Many women gain weight for no apparent
reason. This can be due to a multitude
of factors ranging from hormones to bacterial infections or inflammation. However, one cause often overlooked is prescription medications.
What's going on?
This may be hard to swallow, but some
prescription drugs such as those used to treat mood disorders, seizures,
migraines, diabetes, and even high blood pressure can cause weight gain. Some
steroids, hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptives can also cause
unwanted kilos to creep up on you.
Even if you suspect a prescription
medication is causing weight gain, never stop taking the drug without
consulting your doctor.
"Stopping some of these
medications on your own can have very serious consequences," says Louis
Aronne, MD, president of the North American Association for the Study of
Obesity. "It has to be done very carefully."
It is also important to remember
that even if a medication causes weight gain of a few kilos, it may be worth
the trade-off of what that medication is doing for your overall health.
Common
Offenders That Can Cause Weight Gain
While no one knows exactly how many
prescription drugs can cause weight gain, experts estimate the list includes
more than 50 common medications.
To make things more complicated, some
drugs can cause weight gain in some people and weight
loss in others. This is because not all
drugs have the same side effects for all people. You have to work with your doctor to find the
drug that's right for you and in almost every case, your doctor will be able to
switch you to another medication that has the same desirable effects but which
will not cause weight gain.
The reasons why some medications
cause weight gain are not always clear. Drug-induced weight gain may be unrelated
to the action of the drug itself, for example, if an antidepressant makes
people feel better, their appetite may be restored and they eat more. However, other drugs have the potential to alter
metabolism, causing the body to burn calories more slowly or to store fat.
Some corticosteroids, for example, make the
body less able to absorb blood glucose, and this can lead to fat deposits in
the trunk and weight gain. Other medications produce fatigue or shortness of
breath, making the person less active (the antihypertensive drugs known as
beta-blockers are thought to have this effect), or can cause water retention (a
side effect of antihypertensive calcium channel blockers).
The causes of weight gain are complex and
multidimensional, and it’s not always possible to pinpoint a medication as the
cause, especially because medication-related weight gain may take weeks, months
or even years to occur. This was the case in Chester's journey, and you can read his story here.
Overcoming the obstacles
Although isolating the cause of the drug-induced
weight gain takes time, implementing additional nutritional, dietary and herbal
support can improve weight maintenance.
If you suspect that you’re putting on weight
because of a medication you’re taking, let me know and talk to your doctor, but
don’t discontinue taking it without medical advice.
Narelle Stegehuis (BHSc HM), is a practicing medical herbalist
and naturopath specializing in restorative health for women, with over 14 years
clinical experience. She is both an
accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor. A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic
Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science
and traditional complementary health care principles. www.massattack.com.au
