Another might not gain anything,” Aronne explains. Before making any changes to your prescriptions, it’s crucial to talk to your doctor, as some of these medications may be necessary to manage serious health conditions.

Depression Medications that Can Contribute to Weight Gain

Certain antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or tricyclic antidepressants, can affect your appetite and the way your body breaks down calories. “You might eat but not feel full,” says Sue DeCotiis, MD, a board-certified internist who specializes in medical weight loss. “Or you might lay down more fat even if you’re not eating more.” Some of these depression drugs may cause you to gain as much as 24 pounds in a year.

Mood Stabilizers and Their Impact on Weight

Medications used to treat mental health conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, such as clozapine (Clozaril), lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), and olanzapine (Zyprexa), can also lead to significant weight gain. “They directly affect your brain and will affect your weight and metabolism,” DeCotiis says. Mood stabilizers can cause your appetite to increase and stay high, potentially leading to an 11-pound weight gain in just 10 weeks.

Diabetes Medications and Weight Gain

Diabetes medications work in different ways to control blood sugar levels, but some can also contribute to weight gain. “Some of the older drugs basically vacuum calories into fat cells,” Aronne explains. Weight gain can be especially frustrating for people with type 2 diabetes who were already overweight. Your doctor can help you determine if another medication or lifestyle changes may be more effective.

Corticosteroids and Their Impact on Weight

Corticosteroids, such as methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisolone (Orapred, Pediapred, Prelone), and prednisone (Deltasone, Prednicot, Sterapred), are used to reduce pain and inflammation. However, they can also affect your metabolism, leading to a larger appetite and your body holding onto more fat, especially around the midsection.

Medications for Migraines and Seizures and Weight Gain

Drugs that treat migraine headaches and seizures, like amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), and valproic acid (Depacon, Depakote, Stavzor), can impact the hormones that control hunger and make it harder for your body to recognize when it’s full. “They can up your appetite, lower your metabolism, and cause your body to hang on to extra fluids,” says Donald Waldrep, MD, co-director of The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Los Robles Hospital.

Beta Blockers and Weight Gain

Beta blockers, such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), and propranolol (Inderal), are used to ease stress on the heart by slowing its rate and lowering blood pressure. While they don’t directly affect appetite or metabolism, they can contribute to weight gain in some individuals.

If you suspect your medications are causing weight gain, it’s important to discuss your concerns with your doctor. They may be able to switch you to a different medication or suggest lifestyle changes to help offset the weight-related side effects. Don’t make any changes to your prescriptions without first consulting your healthcare provider, as some of these medications may be essential for managing your health condition.

What Prescription Drugs Make You Gain Weight?

Written by Stephanie Booth

• Depression Medications
• Mood Stabilizers
• Diabetes Medicines
• Corticosteroids
• Drugs That Prevent Seizures and Migraines
• ‘Beta Blocker’ Heart Medicines
• Allergy Relievers
• More

You watch what you eat and fit regular workouts into your schedule. So why is the number on your scale going up instead of down? The reason might lie in your bathroom cabinet.

“As many as 10% to 15% of weight issues are related to medications,” says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Some meds can make you feel hungrier. Others slow your body’s ability to burn calories or cause you to hold onto extra fluids.

The effects aren’t the same for everybody, though. “One person might gain 15 pounds on one drug. Another might not gain anything,” Aronne says.

If you suspect the medicines that you take are behind your weight gain, don’t go off them before you talk to your doctor. “You might need to be on that drug to save your life,” says Donald Waldrep, MD, co-director of The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Los Robles Hospital.

You may be able to switch to another medication, including one that can even help you shed pounds. If not, your doctor can suggest what you should do to offset the weight gain.

“There’s evidence that a low-carb diet and more exercise may help,” says Sue DeCotiis, MD, a board-certified internist who specializes in medical weight loss.

Below are some types of medicines that may be the cause of your expanding waistline. It’s not a complete list, so speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about your prescriptions.

Which ones:

• citalopram (Celexa)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• fluvoxamine (Luvox)
• mirtazapine (Remeron)
• paroxetine (Paxil)
• sertraline (Zoloft)

Your doctor may call these “SSRIs” (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or “tricyclic antidepressants. ” They boost the amount of certain “feel good” chemicals in your brain. Some of those chemicals also control your appetite and how your body breaks down calories.

