Sep 12, 2008 6:59 pm US/Eastern
Medication Often Responsible For Weight Gain
Experts Say Weight Yourself Daily; If Pounds Begin To Mount, See Your Doctor Sooner Rather Than Later
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
If you're eating right and exercising, and still can't figure out why your waistline or thighs keep expanding consider your medicine.
Russell Goings Jr. just couldn't lose weight.
"I was doing the exercise and no matter what I was doing I was still putting on weight," Goings said.
His numerous ailments required multiple medications.
"I think I was taking at one time about 13 medicines," he said.
And that turned out to be part of the problem with losing pounds.
"I started taking the medication and my weight started to inch up," Goings said.
One doctor knows why.
"What we found was that he was taking two medicines that cause weight gain," said Dr. Louis Aronne of New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
And, Goings is not alone.
"Five to 10 percent of the obesity epidemic is related to medication induced weight gain," Dr. Aronne said.
Some drugs drive up weight by making you drowsy or lethargic, so you burn fewer calories throughout the day. And others affect brain chemistry leaving you constantly hungry.
"More than 20 medicines have been shown to cause weight gain and these include medicines for diabetes, for heart disease, high blood pressure, medicines that are used for seizures, mood disorders, hormonal treatments," Dr. Aronne said.
"I had to give up pies and my morning croissant," Goings said.
Often, medications appear to be the problem but aren't.
"Sometimes the underlying disease can cause the weight gain," Dr. Aronne said. "Sometimes it's the medicine that's causing the weight gain and to make it more complicated some medicines cause weight gain in some people and not in others."
Most importantly, don't stop or make any changes to your medicines before talking your doctor.
Experts suggest weighing yourself first thing every morning when you start a new medication -- and five pounds is the cut off. If you gain or lose that amount, it's time to check with your physician.
Eating 100 to 200 fewer calories a day may be enough to counter-act weight gain caused by medicine. And exercise helps, too.
Here is a list of drugs that might contribute to weight gain, however,
DO NOT stop the use of ANY medication without first talking to your doctor!
ANTIDEPRESSANTS
- Tricyclic
- Lithium
- SSRI's
ANTIPSYCHOTICS
- Haloperidol
- Clozapine
ANTIHISTAMINES, SLEEP AIDS
- Diphenhydramine
BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION
- Alpha-blockers
- Beta-blockers
CANCER THERAPY
- Chemotherapy
- Tamoxifen
- Decadron
DIABETES DRUGS
- Insulin
- Sulfonylureas
MIGRAINE MEDICINES
- Valproic acid
STEROIDS
- Oral corticosteroids
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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