Gaining weight is often a side effect triggered not necessarily by excessive and unhealthy eating, but also as a result of certain medications that can disrupt metabolism.
Although less than 5% of overweight cases are caused by drugs, we believe that such a list of potentially dangerous treatments for the figure should be compiled, so that you are informed when you notice something wrong with your body.
Antidepressants and antidiabetics increase appetite
There are several categories of antidepressant medications, each of which can have negative effects on the figure. Studies have shown that you can gain 2 to 9 kilograms per month if you are under treatment with antidepressants.
Therefore, discuss this aspect with the doctor, who can prescribe you drugs that contain neurochemical substances without any side effect on the appetite.
Diabetic people can sometimes experience excessive appetite, caused by certain fluctuations in blood sugar. These episodes especially occur when the blood sugar level drops (hypoglycaemia), with some patients noticing a tendency to gain up to 11 kilograms in the first year of diabetes treatment. There are solutions for such problems, namely antidiabetic drugs with a neutral effect on body weight.
Antipsychotic drugs, negative effect on metabolism
The compounds in such drugs can have a major impact on the functioning of the metabolism and satiety, so you can choose up to 5 extra pounds per month.
As a rule, people taking antipsychotics are already under the supervision of a doctor, so if you notice that you are gaining more weight than normal, do not hesitate to ask for an alternative, such as atypical antipsychotics, which do not influence body weight.
Sleeping pills and antihistamines cause drowsiness
Many allergy or insomnia medications contain an ingredient that can disrupt the sleep cycle, in the sense that it causes sleepiness during the day and insomnia during the night, so that the movement and energy needed to burn calories is minimized, hence the number of accumulated kilograms.
Antihypertensives can leave you without energy
Both alpha and beta blockers used to treat high blood pressure can cause fatigue and lack of energy, which translates into fewer calories burned throughout the day.
Such symptoms should not be overlooked, but the opinion of a specialist should be sought, who will analyze the levels of ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers.
Hormonal treatments slow down the metabolism
Women diagnosed with breast cancer who are on certain hormone treatments are more likely to gain weight, and the reason is not fully known. It is believed that a drug designed to reduce the level of estrogen hormones can increase appetite and weaken the fat burning process.
Chemotherapy can also hasten the onset of menopause, which contributes to weight loss. The solution in such situations is not to change the treatment, but to develop a plan, in collaboration with a nutritionist, who will draw up a list of allowed foods, the exact times at which to eat and a strictly followed physical exercise program.
Antirheumatic drugs give you a sweet tooth
Oral corticosteroids, used especially in the treatment of rheumatism and chronic inflammation, can contribute to weight loss in several ways. These drugs “steal” calories from energy stores and turn them into fat cells that are deposited, at the same time leading to unhealthy food cravings.
There are cases of people who have gained up to 28 kilograms in weight after steroid treatment. The way to avoid such problems is to switch to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Of course, only on the doctor’s recommendation!
One thing is certain: if you are gaining weight because of the medication you are forced to take, the key to solving the problem is patience.
Even if you stop or change those medications, you won’t lose weight as fast as you gained it. But if you discover the cause and take control of these problems, you will start to see the results you want.
2023-11-01 12:04:00
#Eating #gaining #weight #fattening #pills #blame