“You might eat but not feel full,” DeCotiis says. “Or you might lay down more fat even if you’re not eating more.” That’s the case especially in the long run. Some depression drugs may cause you to gain as much as 24 pounds in a year.

Keep in mind that depression itself can affect your appetite and eating habits. Your doctor or counselor can help you with that.

Which ones:

• clozapine (Clozaril)
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• olanzapine (Zyprexa)
• quetiapine (Seroquel)
• risperidone (Risperdal)

These drugs help treat mental health conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. They “directly affect your brain and will affect your weight and metabolism,” DeCotiis says.

Mood stabilizers cause your appetite to turn on and stay on. Some may cause as much as an 11-pound weight gain in 10 weeks. People taking them for a long time may gain more.

Which ones:

• glimepiride (Amaryl)
• glipizide (Glucotrol)
• glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase)
• insulin
• nateglinide (Starlix)
• pioglitazone (Actos)
• repaglinide (Prandin)

Diabetes medications control blood sugar levels in different ways. Some make you more sensitive to insulin. Others cause your body to release more insulin before or after meals.

It’s normal to gain weight when you first start taking them, while your body adjusts to the medicine. But “some of the older drugs basically vacuum calories into fat cells,” Aronne says. Weight gain can be especially frustrating for people with type 2 diabetes who were already overweight.

Your doctor can help you figure out if you might do better with another drug, or what lifestyle changes you may need to make.

Which ones:

• methylprednisolone (Medrol)
• prednisolone (Orapred, Pediapred, Prelone, and others)
• prednisone (Deltasone, Prednicot, Sterapred, and others)

Corticosteroids reduce pain and inflammation. They’re different than the steroids bodybuilders take to build muscle.

You can take them as shots, rub them into your skin as a cream, inhale them as a spray, or take them by mouth. Because they also affect metabolism, “taking them for a long time may give you a bigger appetite and cause your body to hold onto more fat, especially around the belly,” DeCotiis says.

Which ones:

• amitriptyline (Elavil)
• nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor)
• valproic acid (Depacon, Depakote, Stavzor)

Medicines that stop migraine headaches and seizures affect hormones that control hunger and make it harder for your body to sense when it’s full.

“They can up your appetite, lower your metabolism, and cause your body to hang on to extra fluids,” Waldrep says. In one study, people who took valproic acid (Depakote) even had more fast-food cravings.

Which ones:

• acebutolol (Sectral)
• atenolol (Tenormin)
• metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
• propranolol (Inderal)

Beta blockers ease stress on your heart by slowing its rate and lowering blood pressure. “But that decreases your body’s reaction to exercise so you won’t burn as many calories,” DeCotiis says. Because beta blockers make you feel tired, you might not have the energy to work out, which can also cause your weight to rise.

Which ones:

• cetirizine (Zyrtec)
• diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• fexofenadine (Allegra)
• loratadine (Claritin)

Over-the-counter allergy meds block the action of histamine, a chemical your body makes that causes many of the symptoms of allergies. Blocking histamine with an antihistamine like diphenhydramine may lead to weight gain.

Top Picks

What Prescription Drugs Make You Gain Weight?

Written by Stephanie Booth

• Depression Medications
• Mood Stabilizers
• Diabetes Medicines
• Corticosteroids
• Drugs That Prevent Seizures and Migraines
• ‘Beta Blocker’ Heart Medicines
• Allergy Relievers
• More

You watch what you eat and fit regular workouts into your schedule. So why is the number on your scale going up instead of down? The reason might lie in your bathroom cabinet.

“As many as 10% to 15% of weight issues are related to medications,” says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Some meds can make you feel hungrier. Others slow your body’s ability to burn calories or cause you to hold onto extra fluids.

The effects aren’t the same for everybody, though. “One person might gain 15 pounds on one drug. Another might not gain anything,” Aronne says.

If you suspect the medicines that you take are behind your weight gain, don’t go off them before you talk to your doctor. “You might need to be on that drug to save your life,” says Donald Waldrep, MD, co-director of The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Los Robles Hospital.

You may be able to switch to another medication, including one that can even help you shed pounds. If not, your doctor can suggest what you should do to offset the weight gain.

“There’s evidence that a low-carb diet and more exercise may help,” says Sue DeCotiis, MD, a board-certified internist who specializes in medical weight loss.

Below are some types of medicines that may be the cause of your expanding waistline. It’s not a complete list, so speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about your prescriptions.

Which ones:

• citalopram (Celexa)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• fluvoxamine (Luvox)
• mirtazapine (Remeron)
• paroxetine (Paxil)
• sertraline (Zoloft)

Your doctor may call these “SSRIs” (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or “tricyclic antidepressants.” They boost the amount of certain “feel good” chemicals in your brain. Some of those chemicals also control your appetite and how your body breaks down calories.

“You might eat but not feel full,” DeCotiis says. “Or you might lay down more fat even if you’re not eating more.” That’s the case especially in the long run. Some depression drugs may cause you to gain as much as 24 pounds in a year.

Keep in mind that depression itself can affect your appetite and eating habits. Your doctor or counselor can help you with that.

Which ones:

• clozapine (Clozaril)
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• olanzapine (Zyprexa)
• quetiapine (Seroquel)
• risperidone (Risperdal)

These drugs help treat mental health conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. They “directly affect your brain and will affect your weight and metabolism,” DeCotiis says.

Mood stabilizers cause your appetite to turn on and stay on. Some may cause as much as an 11-pound weight gain in 10 weeks. People taking them for a long time may gain more.

Which ones:

• glimepiride (Amaryl)
• glipizide (Glucotrol)
• glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase)
• insulin
• nateglinide (Starlix)
• pioglitazone (Actos)
• repaglinide (Prandin)

Diabetes medications control blood sugar levels in different ways. Some make you more sensitive to insulin. Others cause your body to release more insulin before or after meals.

It’s normal to gain weight when you first start taking them, while your body adjusts to the medicine. But “some of the older drugs basically vacuum calories into fat cells,” Aronne says. Weight gain can be especially frustrating for people with type 2 diabetes who were already overweight.

Your doctor can help you figure out if you might do better with another drug, or what lifestyle changes you may need to make.

Which ones:

• methylprednisolone (Medrol)
• prednisolone (Orapred, Pediapred, Prelone, and others)
• prednisone (Deltasone, Prednicot, Sterapred, and others)

Corticosteroids reduce pain and inflammation. They’re different than the steroids bodybuilders take to build muscle.

You can take them as shots, rub them into your skin as a cream, inhale them as a spray, or take them by mouth. Because they also affect metabolism, “taking them for a long time may give you a bigger appetite and cause your body to hold onto more fat, especially around the belly,” DeCotiis says.

Which ones:

• amitriptyline (Elavil)
• nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor)
• valproic acid (Depacon, Depakote, Stavzor)

Medicines that stop migraine headaches and seizures affect hormones that control hunger and make it harder for your body to sense when it’s full.

“They can up your appetite, lower your metabolism, and cause your body to hang on to extra fluids,” Waldrep says. In one study, people who took valproic acid (Depakote) even had more fast-food cravings.

Which ones:

• acebutolol (Sectral)
• atenolol (Tenormin)
• metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
• propranolol (Inderal)

Beta blockers ease stress on your heart by slowing its rate and lowering blood pressure. “But that decreases your body’s reaction to exercise so you won’t burn as many calories,” DeCotiis says. Because beta blockers make you feel tired, you might not have the energy to work out, which can also cause your weight to rise.

Which ones:

• cetirizine (Zyrtec)
• diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• fexofenadine (Allegra)
• loratadine (Claritin)

Over-the-counter allergy meds block the action of histamine, a chemical your body makes that causes many of the symptoms of allergies. Blocking histamine with an antihistamine like diphenhydramine may lead to weight gain.

Top Picks

How to slow down metabolism if you can’t gain weight?

30 April 2019

12 April 2023

4 minutes

6152

ProWellness

Table of contents

• Metabolism symptoms
• Several ways to slow down metabolism
• Proper diet
• Medication method
• Some useful tips

90 002 Disclaimer

Please note that all information posted on the site
Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.

How can you slow down your metabolism if you can’t gain weight?

Most people dream of speeding up their metabolism and losing weight. But there is also the opposite desire: you need to gain weight, slow down your metabolism.

There are several ways to slow down the process, but it is also important not to harm your health. Accelerated metabolism is a feature of a particular organism, not a pathology. In some cases, this is a sign of health problems.

Symptoms of accelerated metabolism

People with a fast metabolism can be recognized by their appearance. For them, the whole problem is to gain weight and muscle mass. Usually these are people with high stature, naturally thin physique. But sometimes the metabolic process is accelerated for some external reason.

Symptoms of an accelerated metabolism are:

• increased feeling of hunger or its complete absence;
• excessive thinness;
• inability to gain weight and muscle mass even with increased nutrition;
• feeling tired, lethargic;
• clearly visible veins on the body;
• increased nervousness, irritability.

The reasons for an accelerated metabolism can be very different:

• failures in the hormonal system;
• thyroid diseases;
• violations in the work of the pancreas.

To find out the cause, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Several ways to slow down metabolism

There are several methods for slowing down the process. You can use several at once, but in any case it is better if the doctor prescribes the treatment. Often, effective therapy depends entirely on addressing the underlying cause. Lifestyle also plays an important role.

Proper diet

Nutritional adjustment is the first effective method. There are several foods that effectively slow down your metabolism. The problem is that most of these products have significant health side effects. Therefore, you should eat them regularly, but in moderation. These products include:

• sugar;
• pasta;
• bread;
• baked goods and confectionery;
• nuts, cereals, seeds;
• fatty foods.

Attention! At the time of therapy, energy drinks, tea, coffee should be abandoned. Exclude citrus fruits, bitter chocolate, spices.

Medical method

If nutrition correction does not have the desired effect, pharmacy preparations can be used. For example, athletes with a naturally thin physique use special protein-carbon cocktails to gain mass. They consist of fast carbohydrates and short protein chains.

Attention! There are some drugs that have weight gain, slow metabolism as a side effect. These are hormonal preparations containing estrogen, as well as some medicines that lower the acidity of the stomach.

Another helper to the body is drugs that affect the secretion of insulin. But in any case, it is better if medication is prescribed by a doctor who will find out the cause of the problem itself.

Some useful tips

If you need to gain weight and lower your metabolic rate, then you can put into practice the following tips:

• reduce the time of daily sleep by a couple of hours – this will lead to the production of cortisol (stress hormone), the body will begin to slow down metabolism and store energy for future use;
• Ambient temperature must be between 22-28°C;
• limit physical activity for a certain period of time so that the body begins to store nutrients;
• moderately reduce the amount of fluid consumed.

Many advise making a faster metabolism your friend and simply eating better and more. Do not experiment if the problem is not a consequence of the disease.

Disclaimer

Please note that all information posted on the site
Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.

Expert: Ekaterina Podvalenchuk Expert in nutrition and health

Reviewer: Ekaterina Vorobieva Adept of a healthy and active lifestyle

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What slows down metabolism? How to speed up metabolism

Metabolism is a metabolic process consisting of chemical reactions in the human body. Any metabolic disorder can lead to serious illness. For most people who do not have health complaints, a slow metabolism is the cause of excess weight. And he, in turn, negatively affects the state of the heart and blood vessels, liver, musculoskeletal system. Therefore, you should gradually get rid of extra pounds. We will tell you how to speed up your metabolism at home without harming your health.


Not all people who want to lose weight are very obese. There are those who do not know how to get rid of subcutaneous fat on the abdomen and in other problem areas. It may be harmless and excite you only from an aesthetic point of view. Often, fat and fat accumulations play a significant role in the human body. For example, abdominal fat protects the organs in the abdomen from injury and can even keep the organs warm. But sometimes it poses a serious health hazard. To return to the previous example, abdominal obesity is not dangerous for some people, but for other people such obesity can be harmful to health. To understand how to get rid of belly fat, you need to understand the very nature of metabolism.

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Metabolisms

Experts distinguish two types of metabolism:

• catabolism. This is the process of breaking down complex substances that enter the body with food into simpler ones. Energy is released as a result of catabolism.

• Anabolism. This is the process of synthesis of more complex substances from simple ones, occurring in the body with the absorption of energy.

There are also three types of metabolism, each of which in its own way affects the human body and the processes occurring in it, including fat burning. You can determine it based on eating habits.

• Fast oxidizer. Protein type of metabolism. People with a fast metabolism can eat large amounts of meat and junk food without gaining weight. They are not very fond of sweets and easily refuse carbohydrates.

• Balanced oxidant. Mixed type. Such people choose a balanced diet: if meat, then with a side dish of vegetables, a small amount of bread and a small portion of dessert.

• Slow oxidizer. carbohydrate type. People with such a metabolism love sweet and starchy foods, choosing just such foods for snacking. Because of this, they gain weight faster.

Depending on the type of metabolism, you can choose the optimal diet for weight loss. However, without regular physical activity, it will be ineffective. Some other factors are also important. Tips on how to get rid of fat for a woman will not always help a man and vice versa.

The main factors affecting the body’s metabolism

People who are naturally thin often attribute their ability to eat their favorite foods and not gain weight to metabolic differences. They are helped by the accelerated metabolism of the body, but how to speed up the slow one? There are several factors that determine the metabolic rate:

• Floor;

• Age;

• Weight and build;

• genetic predisposition;

• diet;

• Daily regime;

• Psycho-emotional state;

• Physical exercise;

• The general state of human health.

Often people refer to age, justifying their excess weight. But you can lose weight even after 40. Even after 50 years, women and men get rid of extra pounds. But this happens as a result of hard work on yourself: proper nutrition and, most importantly, diligent and regular exercise.

Foods that slow metabolism

There are foods that should be abandoned for those who want to lose belly fat at home. This is not only and not so much sweets, pastries and fatty foods. Metabolism-slowing foods include tomatoes, potatoes, melons, eggplants, nuts, apricots, lean pork, chicken, and meat broths. Their frequent use leads to weight gain. If you want to lose weight without dieting, it is worth reducing their consumption.

Diets to boost metabolism and lose fat

Before choosing a diet, it is important to understand that fat in the human body accumulates in different places. There is subcutaneous fat, which is not as dangerous to health as is commonly believed. It is located between the epidermis and muscles and does not affect the internal organs of a person.

More dangerous is the so-called visceral fat. It accumulates in the abdominal cavity. In small quantities, this layer protects the organs from damage. But, if it becomes too voluminous, it can lead to inflammation and other diseases of the internal organs. How to get rid of visceral fat? It is enough to change your lifestyle by including moderate sports activities in your schedule.

Proper nutrition will also help get rid of fat on the abdomen and sides. However, a rigid, unbalanced diet can aggravate the situation and undermine your health. Fasting, mono-diets and other methods of extreme weight loss can bring visible results in a short time. However, they can slow down your metabolism.

Hunger forces him to use up his fat reserves, but only in the first few days. Then the body realizes that the substances it needs are practically not supplied with food. And it begins to store them in the form of subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Experts recommend replacing a low-calorie diet with a low-carbohydrate one. By eliminating sweets and starchy foods from your diet, you can speed up your metabolism. However, the most effective way to deal with excess weight is intense physical activity. This is the best answer to the question “How to get rid of fat for a man?”, And for women, it is also suitable.

How to speed up metabolism?

There are several ways to speed up your metabolism. Doctors recommend:

• Include foods that increase your metabolism in your diet.

• Choose balanced diets without severe restrictions, taking into account the characteristics of the body.

• Attend fitness classes, swimming and other physical activities.

• Take special drugs that speed up metabolism.

• Get rid of the source of stress.

• Normalize sleep and wakefulness.

Human metabolism is a complex process. There is no “magic pill” that will help you lose weight quickly and without exercise. A person can get rid of fat on the sides by combining the above measures in a complex.

Physical activity – increase metabolism and lose fat

Human metabolism depends on a number of factors, but physical activity can be called the key. Regular exercise is shown to people suffering from excess weight. No need to be afraid of the word sport or think that in your life there will be no time for it.